...Although the idea that all men are created equal and possess certain inviolable rights was not a novel thought, the American Founders and the Declaration of Independence reinvigorated in the minds of the American colonists that tyrannical and unjust government that encroached on one’s unalienable rights was worthy to be cast out. In that sense, the Declaration of Independence generates two fundamental arguments: that all men are equally born with a set of unalienable rights, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” and that government essentially serves as the fences instituted by its people to protect these rights. However, compared to the sheer gravity of these statements, the Founders do not employ words of great magnitude to convince their audience; rather, they simply state that their arguments of equality and just governance to be simply “self-evident.” Consequently, the underlying principle of the Declaration remains the Founders’ recognition of the unbreakable relationship between the natural rights of man and the functions and requirements of a just government. The Declaration defines a just government as one that prioritizes the protection of its people and their rights. Additionally, a just government only exists through the subsequent earning of trust and consent of its citizens through becoming the reliable protector of their rights to Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness. Although all men are “by nature, all free, and independent” (Second Treatise Chapter...
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...Every animal including man is born free. All animals in their natural state, except man who is precluded by civilization to be in his natural state, are free. Some animals lose their freedom only because of man's needs and deeds. The world is 'open' and not 'closed' in its natural state; every animal - man is not exempted - desires novelty, spontaneity and genuine creativity, which are the hallmarks of freedom.Man, though born free like other animals, is in chain everywhere. This is because of the restrictions and restraints which he imposes on himself and which are imposed on him by others. For example, no one is expected to appear naked in public in the name of freedom. There are social norms to be followed. Different occasions demand different customs. Man, living in a society, has to follow certain customs, conventions and traditions in the interest of harmonious existence; he cannot take the stand that he is absolutely free and that he can do things in his own way.Man, in the process of his change from primitive tribalism to civilized existence, has chained himself more and more to rules and regulations. Unlike other living creatures, he is capable of thinking and is intelligent to devise ways and means of exploiting his fellowmen. This exploitation leads to his keeping them subdued and enslaved. Imperialism in the past and neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism today have only been instruments of suppressing the aspirations for freedom of the exploited. A classic example of...
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...Man is born freeBut everywhere he is in chain. - J. J. RousseauDiscuss the meaning and importance of freedom in the light of this quotation. | | Every animal including man is born free. All animals in their natural state, except man who is precluded by civilization to be in his natural state, are free. Some animals lose their freedom only because of man's needs and deeds. The world is 'open' and not 'closed' in its natural state; every animal - man is not exempted - desires novelty, spontaneity and genuine creativity, which are the hallmarks of freedom.Man, though born free like other animals, is in chain everywhere. This is because of the restrictions and restraints which he imposes on himself and which are imposed on him by others. For example, no one is expected to appear naked in public in the name of freedom. There are social norms to be followed. Different occasions demand different customs. Man, living in a society, has to follow certain customs, conventions and traditions in the interest of harmonious existence; he cannot take the stand that he is absolutely free and that he can do things in his own way.Man, in the process of his change from primitive tribalism to civilized existence, has chained himself more and more to rules and regulations. Unlike other living creatures, he is capable of thinking and is intelligent to devise ways and means of exploiting his fellowmen. This exploitation leads to his keeping them subdued and enslaved. Imperialism in the past and...
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...Every animal including man is born free. All animals in their natural state, except man who is precluded by civilization to be in his natural state, are free. Some animals lose their freedom only because of man's needs and deeds. The world is 'open' and not 'closed' in its natural state; every animal - man is not exempted - desires novelty, spontaneity and genuine creativity, which are the hallmarks of freedom. Man, though born free like other animals, is in chain everywhere. This is because of the restrictions and restraints which he imposes on himself and which are imposed on him by others. For example, no one is expected to appear naked in public in the name of freedom. There are social norms to be followed. Different occasions demand different customs. Man, living in a society, has to follow certain customs, conventions and traditions in the interest of harmonious existence; he cannot take the stand that he is absolutely free and that he can do things in his own way. Man, in the process of his change from primitive tribalism to civilized existence, has chained himself more and more to rules and regulations. Unlike other living creatures, he is capable of thinking and is intelligent to devise ways and means of exploiting his fellowmen. This exploitation leads to his keeping them subdued and enslaved. Imperialism in the past and neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism today have only been instruments of suppressing the aspirations for freedom of the exploited. A classic example...
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...Engelsk A, 2. Delprøve fra 22. november 2013 The President of No Man’s Land Ali Smith’s short story “The Go-Between” from 2009, taken from a collection of short stories celebrating the 60th anniversary of the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, deals with the difficulties of managing an abstract concept of human rights in real life and the effects on the human beings involved in the execution of this Declaration . The text is presented by a first person narrator, which very cleverly engages the reader to be a part of the story telling and leaves him with a sense of an autobiographical experience. While this is not the case, the tone is primarily self-sarcastic, which e.g. manifests itself in the generous use of the term ‘Professor’, when referring to the main character in different circumstances. (p. 4, ll. 86+102+106). The language is all together dominated by an ironic metaphorical undercurrent, using linguistic instruments to compose the themes and intention of this text. Smith uses open questions to emphasize the interaction with the reader (p.2 ll. 1+11+27). She underlines the ironic importance of a statement by including exclamation marks (p. 4, ll. 87-88), which effects the text in such a way that it almost becomes oral to the reader. The style of writing is informal and light, almost like a story being told from one friend to another. Smith manages to keep the atmosphere light and semi casual although the themes touched upon are...
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...THE ASSISI DECLARATIONS Messages on Humanity and Nature from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam & Judaism BASILICA DI S. FRANCESCO ASSISI -‐ ITALY WWF 25TH ANNIVERSARY, 29 September 1986 THE BUDDHIST DECLARATION ON NATURE THE CHRISTIAN DECLARATION ON NATURE THE HINDU DECLARATION ON NATURE THE MUSLIM DECLARATION ON NATURE THE JEWISH DECLARATION ON NATURE LINKS TO THE WINDSOR STATEMENTS 3 5 8 10 12 15 These are the five original Faith Declarations on Nature which were created in 1986, at a meeting held in Assisi by WWF-Internationa. The meeting stemmed from an idea by HRH the Prince Philip,Duke of Edinburgh at which five leaders of the five major world religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism – were invited to come and discuss how their faiths could and should help save the natural world. By 1995 when the Alliance of Religions and Conservation was formed, the five initial faiths had issued more detailed statements, and six other significant world faiths had also made their statements about the environment. Links to the book, Faith in Conservation, published by the World Bank, in which all these eleven statements were published together for the first time, can be found at the end of...
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...prominent author of write the Declaration of Independence, (among other significant works). Jefferson’s writings reflected on the rights of mankind and what rights a government must offer its people. His use of words to fight for Human rights makes him one of the greatest American Hero’s. Thomas Jefferson’s writings on basic human rights caused a radical shift in American Colonist thoughts and these stunning ideas would influence the Americans to break away from Great Britain. “As a boy, Thomas Jefferson’s was shy and often tongue-tied…Preferred the company of books to that of most people.” (Wilmore, 1) These were words to describe the young Jefferson; his childhood would prove to be a key in shaping the man, who through his words would change a nation. Jefferson was born on April 13th 1743, in Shadwell Virginia. During his childhood he would spend 15 hours each day reading and writing, this would prove to make his writing skills at a high level (1). As he grew into an adult he would study law in his home of Virginia at the William and Mary College at Williamsburg (Bottorff, 15). During this time he would become a member of the Whig party and would advocate for the rights and liberties of mankind (Peterson, 1). It was in his childhood and as turned into an adult which he learned how to write and how to express his political views through words. “For Thomas Jefferson, the pen truly was mightier than the sword. From his pen flowed some of the worlds most famous and influential words...
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...that he could unlock the church that would be the site of the first Women’s Rights Convention. With that simple preparation, on the morning of July 19, the roads to the church were jammed with carriages and carts. A crowd was milling around outside when Stanton arrived to find the church inadvertently locked and the key missing. The first day of the meeting was to be for women only, but Stanton and the others did not know how to ask the men who were present to leave. The convention had strong support from some men. In fact, the women asked a man to preside at the convention. For Stanton, then thirty-two, it was only her second public appearance. In the convention’s first order of business, she read the declaration of Sentiments. The document detailed the ways in which women were denied property rights, rights in marriage and divorce, and the vote. The Declaration of Sentiments was...
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...Humanities March 23, 2016 Word Count: 1470 America’s Co-Founders The Declaration of Independence is arguable the most important and wide known document in American history. On July 4, 1776 this document signaled America’s separation from the British Empire to the world. America is defined by the men and the minds, behind the declaration; most notably by the author, Thomas Jefferson. The boundaries of the government and rights of its citizens were crucial during the formation of this constitution since these principles were exactly the reason for the uprising of the original thirteen colonies. Thomas Jefferson dedicated most of his life to the crucial needs of America and its government in order to form a true republic of the people. Like many of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson strengthened his beliefs through personal studies and deep examination of European history. Many history books will tell that the contributing factors that formed Thomas Jefferson’s ideas of the identity of America were linked to events such as the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the British Country party. However, one man’s works continually surfaced in Jefferson’s political and even private writings. John Locke, a British Enlightenment philosopher, was repeatedly referenced in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Notes on the State of Virginia, and the Summary View of the Rights of British America. Jefferson repeatedly used Locke’s concepts as would even sometimes use the...
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...Media tools as Change Agents [pic] Submitted by Idris Mabadeje on Fri, 04/05/2012 - 11:41am 0 inShare [pic] [pic]Printer-friendly version Press freedom is a logical extension of man’s inalienable right to freedom of expression. As such, it is a universal phenomenon which is guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which says, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” This right is equally guaranteed in the constitution of most nations of the world. However, the universal recognition of the right to press freedom, notwithstanding, harassment, torture and even deaths of media workers in the course of carrying out their constitutionally recognized responsibilities, have remained. The recent attacks on the offices of Daily Sun, The Moment and Thisday newspapers, in Abuja and Kaduna readily come to mind. It is the growing trend of attacks on journalists and other media workers that gave rise to the Windhoek Declaration on May 3, 1991. The conference emphasized that press freedom should be understood as necessitating pluralism and independence of the mass media. Following on the declaration and the recommendation, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. The day serves as occasion to inform citizens on the state of press freedom...
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...self-interests. Despite this doubt of democracy, he believed that a contrasting group of representatives presenting the problems of the common person would prevent a king from being unfair and cruel. Hobbes originates the phrase 'Voice of the people' meaning one person could be chosen to represent a group with similar views. Legitimacy of government Hobbes was a dedicated materialist. The views that got him in trouble were related to this, as Hobbes claimed to believe in God, but believed that since only the material universe existed, God must be a material being, just one with great powers. Hobbes sought legitimacy for government not founded in religion, because his sort of religion wasn't what most Christians would regard as Christianity. He also saw that a new source of legitimacy for the state was needed, because kings and priests had been working very hard at...
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...strategies to support his claim. The first strategy focuses on an appeal to patriotism while the second focuses on an appeal to religion. Banneker focuses on using religious ideals that reflect many people's ideas, values, and morals. He persuades Jefferson further by referencing direct quotes from some of our nation's most important founding documents. By combining these ideas and contradicting Jefferson, Banneker creates a powerful and convincing argument. As exemplified in the first half of his essay, Banneker uses strong political arguments and primary sources to support his main idea. He challenges Jefferson's own beliefs when he states, “You cannot but acknowledge that the present freedom and tranquility which you enjoy you have mercifully received and that is the peculiar blessing of heaven” (Banneker 11). Banneker uses founding ideals of the United States to...
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...distress that are hardly sufficient role models for young girls. Impressionable youth delve into these movies while their parents are unaware or uninterested of the implications these movies have. In some cases, one can find violations of women’s basic rights as human beings. These rights are outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and John Locke’s Of Civil Government. For example, Disney Princesses almost never have the right to their own property, much less ownership of their own bodies. They are also portrayed as obedient wives with offensive flaws that are later corrected by their husbands. Disney delineates a helpless, subservient role for women in society that undermines the work of feminists such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and all those involved with the Seneca Falls Convention; this portrayal encourages young women to put up with violations against their basic rights as human beings. In Disney Princess movies, women hardly ever have the right to their own property and in some cases, have no right to their own bodies. According to John Locke, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “One Woman, One Vote”, and the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, these conditions violate their basic right to their property as human beings. In the film Aladdin, all of Jasmine’s suitors were after her power and wealth. Then when she married, her kingdom and assets were given to her husband, Aladdin, who knew only of the glamorous details of royalty and...
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...This case, in which Troy Davis was convicted of and executed for the murder of Mark MacPhail regardless of the lack of evidence and importance of doubt, drew international attention. We believe this case is not a question of “guilt” or “innocence”. It is important to keep in mind that no physical evidence was shown to the jury and the murder weapon never found. The case built against Troy Davis rested exclusively on witness testimony. Most of the key witnesses at Davis's trial withdrew or modified their testimony in sworn affidavits but these recantations were not taken into account because, as stated one of the panel-judges, “two of the witnesses had not changed their recollections” and there was “no DNA evidence was available to categorically clear Troy Davis”. Nine affidavits, containing evidence implicated another suspect, were written after the trial. In fact, one of the two witnesses who did not recant his testimony was this suspect. Regardless of the lack of evidence and serious doubt, Davis was sentenced to death and executed. Was the execution warrant setting Troy Davis’ execution unconstitutional?...
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...As stated in the famous Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal. . .” (Jefferson 235), the founding fathers established a principle that would be applicable to all men including slaves. As a result, America is known for this specific fundamental principle, that all men possess equal natural rights. In the middle of a revolution between Great Britain the founding fathers found it necessary to establish the right fundamental principles for the future of America. After signing the Declaration of Independence it was a duty for the founding fathers to adhere to it. How did the founding fathers establish a government that would lead to the abolition of slavery? They did so by establishing a government that would follow the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence. As depicted in some of Thomas Jefferson’s writings, it was necessary to end slavery and he laid out why...
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