Social and Mental Effects to Broken Family Status Essay Example for Free

Social and Mental Effects to Broken Family Status Essay Children need to have both parents in the home to have a balanced life. Both socially and mentally but, if the parents cannot get along and the children are being raised in a constant battleground, socially and mentally this can be more damaging to them. This can lead to trust issues and other relationship problems. Parents who abuse each other will most likely have children who will become involved in abusive relationships. Children whose parents have divorced and the absent parent are still involved in their everyday life still benefit from both parents. But most importantly the child needs to understand that their parents’ divorce or break up was not and never will be their fault. Divorce is hurting American children very badly. Each year over a million children suffer the divorce of their parents and by 1999, half of all American children reaching their eighteenth birthday and who were born to married parents will have experienced the divorce of their parents. The reversal of the legal status of divorce will entail nothing less than a cultural revolution because American culture now embraces divorce in law and in behavior. It’s easy acceptance once rejected as scandalous. Even if they themselves have divorced the men and women who shape popular opinion, as well as the policymakers in state legislatures who are responsible for domestic law should begin to challenge this practice. The devastating effects of divorce on children just might provide these leaders with the motivation to start such a cultural revolution, or at least to question the direction the nation has taken. The plight of children may give Americans the moral courage to overcome a fear of raising this delicate subject. If Americans do not overcome this fear, we will lock ourselves into inaction and lock the nation into a downward spiral of weakening effects and diminishing social capital because divorce diminishes children’s future competence in all the major institutions. In family life, divorce permanently weakens the relationship between children and parents. It leads to destructive ways of handling conflict, diminishes social competence, leads to early loss of virginity, and it diminishes young adults’ sense of masculinity or femininity. It leads to more trouble in dating, to more cohabitation, to higher divorce rates later in life, to higher expectations of divorce, and to less desire for children. * In religious life, divorce diminishes the frequency of worship of God, and recourse to Him in prayer. * In education, divorce diminishes learning capacities and high school and college attainment. * In the marketplace, divorce reduces household income and massively cuts the life-wealth of individuals. * In government and citizenship, divorce massively increases crime rates, abuse and neglect rates, and the use of drugs. * Also, divorce weakens the health of children; even their life spans will be shortened. * Finally it increases behavioral, emotional and psychiatric risks, including suicide. The effect of divorce on children’s hearts, minds and souls range from severe to mild, from seemingly small to massive, and from short term to long term. None of the effects apply to every child of divorce, nor is it likely that any one child has suffered all the effects. Nonetheless, the one million children who see their parents’ divorce each year are affected by the trauma. There is no way to predict how any particular child will be effected or to what extent, but it is possible to predict its effects on society. They are numerous and very serious. The major issue for researchers is no longer what the ill effects of divorce are, but the depth and length of persistence of these effects on children, and on their future children and grandchildren.

Natural And Conventional Medicine Health And Social Care Essay

Natural And Conventional Medicine Health And Social Care Essay This paper discusses and compares the two main medical traditions natural and conventional medicine. Both conventional and natural medicine have been practiced and found proven to hold many advantages but conventional medicine is regarded as the universal, hence, more popular method of healing illness. Conventional medicine relies on science and technology to contribute to the preservation and longevity of peoples lives and the leaps that this tradition has made has surpassed expectation. Nevertheless, with the rising cost of medicines, procedures, and hospitalization, and the preference for more holistic and non-invasive methods in the treatment of illness, naturopathy or natural medicine has grown in popularity. In its comparison with conventional medicine, this paper highlights the advantages of naturopathy including its effectiveness, safety, a good patient-healer relationship, the sense of being in control over illness, and its non-invasive nature. Naturopathys congruence with the culture and psychological belief systems of diverse peoples also contributes to growing preference of it. Moreover, conventional treatment has slowly incorporated natural methods such as the use of herbs, crossing over with acupuncture and other alternative practices, proving that the next best step for medicine is to maximize knowledge from both conventional and natural methods toward a better quality of life for mankind. Introduction In the current world, medical practice is dichotomized. Medical practice may either be classified as conventional or alternative. Sometimes, classifications go by conventional versus natural or traditional. These medical traditions and their respective practitioners are often pitted against one another. Yet, a closer look reveals that these classifications are arbitrary and are not actually in blanket opposition. Conventional medicine also has a long history of utilizing natural resources in the past. Meanwhile, various natural methods of healing are now using technologies too. The real nature of these categories are hegemonic. Conventional medicine which was developed by more dominant societies and cultures arose as the dominant and in this respect, the most scientific way of healing. Meanwhile, indigenous, natural and traditional forms of healing that have long histories of local practices were simply lumped together in opposition to the conventional. This is similar to how various forms of traditional music have been clustered together under the banner of world music despite obvious aesthetic variations. Sadly, the burden of proof was pushed more to the side of the alternative or natural medical traditions. This paper intends to give a brief discussion and comparison of conventional and natural medicine. Being the less dominant one, this paper will put stress on the strengths and positive attributes of natural medicine. Although the historical importance and contributions of conventional medicine are recognized, this paper asserts the need for a greater recognition, utilization, and further improvement in the realm of natural medicine. Conventional Medicine Conventional medicine, sometimes called allopathic medicine or even Western medicine, is the most widely used medical system in the world today, particularly in the Western hemisphere. It is largely based on the physical and biological sciences. Its universality lies in its materialist and standardized approaches and to its positivist and experimental tradition. The materialism of this medical school enables the easy translation of the discipline to different countries and cultures. This enables its practitioners to speak the same language and to have a unified view of medical problems. Advances in the field of conventional medicine owe to its strong research tradition. Conventional treatments are all supposed to subscribe to proven treatments based on evidence. Of course, many researches are now being done by multi-national pharmaceutical corporations owing to conventional medicines strong commercial nature. Thus, the price to pay for getting oneself cured can be very high due to the commercialized and increasingly privatized treatment facilities, medicines and other diagnostic procedures. Indeed, it is undeniable that conventional medicine has gone through great leaps and bounds in preserving the quality and longevity of lives of people around the world. This owes very much to advances in diagnostic and treatment procedures and preventive measures. The use of X-rays, CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies now give more accurate diagnoses over a shorter period of time. Vaccinations are now preventing the spread of diseases over large populations. Advances in the pharmaceutical industries are now presenting greater potential in curing some of the worlds deadliest diseases. Even medical doctors (M.D.) who recognize and advocate and use alternative medicine, like Weil (1998), still point out the greater ability and efficacy of conventional medicine in treating particular diseases as compared to alternative medical systems. Particularly, they mention the management and cure of viral infections; allergies; chronic degenerative diseases; autoimmune problems such as AIDS; bacterial infection; trauma; many of the serious forms of cancer; mental illnesses, which require medication; other functional illnesses; and medical and surgical emergencies. However, there are still many imperfections in conventional treatments. For example, there are drugs that are effective in treating particular problems but may bring about ugly side effects. For instance, thalidomide, a morning sickness drug is known to produce severe birth defects. The taking of malarial prophylaxis, such as doxycyclin, can damage the liver over long use, thus deemed inadvisable for usage of people living in malaria-infested areas. A recent online news report told how Americans get the most radiation from medical radiology. Viruses also evolve every day which presents continuous new challenges to the medical world. Natural Medicine The term natural medicine for the purpose of this paper refers to alternative medical systems that lean towards the usage of more natural means of healing, especially in comparison to conventional medicine. This adoption of a more simplified definition is due to the existence of several yet still similar and related definitions. The term is oftentimes almost equated to alternative medicine which was defined by Brannon and Feist (2007) as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine (p. 190). In actuality, the term alternative medicine covers a wide array of medical systems which evolved more or less independently from different cultures. Examples are the Chinese traditional medicine, from which acupuncture and acupressure arose; Ayurvedic medicine from India, Naturopathy from Europe; macrobiotics; chiropractic and other various massage treatments from all over the world. When these methods a re incorporated by conventional doctors to their practice, the treatments are termed complementary medicine. The clustering of these diverse medical systems and traditions, some of which from great civilizations, either under the term alternative medicine or complementary medicine, implies how the former is deemed only secondary to conventional medicine. On the other hand, natural medicine is also treated as synonymous to naturopathy. Naturopathy is a cure system which targets the prevention and cure of diseases with the use of safe and efficient natural remedies (Muetzell, 2008). The practitioners central belief is that the human being in his normal state is healthy and that disobedience to natural laws results to illnesses (Brown, 1988). It then follows that nature has the power and resources to heal and that the human body has the ability to maintain, nurse and heal itself back to health. It is said that the movement became sufficiently coherent in Europe in the 19th century. A man named Benedict Lust, a German patient who was treated for tuberculosis through hydrotheraphy and other natural means, migrated to the United States and popularized the movement. The naturopathy movement was popular in Germany and in Britain during those days and was later popularized in the United States (Brannon Feist, 2007). In spite of the varying definitions of natural medicine, the various alternative medical systems named early in the paper have significant similarities in their principles, which like naturopathy leans towards the healing power of nature. The seeking of natural balance is quite universal to various traditional and indigenous medical systems. In reverse, naturopathy employs various healing practices from various cultures. Increasing Popularity in Conventional Medicine-Dominated Countries More and more, natural medicine has been enjoying increasing popularity and patronage in countries with advanced levels of conventional medical practice. Eisenberg et al. (1993) reported that the unconventional medicine usage frequency of the United States adult population had been way higher than stated in previous reports. Particularly, they estimated that one in three persons in the U.S. adult population had been utilizing unconventional medicine in 1990. This figure also implied a greater number of patient visits to unconventional medicine practitioners as compared to visits to conventional medical practitioners. They added that the amount spent by these adults on unconventional treatment was also comparable to the amount spent by Americans for all hospitalizations. A telephone survey in Britain revealed a 20% usage of alternative medicine, most popular of which is the use of herbs, aroma therapy, acupuncture, massage and reflexology (Ernst, 2000). This increasing patronage of natural and other alternative medicine may also be attributed to the increasing number of physicians who practice or recommend alternative therapies to their patients. Astin (1998) mentioned how a 1994 survey showed that more than 60% of the surveyed variably specialized physicians in Washington State, New Mexico and Israel recommended alternative therapies to their patients in the previous year while 38% had done so in the previous month. Meanwhile, 47% of these physicians use alternative therapies on themselves and 23% of the physicians have incorporated alternative therapies to their practices. The practice of naturopathy as a discipline is also becoming more and more regulated and consolidated with the creation of professional associations such as the American Naturopathic Association. More so, various schools have been accredited to teach naturopathy such as the Bastyr University, National College of Natural Medicine and the Broucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. More mainstream medical schools are now tackling or offering alternative medicine. Examples of such schools are Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown and Duke (Barney, 1998). Many conventional medical practitioners critique the usage of natural medicine. According to Ernst (2003), alternative medicine is largely opinion-based. Practitioners tend to give inconsistent and different prescriptions for the same diseases or medical conditions. For example, he cites how 100 different complementary therapies were recommended for asthma, while systemic reviews failed to back up a single treatment for this indication (p. 1134). Ernst was also disappointed at the scarcity of systematically gathered evidence. Yet, he is not against alternative medicine per se. He advocated for a more objective and scientific usage of alternative medicine. Why the Shift towards Natural Medicine? Overly-commercialized Conventional Medicine Weil (1998) tells how the commercialization of orthodox medicine is discouraging patients to continue seeking conventional treatments. He characterizes how mainstream medicine continues to become more expensive and technology-reliant. He tells how the popularity of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) has gravely affected the health care system. HMOs, he claims, want doctors to see as many patients as possible for the purpose of profit. Sadly, doctors spend less time with their patients which translate to less detailed medical and family histories, thus affecting the quality of diagnosis and treatment. In contrast, naturopathic consultations involves long and thorough interview with patients. Interviews look at medical and family histories, patient lifestyle, emotional health, and other physical features. Ernst (2000) points to various motivating factors for trying complementary and alternative medicine, which he divides into two positive and negative motivations. Positive motivations consist of the attributes of alternative medicine itself while negative motivations refer to negative attributes of conventional medicine which pushes patients to try alternative medicine. Examples of those enlisted as positive motivation are the following: 1) perceptions of effectiveness; 2) perception of safety; 3) control over treatment; 4) good patient-healer relationship; and 5) non-invasive nature. Meanwhile, enumerated as negative motivations are: 1) dissatisfaction of- and case-to-case ineffectiveness of conventional medicine; 2) rejection of science and technology; 3) rejection of the establishment; and 4) desperation. Education, Poorer Health Status and Congruence to Patient Beliefs and Principles The national study of Astin (1998) revealed that the most significant factors leading to the use of alternative medicine are the attainment of a higher level of education, having a poorer health status and the greater congruence of alternative medicine to the patients values, beliefs and philosophies. Patrons, he said, tend to hold a philosophical orientation towards health and holism. He also found out that dissatisfaction with the conventional medical system is not as significant as the earlier mentioned factors. Key Principles of Natural Medicine and their Implication to Treatment in Comparison to Conventional Medicine As mentioned in Astins study (1998), the principles of natural medicine appeals significantly to patients. The key principles of naturologists can be summed up into six guidelines, which are: 1) Promote the healing power of nature; 2) First do no harm; 3) Treat the whole person; 4) Treat the cause rather than the symptom; 5) Prevention is the best cure; 6) The physician is a teacher, teaching patients to take care of themselves (Brannon Feist, 2007). Holistic (system-oriented vis-a-vis disease oriented) The most common word to describe naturalistic treatment is holistic. This owes to natural medicines strong faith and reliance on the natural balance of nature. Particularly, the body was said to have a stable state that when bothered can lead to illnesses. Natural medicine also believes that excretion of wastes is a valuable part of this system and a stoppage to this normal functions lead to an unhealthy state. To illustrate, Chinese traditional medicine believes in the concept of Chi, a local concept which closely translates to vital energy. Chi, the Chinese believe, flows throughout the body. In line with this, illnesses are attributed to the blockage of this energy flow. Acupuncture for instance targets to solve this blockage. Natural medicine practitioners look at patients in their wholeness as individuals. Practitioners usually look at factors that may be disrupting the bodys natural balance. They are not only focused on the physical body but also looks at the mind and spirit. It is common for natural medicine practitioners to look at the lifestyles of patients and tries to being out the natural healing capacity of the body. They advise and help patients incorporate stress reduction methods and healthy eating into their lifestyles. This was in contrast to the treatment of conventional medicine which commonly isolates the physical body from the exclusion of mind and spirit (Weil, 1998). Barney (1998) a medical doctor who subscribes to medical complementation, criticizes the rigidity of conventional medicine in its approach to diseases. Particularly, he describes conventional treatments as disease-oriented. For instance, to address an infection, doctors may prescribe antibiotics that can weaken the kidneys. This shows a disregard to the body as a system only comprised of body parts. He said that treatment options must be expanded to fit the specific needs of each patient. Regard for particularities While natural medicine practitioners look at the whole in everyone, they also do not forget to look at the particular attributes of the individual. For instance, Ayurvedic medicine subscribes to the belief that there are different types of human bodies and that each body type must be given customized medical treatment. People who are fat or thin are also not automatically considered unhealthy in Ayurvedic medicine. Whereas in conventional medicine, normal body mass is calculated based on the height and weight of a person compared to universal standards. Also, some of the healthiest food prescribed by conventional medicine for a healthy person can be classified as unhealthy in Chinese medicine based on individual conditions. In this tradition, the definition of healthy food varies from person to person, even to those who may be classified by conventional medicine as being in a state of good health. Bias towards the Natural Natural medicine also attributes illnesses to actions and activities which veer away from natural laws of the body. For example, in macrobiotics, it is viewed that meat and poultry products being sold nowadays are very characteristically un-natural due to the hormones and chemicals being fed to the animals to facilitate speedy growth. Thus, natural medicine avoids or minimizes the usage of synthetic drugs such as antibiotics, radiation technologies, biomedical technologies such as vaccines and major surgery. Furthermore, it uses more natural substances and medicines found in the body and in the natural environment such as water in hydrotherapy. It has a far greater respect for herbal medicines which was used by a great number of people around the world. In contrast, conventional medical treatments can sometimes suppress the bodys efforts and capability to self-heal. Conclusion The fact that natural medicine is enjoying widening and growing support especially in the Western world gives credence to its claims of efficacy in relieving problems of the mind, body and soul. It also reflects particular weaknesses in the current conventional medical practice, which translates as negative motivations for usage of natural medicine. This validates the importance of the key characteristics of natural medicine which are: 1) holism; 2) bias towards the natural; and 3) attention to the particular. Outside the efficacy in dealing with physical problems, I think that the greatest trait espoused by natural medicine that conventional medicine lacks is in the formers attention to the mind and body. This translates to patients feelings of peace, control over their bodies and feelings of being valued and respected by their healers. Like Ernst, I believe that natural medicine and other alternative medical systems can benefit from addressing the critiques of conventional medical practitioners. In particular, it would be beneficial if natural medicine practitioners from various traditions can take steps in systematically documenting and gathering our- and other unexplored healing practices and their results. This is a positive step towards a maximization of knowledge from all over the world and the integration of various know-hows and towards more informed choices among patients.

Euthanasia: The Human Interruption of Natures Course :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Step into the shoes of 60 year old Mrs. Harris for just a moment. She was diagnosed with a severe case of diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis in both of her knees. Due to her high blood pressure, Mrs. Harris was at an intense risk of having a stroke. In addition to her health problems, she weighed in at approximately two hundred pounds, which limited her mobility. As her health began to deteriorate, so did her quality of life. Mrs. Harris did not want to hold onto life by a small thread of hope. She once pleaded to her son, " If I should start to go, don't try and save me. And don't put me in a convalescent home. That's a place of the living dead," (qtd. in Humphry, "Let" 64). As time passed, Mrs. Harris "suffered a massive stroke†¦ and was left completely paralyzed on her right side and could neither speak nor eat." One week later, the doctor announced that Mrs. Harris would never be able to speak or walk again. As though this wasn't bad enough, she suffered from her second stroke that same night. Somehow, doctors were able to stabilize her but she was pretty much a vegetable at this point (65). Now the true question was raised of whether or not to hang on to the little bit of life she had left. Between all of the loops from her dramatic health roller coaster, her son's health began to downfall as well. After many attempts to comfort her during her downward spiral, it was time to give up. He gave into the anger, frustration and sadness by shooting her in the head and ending her life (75). Thus, the controversy lies here. Was this act of euthanasia wrong or justified? How do most people wish for their death to occur? With pain, agony, suffering, and the thought of their loved ones witnessing such misery? Of course not! Most people want to die quickly and peacefully such as in the case of Mrs. Harris. It is believed that euthanasia should be legalized to some degree. This argument inquires that if you should ever have a loved one that is suffering and death is certain, you should have the choice to ease their pain if that is their desire. It is quite understandable the no one wishes to die painfully or continue in a state of constant discomfort.

Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal in America Essay -- Legalization of Marij

All Americans have their ideas on legalizing marijuana, yet they need to make sure they have done substantial research using past experiences the American people have already experienced from using this drug; also they need to take a good look into what the actual outcomes are of smoking marijuana, before making a final decision on whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes or any other reason. Americans will look at health and social issues as well as review money matters concerning legalizing marijuana and realize it is not right for the United States . First, Americans should know what marijuana actually is before they would even consider legalizing it. Marijuana, also known as pot, is a dried out weed that mixes the leaves, stems and even the flower of the cannabis, or the hemp plant and taken into the human body. It can be taken in by either smoking it or it taking it in with food. The main ingredient in marijuana is THC, which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (National Institute on Drug Abuse). THC is the most psychoactive compound found in marijuana (Taylor). â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug† (Wilbur, J). The ingredients in this plant is very dangerous and unhealthy for the human body. Now that Americans know what marijuana is, and some of the ingredients in it, they should consider the negative effect that marijuana has in the health of the human body and how it affects the social aspects of the American people. First, look at some health issues associated with marijuana. Smoking marijuana can lead to withdrawal from the drug, some of those withdrawals included increased sleepiness, and the â€Å"munchies† ( Taylor). After smoking marijuana the heart ... ...6 Oct. 2010 GroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&document Id=GALE%7CEJ3010018224&mode=view&userGroupName=lincclin_lcc&jsid=177301e50 514b9b1a3e3a10b17219900>. Margolis, Robert, ed. "Legalizing Marijuana Would Harm Teens." Legalizing Drugs (2006). Linccweb. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 ailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?di>. "NIDA Info Facts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2010 . Taylor, Robert B. Taylor's Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges. [New York]: Springer Science+Business Media, 2005. 124-25. Print. Wilbur, J. "Pg 850." Family Practice Examination and Board Review. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005. Print .

Early Arizona Women Teachers :: Essays Papers

Early Arizona Women Teachers At the end of the nineteenth century, Arizona was not a state, merely a territory, with a fledgling government and an even more rudimentary school system. Great distances separated people and often the eight children required to start a school and hire a teacher could not be gathered in an area. When they could, however, the teacher was often in for a surprise. Holding school in old saloons, carrying water to the schoolhouse every day, having to use turned over barrels for desks, and being the sole caretaker of the schoolhouse were just a few of the hardships faced by teachers. For women teachers, there were still more: being paid less than male teachers, even though they were the majority, being unable to keep her job if she married, and not being able to attain higher positions such as superintendent or principal. Despite these conditions, women actively and ably pursued careers in teaching, and often went beyond the call of duty for their students and their community. By facin g many obstacles and overcoming them, the early women teachers of Arizona greatly improved the status of Arizona schools and that of women everywhere. In this period, the lot of teachers was a much more expanded role in the community than that of present-day teachers. Many teachers had to become translators when faced with the problem of teaching children who knew little or no English. In the book, Portrait of a Teacher: Mary Elizabeth Post and Something of the Times in Which She Lived, Ruth Leedy Gordon explains that Mary Elizabeth Post, an early schoolteacher in Yuma,learned Spanish simply to communicate with her students (10). She also wrote recipes for her pupils’ mothers in Spanish and went to their homes to show them how to cook new dishes (76). In their collection of stories from the pioneer days in Arizona, Dust in Our Desks: Territory Days to the Present in Arizona Schools, Alleen Pace, Margaret Ferry and L.J. Evans recorded that in an Arizona town called Morenci, teachers taught night classes for those who wanted to learn English, as well as those who wanted to learn Spanish (29). The language barrier created a lot more work for Arizona teachers, work that was not written in their contracts, but they took on the task of learning another language and teaching English to others without complaint.

Political Philosophy and Brief Critical Evaluation

Sample essay questions? 1. Describe Plato's scheme for communism in the Republic. (Discuss each of the main features of this life-style. ) Which classes, according to Plato, should practice this way of living? What justification does Plato offer for advocating communism? Offer a brief critical evaluation of Plato's communism. PHL 107 | study guide for exam 2 | page 4 2. (1) Briefly describe Plato's allegory of the cave. 2) Then state how the allegory expresses Plato's position on (a) the place of the Philosopher-Kings in Plato's utopia, (b) Plato's distinction between opinion and genuine knowledge (wisdom), and (c) Plato's position on the motives of the Philosopher-Kings for ruling. 3. (1) What is Plato's dualistic metaphysics? (2) How is this metaphysics expressed in the allegory of the cave? (3) How is it related to his position on the nature of the human person? 4. (1) What is Plato's assessment of democracy, and (2) how is this linked to his theory of justice? 3) How might a cont emporary defender of democracy respond to Plato? 5. What is the mimetic theory of art? Did Plato invent this theory? Did he accept it? How is this theory related to Plato’s criticisms of the arts? 6. (1) What two reasons does Plato give for proposing to banish the arts from his Republic? (2) How is his position on the arts related (a) to his Theory of Ideas and (b) his position on the highest goal of human living? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of Plato's position on the arts. . (1) What does Rawls mean by â€Å"the original position . . . under the veil of ignorance† and how does this serve as the basis for his theory of justice? (2) What are his two principles of justice? Explain the two principles.? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of his theory of justice. 8. (1) Starting with Rawls’ â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance,† do you think you would arrive at a principle or principles of justice similar to those of Rawls, o r if different ones, which?Defend your position. (2) As part of your answer give a clear statement of what Rawls means by the â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance. † 9. (1) What is Aquinas’s causal argument for the existence of God (the 2nd of his five arguments)? Sketch the argument. (2) Critically evaluate the argument. What appears to be the weakest part of the argument? Do you think the argument can be defended in the face of this proposed weakness? Explain. 10. (1) What is the design argument for the existence of God?You may present either Aquinas's (his 5th) or William Paley's or the fine-tuning version of the argument (but only one). (2) Why does Darwin's theory of evolution appear to undermine Aquinas and Paley’s version of the design argument? Why does Darwin’s theory not affect the fine-tuning argument? (3) Do you think that there is some way of salvaging the design argument in the face of Darwin's theory? Defend your positi on. 11. Describe Hobbes’ â€Å"state of nature. † What kind of a concept is this — historical, empirical, anthropological, analytic? Explain.Offer your own critical evaluation of Hobbes’ notion of the state of nature? Do you think it is a useful concept? Is it true? Defend your position. 12. Hobbes argues that each person has the resources within themselves to overcome the state of nature.? (1) What are these resources and how do they help the person to overcome the state of nature? (2) But why, for Hobbes, are these internal resources insufficient? Why is a very strong sovereign also needed to overcome the state of nature? (3) What role does contract or covenant play in overcoming the state of nature?

Media and Body Image

â€Å"Media and Body Image† The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an organization led by Ingrid Newkirk, fghts for the rights of animals all over the world. According to PETA (n. d. ), its main goal is to give â€Å"attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry'. However in the year 2009, the animal rights organization produced a billboard campaign that went beyond its mission statement. It can be said that PETA's billboard campaign is npleasant to most people.It is evident in the campaign that it depicted an oversized woman wearing a swimsuit, with the caption: â€Å"Save the Whales; Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian†. Literally thinking, there is no connection between saving whales, and going vegetarian to lose weight. Clearly, PETA through the campaign is attempting to draw the co nnection between the ad's target market and the whales that need to be saved. Is there certainty that PETA intended to create an offensive billboard campaign for people who are overweight? According to PETA's writer, Liz Graffeo 2009), she and her team specifically launched the advertisement for the residents of Jacksonville.She added that the reason why PETA launched the advertisement is to help people of Jacksonville, â€Å"lose the blubber†, by becoming vegetarians. The real reason why PETA launched an advertisement is to persuade people to live a healthy lifestyle and not to promote whales' wellbeing. In my opinion, as an animal rights organization, PETA does not have the right to compare fat people to whales. PETA has to realize that those people who showcase their bodies in different swimsuits are confident enough about their size. The human being should never be depicted as endangered like whales.To add, the poster is not only disrespectful to the obese but to the huma n race as a whole. If PETA wants to create an advertisement beyond its mission statement, it should be sensitive enough to the target audience of its campaign. Reference List PETA (n. d). Our Mission Statement. Retrieved from http://www. peta. org/about/ default. aspx Liz Graffeo. (2009, Aug 8). Lose the blubber: Go Vegetarian [Article]. Retrieved from http://www. peta. org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2009/08/17/10se-the- blubber-go-vegetarian. aspx Media and Body Image By vmsl