Abstract This paper analyzes Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" and how it is an indictment of humanity. The paper explains that, in "Gulliver's Travels", Swift seeks to condemn human nature as being a state that is assimilated by all in terms of unthinking servitude to individuals' own desires and needs, which conflict and contrast to create a sort of messy chaos that is not ruled by reason or logic. The paper relates that Swifts condemnation of human nature is not light satire. Rather it is a general indictment of humanity as being naturally loathsome and horrible to behold. That is, Swift does not see any saving grace in civilization, but instead concentrates on the innate debasement of humanity.
From the Paper "When the narrator accepts that the horses are his social superiors and masters, he does so after some amount of discussion, having learned their language enough to give a rather proud account of his native land, which is summarily dismissed by the horses as being typical of Yahoo behavior. The horses remark that it is not unheard of in their land to also see Yahoos squabbling and killing each other over certain minerals, and that the dominant Yahoo is also surrounded by fawning subservient attendants who herd female
Yahoos into his camp and help to clean the lead Yahoo's feet and behind."
Abstract For those who look to the Bible for answers, many cite the Book of Leviticus as proof that the Bible condemns homosexuality. This paper discusses how a closer look at these often cited passages, using both an historical and biblical perspective, sheds new light on the subject, suggesting that the Bible may not actually condemn homosexuality as once believed.
From the Paper "In recent times, homosexuality has been one of the most debated issues in the Bible. Many believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality, especially those Christians who adopt conservative interpretations of the Bible. Two of the verses most commonly cited by those who condemn homosexuality are in the book of Leviticus. A simple reading of these two verses can easily be interpreted as God simply prohibiting homosexuality among men. However, these verses read alone are not an accurate statement of the Bible's stance on homosexuality. When viewed in both a religious and historical context, and when viewed together with the other rules outlined in Leviticus, condemnation of homosexuality based on Leviticus seems to be without merit."
Abstract This paper explores Milton's use of flattery and condemnation and the role they play in the downfall of Adam and Eve and their subsequent decision to take responsibility for eating the forbidden fruit in his novel Paradise Lost. It also explores his characterization of Adam and Eve and how rich language and metaphor result in a stunning piece of work.
From the Paper "Milton's Paradise Lost is studded with characters ranging from the devious Satan through to the humanistic, yet wise Eve. Given such a wide breadth of not only characters, but also location, Milton varies his language depending on cast, setting and poetic intention. This is evident when examining the use of flattery and condemnation both of which play large roles in the downfall of Adam and Eve and in their decision to take responsibility for the eating the forbidden fruit."
A discussion of I. F. Stone's essay "When Free Speech was First Condemned: The Trial of Socrates Reconsidered" which challenges some of the longstanding assumptions about Socrates.
695 words (approx. 2.8 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 24.95
Abstract This paper examines the way in which Stone in his essay appears to be acting as a kind of prosecuting attorney across the ages, asking Socrates why and how the philosopher behaved in ancient Athens the way he did. By doing so, by using the format developed by Socrates himself, Stone hopes to shift the emphasis from the image of the hemlock-drinking, condemned philosopher to Socrates as he was in life.
From the Paper "First of all, Stone challenges the simple association of Socrates with free speech. In fact, Socrates periodically challenged the democratic, free speech ideals of the Athens he lived in. Socrates hoped to create an ideal philosophical kingdom, ruled by a philosopher king. Although Socrates was condemned to death in Athens for what he said and advocated, this did not mean therefore that that Socrates had advocated free speech during his life, in his philosophy. Socrates was only able to flourish as long as he did in Athens because of the free debate and discussion encouraged in his resident city. Even though he condemned such free and democratic Athenian debate, Socrates benefited as a result of the city's tolerance."
Examines the novel's condemnation of judgmental Puritan community and the heroism of the protagonist, the nature of good and evil, adultery, hypocrisy and compassion.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1999, $ 47.95
Abstract "Hester Prynne, the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, is ostracized from her community and forced to wear a cloth "A" signifying she has committed the sin of adultery. However, the novel is a condemnation not of Hester but of the community which has so harshly and hypocritically judged her
From the Paper "Hester Prynne, the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, is ostracized from her community and forced to wear a cloth "A" signifying she has committed the sin of adultery. However, the novel is a condemnation not of Hester but of the community which has so harshly and hypocritically judged her. Hawthorne's novel portrays both the inhumane effects of the cruel enforcement of the morality of Puritanism, and the courage and love of Hester as she lives to transcend that inhumane cruelty. Hester is shown to suffer not because she is evil, but because her human frailties have been judged evil by a community which refuses to accept such frailty in its members. Ironically, her lover is the man who represents more than any other those Puritan values. In Hawthorne's view, Hester is far more human and moral than the others in the community because she accepts ..."
Examines how homosexuality was accepted and condemned throughout Chinese history and whether it was seen as an alternative or supplement to hetrosexual relationships.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 13 sources, 2002, $ 89.95
Abstract Male homosexuality was a common practice in Chinese history. Several sources document the extent of this practice through long periods of Chinese history. It was also widely depicted in Chinese literature. Common literary terms for homosexuality included longyang, fen tao zhi ai (sharing or eating a peach) and duanxiu or cut sleeve. With few exceptions, however, male homosexuality did not replace heterosexual marriage nor was it seen as an alternative to marriage. Even as a kind of supplement to marriage, male homosexuality was not universally accepted. Though common, it was condemned by many. It was also illegal in the Qing period. These themes are discussed in this paper.
Abstract This paper argues that Holocaust denial is just as morally corrupt as genocide, and for one to state that the Holocaust never occurred, is the same as to declare that genocide is morally permissible. A premise consisting of two parts is used in this paper to affirm that society should condemn those who deny the Holocaust. It shows, first, that one must establish the definition of genocide while using the method of comparison, then it can be confirmed that both contexts, ancient and contemporary, are in fact similar. Second, due to generic definition, a link between Holocaust denial and genocide can be illustrated; the paper shows that Holocaust denial perpetuates the same level of immorality as genocide. Therefore, through an analysis of the ethical issues of genocide and Holocaust denial, the controversial nature of ethics is reinforced in this paper.
From the Paper "One of the first and most well-known publications denying the Holocaust was a 32-page pseudo-academic booklet originally printed in 1974 in England; it was called "Did Six Million Really Die". The booklet states that the concentration camps were contributions to a sort of "mythology" and it discards the Diary of Anne Frank as a "hoax" and claims Jews were not exterminated but instead emigrated from Nazi Germany by a "benevolent government". (Berg, BBC news) The booklet is an example of Holocaust denial and its publication should not be morally permissible. Many may argue that this booklet is an expression of free speech and to prevent its publishing is morally wrong. However, one must realize that there is a line between free speech and hate speech."
This paper reviews the book "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II " by Iris Chang, a condemnation of what happened in 1937, when Japan had invaded China and committed atrocity after atrocity.
Abstract This paper explains that "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II " by Iris Chang describes events that happened four years before Pearl Harbor, when the Japanese forces destroyed everything in their way in their march to conquer the important areas of China, not so much for a military victory but to crush the state of mind of a people opposed to everything Japanese; the world has never condemned the Japanese nor has Japan apologized. The author points out that the book lacks objectivity and presents a one-dimensional view of both the Japanese "criminals" and the Chinese women victims. The paper relates that, from a historian's point of view, Chang does not delve into the Chinese government's role in allowing this massacre and other Japanese atrocities to happen.
From the Paper "If there is one section of the book where the author spends an inordinate amount of space it is with the lack of responsiveness of the Japanese government to answer charges about the war crimes committed in Nanking. One can see from recent headlines that the Japanese seem loath to do anything about the atrocities committed during the War, including the "comfort women" important from the Philippines and Korea, and other atrocities for which the Japanese government expressed regret, but offered no reparation. She goes into great length about the silence of the soldiers themselves, the rise of many of these war criminals into public life and the private sector and the lack of reparations to the Chinese victims of this Rape of Nanking and other atrocities on the Chinese mainland. Unlike the Germans, for example, who continued to root out suspected Nazis who had taken government and industrial jobs, the Japanese smugly left them alone- as if to say "let bygones be bygones"."
Abstract This paper explores texts, focusing on the New Testament, which discuss and highlight the condemnation of homosexuality. The author also offers a few examples from the Old Testament to qualify points made.
From the Paper "Anything unnatural and contrary to nature during Paul's time is that which does not promote the social good and continuing existence of mankind; it is anything that might dissolve marriage or create conditions that would harm a stable family, proper birthing and "rearing of children" (Jung & Smith, 207). Natural institutions are those which include responsible actions which ensure the proper "social ordering of family life to serve the common good of society" as well as the "well being of its next generation of citizens" (Hanigan, 54)."
Abstract This paper discusses the United Nation (UN) charter with regards to genocide intervention, as well as state sovereignty. It discusses conflict of interest and other issues that arise when a sovereign state is condemned under international law of genocide and the surrounding states may want to attempt to stop the human rights abuses that are occurring. This creates a moral dilemma, in terms of violating the state's sovereignty.
From the Paper "UN Charter and Genocide Intervention In matters of sovereign nations, the United Nations charter places a strong emphasis against intervention of the internal affairs of that nation, with the exception of cases that have been officially labeled as genocide. When put into context of the United States, the record of this global superpower is inconsistent at best. While intervention is not encouraged to prevent wars of conquest and vengeance, not taking a firm stand on the matter, as in the case of the United States, has fostered an environment that has also become conducive to utilizing war and intervention as a means to advance policy."
Abstract This paper analyzes Gresham Sykes and David Matza's five-part model of justifications of deviant behavior that is also known as techniques of neutralization. It looks at how the five techniques include denying responsibility, denying the injury, blaming the victim, condemning the authorities and appealing to higher principles or authorities. It discusses whether the Black Panther Party resorted to Sykes and Matza's techniques of neutralization to justify the criminality of their behavior and whether the social acceptability of their doctrine was aided by a social and cultural era in upheaval, particularly concerning the civil rights of blacks and America's involvement in Vietnam.
Outline
Introduction
Techniques of Neutralization
Denial of Responsibility
Denial of Injury
Denial of the Victim
Condemnation of the Condemners Appeal to Higher Loyalties
Conclusion
From the Paper "Sykes and Matza argue that the third technique of neutralization is the criminal's attempt to deny that the victim can in fact be victimized. In other words, the criminal argues that that the victim is the wrongdoer and their own action is an attempt to create justice, not defy it. It was the whole basis of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense that the entire system of government as run by white Americans was a criminal and violent oppression of the civil rights and human dignity of American blacks. They had the right to bear arms to defend themselves against such injustice. Consider, for example, the ideology of the Party's intellectual leader in its early stages, Eldridge Cleaver."
Tags: victim, terror, injury, criminality, society
Abstract This paper examines how Christians used the label "idolatry" quite liberally during the Middle Ages to describe the vastly different practices of religious and ethnic groups that they wished to condemn and how the Christians, being the labelers, were immune to this classification, and instead used the plasticity of the term to sanction almost any Christian practice, no matter how similar it may have seemed to their own ideas of idolatry. The paper points out that Christians were able to condemn other religions for their use of images, while glorifying their own with similar practices. The paper thus concludes that Christian condemnation of other religions as idolatrous reflects the ambiguous nature of images, and the ease with which they are misused.
From the Paper "But at times it seemed that Christians did worship the images, offering votives, praying, and attributing miracles to effigies. Large-scale images of saints containing relics were objects of cults from the ninth to twelfth century (Dahl 175). These sculptures were often adorned by precious metals, and were derided by some as blatant idols. However, Christians defended their practices by claiming that they worshipped the memory of the saint, not the object itself. Respect shown to the statue denoted respect to the saint, and the saint jealously guarded her image from heaven (Dahl 178). Bernard, a Christian scholar, regretted dismissing a venerated sculpture of a saint as idolatrous, after realizing that "the statue is honored in memory of the holy martyr in order to glorify the highest God...Her image is not an impure idol but a holy memento that invites pious devotion...it is nothing but a casket that holds the venerable relics of the virgin" (Belting 536). "
Abstract This term paper examines the character of Hamlet in which we see a very human character, one whose destiny in part condemns a man whose is also condemned by his own actions. This essay discusses Hamlet's habitual indecisiveness which leads to a climax in which there is in fact no clear resolution to the play's action.
From the Paper "We are accustomed to thinking of Hamlet as the hero of the play that bears his name ? the avenger of his father, the man who returns a sense of justice and order to the land of Denmark. And yet a closer reading of the play suggests that while Hamlet is in some sense a hero, he is also quite clearly culpable for the terrible events that occur. And yet rather than make him less compelling as a character, his essential flaws make him more interesting. His own indecisiveness and unwillingness to act in the end cause a great deal of harm in the world. His role as a prince is to serve as the protector of his people, as a dam against the threat of evil. This passivity of his is certainly not as morally wrong as is the active evil involved in the murder of his father. But neither is it heroism, constituting no outstanding feat of virtue. "
A detailed analysis of "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, focusing on the shared experiences of the female protagonists in each novel and the role their communities play in their development.
Abstract Toni Morrison often explores issues that have strong influences on African American women in her novels. One such issue is the role the black community plays in the development of her protagonists. In "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved", the female protagonists are unable to progress as individuals without the support of their communities. In "The Bluest Eye", the unfortunate young girl becomes an outcast beggar as the result of the black community's self-hatred. The protagonist in "Beloved" ultimately becomes free from her horrendous past with the help of a loving community. Morrison uses the contrasting endings of her novels to emphasis the important role the black community plays in the psychological development of its female members. This paper is an investigation into the reasons and effects of a community's isolation. It shows that in both novels, members of the black community use the protagonists as scapegoats for their own internal problems. In "The Bluest Eye", the protagonist is a target for the community's self-hatred. In "Beloved", the community condemns the protagonist for an act similar to many of their own actions because their condemnation helps to relieve their personal guilt.
From the Paper "In each novel, isolation and betrayal by the community have striking results. Pecola does not have a family to rely on because the black community tears her parents apart before her life even begins. Although Cholly and Pauline initially love one another, their love cannot withstand... isolation from the community" (Kubitschek 35). When the Breedloves move to Ohio, Pauline "merely wanted other women to cast favorable glances her way" (The Bluest Eye 118). Pauline cannot love herself once she accepts the standards of beauty the community imposes upon her. The black women of the community scorn her accent, her lame foot, and her hair, so Pauline only finds beauty in the home of a white family (Furman 15-6); "here she found beauty, order, cleanliness, and praise" (The Bluest Eye 127). In equating physical beauty with virtue, she stripped her mind, bound it, and collected self-contempt by the heap" (The Bluest Eye 122)."
Abstract Sean Hannity's "Let Freedom Ring" aims to condemn the liberal mindset by assigning responsibility for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to what Hannity believes to be liberal policies. The paper examines how, according to Hannity, winning "the war on terror" must be done at all costs in order to preserve the "blessings of liberty" handed down by our forefathers. It explains how the book uses the events of September 11 to justify conservative views while condemning liberal ideals. It also discusses Hannity's argument, which is not straightforward and strict in the logical sense; instead, he seems to take the opportunity to discuss, in depth, many other political matters utterly unrelated to his overall point. It points out that defense of the United States from terrorists is his primary topic; however, he often strays into lengthy discourses concerning abortion and tax breaks.
From the Paper "From the onset Hannity reveals where his philosophical foundations rest: "I believe in the American dream, the American ideal, the unique American culture, and traditional American values. Indeed, my core political beliefs"my conservative ideals?are grounded in my respect for the traditions that make up America's foundation.? (Hannity 2). Obviously, many people would take issue with these core beliefs possessed by Hannity; specifically, many people feel that the idea of the American dream is a complete fallacy in today's world, and in fact, that many upward obstacles are deliberately in place within the American infrastructure; yet, Hannity grants these notions no credence. Additionally, Hannity's preference for the founding and pervading traditions within American culture cause him to reach many conclusions that someone more open to newer and more varied traditions would never accept. Basically, by identifying these central values and doing little to justify them, Hannity reveals his particular conservative ideology: he believes Americans are free because he does, and he believes in the preservation of traditional values because they were here first. Logically, the first premise is completely invalid, and the second is highly questionable. All together, if the reader happens to disagree with either one of these notions, they are in for a rough ride within the pages of Let Freedom Ring."
