Strength and Weakness of Thoreau’s Argument Essay Example

Strength and Weakness of Thoreau’s Argument Essay In the essay â€Å"Slavery in Massachusetts† Thoreau explains weaknesses of slavery and underlines importance of antislavery legislations and equal rights. The style of Thoreau is marked by unique vision of reality and slavery, causes of the problem and possible solutions. It is possible to say that his class location and background had a great impact on his views and ideas expressed in this essay. The main argument is that compromise between the states is impossible because the North, including Massachusetts, was guilty in sufferings and hardship of black people supporting unjust laws and false social norms. The strength of Thoreau’s argument is that the North did nothing to abolish the slavery. He writes: â€Å"Every moment that she hesitated to set this man free, every moment that she now hesitates to atone for her crime, she is convicted† (Thoreau). Thoreau claims that a policy of silence can be seen as a crime which supports slavery and oppression. As the most important, Thoreau recognizes the role of the North in economic development of the nation and its impact on slavery. The other strength is recognition of unjust laws. He explains that segregation laws are unjust, and for this reason they should eliminated and abolished. These arguments are crucial for the essay because they explain principles and social rules of a free society. The author hints that it is hardly appropriate for a body of law ostensibly operating throughout the realm that it should be applied in different ways according to the vagaries of local custom or the personal preferences of judges. Also, he underlines that as principles of law became part of the common learning of the legal profession, their misapplication became so insupportable that procedures had to be devised to secure compliance and to resolve doubts. We will write a custom essay sample on Strength and Weakness of Thoreau’s Argument specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strength and Weakness of Thoreau’s Argument specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strength and Weakness of Thoreau’s Argument specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The main weakness of the argument is that the North could not solve all the problems faced by African-Americans. The Southern states were also responsible for slavery exploiting millions of slaves in agriculture and mines. New factories needed more raw materials for production, and South planters were interested in bigger sown areas requiring more slaves. It was a well known fact that industry is influenced greatly by the agriculture, and the South. Another weakness is that Thoreau does not recognize role and importance of legislation and its impact on the institution of slavery: â€Å"the law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free† (Thoreau). In reality, laws and legislation can make men free stipulating legal norms and social relations. He does not take into account that the Constitution grants the right to the populace, and no doubt that in society the main role is featured to democracy and liberty. Law of that kind is, in the first place, mor e akin to custom, in the sense that the rules provide guidance but may be diverged from with impunity in particular cases. Another weakness is that Thoreau diminishes the role of government and impact of ideology on society. He states: â€Å"A government which deliberately enacts injustice, and persists in it, will at length even become the laughing-stock of the world† (Thoreau). For the majority of whites, slavery was not seen as injustice and discrimination. In sum, the article illustrates slavery through the lens of social, legal and moral judgments. The main strengths of the arguments are that the North did nothing to abolish the slavery, the policy of silence worsened this problem, identification of unjust laws. The main weaknesses are that the North alone could not solve this problem, inadequate analysis of the role of the government and law marking. Works Cited Thoreau, H.D. n.d. Slavery in Massachusetts. 04 June 2007 http://www.4literature.net/Henry_David_Thoreau/Slavery_in_Massachusetts/

Free Essays on Colonials To Provincials

The conclusion that the author of a history book comes to is directly related to the point of view with which he or she undertakes the writing. Such is the case with Jon Butler’s Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776, and Ned C. Landsman’s From Colonials to Provincials: American Thought and Culture 1680-1760. Both authors are examining the same period of time, 1680 to 1760, and most likely looked at much of the same material while researching for their respective works. Yet the two authors come to two completely different conclusions. This paper will look at the similarities between the two books, but also the differences, which led the authors to their different conclusions. The first and most important similarity between these two books is that do deal with the same period of time 1680 to 1760. This is important to look at because of the separate conclusions that they have come to. Another similarity is that Butler and Landsman share is that they both look at the middle colonies consisting of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. This is somewhat different from many previous texts on this period, in that previous works often dealt with the New England colonies or Virginia. Both Butler and Landsman handle the issue of immigration to the colonies, however Butler and Landsman’s opinions on the effects of immigration on the colonies and colonial society differ from each other. While Butler and Landsman examined the same period and for the most part the same geographic location. The perspective with which each author viewed the material, contributed to the two arriving at such different conclusions. It will be easiest to examine the reasons for these differing conclusions by examining each individually. In Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776, Jon Butler has examined how Britain’s mainland colonies became the first modern society, by focusing on their Socio-Political and Economic transforma... Free Essays on Colonials To Provincials Free Essays on Colonials To Provincials The conclusion that the author of a history book comes to is directly related to the point of view with which he or she undertakes the writing. Such is the case with Jon Butler’s Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776, and Ned C. Landsman’s From Colonials to Provincials: American Thought and Culture 1680-1760. Both authors are examining the same period of time, 1680 to 1760, and most likely looked at much of the same material while researching for their respective works. Yet the two authors come to two completely different conclusions. This paper will look at the similarities between the two books, but also the differences, which led the authors to their different conclusions. The first and most important similarity between these two books is that do deal with the same period of time 1680 to 1760. This is important to look at because of the separate conclusions that they have come to. Another similarity is that Butler and Landsman share is that they both look at the middle colonies consisting of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. This is somewhat different from many previous texts on this period, in that previous works often dealt with the New England colonies or Virginia. Both Butler and Landsman handle the issue of immigration to the colonies, however Butler and Landsman’s opinions on the effects of immigration on the colonies and colonial society differ from each other. While Butler and Landsman examined the same period and for the most part the same geographic location. The perspective with which each author viewed the material, contributed to the two arriving at such different conclusions. It will be easiest to examine the reasons for these differing conclusions by examining each individually. In Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776, Jon Butler has examined how Britain’s mainland colonies became the first modern society, by focusing on their Socio-Political and Economic transforma...

5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names

5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names 5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names 5 Cases of Confusion Between Things and Their Names By Mark Nichol 1. â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS feeds, short for ‘Really Simple Syndication.’ â€Å"RSS feeds† is not short for â€Å"Really Simple Syndication.† The sentence refers to RSS feeds and then explains what the initialism stands for, but the association of the spelled-out term with the initialism is confusing, so the additional information needs to be distinguished from the main point: â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS feeds. (RSS is short for ‘Really Simple Syndication.’)† More simply, the parenthesis could be introduced as here: â€Å"Users can choose from any website that offers RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.† However, the information is not essential and is better introduced in a trailing parenthesis. Use your judgment according to the context of each case. 2. â€Å"This is a camera obscura, a Latin term that means ‘dark chamber.’† This sentence suffers from the same type of confusion as the previous example. A camera obscura is not a Latin term; it is a device with that Latin name (and though the origin of the name is Latin, the term, despite being taken from that language, is English). Revise the sentence to clarify both points: â€Å"This is a camera obscura, a device whose name, borrowed from Latin, means ‘dark chamber.’† 3. â€Å"The pre-emptive offer also a common term in corporate transactions is hardly new.† Here, the concept of the pre-emptive offer is being mistaken for the name of the concept. Again, word the interjection of information to clarify the distinction: â€Å"The strategy known as a pre-emptive offer that phrase is also a common term in corporate transactions is hardly new.† 4. â€Å"With his talkie debut, as British secret agent Bulldog Drummond (1929), he became the first silent star to become even bigger in sound films.† This sentence attempts to name both a character and a film in one designation, but as we all know from physics class, two phenomena cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Separate the reference to the title character from that of the film title: â€Å"With his talkie debut, as the titular British secret agent in Bulldog Drummond (1929), he became the first silent star to become even bigger in sound films.† 5. â€Å"John is a Wetland Watcher a moniker he wears with pride and satisfaction.† This sentence’s conflict of concept and name is not as jarring as in the previous examples, but the statement would nevertheless benefit from more of a separation of the two elements: â€Å"John is a Wetland Watcher, and that’s a moniker he bears with pride and satisfaction.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" "Owing to" vs "Due to"Shore It Up

Forest Labs Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Forest Labs Case - Essay Example The new profits earned through the sales of Celexa were used by Solomon for the expansion of the company; he licensed several other drugs from pharmaceutical companies of Europe. However, Solomon has been accused of excessive marketing and the expansion of Forest is deemed as dangerous for other companies. Also, the profits made by Forest Labs over such a short span of time are unreasonable high. The previous year Solomon earned $8.3 million as the CEO of the company. However, it was found out that the Marketing Department had been marketing the earlier named antidepressants to adolescents and children, and that too illegally, although these drugs are not suitable for them. Hence, the Obama Administration decided to oust Howard Solomon from doing further business. Solomon agreed to pay a fine of $313 million for resolving the issue (Hooper and Henderson). In my opinion, the decision taken by the Government was ethical. This is because several pharmaceutical companies have been allege d of conducting business unethically in the past, but none of the charges or penalties levied against them seemed to have a deterrent effect on their business. Ousting a companies' CEO for conducting such activities should definitely bring out the desired effect as he would make efforts to correct the mal-practices prevalent in his company. There is always a counter argument which states that only ousting a CEO would not prevent the company from putting an end to its illegitimate practices; one should rather take a serious action against the entire marketing department which can directly be blamed for the offense. But, being the CEO of the company, the Government has full rights to hold Howard Solomon accountable for all the mal-practices going on within his company. The company shall also be fined a very heavy sum which is equivalent to the amount of sales made during the period of illegal marketing. But, I believe, the Government is justified in taking the step it took as it would serve as a starting ground and other CEOs whose companies are also indulged into such activities would learn lessons from it and would take action to stop any objectionable activities within them. By taking this decision, the Government is trying to send a message to the entire industry which, hopefully, would be heard by them. Also, there is a certain provision in the Federal Law that legitimizes the exclusion of an individual who has not been alleged of a crime. Hence, this action of the Government is in coherence with the American Law and thus, the Government cannot be questioned. By concealing negative case study about Celexa and by pushing sales representatives to pay illegal kickbacks to pediatricians, the senior executives of Forest Labs indeed proved to be highly culpable (Singer). Antidepressants can be highly lethal for adolescents and children. It is a belief that this is a cause of suicidal behavior in children and mental illnesses. This fact has been verified by the Fo od and Drug Administration (FDA). Among the various side effects that children experience due to such medications the common ones are feelings of sedation and weight gain, whilst some children may feel more energized with the intake of antidepressants. In short, antidepressants cause psychotic problems in children which are very harmful. Hence, I believe that

Bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Bullying - Essay Example The failure of people and adults to control bullying in the school grounds as well as in the virtual world is very surprising because education is supposed to be the key factor in preventing all of this, but at times even advocacy groups fail to reach out to the people. In general, technology has made it hard for law makers to keep an eye on everyone and keep a thorough check to prevent the act of bullying. The question in the end asked by many is how should one suppress this form of bullying that goes around and tackle the people who initiate the hate process. Unfortunately, there is no feasible tool as of now to deal with the issue because educating the perpetrators is still a gradual process and it will take a long time before elements of this sort can be eliminated and rooted out completely. It is surely a fact that cyberbullying does impact the psychologically vulnerable teenagers. The cyber world is a fast growing network where news travels fast and hence, if a flaw is found in someone’s reputation then it is bound to destroy the image they carry in their society. Cyberbullying is not under control and education plus awareness is the only way in which it can prevented. It is necessary to educate the mass population which includes teachers, parents and even students about the harm it causes to the psychological state of mind and how it has driven many towards suicidal

Virtue and Allah Essay Example for Free

Virtue and Allah Essay In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful, all praises are due to you O Allah; all thanks belong to you O Allah We thank you for all you have done in our life, we appreciate you, we adore you and we glorify your only name, O Allah! Guide us among those you have guided O Allah! Forgive us among those you have forgiven O Allah! Empower us among those you have empowered O Allah! Put your blessing on those things you endowed us with O Allah! We seek for your forgivement and turn away from sins O Allah! We have faith in you and we rely upon you O Allah! Bless us with good conduct that would take us near you O Allah! We have submitted ourselves to you, we are faithful to you, and upon you we rely. From you is our beginning and our protection. O Allah! Don’t put us to shame on the day we shall return to you. O Allah! Accept our Prayers and our Fasting, our Standing, Our bending and our Prostration. O Allah! Guide us against the hell fire O Allah! Make us an inmate of paradise O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! The Everlasting, the Creator of Heaven and Earth’s, the most high, the most generous O Allah! Increase us in Knowledge and Understanding, make our Academics our friends, and make us graduate in flying colour O Allah! We beseech you against non – beneficial knowledge and hard heart that would always fear Allah O Allah! We implore you with a very useful Knowledge and pious heart and tongue that would be reciting in the of Allah and would always be thankful to Allah O Allah! Guide us against sudden death, accept our prayers, heal our sickness and welcome the death among us O Allah! Purify our sins as white cloth is purified from dirt O Allah! Purify us from our sins, remove our mistakes and take away our sorrows. Presents us with good things and gather for us the best of this world and hereafter. O Allah! Let us end our work with the most beautiful acts. O Allah! You are the forgiver, you like the reenters, please forgive us Suratul – Fathia By sodiq.

Divisive, But Effectual: Reinstating the Draft Essay -- Military Histo

Ever since World War II, the last war that garnered full American support, the percentage of American citizens enrolling in the U.S. Army has diminished significantly. The U.S. is a major military power in the present world; American soldiers are engaged in many multi-theater positions, consequently dispersing troops over various regions worldwide. As only one in ten citizens has served in the US Army, American knowledge of military conditions is rapidly lessening along with the national harmony that complements such knowledge. Therefore, the comprehension that American security is closely associated with a formidable military never resonated within the greater part of modern American citizens. Although antiwar activists may decry compulsory conscription as unconstitutional, it needs to be reinstated in order to solidify the meaning of being an American citizen, boost the economy by providing jobs, and unify the American people with enhanced homeland security. Generally, reinstating the Constitutional draft would solidify the meaning of being an American citizen. Often, wealthier and more privileged people are able to ask for exemption from serving, which makes representation of soldiers in combat composed of less-privileged citizens. With compulsory conscription, all American citizens, men or women, ages 18-26 are subject to be recruited for the armed forces. In fact, only 4 members of the 107th Congress who voted in favor of the Iraq war had children serving there. Politicians would know how it feels to have loved ones in a war, instead of freely speaking about wartime without experiencing it in any way. 1 (206) Moreover, Americans feel that public support for war in foreign countries is not strong because the soldiers fightin... ...CQ Researcher Outline, January 11, 1991. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1991011100 (accessed March 19, 2012). "Binding the Nation: National Service in America." U.S. Army War College, 2008. http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/Articles/08winter/grigsby.pdf (accessed March 12, 2012). â€Å"Learn about National Service." Americans for a National Service Act, . nationalserviceact.org (accessed March 19, 2012). Greenblatt, Alan. "Upward Mobility." CQ Researcher, April 29, 2005. http://www.cqpress.com/product/Researcher-Upward-Mobility-v15-16.html (accessed March 14, 2012). Farrell, Brenda S. "Military Personnel: Evaluation Methods Linked to Anticipated Outcomes Needed to Inform Decisions on Army Recruitment Incentives." U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 19, 2008. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1037R (accessed March 19, 2012).