Meursault in The Stranger by Albert Camus Essay Example for Free

Meursault in The Stranger by Albert Camus Essay Life is wonderful, but also hard. We struggle to find the meaning in our lives, but we can not accomplish it. There are many kinds of thoughts or philosophies of life; some think that life is already determined by God or destiny when they were born, while others think that they decide what they do by themselves. In the stranger, Albert Camus creates Meursault as a protagonist, who does not think about anything deeply. Because of that, he can not really enjoy his life. However, finally, he thinks about his life when he faces death; he truly realized how to face to the absurd world, and thus becomes Camus perfect existential hero. Meursault is indifferent, and he thinks he perfectly enjoys each moment; however, the reality is he just wastes time and does not even know that. Meursault thinks that emotion is ridiculous because people are controlled by it, and regret or feeling sorry is a waste of time. Thus, even when he faces his mothers death, he does not feel anything. He does not have interest in his mothers death, so he does not even know when his mother died. Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know(3). Usually, ones mothers death significant and people think about their lives through her death. Even though it is not his, and he knows that he can not find it, he should think about what his life means from the relationship between death and life. However, it is possible that he does not care about it too much because he can not do anything in her death, but he does not care about his marriage, too. He has a girlfriend, named Marie, and when she asked him to get married with her, he was still indifferent, Then she pointed out that marriage was a serious thing. I said No'(42). He dos not know what is important in life. It is not because he has different sense of values but because he does not care about anything seriously. He has not had a big problem in his way, but his way to live is now problem. When he takes Arabs life away, he does not really realize what he did. Even when he was in the police station, he does not understand what he did, thus, c I was even going to shake his hand, but I remembered that I had killed a man(64). He treats everything as a fact, so he does not really have an  emotion. He thinks it is the way to enjoy his life, but it makes his life more meaningless. He does not think deeply. Also, he thinks death is death, so there is no future after death. Then, he shot the Arab four times more, but he does not know what it means, Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace. And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness(59). He does not feel good about shooting four more times, but it is not worth death at all. Taking human life is same as knocking the door of unhappiness for him; his way to live, which is without emotion makes his life horrible later, but at this time, he does not understand anything. Life without emotion is easy because an emotion does not make sense, so he can make sense with everything in his life. However, it also makes his life colorless. Because he is different from others, the society beats him; the world does not help him, so he now has to create meaning in his life by himself. When he is on trial, he testifies honestly because he always follows his heart and does what he wants; however, it does not fit the society, then people judge him from their subjective justice. @ @When he honestly testifies about why he killed Arab, people did not listen seriously, cI blurted out that it was because of the sun. People laughed(103). People do not understand him, and then they do not treat him as usual. They beat the stranger; there is nobody to help him. Moreover, they think they are right, so people rid from the society and make him look worse. The prosecutor does not want Meursault to live in the society, which the prosecutor lives and to have the same human heart. He stated that I had no place in a society whose most fundamental rules I ignored and that I could not appeal to the same human heart whose elementary response I knew nothing of(102). He denies Meursaults human right. He should be in trouble, but in the trial, there are only people who think they are normal and right, so they are the same as him. Thus, they do not notice that the prosecutor is wrong. Their personality is horrible because there is no exception. Meursault thinks about this judgment and the machinery of justice(108). It is exactly correct. They follow their own common sense, and treat him as a stranger. The consequence is a death penalty. However, ironically, this situation, which makes him face death and being aware that nobody helps him, makes him  think about his life and notice that he has to find it by himself. Right before his death, he realized the meaning in life. People do not know why they are living, but they laugh at him because they think he is stupid and better than him; however, ironically, he understands his life. When he accepts the absurd world, he can create meaning of his life; there is no future, so he has to think about every single moment carefully and enjoy it. Ironically, he does not have time any more. However, he thinks, I had been happy and that I was happy again(123). Actually, he enjoys his life because he did not know that he has lived indifferently. His life is hard for ordinary people to understand, but for him, it totally makes sense. Moreover, he understands everything now, so he feels happiness again. Also, he feels a sense of superiority because he knows that people who look down on him do not know. There are many thought about world, and he wants to see the absurd world, and show them his way to live, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate(123). He notices that nobody seriously cares about him, but still they come to his execution. Playing the game is ridiculous for him, but people can not live without it. Nobody really has a grudge against him, but they follow the others. Being apart from society is scary and alone, so usually people can not do that. He also feels that, so he wanted to die in the crowd. Also, he is proud of his life, so he wanted to show how he lived. Now, he really enjoys his life. The life is meaningless; he realizes it when he faces death. If people know that, they give up everything; however, for Meursault, everything makes sense. There is no clue in the world, so what he can do is creating the meaning by himself. Life is hard because nobody helps him, but he decides everything and what he does has meaning. He can enjoy his life fully, so his life is wonderful. He has to enjoy his life while he is living because there is nothing after death. There is no meaning in the world, so he creates it. Everything is to be happy.

Theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay Example for Free

Theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay The concept of social contract theory is that in the beginning man lived in the state of nature. They had no government and there was no law to regulate them. There were hardships and oppression on the sections of the society. To overcome from these hardships they entered into two agreements which are:- 1. Ç ²Pactum UnionisÇ ³; and 2. Ç ²Pactum SubjectionisÇ ³. By the first pact of unionis, people sought protection of their lives and property. As, a result of it a society was formed where people undertook to respect each other and live in peace and harmony. By the second pact of subjectionis, people united together and pledged to obey an authority and surrendered the whole or part of their freedom and rights to an authority. The authority guaranteed everyone protection of life, property and to a certain extent liberty. Thus, they must agree to establish society by collectively and reciprocally renouncing the rights they had against one another in the State of Nature and they must imbue some one person or assembly of persons with the authority and power to enforce the initial contract. In other words, to ensure their escape from the State of Nature, they must both agree to live together under common laws, and create an enforcement mechanism for the social contract and the laws that constitute it. Thus, the authority or the government or the sovereign or the state came into being because of the two agreements. Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes theory of Social Contract appeared for the first time in Leviathan published in the year 1651 during the Civil War in Britain. Thomas HobbesÇ ¯ legal theory is based on Ç ²Social contractÇ ³. According to him, prior to Social Contract, man lived in the State of Nature. ManÇ ¯s life in the State of NATURE was one of fear and selfishness. Man lived in chaotic condition of constant fear. Life in the State of Nature was Ç ®solitaryÇ ¯, Ç ®poorÇ ¯, Ç ®nastyÇ ¯, Ç ®brutishÇ ¯, and Ç ®shortÇ ¯. Man has a natural desire for security and order. In order to secure self- protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered   into a contract. This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in manÇ ¯s nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered all their rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract who must command obedience. As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property. This led to the emergence of the institution of the Ç ²rulerÇ ³ or Ç ²monarchÇ ³, who shall be the absolute head. Subjects had no rights against the absolute authority or the sovereign and he is to be obeyed in all situations however bad or unworthy he might be. However, Hobbes placed moral obligations on the sovereign who shall be bound by natural law. Hence, it can be deduced that, Hobbes was the supporter of absolutism. In the opinion of Hobbes, Ç ²law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign and the Government without sword are but words and of no strength to secure a man at allÇ ³. He therefore, reiterated that civil law is the re al law because it is commanded and enforced by the sovereign. Thus, he upheld the principle of Ç ²Might is always RightÇ ³. Hobbes thus infers from his mechanistic theory of human nature that humans are necessarily and exclusively self-interested. All men pursue only what they perceive to be in their own individually considered best interests. They respond mechanistically by being drawn to that which they desire and repelled by that to which they are averse. In addition to being exclusively self-interested, Hobbes also argues that human beings are reasonable. They have in them the rational capacity to pursue their desires as efficiently and maximally as possible. From these premises of human nature, Hobbes goes on to construct a provocative and compelling argument for which they ought to be willing to submit themselves to political authority. He did this by imagining persons in a situation prior to the establishment of society, the State of Nature. Hobbes impels subjects to surrender all their rights and vest all liberties in the sovereign for preservation of peace, life and prosperity of the subjects. It is in this way the natural law became a moral guide or directive to the sovereign for preservation of the natural rights of the subjects. For Hobbes all law is dependent upon the sanction of the sovereign. All real law is civil law, the law commanded and Page 3 of 7 enforced by the sovereign and are brought into the world for nothing else but to limit the natural liberty of particular men, in such a manner, as they might not hurt but to assist one another and join together against a common enemy. He advocated for an established order. Hence, Individualism, materialism, utilitarianism and absolutions are inter-woven in the theory of Hobbes. Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by John Locke John Locke theory of Social Contract is different than that of Hobbes. According to him, man lived in the State of Nature, but his concept of the State of Nature is different as contemplated by Hobbesian theory. LockeÇ ¯s view about the state of nature is not as miserable as that of Hobbes. It was reasonably good and enjoyable, but the property was not secure. He considered State of Nature as a Ç ²Golden AgeÇ ³. It was a stat e of Ç ²peace, goodwill, mutual assistance, and preservationÇ ³. In that state of nature, men had all the rights which nature could give them. Locke justifies this by saying that in the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind was a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct oneÇ ¯s life as one best sees fit. It was free from the interference of others. In that state of nature, all were equal and independent. This does not mean, however, that it was a state of license. It was one not free to do anything at all one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in oneÇ ¯s interest. The State of Nature, although a state wherein there was no civil authority or government to punish people for transgressions against laws, was not a state without morality. The State of Nature was pre-political, but it was not pre- moral. Persons are assumed to be equal to one another in such a state, and therefore equally capable of discovering and being bound by the Law of Nature. So, the State of Nature was a Ç ®state of libertyÇ ¯, where persons are free to pursue their own interests and plans, free from interference and, because of the Law of Nature and the restrictions that it imposes upon persons, it is relatively peaceful. Property plays an essential role in LockeÇ ¯s argument for civil government and the contract that establishes it. According to Locke, private property is created when a person mix es his labour with the raw materials of nature. Given the implications of the Law of Nature, there are limits as to how much property one can own: one is not   allowed to take so more from nature than oneself can use, thereby leaving others without enough for themselves, because nature is given to all of mankind for its common subsistence. One cannot take more than his own fair share. Property is the linchpin of LockeÇ ¯s argument for the social contract and civil government because it is the protection of their property, including their property in their own bodies, that men seek when they decide to abandon the State of Nature. John Locke considered property in the State of Nature as insecure because of three conditions; they are:- 1. Absence of established law; 2. Absence of impartial Judge; and 3. Absence of natural power to execute natural laws. Thus, man in the State of Nature felt need to protect their property and for the purpose of protection of their property, men entered into the Ç ²Social ContractÇ ³. Under the contract, man did not surrender all their rights to one single individual, but they surrendered only the right to preserve / maintain order and enforce the law of nature. The individual retained with them the other rights, i.e., right to life, liberty and estate because these rights were considered natural and inalienable rights of men.   Having created a political society and government through their consent, men then gained three things which they lacked in the State of Nature: laws, judges to adjudicate laws, and the executive power necessary to enforce these laws. Each man therefore gives over the power to protect himself and punish transgressors of the Law of Nature to the government that he has created through the compact. According to Locke, the purpose of the Government and law is to uphold and protect the natural rights of men. So long as the Government fulfils this purpose, the laws given by it are valid and binding but, when it ceases to fulfil it, then the laws would have no validity and the Government can be thrown out of power. In Lockes view, unlimited sovereignty is contrary to natural law. Hence, John Locke advocated the principle of -Ç ²a state of liberty; not of licenseÇ ³. Locke advocated a state for the general good of people. He pleaded for a constitutionally limited government.   Locke, in fact made life, liberty and property, his three cardinal rights, which greatly dominated and influenced the Declaration of American Independence, 1776. Analysis of the theory of Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau Jean Jacques Rousseau was a French philosopher who gave a new interpretation to the theory of Social Contract in his work The Social Contract and Emile. According to him, social contract is not a historical fact but a hypothetical construction of reason. Prior to the Social Contract, the life in the State of Nature was happy and there was equality among men. As time passed, however, humanity faced certain changes. As the overall population increased, the means by which people could satisfy their needs had to change. People slowly began to live together in small families, and then in small communities. Divisions of labour were introduced, both within and between families, and discoveries and inventions made life easier, giving rise to leisure time. Such leisure time inevitably led people to make comparisons between themselves and others, resulting in public values, leading to shame and envy, pride and contempt. Most importantly however, according to Rousseau, was the invention of private property, which constituted the pivotal moment in humanityÇ ¯s evolution out of a simple, pure state into one, characterized by greed, competition, vanity, inequality, and vice. For Rousseau the invention of property constitutes humanityÇ ¯s Ç ®fall from graceÇ ¯ out of the State of Nature. For this purpose, they surrendered their rights not to a sing le individual but to the community as a whole which Rousseau termed as Ç ®general willÇ ¯. According to Rousseau, the original Ç ®freedom, happiness, equality and libertyÇ ¯ which existed in primitive societies prior to the social contract was lost in the modern civilisation. Through Social Contract, a new form of social organisation- the state was formed to assure and guarantee rights, liberties freedom and equality. The essence of the RousseauÇ ¯s theory of General Will is that State and Law were the product of General Will of the people. State and the Laws are made by it and if the government and laws do not conform to Ç ®general willÇ ¯, they would be discarded. While the individual parts with his natural rights, in return he gets civil liberties such as freedom of speech, equality, assembly, etc. The Ç ²General WillÇ ³, therefore, for all purposes, was the will of majority citizens to which blind obedience was to be given. The majority was accepted on the belief that majority view is right than minority view. Each individual is not subject to any other individu al but to the Ç ®general willÇ ¯ and to obey this is to obey himself. His sovereignty is infallible, indivisible, unrepresentable and illimitable. Thus, Rousseau favoured peoples sovereignty. His natural law theory is confined to the freedom and liberty of the individual. For him, State, law, sovereignty, general will, etc. are interchangeable terms. RousseauÇ ¯s theory inspired French and American revolutions and given impetus to nationalism. He based his theory of social contract on the principle of Ç ²Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chainsÇ ³. COMPARISION OF THE THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT OF THOMAS HOBBES, JOHN LOCKE AND JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU 1. Hobbes asserts that without subjection to a common power of their rights and freedoms, men are necessarily at war. Locke and Rousseau, on the contrary, set forth the view that the state exists to preserve and protect the natural rights of its citizens. When governments fail in that task, citizens have the right and sometimes the duty to withdraw their support and even to rebel. 2. Hobbes view was that whatever the state does is just. All of society is a direct creation of the state, and a reflection of the will of the ruler. According to Locke, the only important role of the state is to ensure that justice is seen to be done. While Rousseau view is that the State must in all circumstance ensure freedom and liberty of individuals. 3. Hobbes theory of Social Contract supports absolute sovereign without giving any value to individuals, while Locke and Rousseau supports individual than the state or the government. 4. To Hobbes, the sovereign and the government are identical but Rousseau makes a distinction between the two. He rules out a representative form of government. But, Locke does not make any such distinction. Page 7 of 7 5. RousseauÇ ¯s view of sovereignty was a compromise between the constitutionalism of Locke and absolutism of Hobbes. CRITICAL APPREHENTION 1. Rousseau propounded that state, law and the government are interchangeable, but this in present senerio is different. Even though government can be overthrown but not the state. A state exists even there is no government. 2. Hobbes concept of absolutism is totally a vague concept in present scenario. Democracy is the need and examples may be taken from Burma and other nations. 3. According to Hobbes, the sovereign should have absolute authority. This is against the rule of law because absolute power in one authority brings arbitrariness. 4. Locke concept of State of nature is vague as any conflict with regard to property always leads to havoc in any society. Hence, there cannot be a society in peace if they have been conflict with regard to property. 5. Locke concept of laissez-faire is not of welfare oriented. Now in present scenario, every state undertake steps to form a welfare state.

Universal Issues in Education Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasiv

Universal Issues in Education Many universal issues in education are a major concern for our country today. The principles defining education, how children are raised, the grave impact of technology, and the way minorities are treated and perceive themselves are all issues for us to be alerted about. Teaching and learning have been an important issue since human existed in this world. What is "teaching and learning?" According to the Oxford dictionary, "teaching" is the process to cause somebody to know or to be able to do something, and "learning" is the practice to gain knowledge and skill. In Paul Goodman' s opinion, the schools are only a therapeutic halfway house for young kids. And Ralph Waldo Emerson refers that "universities are, of course, hostile to geniuses." In general, education is to help young people adapt to this society and perform well. The manner in which children are raised affects the development and growth of a child trying to learn in school. In, "Zen and the Art of Burglary", a father feels he must lock his son in a trunk in order for his son to determine how to secretly escape and master his father's skill. The son finally acquires the skill, but he had to experience the actual deed, first. Sometimes, kids need to venture through a certain act, so that they eventually understand how it works (Fa-yen). Another concern in raising children deals with what they pick up from adults. Moral intelligence is learned from other people. Children are constantly observing grown-ups, and in turn, begin imitating their behaviors and mannerisms. Kids begin to pick up skills on day one. Parents are capable of teaching their children about wishing and yearning, as well as coping with disappointment. During a ... ...duced to a new field of study. Finally, education should help to build a good social identity for people as well as maintaining their own heritage. Bibliography 1. Gelernter, D., "Unplugged". The New Republic. 1994. 2. Goodman, P. Little Brown Reader. Pg. 358. 3. Emerson, R.W. Little Brown Reader. Pg. 361. 4. Fa-yen,W. "The Sayings of Goso Hoyen". Buddhism in China. 1964. 5. Coles, R. "On Raising Moral Children". The Moral Intelligence of Children. 1997. 6. Stoll,C. "Invest in Humanware". The New York Times. 1996. 7. Bambara, T.C. "The Lesson". Little Brown Reader. Pg. 442. 8. White, M. "Japanese Education". Little Brown Reader. Pg. 396. 9. Belencky, M.F., McVicker, B., Goldberger, N.R., Tarule, J.M. "How Women Learn". Women's Way of Knowing. 10. Shen, F. "The Classroom and the Wilder Culture". Little Brown Reader. Pg. 417.

College Stress Essay -- essays research papers

Typical November nights in a college students residence include cramming obligated to catch for papers due in December, and exams that lurk around the corner on a topic you felt up on sleep for. Deadlines and due dates are non-existent for students until the night before since the preoccupations; partying and overall good times which lack libraries and study sessions, expel more excitement than the adrenaline rush of a chemistry chronicle or a pre-cal problem. At most schools, the days of dorm rules, dress codes, and even mandatory class attendance is long gone. But while freedom can be exciting and fun, it can also be stressful because no one is telling you what to do. You have to make a lot of decisions on your own and readjust your own values and normal life. There are bound to be mistakes, but that is part of the process. College Life is more then just going to school and making the grades that your parents require of you. This is why many students will incur an ailment called s tress. Stress in college is caused by many influencing factors. One of these important factors would have to be the expectations set by parents. Parents can be more then just an annoying voice in your ear every time you come home for the holidays. They are normally the reason you are at your present school , so pleasing them by getting good grades is almost mandatory. This thought of displeasing the parents can be detrimental to one’s thought process; meaning that it most likely would cause a wor...

Walt Disney World Co. vs Aloysia Wood

515 So. 2d 198 (1987) WALT DISNEY WORLD CO. , et al. , Petitioners, v. Aloysia WOOD, et al. , Respondents. Supreme Court of Florida. (with professor edits) Aloysia Wood was injured in November 1971 at the grand prix attraction at Walt Disney World (Disney), when her fiance, Daniel Wood, rammed from the rear the vehicle which she was driving. Aloysia Wood filed suit against Disney, and Disney sought contribution from Daniel Wood After trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Aloysia Wood 14% at fault, Daniel Wood 85% at fault, and Disney 1% at fault.The jury assessed Wood's damages at $75,000. The court entered judgment against Disney for 86% of the damages. Disney subsequently moved to alter the judgment to reflect the jury's finding that Disney was only 1% at fault. The court denied the motion. On appeal, the fourth district affirmed the judgment **** In Hoffman v. Jones, 280 So. 2d 431 (Fla. 1973), this Court discarded the rule of contributory negligence, which Florida had follow ed since at least 1886, and adopted the pure comparative negligence standard. *** In adopting comparative negligence, this Court expressly declared two purposes for the change in judicial policy: (1) To allow a jury to apportion fault as it sees fit between negligent parties whose negligence was part of the legal and proximate cause of any loss or injury; and (2) To apportion the total damages resulting from the loss or injury according to the proportionate fault of each party. ***** The real issue before us is whether we should now replace the doctrine of joint and several liability with one in which the liability of codefendants to the plaintiff is apportioned according to each defendant's respective fault.According to Disney, this Court in Hoffman set for itself the goal of creating a tort system that fairly and equitably allocated damages according to the degrees of fault. Therefore, a defendant should only be held responsible to the extent of his fault in the same way as a plai ntiff under comparative negligence. Joint and several liability is a judicially created doctrine. Louisville ; N. R. R. v. Allen, 67 Fla. 257, 65 So. 8 (1914). This Court may alter a rule of law where great social upheaval dictates its necessity. Hoffman, 280 So. 2d 435. The â€Å"social pheaval† which is said to have occurred here is the fundamental alteration of Florida tort law encompassed by the adoption of comparative negligence. Following the adoption of comparative negligence, some states have passed laws eliminating joint and several liability, and the courts of several others have judicially abolished the doctrine. E. g. , Brown v. Keill, 224 Kan. 195, 580 P. 2d 867 (1978); Bartlett v. New Mexico Welding Supply, Inc. , 98 N. M. 152, 646 P. 2d 579 (Ct. App. ), cert. denied, 98 N. M. 336, 648 P. 2d 794 (1982); Laubach v. Morgan, 588 P. 2d 1071 (Okla. 1978). The Kansas Supreme Court in Brown v.Keill reasoned: There is nothing inherently fair about a defendant who is 10% at fault paying 100% of the loss, and there is no social policy that should compel defendants to pay more than their fair share of the loss. Plaintiffs now take the parties as they find them. If one of the parties at fault happens to be a spouse or a governmental agency and if by reason of some competing social policy the plaintiff cannot receive payment for his injuries from the spouse or agency, there is no compelling social policy which requires the codefendant to pay more than his fair share of the loss.The same is true if one of the defendants is wealthy and the other is not. Brown, 224 Kan. at 203, 580 P. 2d at 874. On the other hand, the majority of courts which have faced the issue in jurisdictions with comparative negligence have ruled that joint and several liability should be retained. E. g. , Arctic Structures, Inc. v. Wedmore, 605 P. 2d 426 (Alaska 1979); American Motorcycle Ass'n v. Superior Court, 20 Cal. 3d 578, 578 P. 2d 899, 146 Cal. Rptr. 182 (1978); Tucker v. Un ion Oil Co. , 100 Idaho 590, 603 P. 2d 156 (1979); Coney v. J. L. G. Industries, Inc. 97 Ill. 2d 104, 73 Ill. Dec. 337, 454 N. E. 2d 197 (1983); Kirby Bldg. Sys. v. Mineral Explorations, 704 P. 2d 1266 (Wyo. 1985). The Illinois Supreme Court in Coney v. J. L. G. Industries, Inc. gave four reasons justifying the retention of joint and several liability: (1) The feasibility of apportioning fault on a comparative basis does not render an indivisible injury â€Å"divisible† for purposes of the joint and several liability rule. A concurrent tortfeasor is liable for the whole of an indivisible injury when his negligence is a proximate cause of that damage.In many instances, the negligence of a concurrent tortfeasor may be sufficient by itself to cause the entire loss. The mere fact that it may be possible to assign some percentage figure to the relative culpability of one negligent defendant as compared to another does not in any way suggest that each defendant's negligence is not a proximate cause of the entire indivisible injury. (2) In those instances where the plaintiff is not guilty of negligence, he would be forced to bear a portion of the loss should one of the tortfeasors prove financially unable to satisfy his share of the damages. 3) Even in cases where a plaintiff is partially at fault, his culpability is not equivalent to that of a defendant. The plaintiff's negligence relates only to a lack of due care for his own safety while the defendant's negligence relates to a lack of due care for the safety of others; the latter is tortious, but the former is not. (4) Elimination of joint and several liability would work a serious and unwarranted deleterious effect on the ability of an injured plaintiff to obtain adequate compensation for his injuries. Coney, 97 Ill. 2d at 121-22, 73 Ill.Dec. at 345, 454 N. E. 2d at 205 (citations omitted). ***** While recognizing the logic in Disney's position, we cannot say with certainty that joint and several liability is an unjust doctrine or that it should necessarily be eliminated upon the adoption of comparative negligence. In view of the public policy considerations bearing on the issue, this Court believes that the viability of the doctrine is a matter which should best be decided by the legislature. Consequently, we approve the decision of the district court of appeal. It is so ordered.

Ethics – Moral Principles

The term ethics is defined as a system of moral principles. When incorporating ethics with business it is extremely difficult to determine what is considered moral or immoral, as well as what is judged as justice in society. One viewpoint on this topic opposes justice can be compatible with business. The other viewpoint believes there is a line that draws between good and bad; it really depends upon the motive of the action. Is business ethics possible in our present day society? Matigari, a short story written by Ngugi wa Thiong’o, shows it is evident that Ngugi was trying to make it clear that ethics would be impossible in a democratic society. The main character in the story, whose name is Matigari, is continuously searching for truth and justice. â€Å"My friends! Can you tell me where a person could find truth and justice in this country? † (Ngugu, 1989) were his exact words when approaching people. The crowds would all look at him as if he were speaking nonsense. Matigari feels as though the democratic world in which he is living was created upside down. The builder sleeps in the open, the worker is left empty-handed, the tailor goes naked, and the tiller goes to sleep on an empty stomach† (Ngugu, 1989). He wonders where truth and justice lies in this world; for even those who farm are starving. His search leads him to a meeting called by the Minister for Truth and Justice. The real truth can be found within the oppressed. He had bui lt his own home, yet it was still taken away from him; it is a clear example of a capitalist private property. Matigari favours the labour theory of property, which gives labourers the right to own their own land. It is clearly not ethical to take one’s land away in which he or she worked upon. It is evident Matigari believes in the labour theory of property; whereas the government enforces a capitalist private property. The labour theory of property is a natural law theory that holds that property originally comes about by the person doing the labour upon natural resources. Land in its original state would be considered not owned by anyone, but if someone were to apply his or her labour to the land it would become their property. On the other hand, private property is central to capitalism (Samuels, 2002). Under capitalism, private hands control basic assets and productive resources. The major economic decisions are made by individuals or groups acting upon their own pursuit of profit. This is what the government has done; they have created the society into private property. For this reason, Matigari has declared for the labour theory of property to be sought out. The Kantian ethics believes all moral duties, maxims, or certain rules of conduct can be labelled either wrong or right. Act only on that maxim which you can will to be a universal law† (Macmillan, 1972). The universal law is fundamental. What is considered part of this universal conduct should be clear to everyone throughout the world. For example, rules that allow murder and cheating etc. cannot be part of the moral code. However, rules such as do not commit murder can be classified as a moral duty. Kant states one should only follow princip als that are morally correct. Moral rules are those that can be followed by people consistently throughout the world, no matter where one lives. Furthermore, the reward of virtue is not happiness but dignity and freedom (Macmillan, 1972). Kant tries to explain that when one is righteous and true, happiness is not the given prize, but one would receive self-respect and liberty instead. Real freedom means obeying no laws but only those that can be legislated as universal moral laws. Both viewpoints touch upon the topic of fear when it comes to ethics. â€Å"There is too much fear in this country†¦ Too much fear breeds misery in the land† (Ngugu, 1989). This so called fear in the story, Matigari, tries to explain that fear causes a society to become unjust. If everyone was too afraid to confront someone in which he or she were doing something unmerited then this injustice will continue. The democratic government is used as an example in the short story. All the citizens are too afraid to stand up to the prejudiced government; therefore, no changes were made until Matigari had no anxiety and fear of the government. In addition, the opposing viewpoint also speaks of fear in a society; although it is not exactly the same. No one ever obeys laws because they are scared but because one is morally trying to follow the universal moral laws. Freedom and fear cannot coincide when trying to make moral decisions. The Kantian viewpoint is one that is more comprehendible than the viewpoint found in the short story Matigari. It is agreeable that one can find ethics in business. A universal moral law is one that is shared throughout the world and would be agreed upon by all people from all nations. Due to the fact that there are many different cultures there is a â€Å"golden rule† to be found in all the great religions (Macmillan, 972). The golden rule is part of the moral code of anything that is judged as a moral principle. Being agreeable in all religions and cultures it would definitely be ethical to follow these rules of moral conduct. Such rules such as â€Å"thou shall not kill† (Lintin, 1999) can be found in the bible; it is part of the moral code. It is like an unwritten rule that everyone on this earth can understand that it is wrong to murder a human being. To a certain extent there is such thing as ethics when it comes to business and how a society should be run.

The Students For A Democratic Society - 1669 Words

Description: The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was formed in 1959 after they decided to branch off of the Student League for Industrial Democracy, which was the youth branch of the Socialist League for Industrial Democracy. The SDS was a radical group made up of teens and young adults that sought to overthrow America’s democratic society and remake it in a Marxist image. Many of the SDS’ key members where known as â€Å"red diaper babies† as their parents were often members of the Communist parties of the 1930’s. The Students for a Democratic Society’s founding can be accredited to a man named Aryeh Neier in 1959; who would later become the National Executive Director of the ACLU and go on to build two other influential organizations, the Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Institute. SDS held its first meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1960 where it announced its first President, Alan Haber. Haber was an editor for the student newspap er at the University of Michigan and was known as â€Å"Ann Arbor’s resident radical†. From their first meeting, the SDS decided that they wanted to set the tone and introduce an itinerary for their generation as they grew to influence the political world. The SDS denounced bigotry, materialism, personal alienation, and industrialization in America and also widely protested American abundance, the threat of nuclear war, military spending, and the Cold War. They publicly addressed this in 1962 by creating what historian Michael KazinShow MoreRelatedThe Port Huron Statement Of The Students For A Democratic Society1118 Words   |  5 PagesHuron Statement of the Students for a Democratic Society Students in Port Huron, Michigan came together to write and discuss a document in association with the Students for a Democratic Society. 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Public schools have been challenged on many occasions for denying students their First Amendment right. Over the years the courts have ruled in favor of students and school districts. Outcomes of these rulings have varied according to the nature and extent of the student speech in question. This paper will discuss different interpretations of free speech rights for students under the Constitution’s First AmendmentRead MoreThe Education Of The United States1575 Words   |  7 PagesIn the two hundred forty-one years since the founding of the United States, few have seriously argued the importance of education to society. Although education was left out of the United States Constitution in the interest of states’ rights, Thomas Jefferson was not alone in believing that â€Å"the most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people†¦ [which is necessary] f or the preservation of freedom and happiness.† (251). Despite a consensus on the necessity

Bram Stoker s Dracula And Richard Matheson s I Am Legend

A key element of the fantasy / horror / gothic genres is to fascinate and intrigue readers through stories that pose the â€Å"what if† questions, thereby teaching us something new about the society we live in. Sometimes these stories are helpful in explaining difficult concepts of good and evil, science and religion. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, the mythical horror creatures, the vampires, have many differences in their mythical abilities, functionality and origin; however, they both serve to underline themes that remind the reader of what makes us human and what defines us as ultimately good or evil. Stoker’s Count Dracula is the product of a religious strike against the antagonist whereas the vampires in I Am†¦show more content†¦By presenting Count Dracula as an evil, demonic being, the story is therefore laid out as a fight between good and evil. Contrastively, the vampires in I Am Legend are not physically des cribed in as much detail, but rather the details and attention are focused on their behaviour and their origin. The horror aspects of these vampires are pushed to the side and the readers are made to focus solely on their threatening presence as they prowl around at night and hunt for Neville while he, in turn, tries to discover what the specific virus that infected the world and caused the vampire epidemic. These differences are key in setting up how the readers respond to the novels’ plot and themes. Neville understands that these vampires are obsessive about their basic needs as the narrator states, â€Å"their need was their only motivation† (Matheson 11). In this regard, Neville is similar to his adversaries as he, too, is obsessed with his needs as a human, specifically for companionship and intimacy. This idea is demonstrated in the beginning of the novel as he is about to slay a sleeping vampire and the author observes, â€Å"†¦but for some affliction he didn’t understand, these people were the same as he† (Matheson 28). Much like Count Dracula, these vampires are driven mad by their thirst and need for blood; however, in Neville’s case, this need can also be characterized by his desire for companionship. In thisShow MoreRelatedBram Stoker s Dracula And Richard Matheson s I Am Legend Differ From One Another And?3022 Words   |  13 Pagesthe development of the myth. The depiction of vampirism in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend differ from one another and while these depictions stray from the folkloric accounts of vampires both find their roots in legend. The folkloric vampire has taken many different forms and has held a variety of traits, skills and weaknesses; each mirroring the customs, beliefs, and fears of different cultures (Bartlett 1). 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However the depiction of the vampire is affected by the social, historical and political context of the time. As context shifts, so does the collective fear of society, with the portrayal of the vampire following suit. Dracula, I Am Legend and Twilight, three extremely popular books of vampire fiction cr eated during vastly different periodsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Dracula 1452 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Dracula Although Dracula was not the first vampire novel, the effect that Bram Stoker’s creation had on the vampire genre is undisputable. At the time, it was written intellectual revelations during the 19th century had begun to change what people fear. Archaic legends like vampire stories no longer inspired terror in industrializing areas like Britain. What made Dracula widely successful was the incorporation of modern themes and anxieties with the renowned archetype of the vampireRead MoreLiterature And Society s Influence On Society1764 Words   |  8 PagesWhen looking at a specific period of time, it s hard to get a scope of the social zeitgeist without examining the role of women. Women in history and society are extremely important because their roles give us powerful insight into the feelings and thoughts of the time. Throughout humanity s time on Earth, we have reflected societal feelings and norms through art, and literature. Changes in society can also be seen through the arts, and the roles of women are not exceptions to this insight. Horror