The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant - 1019 Words

In the short story of â€Å"The Necklace†, the author Guy de Maupassant is a creative and intriguing tale which reveals a person s dreams of a luxurious lifestyle with countless materialistic possessions. He has skillfully developed the story into a mystery which reveals itself at the end. The main point in the story is that materialism can distort your view of happiness and fulfillment. It is wrong to be materialistic to the extent that you disregard what you already have and lose everything. Mathilde Loisel, a character who dreams of riches, but at the expense of losing everything else. She is discontent with the life she leads as the wife of a humble clerk who cannot afford the luxuries she wants. According to the Jessica Krehlik, she describes Mathlide s surroundings, but as a writer felt that this one meant more, because it was actually something that even she wasn t actually able to see--only imagine by saying She suffered from the poorness of her house, from its mean wa lls, worn chairs, and ugly curtains. All these things, of which other women of her class would not even have been aware, tormented and insulted her.† Literally that was exactly the way Mathilde was feeling with the kind of life she was having. In addition, the author described the settings of the apartment reflecting on Mathilde s unhappiness; for instance, he compared the drab walls with Mathilde s plain and monotonous life, the shabby furniture with her feelings of living like aShow MoreRelatedThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant863 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Necklace† written by Guy De Maupassant, tells the story of a married couple who live an average lifestyle together in France—when one day everything in their lives changes due to a simple decision. The author aims to show the reader the power of decision making when faced to decide between needs, wants, honesty and untruthfulness and how every decision we choose to make affect our lives in ways we never thought possible. In the first few lines of the story, the narrator introducesRead MoreThe Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1034 Words   |  5 Pagesregret which Guy de Maupassant depicts throughout â€Å"The Necklace.† Guy de Maupassant, a French writer, born in 1850, was considered one of France’s greatest short-story writers. His writings were mostly influenced by the divorce of his parents when he was thirteen years old and by great writers such as Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, and Flauber. His parent’s divorce caused his stories to depict unhappiness of matrimony, deceit, miscommunication, and a profound misunderstanding (Maupassant, Guy de, 1850-1893)Read MoreThe Necklace by Guy De Maupassant1367 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Being Honest is Always Best† Telling the truth will always prevent future conflicts. Author Guy De Maupassant who lived from 1850 to 1893 proves in the story of â€Å"The Necklace,† that no matter how bad a situation is, speaking with the truth is always best. Now, this author does not prove this theme directly. Instead, throughout various situations in the story the main characters are faced with a long-term conflict because decisions were not made with honesty. Mathilde and Loisel who is her husbandRead MoreThe Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant791 Words   |  4 Pagescharacterized by other people. In â€Å"The Necklace† Mme. Loisel is a beautiful woman with a decent life, and a husband that loves her, and only wants to make her happy. She is not rich but she makes it along, she insists of a better, wealthier life. When her husband gets her invited to a ball, she feels the need for a brand new fancy dress and tons of jewelry. When the couple realizes they cannot afford jewelry as well, they searc h out to borrow her friend, Mme. Forestiers’ necklace. She comes to notice she noRead MoreThe Necklace, By Guy De Maupassant966 Words   |  4 PagesIn Guy De Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† Mathilde is a 19th century French woman who desires a wealthier lifestyle than she can acquire. She is completely indulged in the material possessions of life and is focused on the items she does not have rather than what she owns. It seems her happiness is entirely dependent on wealth and status. She neglects her husband and is never content with what he can offer. Eventually, Mathilde’s struggles of envy, selfishness, and materialism drive her to poverty.Read MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant934 Words   |  4 Pagesduring this time period was Guy de Maupassant, who wrote one of the most influential short stories of this century. â€Å"The Necklace†, written by Guy de Maupassant, illustrates elements of fiction such as the symbolism of the necklace be cause of Mme. Loisel’s desire to be rich, irony due to the twist ending, and a powerful theme. Firstly, the necklace Mme. Loisel borrows and her perspective symbolizes the desire she has towards being wealthy and important in society. Maupassant describes effectively theRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1381 Words   |  6 Pagesstories are â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber. â€Å"The Necklace† was about a materialistic woman who faced consequences because of her envious personality and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† was about a man who experienced daydreams randomly throughout the day. Although both short stories used literary elements, Guy de Maupassant utilized them for readers to understand and enjoy the story more than James Thurber. â€Å"The Necklace† was a short storyRead MoreThe Necklace By Guy De Maupassant1093 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the short story titled â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant, it is clear that the main themes being stressed are pride versus greed, and that things are not quite what they appear. Each of these things are represented throughout the story in some way, whether it be using animated language or symbolism. It is also clear that background information clearly aided the development of the themes Maupassant incorporated throughout the passage. It is seen throughout the story that the main characterRead MoreThe Necklace, By Guy De Maupassant999 Words   |  4 PagesIn Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† readers experience Mathilde Loisel’s life-changing event. Coming from nobility, de Maupassant tells the story of luxurious desire through the eyes of the middle class woman Mathilde. Mathilde constantly dreams of living the life of the upper class, and this prohibits her from acting in reality. Mathilde’s internal struggle for a sense of social royalty shows readers how quickly selfish pride destroys a person’s life. Throughout the course of â€Å"The NecklaceRead MoreThe Necklace, By Guy De Maupassant823 Words   |  4 Pagesbe totally unhappy, â€Å"She was a simple person without the money to dress well, but she was as unhappy as if she had gone through bankruptcy, for a woman have neither rank nor race†(Maupassant 7). Loisel s sorrow over wealth and fancy things puts a constant pain on her husband. In Guy de Maupassant short story â€Å"The Necklace,† Mathlide Loisel goes from being a materialistic, dishonest woman to becoming an honest, hard-working woman. At the beginning of the story, Mathlide Loisel is a raging, spoiled

Essay on Gameplay Free Essays

Earlier games were designed by people who were fooling around with technology on computer screens and that had found out it was actually very fun to play. As they realized this they had made the first arcade video game and the first to develop a commercial game that was available everywhere. Computer space had set a platform for games to come. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Gameplay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Almost similar to Donkey Kong, released in 1981 this game also brought up a hype in the arcade games as there was also a game boy released for Donkey Kong in 1994. This was also one of the most important games that were released into the game world. The Gameplay is based so that you can control and move through the space that has been created by the developers. This game also had game levels and game characteristics so that the people could connect with the character, they had used graphics to enhance the gameplay and even cutscenes were used to create storyboarding in the game. Gameplay for this type of game is hard because of the level difficulty, Mario only has a couple of lives throughout the game where he/ the player has to collect items for points. If the character of the game touches an enemy or fall too far into the cliff Mario loses 1 life or if the bonus counter reaches zero. The gameplay of the game had given new birth for gaming platforms, as the character in the game could run, jump and face incoming enemies. The game is based on Mario where he has to save the princes/Pauline from Donkey Kong. From the start of the game, there is a cutscene where the princes are being taken by D.K he has to go through different types of stages to get to Donkey Kong to save the Princes. How to cite Essay on Gameplay, Essays

Principles Of Recovery Oriented Approach †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Principles Of Recovery Oriented Approach. Answer: Key Principles Of Recovery Oriented Approach The recovery oriented strategies offer a transformative conceptual frame-work for practice, culture and service delivery in the mental health service provision (Aneshensel, 2013). The recovery oriented approach recognizes the value of lived experience and get it along with the expertise knowledge and the skills of the peer support workers, who have lived experience, and use this experience to assist other individuals (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren, 2015). There are various recovery oriented approach principles which the social worker uses to deliver best practices of treatment to the mental individuals (Corrigan, Druss and Perlick, 2014). These are uniqueness of the individuals, the real choices, attitudes and the rights, dignity and the respect, partnerships and the communication. Additionally, there is also the principle of evaluating recovery (Turner, 2017). How Social Work Assessment Can Be Conducted Within Recovery Oriented Approach The assessment is important part of helping process and it start from the moment one begins to engage in the working relationship (Corrigan, Druss and Perlick, 2014) When it comes to the assessment of the social work it is important to follow various guideline such as focusing on the child--client, planning and developing on a clear analysis (Aneshensel, 2013). These aspects are important since they demonstrate one is taking a systematic approach when it comes to assessment through use of conceptual model using recovery oriented approach and be able to deliver a comprehensive analysis (Daniels and Amour, 2014). It is important to understand that a good assessment is one that highlights the three domains. The interaction of these domains entails a careful investigation during the assessment (Aneshensel, 2013). Key Issues From The Case Study In this case study, it is about April a 21 year of age girl who has recently graduated. The past experience of April has not been good. First, she was bullied by the other students in her childhood because of being of mixed race. This caused her to have a low self-esteem as she felt less unattractive and fat. During her entire time in school she has in no way invited friends over to their residence as she felt embarrassed by her mixed racial heritage. Putting this aside she managed to outshine the other students and she was chosen as the student representative, this was the happiest period of her life. When it came to relationship with the boys she had extreme anxiety especially when it came to handling their sexual advances. She was involved in two relationships one with Graham but after end of high school they broke up. The second relationship was with Josh who she had been dating but she does not feel devoted to the relationship. April is not devoted to her job nor motivated to work and socialise with other people. She has been feeling agitated and she lost interest in doing anything like clearing her apartment nor her personal appearance. She is avoiding everybody particularly Josh, her parents and even her brothers. She is even lost interest in furthering her education. One of the is sue she lack self-esteem (Flanagan, Farina and Davidson, 2016). It is very evident since childhood she has been bullied and she felt unattractive and fat. This can be linked to the life domain of self-identity problem domain. This problem is more rooted to the identity of person in other people who are associate with her. Identity is regarded as what one knows but rather how you know it (Daniels and Amour, 2014). In the case of April, hers is associated with the low self-esteem she feel not worth anything. This aspect in most of the time occurs when a person believes they have no worth, and cannot achieve anything (Rogers and Pilgrim, 2014). This happens when other people in your life, in this case Aprils classmates bullied her. She felt she is not worthy anything. When addressing this issue it is important to ask yourself these questions do you like yourself? And are you good at anything that is useful? (Payne, 2015). On her issue that has been observed is that she has given up in life and lacks motivation. It is seen that she does not care about her job, nor motivation to continue with her studies as previously she had projected. Fur ther, it is observed she has lost all interest such as she does not clean her apartment and pays less attention to her personal appearance. This individual seems to have lost all hope in life and wants to give up. This could be aligned on the principle of real choices and the attitudes and the rights. When looking at the real choices important to support and empower April to enable her to make her own choices about how she intend to lead her live and acknowledge the choices she made to become meaningful and creatively explore. The life domain is based on aspect of education. As observed from the case study April studied hard in school and got into a career but later on she realized she might be better off working in a different one, and this would require a different education. In her case she previously wanted to pursue a post graduate, but because of the lack of motivation she felt that returning to school as an adult responsibility would be seen as a daunting task on her end considering she currently has a job. Another issue which needs to be addressed is the state of depression she is having. Based on the case study it is evidence that April has a depression, this can be clearly being seen from the way she wants to be alone and she is avoiding the people who loves her such as her boyfriend, parents and even her brother. Any individual who separate themselves from the other may feel lonely or even experience some depression. However, this is dependent on individuals as some do not experience the same. I n the case of April she seems depressed because of the following observation; one aspect on why she may be feeling depressed is that she has been feeling on edge when getting ready for work or even for drama group. She uses all sort of excuses to avoid going with others. She is much anxious when the social functions have been sprung on her without prior notice. Another aspect is that she has lost a lot of weight. Moreover, April has lost all the interest in cleaning her apartment as well as personal appearance. Based on the shortcoming which have happened to her in past experiences; she feels less attractive, fat and sees herself hated by other people. This leads to low self-esteem, and negativity thoughts striking in and she ends up in depression (Healy, 2014). When individuals belittle one they tend to develop feelings that they are not worth something or perhaps they cannot achieve anything. This could be in regards to the physical aspects, or race. In the context of the case study, it is evident that April is avoiding her family members, and Josh, the reason is because she does not want them to see what she has become. They highly regarded her as a focused individual, who has a great job and wanted to achieve more in life. Currently, it seems this has changed greatly, she does not want her current job, does not want to pursue further studies, lost her weight tremendously and she does not appear presentable as she used to be. This issue can be associated to the domain of social problems especially on the part of the family and friendships (Bryman, 2015). Individuals are the social creatures who need the comfort and support of healthy relationships. It is easy for some individuals to accomplish, but other individuals find it perilously difficult task. This is because, some individuals have specific difficulties when it comes to forming a particular kinds of a relationship. They may have a good relationships, but may be uncomfortable in a dating or even a romantic setting. In the case of April she had a difficult family life while she was growing up, which resulted to having no prospect for satisfying adult relationship even though she has a boyfriend. She had a difficult time all around her family life, had few friends and no prospect to satisfy adult relationships which she had with the men. Evidently based on the case study she seems lonely, particularly, when she does not want to go to social functions, does not want to be associated with others including her family members and Josh her boyfriend. Moreover, it is also evident she does not want to meet others from the fact that she feels anxious when social functions are sprung to her without notice (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren, 2015). Aboriginality has also placed a significant part towards the development of April life. She was more buried by the other children because of her race and her physical status since she was also fat. This issue greatly affected her self-esteem and she grew wanting to prove to others she was as better as they are. She did through education and outshone the other students and was even elected the student representative. Social Work Theories As a social worker it is important to understand various theories which would be important to help individuals who have a given habit or even exhibit behaviour and assist them (Healy, 2014). Feminist perspective theory views the social world in way which illuminated on the forces which create as well as support inequality, oppression and injustice and in doing so promotes to the pursuit of the equality and the justice (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren 2015). The theory focus on how the systems of power and oppression interact especially on the systematic racism, sexuality, as well as hierarchical class system. In this theory it would draw issues on why April has been behaving socially with other individuals especially her family and friends. In her childhood she has been previously been confronted by the other children especially on her looks. This is a life crisis which occurred between her and the other children and it can greatly shape someones life by impacting their self-esteem downwards (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren, 2015). This theory would offer a centred approach for constituting a practice based service which is built on the research which would help the social worker in addressing diverse situations (Parker, 2017). The social worker could use the theory to relate and examine the condition which lead to the conflict which occurred to April childhood life and consequently help her to get over it as most of the time individuals tends not to forget when bad things happens (Parker, 2017). Cultural competences entails understanding and appropriately responding to the unique combination of the cultural variable which could include the beliefs, ethnicity as well as the gender identity. For the clinical approaches it would involve interviews style, assessment tools and therapeutic techniques which would be appropriate to address the issue affecting April. This is a social work practice which searches for the social barriers as well as structural inequalities in the activities which are conducted with the service worker. This theory will be useful to the social worker since it will offer a suitable, responsive as well as perceptive services which will react to the needs of April without considering their cultural variables (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren 2015). The theory will further help them to obtain knowledge and an understanding of their own selves, various groups and cultures to be able to effectively face the issues to a personal level and be able to help April to deal with her personal issues. Some of the issues she needs to address is how the society has oppressed her because of her race. She was often bullied as a child by the other student and this contributed negatively on her self-esteem and self-worth. Legal And Ethical Issues Social workers have always encountered legal as well as ethical choice in relation to their work with families, communities and organization. In the legal realm, the social workers should be cognizant for various set of the requirements and guidelines such as statutory law, common law and the regulatory law (Bland, Renouf and Tullgren, 2015). When it comes to the statutory law there are many federal laws which have been enacted by the legislatures and they affect the practices of social workers. Sometimes the social worker could encounter situation in which the legal standards could conflict to the professional ethical standards. In the case of the regulatory law they should be fully aware of the wide range of the federal state as well as the local regulations. One such is concerned to the protection of the confidential information. In the case of the April the social worker should keep what they are told confident even though it is related to the cases of alcohol or drug usage. This is based on the confidentiality Act of 1987. Further Information. On the further information as a social worker are important to help the client. Some of the things which I intend to discuss with the client before starting the sessions are as follows; one to contact the medical practioners (Rosenbaum, Tiedemann, Sherrington, Curtis and Ward, 2014). Based on this case of April I intend to involve other practioners to help me assist her such as nurse-midwife, as well as the clinical psychologist but before I can contact them it is important to discuss this with her so that she agrees and feel comfortable with them handling her case. Secondly, it is important to involve and liaise with her family member. In any mental health case as a social worker it is important to involve various parties such as family members to offer support to the patient to enable her recover quickly (Bryman, 2015). This is a fundamental aspect which I intend to discuss with her. References Aneshensel, C.S., 2013. Mental illness as a career: Sociological perspectives. In Handbook of the sociology of mental health (pp. 603-620). Springer Netherlands. Bland, R, Renouf, N and Tullgren 2015. Social work practice in mental health: an introduction, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest. Bryman, A., 2015. Social research methods. Oxford university press. Corrigan, P.W., Druss, B.G. and Perlick, D.A., 2014. The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15(2), pp.37-70. Daniels, L. and Amour, A., 2014. Mental Illness: My Personal Experience, Our Professional Responsibility. Journal of Midwifery Womens Health, 59(4), pp.470-470. Flanagan, E., Farina, A. and Davidson, L., 2016. Does Stigma Towards Mental Illness Affect Initial Perceptions of Peer Providers?. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87(1), pp.203-210. Healy, K., 2014. Social work theories in context: Creating frameworks for practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Hepworth, D.H., Rooney, R.H., Rooney, G.D. and Strom-Gottfried, K., 2016. Empowerment Series: Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills. Nelson Education. Parker, J., 2017. Social work practice: Assessment, planning, intervention and review. Learning Matters. Parrott, L., 2014. Values and ethics in social work practice. Learning Matters. Payne, M., 2015. Modern social work theory. Oxford University Press. Rogers, A. and Pilgrim, D., 2014. A sociology of mental health and illness. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Rosenbaum, S., Tiedemann, A., Sherrington, C., Curtis, J. and Ward, P.B., 2014. Physical activity interventions for people with mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Turner, F.J., 2017. Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches. Oxford University Press. Walsh, J., 2014. Theories for direct social work practice. Nelson Education.

Social Security Tax System Essays - Social Security,

Social Security Tax System Revamping Our Future Social Security Tax System This paper will discuss the current United States Social Security Tax system, the purpose of that system and our goal for selecting this topic. Also, it will explain our analysis of it's current standing, different idea's about what to change in our current standing to secure and guarantee a strong future for it. We will conclude by recommending the best course to accomplish this goal. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Title 4 Current U.S.A. Social Security Tax System 4 Low Risk Investment 7 High Risk Investment 8 Graph: Social Security Tax Increases 9 Conclusion/Recommendations 11 References 12 Revamping Our Social Security Tax System to Secure its future Current U.S.A. Social Security Tax System Social Security has been around for more than 60 years. It has been an important part of American life. It was created in 1935 shortly after the great depression. Social Security was created to be a protection for the American people against the hazards of unemployment, old age, and ill health. Today Social Security not only provides minimum protection for the retired worker, it also provides benefits for workers and their families due to death of a family wage earner or loss of income due to disability. Today there are about 150 million workers who are protected by social security, more than 44 million receive retirement, survivors and disability benefits form social security. American wage earners and their families are protected by social security and they pay taxes to help make the system work. There are two philosophies Social Security bases its payments on. First, the system is designed so that there is a link between how much a wage earner pays into the system and how much he or she will receive in benefits. For example, a high wage earner will receive more benefits while a low wage earner will receive less. Second, a base for economic security is provided by the Social Security system. Social Security provides a valuable package of retirement, disability and survivors insurance, which relieves families of financial burdens from supporting other family members. Social Security has made an enormous difference in the lives of older Americans. American workers can retire as early as age 62. At this age, wage earners are eligible to get reduced benefits from Social Security. Wage earners may wait for full retirement age to be eligible for full retirement benefits. Currently, full retirement age is 65, but will be moved up gradually starting in 2003. The new retirement age will be 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Social benefits payments are paid out to more than 9 in 10 retirees. In America, only 11 percent of senior citizens live in poverty. Without Social Security benefits, the percentage of seniors living in poverty would be much higher. Social Security is the major source of income for about two-thirds of elderly Americans, and for abut a third Social Security is virtually their only source of income. Retired Americans are given a dependable monthly income from Social Security. Automatic increases are tied to increases in the cost of living. Social Security gives retired American citizens a measure of deserved financial independence (and that measure is becoming lower every year). Social Security is more than a retirement program. It is also a protection plan for American citizens. Valuable disability and survivors' insurance protection are given to younger wage earners and their families. There are about 1 in 3 workers who are Social Security beneficiaries that are not retired. Monthly survivors' benefits are given to about 7.5 million people and more than 6 million workers and family members receive disability benefits. Social Security provides a foundation on which to build retirement security. Social Security, pensions and savings is a three-legged financial stool for a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately, there is only a little more than half of all workers whose employers have pension plans; and people are not saving for their future retirement. Pre-retirement earnings for the average worker are about 40 percent, provided by Social Security. Financial advisors say that the average worker will need 70 percent of pre- retirement earnings to live comfortably. Saving is an important part of retirement planning. Social Security will begin mailing statements to workers age 25 and older. The statement will show a worker's earnings history, as well as giving estimates of retirement, survivors and disability benefits. This statement will help with future financial planning. Demographics have been the main reason for Social Security's long-range financing problem. People, today, are living longer and healthier lives. In 1935,

Auguste Comte and His Role in the History of Sociology

Auguste Comte and His Role in the History of Sociology Auguste Comte was born on January 20, 1798  (according to the Revolutionary calendar then used in France), in Montpellier, France. He was a philosopher who is also considered to be the father of sociology, the study of the  development and function of human society, and of positivism, a means of using scientific evidence to discern causes for human behavior. Early Life and Education Auguste Comte was born in Montpellier, France. After attending the Lycà ©e Joffre and then the University of Montpellier, he  was admitted to the École Polytechnique in Paris. The École closed in 1816, at which time Comte took up permanent residence in Paris, earning a precarious living there by teaching mathematics and journalism. He read widely in philosophy and history and was especially interested in those thinkers who were beginning to discern and trace some order in the history of human society. System of Positive Philosophy Comte lived during one of the most turbulent periods in European history. As a philosopher, therefore, his aim was not only to understand human society but to prescribed a system by which we could make order out of the chaos, and thus change society for the better. He eventually developed what he called a system of positive philosophy, in which logic and mathematics, combined with sensory experience, could better assist in understanding human relationships and action, in the same way that the scientific method  had allowed an understanding of the natural world. In 1826, Comte began a series of lectures on his system of positive philosophy for a private audience, but he soon suffered a serious nervous breakdown. He was hospitalized and later recovered with the help of his wife, Caroline Massin, whom he married in 1824. He resumed teaching the course in January 1829, marking the beginning of the second period in Comtes life that lasted 13 years. During this time he published the six volumes of his Course on Positive Philosophy  between 1830 and 1842. From 1832 to 1842, Comte was a tutor and then an examiner at the revived École Polytechnique. After quarreling with the directors of the school, he lost his post. During the remainder of his life, he was supported by English admirers and French disciples. Additional Contributions to Sociology Though Comte did not originate the concept of sociology or its area of study, he is credited with coining the term and he greatly extended and elaborated the field. Comte divided sociology into two main fields, or branches: social statics, or the study of the forces that hold society together; and social dynamics, or the study of the causes of ​social change.   By using certain tenets of physics, chemistry, and biology, Comte extrapolated what he considered to be a few irrefutable facts about society, namely that since the growth of the human mind progresses in stages, so too must societies. He claimed the history of society could be divided into three different stages: theological, metaphysical, and positive, otherwise known as the Law of Three Stages. The theological stage reveals humankinds superstitious nature, one that ascribes supernatural causes to the workings of the world. The metaphysical stage is an interim stage in which humanity begins to shed its superstitious nature. The final and most evolved stage is reached when human beings finally realize that natural phenomena and world events can be explained through reason and science. Secular Religion Comte separated from his wife in 1842, and in 1845 he began a relationship with Clotilde de Vaux, whom he idolized. She served as the inspiration for his Religion of Humanity, a secular creed intended for the veneration not of God but of humankind, or what Comte called the New Supreme Being.  According to Tony Davies, who has written extensively on the history of humanism, Comtes new religion was a  complete system of belief and ritual, with liturgy and sacraments, priesthood and pontiff, all organized around the public veneration of Humanity. De Vaux died only a year into their affair, and after her death, Comte devoted himself to writing another major work, the four-volume System of Positive Polity, in which he completed his formulation of sociology. Major Publications The Course on Positive Philosophy (1830-1842)Discourse on the Positive Spirit (1844)A General View of Positivism (1848)Religion of Humanity (1856) Death Auguste Comte died in Paris on September 5, 1857, from stomach cancer. He is buried in the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery, next to his mother and Clotilde de Vaux.

Guinn v. United States

Guinn v. United States Guinn v. United States was a United States Supreme Court case decided in 1915, dealing with the constitutionality of voter qualification provisions in state constitutions. Specifically, the court found residency-based â€Å"grandfather clause† exemptions to voter literacy tests- but not the tests themselves- to be unconstitutional. Literacy tests were used in several Southern states between the 1890s and 1960s as a way of preventing African Americans from voting. The unanimous decision in Guinn v. United States marked the first time the Supreme Court struck down a state law disenfranchising African Americans.   Fast Facts: Guinn v. United States Case Argued: Oct. 17, 1913Decision Issued: June 21, 1915Petitioners: Frank Guinn and J. J. Beal, Oklahoma election officialsRespondent: United StatesKey Questions: Did Oklahoma’s grandfather clause, in singling out black Americans as being required to take a voter literacy test, violate the U.S. Constitution? Did Oklahoma’s literacy test clause- without the grandfather clause- violate the U.S. Constitution?Majority Decision: Justices White, McKenna, Holmes, Day, Hughes, Van Devanter, Lamar, PitneyDissenting: None, but Justice McReynolds took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.Ruling: The Supreme Court ruled that residency-based â€Å"grandfather clause† exemptions to voter literacy tests- but not the tests themselves- were unconstitutional. Facts of the Case Shortly after it was admitted into the Union in 1907, the state of Oklahoma passed an amendment to its constitution requiring that citizens pass a literacy test before being allowed to vote. However, the state’s Voter Registration Act of 1910 contained a clause allowing voters whose grandfathers had either been eligible to vote before January 1, 1866, had been residents of â€Å"some foreign nation,† or had been soldiers, to vote without taking the test. Rarely affecting white voters, the clause disenfranchised many black voters because their grandfathers had been slaves before 1866 and were thus ineligible to vote.   As applied in most states, the literacy tests were highly subjective. Questions were confusingly worded and often had several possible correct answers. In addition, the tests were graded by white election officials who had been trained to discriminate against black voters. In one instance, for example, election officials rejected a black college graduate even though there was not â€Å"the slightest room for doubt as to whether† he was entitled to vote, concluded the U.S. Circuit Court. After the 1910 November midterm election, Oklahoma election officials Frank Guinn and J.J. Beal were charged in federal court with conspiring to fraudulently disenfranchise black voters, in violation of the Fifteenth Amendment. In 1911, Guinn and Beal were convicted and appealed to the Supreme Court. Constitutional Issues While the Civil Rights Act of 1866 had guaranteed U.S. citizenship without regard to race, color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude, it did not address the voting rights of former slaves. To bolster the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Reconstruction-era, the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, prohibited the federal government and the states from denying any citizen the right to vote based on their race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Supreme Court faced two related Constitutional questions. First, did Oklahoma’s grandfather clause, in singling out black Americans as being required to take the literacy test, violate the U.S. Constitution? Second, did Oklahoma’s literacy test clause- without the grandfather clause- violate the U.S. Constitution? The Arguments The state of Oklahoma argued that the 1907 amendment to its state constitution was validly passed and clearly within the powers of the states granted by the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not specifically granted to the U.S. government in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution to the states or to the people. Attorneys for the U.S. government chose to argue only against the constitutionality of the â€Å"grandfather clause† itself while conceding that literacy tests, if written and administered to be racially neutral, were acceptable. Majority Opinion In its unanimous opinion, delivered by Chief Justice C.J. White on June 21, 1915, the Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma’s grandfather clause- having been written in a way to serve â€Å"no rational purpose† other than to deny African American citizens the right to vote- violated the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The convictions of Oklahoma election officials Frank Guinn and J.J. Beal were thus upheld. However, since the government had previously conceded the point, Justice White wrote that, â€Å"No time need be spent on the question of the validity of the literacy test, considered alone, since, as we have seen, its establishment was but the exercise by the State of a lawful power vested in it not subject to our supervision, and, indeed, its validity is admitted.† Dissenting Opinion As the court’s decision was unanimous, with only Justice James Clark McReynolds not taking part in the case, no dissenting opinion was issued. The Impact In overturning Oklahoma’s grandfather clause, but upholding its right to require pre-voting literacy tests, the Supreme Court confirmed the historic rights of the states to establish voter qualifications as long as they did not otherwise violate the U.S. Constitution. While it was a symbolic legal victory for African American voting rights, the Guinn ruling fell far short of immediately enfranchising black Southern citizens. At the time it was issued, the court’s ruling also nullified similar voter qualification provisions in the constitutions of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. While they could no longer apply grandfather clauses, their state legislatures enacted poll taxes and other means of restricting black voter registration. Even after the Twenty-Fourth Amendment prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections, five states continued to impose them in state elections. Not until 1966 did the U.S. Supreme Court declare poll taxes in state elections unconstitutional.   In final analysis, Guinn vs. United States decided in 1915, was a small, but a significant first legal step in the Civil Rights Movement toward racial equality in the United States. It was not until passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that all remaining legal barriers denying black Americans the right to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment- enacted nearly a century earlier- were finally outlawed. Sources and Further Reference Guinn v. United States (238 U.S. 347). Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute.Guinn v. United States (1915). Oklahoma Historical Society.Onion, Rebecca. The Impossible Literacy Test Louisiana Gave Black Voters in the 1960s. Slate (2013).Poll Taxes. Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Speech Made in the Conference, Concerning Japan's Aggression Essay

Speech Made in the Conference, Concerning Japan's Aggression - Essay Example Japan is such a country that can best be described as aggressive, with its acts being tantamount to belligerence, especially towards China. Some of the acts of aggression that Japan has carried out may be illustrated forthwith. It is open knowledge that Japan on September 18th, 1931 sent its army and some of its political leaders to invade Manchuria, which is the eastern seaboard of China. The worst part of this problem is not merely personified in Japan’s acts of aggression, but on Japan’s lack of goodwill to being accountable for its actions. For instance, in 1933, after the Manchuria crises ended, Japan’s delegate walked out of the League of Nations when the findings by the Lytton Commission were being read out and mooted. In so doing, Japan was not only excising itself from the rest of the international community, but also parading unwillingness to take responsibility. Arrogance was also the driving force behind Japan’s walk out since Japan had already pacified Manchuria from China and singlehandedly made Manchuria a puppet state, Manchukuo. Japan even had the audacity to make Emperor Pu Yi as the head of Manchukuo who was a stooge in every respect. Similarly, Japan’s aforementioned willingness to take responsibility is underscored by the fact that the tabling of the Lytton Commission’s findings was supposed to be accompanied with discussions on China’s appeal for an interstate approach towards Japan’s aggression (Christensen, 75). Japan’s bellicose stance was further shown in it engaging the Chinese army near Peking, at the Marco Polo Bridge in 1938, following the ‘China Accident.’ It is important to note that Japan’s problem is one which is heavily embedded in wrongful thinking and attitude. For a fact, ever since Japan won the Sino-Japanese War which took place between 1894 and 1895, Japan has become increasingly stubborn throughout the orient, after it knew that it had a stranglehold in the Asian continent. China’s compelled recognition of the Korean independence and its forced concessions on Liaotung Peninsula and Taiwan were to serve as Japan’s reassurance and propitiation. Unfortunately, Japan grew into a bully. It is important to note that with much power comes, responsibility in lieu of belligerence. Japan, other developed and developing countries ought to realize this. It is important that Japan appreciates the fact that when it joined the Allies in World War I, it gained a lot when the League of Nations granted it, the Asian colonial territories that had been being controlled by Germany in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. That these territories were rich, is a matter that is underscored by the inclusion of the Shantung Peninsula and Micronesian islands which had been under the tutelage and ownership of China and Germany, respectively. Thus, the citing of Japan’s landlocked status as a reason behind its unbridled antagonism cannot wash. How the U.S. Plans To Handle the Situation There are several measures that America has considered as tenable solution to the problem of Japan’s aggression. The measures are both short and long term. One of the long term approaches to the problem is the reevaluation of economic policies with Japan. It is well known that since 1920s, Japan got less interested in western model of economic liberalism. This is because, while reeling from the