Immanuel Kant on law and justice Essay

To be moral living human beings there must be a guiding action. This action varies depending on the degree of obligation: law, rule or maxim. A law should promote and protect the common good. Above all, a law must be just and reasonable to follow. A rule is a prescribed guide for conduct or action that indicates how we ought to act to behave in certain situations. Rules are not strictly legislated but are nevertheless obligatory guidelines for actions. A maxim is a general truth or rule of conduct. Immanuel Kant’s political teaching may be summarized in a phrase: republican government and international organization. In more characteristically Kantian terms, it is doctrine of the state based upon the law (Rechtsstaat) and of eternal peace. Indeed, in each of these formulations, both terms express the same idea: that of legal constitution or of â€Å"peace through law. Rechtsstaat is a doctrine in continental European legal thinking, originally borrowed from German jurisprudence, which can be translated as a â€Å"legal state†, â€Å"state of law†, â€Å"state of justice†, â€Å"state of rights† or â€Å"state based on justice and integrity†. It is a â€Å"constitutional state† in which the exercise of governmental power is constrained by the law, and is often tied to the Anglo-American concept of the rule of law, but differs from it in that it also places an emphasis on what is just (i. e. a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion or equity). In a Rechtsstaat, the power of the state is limited in order to protect citizens from the arbitrary exercise of authority. In a Rechtsstaat the citizens share legally-based civil liberties and they can use the courts. A country cannot be a liberal democracy without first being a Rechtsstaat. German writers usually place Immanuel Kant’s theories at the beginning of their accounts of the movement toward the Rechtsstaat. Kant’s approach is based on the supremacy of a country’s written constitution. This supremacy must create guarantees for implementation of his central idea: a permanent peaceful life as a basic condition for the happiness of its people and their prosperity. Kant proposed that constitutionalism and constitutional government ought to be sufficient to guarantee this happiness. Kant had thus formulated the main problem of constitutionalism: â€Å"The constitution of a state is eventually based on the morals of its citizens, which, in its turn, is based on the goodness of this constitution. † A Kantian justice system would thus solely focus on what was done, rather than on the character of the person who did it. No excuses regarding a criminal’s genome, upbringing, history of mental illness, or socioeconomic status can exonerate him from receiving punishment for the criminal act. The fact that a man was abused during his childhood does not justify his infliction of similar abuse on others later in life. Many duties are developed into laws because society has deemed them important for the protection of the individual. There are some laws that are written to safe guard the individual and others for the community. All laws must be written to uphold society which includes protecting the rights of all people in both the majority and minority consequently all laws must possess certain common traits. Immanuel Kant believed that all humans are born inherently bad and must try hard to be good. This model of thought is of immense help to understanding what actions Kant saw as necessary for the creation of justice within the real world, since, once again, every individual’s worldview is based upon that individual’s own set of experiences. â€Å"Pure reason is a perfect unity; and therefore, if the principle presented by it proves to be insufficient for the solution of even a single one of those questions to which the very nature of reason gives birth, we must reject it, as we could not be perfectly certain of its sufficiency in the case of the others†. (Critique of Pure Reason, 3) Kant on Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issue: A proposal by the government to legalize theft. According to Immanuel Kant’s theories and views he would try to oppose this law. The general definition of theft is the taking of another person’s property without that person’s permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. Immanuel Kant would consider this an immoral action on the individual’s part therefore resulting in punishment. When someone is punished for something it is because they did something abominable. Humans act not only on impulse as effected by laws of nature, but also out of conscience choice based on principles and these principles tell us how we ought to act. Our conscience as a capacity has a fundamental sense of value and personal responsibility. If theft were to be legalized, it would result in a never-ending chain of people committing evil actions to further their own need. People would become more selfish and greedy. Because Kant believes humans are born inherently bad we must strive every day to avoid temptation which we can only be redeemed by good behaviour and the grace of God. This would also go against Kant’s ideal justice system. â€Å"Nothing can escape our notice; for what reason produces from itself cannot lie concealed, but must be brought to the light by reason itself, as soon as we have discovered the common principle of the ideas we seek. † (Critique of Pure Reason, 5). Kant’s theory is his belief that it should always be possible, within our power, to do the right thing. Kant believes that rational humans are agents, they have plans, and they make deliberate choices. It is this fact about humans that Kant’s ethical theory seeks to enshrine and protect. Human agency should never be sacrificed for anything less valuable and everything is less valuable. Justice has a moral obligation to always do. The first duty of justice is to never treat people as mere means to one’s own ends. But treating a person as an end in themselves is to do more than respect this duty: it is also to assist them in achieving their morally lawful ends. For these reasons Immanuel Kant would not allow to legalize theft. Our government, justice duty and morality would all be altered if such a thing were to happen and that was Kant’s biggest fear that our humanity would be consumed by materialistic things. We need laws and peace in order for us, as people, to be rational human beings. Work Cited: â€Å"Germany. † – Understandings of the Rule of Law – Wikis Der Freien UniversitA ¤t Berlin. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. Kant, Immanuel, J. M. D. Meiklejohn, Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, James Creed Meredith, Immanuel Kant, Immanuel Kant, and Immanuel Kant. The Critique of Pure Reason. Chicago: Encyclop? dia Britannica, 1955. Print. Rauscher, Frederick, Rauscher,. â€Å"Kant’s Social and Political Philosophy. † Stanford University. Stanford University, 24 July 2007. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. â€Å"Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. † Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

2nd Amendment Paper

When I think about the dreams of the founders I think about the amendments. These amendments represented their core beliefs. When I think about that I look at society and think how well have the amendments been followed. In a sense most of the amendments have been followed well, but in the last 20 or 30 years that has been declining rapidly. The 1st amendment, probably the easiest to follow is being silently fought. Now it may not be illegal to say something but by the time you say it you might have wished it was.People are beat to a bloody pulp because their opinion of the president, or even worse their favorite sports team. What has this nation come to when we beat a living person to a bloody pulp for the sports team that they like! I think we need to take a step back and look at ourselves for a second. The 2nd amendment is our first freedom. For the last 100 years people have slowly been trying to tax and regulate our right and freedom to bear arms. The 2nd amendment states that t heir should be a militia ready for times of war. It does not say an army, a militia.If I remember correctly the definition of militia is a military force raised by civilians to take place of an army in an emergency. Now how are we supposed to act like a military force, if the law abiding citizens of this country cannot buy a basic infantryman's rifle. Yes you can buy a modified version, but we should be able to buy any type of firearm we would like, because it is our right and our freedom. This amendment isn't about no duck hunting. It's about the people's right, freedom, and ability to protect themselves and their country. The 3rd amendment Is our freedom of religion.In this day and age christianity is frowned upon, at the time of our founders christianity represented the core belief system of almost every man, woman, and child. Nowadays you have atheists making it illegal to display any signs of religion, you want to put a nativity scene in front of your house, so sorry you probab ly need a permit for that, or its against your city ordnance. You want to have a christmas party at the local town/city green, no problem, only you need to call it a winter party, winter holiday party, or non denominational festive celebration, pretty insane.To make matters worse we have a president, a president the leader of a country whose motto is â€Å"IN GOD WE TRUST† is supporting the beliefs of Islam, a country who believes that America is satan. You know its bad when we have a muslim president. The constitution has been changed and twisted so much that I bet the founders are doing backflips in their graves. In a society were the sacred organization of marriage is being laughed at and challenged day to day, this isn't just a political challenge its a virtue, and morality challenge as well.This country was founded on good, christian values and after the influence of God and the Holy Ghost. Christopher Columbus talks about a calm and spiritual feeling coming over him as he studied his maps and sailed on the open waters. There is no question that God had a hand in the founding of this country. At the time of Columbus, Asia had all the necessary means and resources to sail to the new world, and almost did. But Columbus did first and opened the path for God's country, the light set on a hill.When this countries core belief system is attacked we must defend it, and if it fails we are in deep trouble. The day we take God out of everything is the day we are utterly and absolutely screwed. The founders knew that God must be at the center of our lives and that we must show Godlike attributes for this country to succeed, the amendments did a pretty good job of following the ten commandments if you think about it, for example the 2nd amendment may have something to do with those commandments that talk about coveting, and stealing?Although there are things wrong with America, and although it is painful to say there are a lot of things wrong but at then end of the day this is still the place, the Country chosen above all other countries to be an ensign unto all nations. To be the place where that great Lord Jesus the Christ will return again, where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. Although we may be going through some rough times in America we must see the light at the end of the tunnel. When Thomas Jefferson said that there must be a separation of church and state I don't think he realized what trouble he would cause years down the road.People now think that that statement means that we must take God out of all Politics and Government, the people who believe this are sadly and utterly WRONG. The statement that Thomas Jefferson made in a letter to a friend, not even in the Constitution, stated that we must not allow the Government control the Church, and not allow the Church to control the Government. We now see what happens when people take things out of context. This country is a beautiful one and still offers more than a ny other country in the world, but that is slowly decaying, and we are rapidly becoming more and more like, other countries in the world.We must return to the founders first dream, illustrated in the amendments and expressed in their letters and personal documents. We must not remove God from our lives, when we do we decay morally and spiritually and we as a society will slowly but surely spiral out of control. God still loves us and this country. He loves us no matter what, and though we may be going through a rough time in America's history, it will all be for our profit and learning, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and boy it is a bright and glorious one.This is his country, he inspired Columbus in his studying to find this country. He inspired the founders, to go against the tight grip of England, and write a constitution and declare independence. He inspired the writers and signers of the declaration of independence, to defy a nation and become an even stronger natio n, full of love, and freedom. Now in this our darkest time we abandon our God, yet we need to remember that he has not abandoned us. The founders knew that a day would come when the constitution would be challenged, now its up to us as a nation to defend their dream.We must not give up as a nation, or even as individuals, at the end of the day there is no collective salvation, we must teach our families and our children the correct way of living, a Godlike way of living. We must try first to show faith, hope and charity to ourselves, and then our family, before we can try it as a nation. That is what we need, faith, hope, and charity. That was what the founders wanted to tell us. We must show faith hope and charity. No free government hand-outs.

GDP Is Not Enough Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

GDP Is Not Enough - Research Paper Example This paper provides an annotated bibliography for the topic GDP is not enough (Adam, 2009). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) refers to the net value of all final production of goods and services in a country. GDP is often measured and calculated in three ways: first, is summing up of all the incomes and profits received from goods and services produced in a country; second is summing up of all expenditures incurred in the production of goods and services i.e. adding up of money earned from exports and deducting all that is used on importation; lastly is summing up all the value added by capital and labor in situations where inputs are procured from other producers and converted into output. GPD accounts only for the flow experienced in an economy thus excluding stocks, wealth and capital investment as this do no account for direct financial transactions, where change of money occurs (Buxton, 2002). Gross Domestic product basically calculates the economic activities with nation’s b orders while Gross National Product (GNP) is concerned with the gross income of the citizens in that country. GNP sums up interests, rates, rents, profits and dividends paid out by outsiders. Policy makers are often much interested with the economic activity level thus making GDP to be more preferred. Although not accurate in an extended period of time, GDP offers a complete snapshot of the economy. It offers a summary of the entire range of economic information into a single number, thus reflecting on comparative weaknesses and strengths of various economic sectors. It is a precise In most cases, an increase in economic growth is often accompanied by equal increase in both income and employment. GDP therefore seeks to estimate such changes in economic and social welfare. However, it can only give a precise figure of certain other contributing factors remain constant. Economic analysts believe that GDP reflects on the general welfare so precise enough to assume it as an equivalent m easure on welfare. However, critics such as think tank Redefining Progress (discussed below) believe that GDP does not reflect concisely the total utility measures (Chien, 2010). Traditionally, economists have been using GDP measure to approximate the economic progress. An increases in GDP value meant the particular country is progressing. Consequently, a fall in GDP meant that the particular nation is rapidly ceding ground. From a strict arithmetical aspect, DGP offers a straight forward indicator to economic wellness. However to a common man, GDP statistics can be deceiving. To counter this ambiguity, Redefining Progress- social think tank came up with the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) in 1995. This idea was nurtures as an alternative to the convectional GDP as a parameter for estimating the economic and social wellbeing of a country. The two indicators are based on a common personal consumption data baseline. However, GPI unlike GDP gives adjustment factors and variables that represent both monetary and non monetary aspects of the country’s economy. The adjustment categories can be grouped into the following categories; Personal consumption: this baseline gives similar data input similar to what is used in GDP measurement. Income Distribution; under this, GPI is scaled upward when a higher percentage of a country’

Manifest destiny and the forcible removal of american indians Research Paper

Manifest destiny and the forcible removal of american indians - Research Paper Example The term Manifest Destiny integrated the nationalist concepts of Anglo-Saxon superiority with capitalist expansion of territory, â€Å"ideas which had deep roots in American political culture† (Nevins 2002: 17). On the other hand, Caldwell (2006) identifies the roots of manifest destiny in religion, the providentially sanctioned Christian destiny territorial conquest going back as far as the Crusades, and â€Å"a God-given right to any land occupied by non-Christian peoples† (p.84). The extensive American efforts at expansion included in addition to the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of the lands of the Mexican cession, internal expansion as American settlers moved westward during the California gold rush (Joy, 2003) Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concept of Manifest Destiny in 19th century American history, and its role in America’s rise from a colony to a super power. Further, the extent to which manifest destiny was r eflected in domestic policy by the country’s government will be identified. The forcible removal of American Indians, attempts to civilize them, and Americans’ seizing of Mexican land, and waging war on Mexico will be discussed. The underlying roots of European racism and imperialism fuelling manifest destiny will be examined. Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion in America From the 14th century to as late as the 1840s, Europeans fled to the New World of America in search of religious freedom and a new life. There was westward expansion in the 19th century because the population density in the industrial towns in the east was increasing tremendously by growing numbers of Europeans who entered America at the eastern seaboard. Moreover, the gold rush in the western region particularly in California, as well as news of fertile soil and plentiful opportunities were powerful motivators to move westwards. Consequently, the Americans found it necessary to spread westward i n search of new land to cultivate, to build on, and new livelihood to undertake. This westward expansion was termed as manifest destiny by Anglos were the whites arriving in California from the eastern towns in the 19th century. Through close association and marriage allegiance with the California elite the white settlers acquired great wealth and political power (Mountjoy 2009). Notions of national superiority form a significant reason for the concept of Manifest Destiny to take shape and to promote westward expansion towards new opportunities. According to Caldwell (2006) the reasons for America’s notions of superiority include myths of the unique regenerative power of the new land of America that the Europeans made their home; from Americans’ self developed visions of being the people chosen by God to utilize the abundance of natural resources; of being given the mission to spread civilization in underdeveloped areas, and of being granted the high destiny of spreadi ng westward for achieving profit and prosperity. Americans’ sense of supremacy is also rooted in their ability to succeed as immigrants through self-sufficiency, confidence, self-reliance; their realization of the abundance of natural wealth in the land; and their view of the universality of American ideology. Expansionist Theory, Racism and Imperialism in Manifest Destiny American Indians who were the original natives of the land were marginalized and every

Augustus from Prima Porta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Augustus from Prima Porta - Essay Example "The posture is that of a victorious general addressing his troops, and the emperor is shown in armor. His breastplate is sculpted with scenes of Roman military triumph and the mythological figures of gods and goddesses. The pose of the figure is clearly based on the Greek model of the Spear Carrier, and the face shown is that of a handsome man in the prime of life." (Lewis and Lewis, 230) Through an effective combination of Greek idealization and Roman realism, this marble statue creates a convincing portrait of a 'real man' and a successful image of the perfect leader. Augustus is represented in this statue as the 'pater patriae', who is looking down on his people with calm concern and complete self confidence. Therefore, it is essential to realize that Augustus of Prima Porta, which is now displayed in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican Museums, is a perfect example of the Imperial Roman statuary and Augustus, in this statue, consciously attempts to identify himself with the ultimat e authority of Rome during the Golden Age of the Roman civilization. In a reflective analysis of Augustus of Prima Porta, it becomes lucid that this statue of the emperor Augustus can rightly be considered one of the most essential examples of the enigmatic works of art from the Augustan era.

Structural Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Structural Concept - Essay Example The piles will be generated using continuous beams originating from standard non-stop beam components linked to the node of elements through flows also called non-linear springs. This type of technology mixes in-situ soils together with cementitious materials in the process of forming a vertical stiff inclusion in the soil structure. The process entails rotating the mixing tool downwards to the designed depth. On reaching the appropriate depth, the construction engineer reverses the rotation of the mixing tool and starts withdrawing it at a standardized rate (Nelson 2005). The engineer forces into the ground agents that include slaked lime, quicklime, fly ash, and cement during advancement and withdrawal of the mixing tool. Other agents commonly referred to as binders introduced in the entire process in form of either wet slurry or dry powder. This technology shares familiar elements with the deep mixing technology with differences appearing in very high-pressure fluids that are applicable in the jet grouting technology in the process of eroding subsurface soil particles and used in mixing them with cement. This technology applies hydraulic energy to erode the soil as well as mix or replace the eroded soil with an engineered grout of water and cement in the process of forming a solidified in-situ component. Various subsurface geometries apply in the process of installing Jet Group elements. The tools for performing jet grouting remains special but many contractors are available and can help in continuing with technology. Engineers erect gadgets as close as possible to existing structures of embankment such as railways to strengthen resistance of the embankment and prevent failures from stability. They are made of few compacted meters of material with a height of one to two meters (Nelson 2005). They are also cost effective compared to other structures. However, its ability to reduce vibration and settlements is very low. In

Athletes being role models Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Athletes being role models - Research Paper Example At that time, the existing definition of role models was â€Å"someone who demonstrates the appropriate behavior for a specific role or relationship with another person† (Gauntlett 226). Though this description is not complete For example, David Beckham might inspire someone who is not necessarily interested in being a football player. Therefore, a more comprehensive definition of a role model would be someone who tends to inspire and motivate people. Role models edify observers how to behave as well as inspire others to learn how to behave in certain situations. In another study conducted, adolescents and children are drawn to role models not only because of their skills and capabilities but also because they see potential in them. Sports form an essential part of entertainment and recreation for most people; many of them follow sports religiously and regard athletes as icons. Supporting a team and hoping for it to win becomes a personal cause. In consideration of the profound influence that sports have on the minds of the people, it is often debated whether athletes serve to be good role models or not. Keeping the definition of role models in mind and the impact they have on the psychology of the people, this paper attempts to explore and provide arguments for if athletes make good role models or not. In my opinion, athletes do not make very good role models. I have seen people follow athletes blindly, not thinking whether the attitude of the athletes is justified or not. If the athlete is involved in wrong acts, many people, especially children, tend to follow the athlete. This argument is supported by many people. Athletes have indulged in the illegal use of steroids in order to boast their performance; exc essive use of drugs has also led to the deaths of notable sports stars. Where sports and athletes have become a major part of the American life, it is not justified to treat drugs and other misdemeanors