Justice and Aeschylus Oresteia :: Oresteia Essays

Justice and Aeschylus' Oresteia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first glance, the picture of justice found in the Oresteia appears very different from that found in Heraclitus. And indeed, at the surface level there are a number of things which are distinctly un-Heraclitean. However, I believe that a close reading reveals more similarities than differences; and that there is a deep undercurrent of the Heraclitean world view running throughout the trilogy. In order to demonstrate this, I will first describe those ways in which the views of justice in Aeschylus' Oresteia and in Heraclitus appear dissimilar. Then I will examine how these dissimilarities are problematized by other information in the Oresteia; information which expresses views of justice very akin to Heraclitus. Of course, how similar or dissimilar they are will depend not only on one's reading of the Oresteia, but also on how one interprets Heraclitus. Therefore, when I identify a way in which justice in the Oresteia seems different from that in Herac litus, I will also identify the interpretation of Heraclitus with which I am contrasting it. Defending my interpretation of Heraclitean justice as such is beyond the scope of this essay. However I will always refer to the particular fragments on which I am basing my interpretation, and I think that the views I will attribute to him are fairly non-controversial. It will be my contention that, after a thorough examination of both the apparent discrepancies and the similarities, the nature of justice portrayed in the Oresteia will appear more deeply Heraclitean than otherwise. I will not argue, however, that there are therefore no differences at all between Aeschylus and Heraclitus on the issue of justice. Clearly there are some real ones and I will point out any differences which I feel remain despite the many deep similarities.    It is definitely possible to find views of justice in the Oresteia which appear to be very different from what we see in the fragments of Heraclitus. I will identify and describe what I think are the four major differences which one notices on an initial reading of the trilogy. These differences are with respect to 1) the apparent linear movement and progress in the Oresteia. 2) the necessity of conflict and its relationship to justice and harmony 3) the origin/creation of justice and 4) the implications for justice of the fundamental unity of nature.

Criminology Theory †Rational Choice Theory Essay

Rational choice theory was inspired in the 1700’s by a man name Cesare Beccaria, whose utilitarian views and ideas were accepted throughout Europe and the United States. This theory is also known as rational action theory meaning the framework for understanding and often formally modeling social and economic behavior. It is the dominant theoretical paradigm in microeconomics. It is also the central to modern political science and is used by scholars in other disciplines such as sociology and philosophy. Rational Choice Theory is used by social scientists to understand human behavior. This theory is the belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice. Beccaria’s helped to eliminate cruel and unusual punishment in the nineteenth century, which at the time was very common, and formed the basis for the classical theory of crime, a school of thought that influenced the French Revolution and the establishment of the Eighth Amendment in the United States Constitution. Beccaria believed that people choose to engage in all behavior, criminal and non-criminal, and without the fear and certainty of severe punishment for criminal offenses. People will continue to choose to commit those crimes. Beccaria believed that all individuals possess free will. People use free will to make rational decisions, such as whether or not the personal benefits are worth the risk of violating the law by committing a crime. It is by free will that people are able to follow through with those â€Å"rational† decisions. To Beccaria, punishment should address prevention rather than revenge. He believed that the only way to deter criminals from continuing to commit more serious offenses is to ensure that the punishment is well suited for the crime. He believed the punishment should only be severe enough to outweigh the personal benefits gained from committing the crime. A British philosopher named Jeremy Bentham elaborated on Beccaria’s views and proposed the id ea that people choose their actions by whether or not they produce happiness and avoided  unpleasant conditions. With this theory laws were created to keep the community happy and punishment is only justified if it is used as a method of prevention. The popularity of the classical theory peaked in the 1800s but began to decline and was eventually neglected altogether by the majority of criminologists by the end of the twentieth century. During the mid-1970s, as positivist approaches towards the rehabilitation of known criminals began to prove ineffective, the popularity of the classical approach improved. Criminologists began to portray criminals to the public as rational planners who deserve to be punished. This modernized view of the classical school of criminology is now known as the rational choice theory and is used to explain why criminals commit crimes. According to the rational choice theory, criminals are people who share the same goals and ambitions as ordinary citizens, but choose to obtain those goals by illegitimate means. The rational choice theory is based on the assumption that before choosing to commit a crime, the criminal considers personal factors or motivation for the crime, such as their immediate need for benefits, revenge, or excitement, and also situational factors, such as the severity of the consequences and the risk of apprehension. The rationality described by rational choice theory is different from the colloquial and philosophical uses of rationality. Rationality means in colloquial language sane or in a thoughtful clear headed manner. Routine activity theory is a sub-field of rational choice criminology, which was developed by Marcus Felson. Routine activity theory says that crime is normal and depends on the opportunities available. For example after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, meaning poverty, inequality and unemployment became a problem this gave people a reason to commit crimes.

Karl Marx s Communist Manifesto Essay - 957 Words

Statement of Problem Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto was published in 1848. Although Karl Marx had been relevant and influential since 1830s it was not until he earned his PhD from the University of Jena in 1941 and established himself as an author, academic, and a journalist living between Cologne and Berlin both in Germany. However, it was not until he penned his signature work, the Communist Manifesto that he solidified his stance on power and power relationship within society. Marx’s theory states that, Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other — Bourgeoisie and Proletariat (Walters, 2015) and his ideas of capitalism began the great debate of a power struggle between those with it and those without it. The Bourgeoisie is the wealthy middle class and the Proletariat is the industrial working class. These two groups were and will always be at odds over many types of power, in cluding but not limited to: financial capability, political power, social capital, property and business ownership, access to opportunity, fair and equal justice, etc†¦Marx had many pupils who he mentored and peers who helped him expand and sharpen his theories. One of the prominent disciples of Marx, Pierre Bourdieu, built upon Marx’s conflict theory and other thoughts about class and society. Pierre Bourdieu created the Field Theory. Specifically, Bourdieu hypothesizes that children internalize these dispositionsShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx And Friedrich Engels s Communist Manifesto1756 Words   |  8 PagesIn 1840s Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote Communist Manifesto. Marx and Engels wrote this document due to being members of the Communist Leagues. The Communist Manifesto was a very influential document after the Industrial Revolution. With the industrial class increasing this document was published to end class social. Because of the rise of industries, workers have to leave their previous work and work at industries, workers health will be affected when they live near the cities, their communitiesRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto And Das Kapital1507 Words   |  7 PagesKarl Marx A German philosopher, economist, journalist and revolutionary scientist, Marx was best known for his work in economics. He laid the foundations for today s theories of labor and capital. The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital were among the most famous of his published works. Born to a middle-class family in Trier, Prussia in 1818, his parents were Jewish, but converted to Christianity in 1816 due to strict anti- Jewish laws. He was baptized as a Christian at the age of six but laterRead More Karl Marx and His Radical Views Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx and His Radical Views Karl Marx[i] Karl Marx is among the most important and influential of all modern philosophers who expressed his ideas on humans in nature. According to the University of Dayton, â€Å"the human person is part of a larger history of life on this planet. Through technology humans have the power to have an immense effect on that life.†[ii] The people of his time found that the impact of the Industrial Revolution would further man’s success within thisRead MoreThe Marxist Model Of Class Struggles1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Marxist Model is thoroughly used throughout the duration of The Communist Manifesto to break down the complexity of the pamphlet into 3 parts. The 3 parts include history, economics, and social class; each collaboratively explaining the alienation of certain social classes and how class struggles arise. Karl Marx presents the notion that history is inevitable and the idea of class struggles will always be present in society. Marx recounts the numerous times in society where social classes crashedRead MoreThe Great Philosophies From The 19th Century1386 Words   |  6 Pages4U1 - 02 17 Friday 2016 One of the greatest philosophies from the 19th century was Karl Marx. The German native born May 5 1818 was known for his works as not only a philosopher but an economist, journalist revolutionary socialist and sociologist. Marx’s different varieties of work influenced his understanding of society and and the economy during his time period. Once Marx got older, he moved to London England where he progressed his ideas and even collaborate with FriedrichRead MoreManifesto Of The Communist Party920 Words   |  4 PagesThe Communist Manifesto, originally drafted as, â€Å"Manifesto of the Communist Party†, is a pamphlet written by Karl Marx, that in essence reflects an attempt to explain the goals and objectives of Communism, while also explaining the concrete theories about the nature of society in relation to the political ideology. The Communist Manifesto breaks down the relationship of socio-economic classes and specifically identifies the friction between those c lasses. Karl Marx essentially presents a well analyzedRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1453 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Communist Manifesto, a document that first proclaimed the ideology of communism itself, Marx declared that the â€Å"history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles† (Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels). As a man who spurred resentment of governments and inspired revolutionaries, Karl Marx is often regarded as a man who led to the rise of 20th century tyrannical dictators such as Stalin and Mao to take power. His ideas are regarded as failures and, by some, are seen asRead MoreKarl Marx : The Oldest Surviving Boy Essay1080 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx is a sociologist, economist, historian, journalist, revolutionary, and philosopher of German decent. Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Trier, Prussia; he was the oldest surviving boy in a family of nine children. Both of his parents were Jewish, and descended from a long li ne of rabbis. Marx was also raised in a home that originally was Jewish until his Father, Heinrich Marx, converted to Protestantism. He was home-schooled until 1830 when he enrolled at the Jesuit high school in Trier.. InRead MoreAdam Smith And Karl Marx1055 Words   |  5 PagesDerek Ding Economy Ms. Walsh Period D Adam Smith and Karl Marx Adam Smith and Karl Marx are famous for their influential and prominent theories about economics. Two difference thoughts indeed are contributions that can change the world. In Adam Smith s â€Å"Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations†, he introduced an idea where producers work in ways they want and get paid by how much work they put in. In other words, they can set up prizes that they thinkRead MoreWhy Marx s Social Theory Place So Much Emphasis On Class Conflict And The Economic Aspects Of Society? Essay1524 Words   |  7 Pagesdoes Marx s social theory place so much emphasis on class conflict and the economic aspects of society? Karl Marx is one of the most influential and revolutionary philosopher, economist and sociologist of the 19th century. His thoughts not only shaped our understandings of the capitalistic world but also created a new system of social organization, communism. His ideology also defined the key political figures of the cold war period such as Stalin, Mao and Castro. Without Marx, the