Personal Identity in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels...

Personal Identity in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels What establishes a person’s identity? What changes this personal identity? Psychologically, we have the ability to change our beliefs. Physically, our human bodies change. How do we frame the issue to better understand man’s inability to decipher his own self-identity, and more importantly, how do we know when and precisely where this change in identity occurs? Issues of personal identity are apparent in Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver, the ambitious protagonist, has an insatiable desire for exploration, and throughout his four travels to four very different lands, he allows himself to be shaped by his environment, ironically in a negative way. In fact, his†¦show more content†¦The eighteenth century is called the Age of Enlightenment and Reason due to its emphasis on physical science, experimentation, and rational thought to obtain knowledge. Intellectuals of the day focused on human reason and knowledge, rather than making deducti ons or theorizing, and prioritized worldly happiness over religious salvation. Because of this, Christian morality was undermined, and even the major religious dogma of the day – deism – minimized original sin and merely recognized the existence of God and an afterlife. Leading intellectual thinkers from the seventeenth century, such as Descartes, were denounced in their deductive reasoning and non-experimentalist approaches to gaining knowledge. Further, Descartes believed in the soul as a separately existing entity that lives on in the afterlife. Parfit, a 20th century British philosopher, disagrees with Descartes’ idea of the soul, and the link to a personal identity. Instead, Parfit emphasizes the existence of mental and physical entities, the brain and the body. Parfit applies non-religious ethics to his approach in understanding the nature of man. He seeks to change society at large by ultimately changing the way humans look at their nature. Parfit argues that a person’s identity consists not of a separate brain and body,Show MoreRelatedFemale Representations in â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†2336 Words   |  10 PagesFemale representations in â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† In Jonathan Swift’s satire, â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, the representation of women can be seen, at a superficial level, as offensive and extremely misogynistic and in broad lines corresponding to the image of the woman in Swift’s contemporary patriarchal society. The woman was almost objectified, thus reduced to her physical appearance and its status as obedient wife, whose sole purpose was to attend to her husband’s need. 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MOTIVES and SYMBOLS 13 4.1. MOTIVES 13 4.2. SYMBOLS 15 5. SUMMARY 18 6. LITERATURE 19 1. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Jonathan Swift, son of the English lawyer Jonathan Swift the elder, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 30, 1667. He grew up there in the care of his uncle before attending Trinity College at the age of fourteen, where he stayed for seven years, graduating in 1688. In that year, he became the secretaryRead MoreStudy Guide Literary Terms7657 Words   |  31 Pagesdistinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience. For instance, the word sea denotes a large body of water 36. diction- An authors choice of words. 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Gone Girl Directed By David Flecher - 2049 Words

The main purpose of media is to provide entertainment; however media in its many forms can also be used to persuade, inform and advice. Hence media can be very powerful, affecting and influencing its viewers. Gone Girl directed by David Flecher is a story that revolves around a feminist sociopath married to a misogynist, whose lives depict a constant battle for power resulting in the most twisted marriage conceivable. It is a movie that forces it s audience to pick apart the gender dynamics. The common question running though the viewers minds is is this feminism at its extreme or a sexist portrayal of a crazy woman?. The story is a mixture of both,communicated in a thrilling and nerve wrecking manner, for Amy, the wife, sets up her†¦show more content†¦It takes us back to the day Amy met Nick at a party, their meet-cute and the beginning of their romance, a very personal piece of information, followed by other flash backs of their blossoming romance leading up to the ir marriage. This is her play on the interpretive theory of communication. For at the heart of interpretive ontology is the belief that the individual is able to socially construct his/her world through the use of communicative interaction guided by three unrelated goals: explanation, prediction and control (Miller,2005). Hence Amy Dunne explains her life using entries from her diary, the source of her communicative interaction with fellow characters and the audience, painting the picture of a put-upon and devoted wife, who gave up her ideal life for her husband, moving to his small hometown and committing her life savings to him so he could care for his ailing parents and open a bar, thus luring the audience into a false sense of security. Hence, Gone Girl poses the question, can genuine expressions of sympathy or solidarity with victims ever happen without being infected by the politicised, media-enabled cult of victim hood ? (The New Yorker, 2014). For it is Amy we begin to root for, not because of the numerous episodes of Criminal Minds or Law and Order that the global

Essay on Pro Choice Versus Pro Life Essay Example For Students

Essay on Pro Choice Versus Pro Life Essay At some point in your life, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about the â€Å"pro-choice versus pro-life† abortion debate that has taken place across the world, and especially in the United States. The topic is still very relevant today. Every year, over 1.2 million women have abortions in the United States. Many people have different definitions on what abortion really is, and this makes the topic sensitive and hard for people to agree on. â€Å"Abortion is the the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy† (Oxford Dictionary). â€Å"Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by various methods, including medical surgery, before the fetus is able to sustain independent life† (US Legal, INC). â€Å"Abortion is the taking of life in a mother’s womb† (Legal Dictionary). â€Å"Abortion is the murder of a fetus† (Farlex Dictionary). These definitions are the reason why America is torn between whether abortion is morally and ethically acceptable. If murder is the taking of life, then is abortion murder since the fetus is terminated before life can be sustained? Lets start the debate. .In 1973, during Roe versus Wade, the United States Supreme Court determined that the Constitution protects a woman s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The Court ruled that during the first trimester of pregnancy a state cannot prevent any woman from obtaining an abortion from a licensed physician. During the second trimester, the state can regulate the abortion procedure only to protect the woman’s health. In the third trimester, the state may interfere to protect fetal life, but not at the expense of the woman’s life or health. There are many different reasons why women have abortions each y. .or the greatest happiness of the greatest number† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Utilitarianism and abortion to me go hand in hand. This theory simply states that abortion would be considered moral if the pleasure exceeded the pain and provided the greatest happiness for those involved. Natural law is a system of right or justice held to be common to all humans and derived from nature rather than from the rules of society. In most countries, abortion is strictly outlawed and is illegal for all who live there. Birth of a child is considered to be natural and many people think that the United States should adapt the same concept. Abortion will always be a controversial topic; a topic that most will never see eye-to-eye on. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, abortion is one of those topics where you have to think about your own moral values and decide what’s best.

E-I 2nd Semester Final Exam Review Flashcard

E-I 2nd Semester Final Exam Review

The Effects Of Race On Sentencing In free essay sample

Capital Punishment Cases Essay, Research Paper The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases Throughout history, minorities have been ill-represented in the condemnable justness system, peculiarly in instances where the possible result is decease. In early America, inkinesss were lynched for the slightest misdemeanor of informal Torahs and many of these violent deaths occured without any type of due procedure. As the judicial system has matured, minorities have found better representation but it is non wholly indifferent. In the past 20 old ages strict controls have been implemented but the system still has symptoms of racial prejudice. This racial prejudice was foremost recognized by the Supreme Court in Fruman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 ( 1972 ) . The Supreme Court Justices decide that the decease punishment was being handed out below the belt and harmonizing to Gest ( 1996 ) the Supreme Court felt the decease punishment was being imposed # 8220 ; capriciously # 8217 ; and # 8216 ; wantonly # 8221 ; and # 8220 ; most frequently on blacks. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects Of Race On Sentencing In or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page # 8221 ; Several old ages subsequently in Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 ( 1976 ) , the Supreme Court decided, with efficient controls, the decease punishment could be used constitutionally. Yet, even with these assorted controls, the system does non efficaciously extinguish racial prejudice. Since Gregg v. Georgia the entire population of all 36 decease rows has grown as has the figure of judicial controls used by each province. Of the 3,122 people on decease row 41 % are black while 48 % are white ( Gest, 1996, 41 ) . This figure may be acceptable at first glimpse but one must take into history the fact that merely 12 % of the U.S. population is black ( Smolowe, 1991, 68 ) . Carolyn Snurkowski of the Florida lawyer generals office believes that the disproportional figure of inkinesss on decease row can be explained by the fact that, # 8220 ; Many black slayings result from saloon bash that wouldn # 8217 ; t name for the decease punishment, but many white slayings occur on top of another discourtesy, such as robbery # 8221 ; ( As cited in Gest, 1986, 25 ) . This may be true but the Washington Legal Foundation offers their ain account by reasoning that # 8220 ; inkinesss are arrested for slaying at a higher rate than are Whites. When apprehension sums are factored in, # 8216 ; the chance of a white liquidator stoping up on decease row is 33 per centum greater than in the instance of a black liquidator # 8221 ; ( As cited in Gest, 1986, 25 ) . Harmonizing to Professor Steven Goldstein of Florida State University, # 8220 ; There are so many discretional phases: whether the prosecuting officer decides to seek the decease punishment, whether the jury recommends it, whether the justice gives it # 8221 ; ( As cited in Smolowe, 1991, 68 ) . It is in these discretional phases that racial prejudices can infect the system of covering out decease sentences. Smolowe ( 1991 ) shows this infection by giving illustrations of two instances decided in February of 1991, both in Columbus. The first illustration is a white suspect named James Robert Caldwell who was convicted of knifing his 10 twelvemonth old boy repeatedly and ravishing and killing his 12 twelvemonth old girl. The 2nd illustration is of a black adult male, Jerry Walker, convicted of killing a 22-year-old white adult male while robbing a convenience-store. Caldwell # 8217 ; s test lasted three times every bit long as Walker # 8217 ; s and Caldwell received a life sentence while Walker received a decease sentence. In these illustrations, it is believed that non merely the race of the victims, but besides the value of the victims, biased the sentencing determinations. The 22-year-old adult male killed by Walker was the boy of a Army commanding officer at Fort Benning while Caldwell # 8217 ; s victims were non influential in the community. In illustrations such as these, it becomes apparent that racial prejudice, in any or all of the discretional phases, becomes racial unfairness in the terminal. Smolowe ( 1991 ) besides makes the point that Columbus is non entirely: # 8220 ; A 1990 study prepared by the authorities # 8217 ; s General Accounting Office found # 8216 ; a form of grounds bespeaking racial disparities in the bear downing, condemning and infliction of the decease penalty. # 8221 ; In an article by Seligman ( 1994 ) , Professor Joseph Katz of Georgia State # 8220 ; and other bookmans have made a separate point about prejudice claims based on the # 8216 ; devalued lives # 8217 ; of slaying victims. # 8221 ; Seligman besides asserts that those claiming prejudice believe that it is in the race of the victim and non the race of the suspect, and because the lives of inkinesss have been # 8220 ; devalued, # 8217 ; people who murder inkinesss are less likely to have decease sentences than those who slaying whites # 8221 ; ( Seligman, 1994, 113 ) . An Iowa Law Professor, David Baldus, besides found that # 8220 ; juries put a premium on the lives of victims # 8221 ; ( As cited in Lacayo, 1987, 80 ) . In a survey of more than 2,000 Georgia slaying instances, Baldus found that # 8220 ; those who killed Whites were 4.3 times every bit likely to have the decease punishment as those who killed inkinesss. And inkinesss who killed Whites were most likely of all to be condemned to decease # 8221 ; ( As cited in Lacayo, 1987, 80 ) . Harmonizing to Gest ( 1996 ) , of those executed since the reinstatement of the decease punishment, 80 % hold murdered Whites, while merely 12 % of those executed in the same clip period have had black victims. These figures show an obvious tendency of racial prejudice against those who murdered Whites. Could these disparities be because, as sociologist Michael Radelet put it, # 8220 ; Prosecutors are political animate beings, they are influenced by community indignation, which is subtly influenced by race, # 8221 ; or is it because # 8220 ; it is built into the system that those in the prevailing race will be more concerned about offense victims of their ain race, # 8221 ; as stated by Welsh White of the University of Pittsburgh Law School ( As cited in Gest, 1986, 25 ) . Because of the huge possibility of favoritism in condemning in capital penalty instances, each phase of prosecution must be controlled every bit much as possible. Although these wrongdoers are the worst the condemnable justness system has to offer, prosecuting officers must be encouraged to see the offense and non the race of the victim or wrongdoer and the justice must try to except the same racial issue when make up ones minding the penalty. I believe Justice Brennan said it best when he wrote the dissenting sentiment in a capital penalty entreaty. He wrote, # 8220 ; It is alluring to feign that minorities on decease row portion a destiny in no manner connected to our ain, that our intervention of them sounds no reverberations beyond the Chamberss in which they die. Such an semblance is finally caustic, for the echos of unfairness are non so easy confined # 8221 ; ( As cited in Lacayo, 1987, 80 ) . With great attempt, the judicial controls can get down to conflict the racial prejudice of Americas Judicial system but to wholly extinguish such a prejudice, the people involved in the judicial procedure must larn to look past the race of the wrongdoer or the value of the victim, and alternatively concentrate on fortunes of the offense. 382

Free Essays on Relating Social Psy To Selling An Illness

Relating Social Psychology to Selling an Illness In the news article â€Å"Selling an Illness Helps Pharmaceutical Giant Peddle Its Pill† many types of psychology was seen. The main type was social psychology. Under social psychology there are three types of research. These include social influence, social perception, and interpersonal behavior. This paper will briefly explain how these three types of research are explained in this article. Under social influence research the article mainly used persuasion. It used campaign devices such as radio, television, newspaper, and delivered key messages. This allowed the people to be attentive of social anxiety disorder and to recognize it. The next type of research is social perception. Social perception deals with how people view others. In the article people with social anxiety disorder are seen as â€Å"the shy people who hang out on the edges of parties†. This creates a type of stereotype allowing them to been seen as anti-social. This brings us to our next point of research interpersonal behavior. Finally, interpersonal behavior research is how people view themselves. People with social anxiety disorder can’t even be around other people. These people will refuse night jobs and promotions. So people who think they have this disorder could really be taking the drug â€Å"Paxil† for the wrong reasons. In reading this essay you have seen how social psychology was related to this news article. You have also seen three different types of research affected by social psychology. Now after reading this you should be able to under social psychology better.... Free Essays on Relating Social Psy To Selling An Illness Free Essays on Relating Social Psy To Selling An Illness Relating Social Psychology to Selling an Illness In the news article â€Å"Selling an Illness Helps Pharmaceutical Giant Peddle Its Pill† many types of psychology was seen. The main type was social psychology. Under social psychology there are three types of research. These include social influence, social perception, and interpersonal behavior. This paper will briefly explain how these three types of research are explained in this article. Under social influence research the article mainly used persuasion. It used campaign devices such as radio, television, newspaper, and delivered key messages. This allowed the people to be attentive of social anxiety disorder and to recognize it. The next type of research is social perception. Social perception deals with how people view others. In the article people with social anxiety disorder are seen as â€Å"the shy people who hang out on the edges of parties†. This creates a type of stereotype allowing them to been seen as anti-social. This brings us to our next point of research interpersonal behavior. Finally, interpersonal behavior research is how people view themselves. People with social anxiety disorder can’t even be around other people. These people will refuse night jobs and promotions. So people who think they have this disorder could really be taking the drug â€Å"Paxil† for the wrong reasons. In reading this essay you have seen how social psychology was related to this news article. You have also seen three different types of research affected by social psychology. Now after reading this you should be able to under social psychology better....

Glam Metal Scene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Glam Metal Scene - Essay Example As MTV appeared, a new instrument became available for music bands seeking popularity and recognition. Sunset Strip in Los Angeles was the place of birth for this music and visual genre, for early 1980s’ populated local clubs and concert halls with a great number of heavy metal bands that desperately sought ways to stand out among others (Batchelor 165). Due to availability of video clips’ rotation, the bands put their stakes on extravagant visual image as a means of being distinguished among others: MTV made glam metal â€Å"very much a whole visual and stylistic thing† (Popoff 217). While many heavy metal bands were using rather extravagant elements of visual image like leather, spandex and teased hair, these elements were exaggerated and extreme in glam metal bands, for their members were typically dressed in bright and even womanly clothes, created big teased hairstyles, wore tons of makeup and jewelry. However, their generally androgynous look ran contrary t o their image of outstanding males with enormous sexual appetites and their lifestyle involving heavy drinking, multiple sexual contacts and even drug abuse, whereby Nikki Sixx can be mentioned as a heavy heroin addict at the time of hair metal’s extreme popularity. However, androgyny of hair metal bands of eighties was different from that cultivated by the glam rock bands that influenced the discussed genre: glam metal scene used androgyny as the instrument of entertainment rather than irony, being more explicitly heterosexual (Moore 105).