The American Dream By Alexis De Tocqueville - 1566 Words

The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and determination. However, ideas of the dream have evolved throughout time from the 18th century up to present day. The general population’s view and my view of the American Dream both have altered throughout time. My idea of the American Dream has developed from not only today’s views on The Dream, but also from the evolutionary process the meaning has been through. Throughout the years, the definition of the American Dream has evolved as the world itself has changed. In the 1800’s, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about ideas that dealt with the American Dream, such as equality, liberty, individualism, democracy,†¦show more content†¦When Gallup repeated the question half a century later in 1997, the results were virtually identical.† (Bowman). Gallup also asked mothers the same question for their daughters in 1946- their respons es were virtually the same. While the father’s responses in 1997 were identical to the 1946 study, the mother’s responses showed â€Å"Eighty-five percent said their daughters’ opportunities would be better than the ones they had.† (Bowman). This research shows the belief of women achieving the American Dream has increased throughout the years more rapidly than men’s beliefs. In addition to people believing men have better opportunity to achieve the American Dream than women, young adults believe the American Dream is dead. Steve Tobak, a trusted strategic advisor to executives and business leaders wrote, â€Å"...about half of those aged 18 to 29 recently surveyed Opens a New Window said that the dream is dead† (Tobak). Young adults believe the American Dream is unattainable because they believe The Dream is a guarantee. Once they realize The Dream is only acquired by a series of hard work, their ultimate goal seems too far out of reach t o be achieved. Achieving The Dream is based on a numerous amount of factors that young adults do not consider when they think about the Dream, â€Å"...American dream is a function of intelligence, capability, personal choice, work ethic, achievement, upbringing and luck. And it should come as noShow MoreRelatedAmerica: Land of Opportunity or Land of the Wealthy in Occupy Wall Street788 Words   |  4 Pageseconomic recession in 2007 and 2008. Over the course of the month, the movement protesting the miscarriage of justice and democracy following the economic catastrophe and the overall inequitable and unfair wealth distribution diffused to over 100 American cities as well as 1,500 cities worldwide. The revolutionary movement would be called Occupy Wall Street and through occupying and protesting the symbolic location of the financial elite, Wall Street, the crusade aimed â€Å"to fight back against the corrosiveRead MoreThe American Dream : The Origin Of The American Dream1527 W ords   |  7 Pages â€Å"The American Dream is a term that is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.† (â€Å"American Dream Quotes†). The American dream: a shining example to all peoples of what true success should be. Or is it? Americans will agree that since it’s conception, the American dream has changed dramatically. However, whether or not the dream has changed for the better is a matter of opinion. In orderRead MoreEssay on Democracy in America1517 Words   |  7 Pagespunishment of citizens and elimination of chaos. A weakness of democracy is the â€Å"Tyranny of the Majority†. This is an inevitable pitfall, because in a democracy, the power is vested foremost in the people the constituting the society itself. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote on this concept: â€Å"Democratic laws generally tend to promote the welfare of the greatest possible number; for they emanate from the majority of the citizens, who are subject to error, but who cannot have an interest opposed to theirRead MoreWhat Is American By Hector St. John De Crevecoeur1250 Words   |  5 Pages*Summary: â€Å"What Is American† â€Å"What is American† by Hector St. John de Crevecoeur was an advertisement for America. America is explained as a beautiful and structured place that came to be after work was done to a wild woody place. The text stated â€Å" he beholds air cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild , woody and uncultivated!† Another point that was made thatRead MoreKarl Marx And Alexis De Tocqueville2490 Words   |  10 Pages Though Karl Marx and Alexis de Tocqueville differ, they both contributed greatly to revolutionary concepts of their era. To better understand the analyses between politics, social, and economic changes Marx and Tocqueville discuss, we must first understand the shift of their time and the need for sociological analysis. 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Tocqueville claimed that, â€Å"when men living in a democratic society are enlightened, they readily discover they are not confined and fixed by any limits which force them to accept their present fortune. They all, therefore, conceive the idea of increasing it†¦ The legislature, it is true, no longer grants privileges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tocqueville 38). This means that on ce men understand they are not confined to theirRead MoreThe Roots Of American Exceptionalism1055 Words   |  5 Pagesis important to examine the roots of American exceptionalism. French philosopher and social scientist, Alexis de Tocqueville was recognized to be the first writer to promote the theory of exceptionalism via his document Democracy in America. However, his use of exceptionalism does not match the true concept. 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Everyone is born into a different situation and the opportunities they are exposed to differ depending on the person. The original idea of the â€Å"American Dream† supported the idea that all American citizens are able to obtain a better life than they are currently living; howeve r, that idea is continuously changing and many interpret their own dream in different ways. James

Belief in Miracles Mysterious Works of God Free Essays

In aiming to discuss the possibility of the existence of miracles, it is important to define to some extent the meaning of what a miracle is. Some people view miracles as being extraordinary acts of an omnipotent God, who â€Å"unilaterally determines some creaturely states of affairs†¦ providing sorts of goods† (Keller, 2007). However, it is often difficult to explain these astonishing acts without a real connection to the proof surrounding the events. We will write a custom essay sample on Belief in Miracles: Mysterious Works of God or any similar topic only for you Order Now Keller proposes a distinction between â€Å"epistemic† and â€Å"practical† miracles, in that the former serves as a kind of miracle which supports the existence of God and miracles without physical proof and the latter demonstrating the actual proven physical existence of God and miracles. In addressing miracles within this essay, it is essential to note the distinctions between epistemic and practical miracles, although the existence of both types of miracles, both unproven and proven, are supported as true. There are not enough intelligent scientists in the entire world to explain the grandeur and complexity of the universe, to capture the forms and functions of miracles in the constructs of human thought and language, and trying to do so will most likely fail. All miracles, both substantiated and understood and unsubstantiated and mysterious, are a testament to the divine nature of God, the explicable and inexplicable realms of His universal reign and intelligent design. In his 1997 article, Woodward discusses the possibility of God’s intercession, describing people’s experiences with the power of miracles. One man portrays miracles as being God’s answers to his prayers, appeals he requests without knowing the actions God will take. The actions of God following his prayers are the miracles performed, plain and simple. Not every wish is answered in the way he desires, but he has faith that the way in which God responds to him is always and truly miraculous. In a confident statement assuring faith in God’s mysterious works, he states that he â€Å"trusts Him to have a good answer to his prayers. That’s not the same as knowing what the answer is† (Woodward, 1997). In another person’s story, she and her mother were both connected in spirit and vision, although living miles apart, at the same moment. In desperate appeals for God’s help, the two women were saved by the grace and peace of God, in their opinions, the mother who was praying on her knees at home comforted by a replacement of fear with security and the daughter who was almost raped saved from her terror by an impulse in the rapist to flee the scene. Personal accounts such as these are qualitative evidence for the presence of God working in the world through miraculous benevolent acts, which could also be described as epistemic miracles. In his 1997 article, Adler describes the lives and opinions of atheists who do not believe in God or the proposed miracles which he performs. As a NASA scientist, Sagan was optimistic about the possibility of life on Mars and the idea of encountering life on Venus. With his disappointment in his own theoretical failures or simply stiff personal opposition to the idea of a God, Sagan has countered many claims about the belief in God and his miraculous works with demands for scientific proof. Sagan claims he was brought to skepticism by his claim that support for religious â€Å"evidence is anecdotal†, however, he asserts that if there is a God who performs miracles, then it is his â€Å"responsibility to try and know about it†. Sagan feels as if quantitative evidence for the idea of practical miracles is important, demonstrating the yearning for something predictable and calculated. In his 2000 article, Hefner also describes why he opposes the idea of unsubstantiated miracles. He suggests that God could not possible perform miracles to save some people, because other people suffer and are sacrificed all the time. He concludes that it is â€Å"blasphemy† to believe in a God who intercedes for chosen people, because that would mean that he allows the others to succumb to destruction. Hefner asserts that if miracles mean that people are saved by faith in their darkest moments, then that is something he can believe, however, if miracles are defined as something which alters the laws of nature to redirect the ordinary course of events, then he contests the idea of miracles. Adler and Hefner both declare that miracles must be able to be proved physically through reliable calculations of natural law. Although some people do not believe in miracles or all types of miracles, there is no doubt that God and his extraordinary works certainly do exist. Although people such as Hefner attempt to reject some aspects of miracles, such as believing that people can be saved by faith yet are unable to be saved by an interventionist God, these dual perceptions of miracles are incompatible. There is no reason why people should be able to save themselves, yet God be unable to save them. If people and God are interrelated, in fact one Spirit, as described in Trinitarian philosophy, then the desires of individuals are most certainly in tune with the grand universal, and vice versa. As the actions of many people cannot be explained with certainty or clarity in many regards, neither can the actions of God through His miraculous interventions. Individuals are able to communicate and intervene in the lives of one another all the time, often without scientific evidence for their purpose, through the will of God, and God participates in this human to human experience. Direct divine intervention in the lives of people is adequately described by the ones who experience it, although often unable to be explained or calculated in highly scientific terms. It makes sense to believe in the joy and salvation which can be transferred from person to person and from people to the divine and the divine to people. Not believing in it is only depressing, and also unverifiable by scientific methods. Works Cited Adler, J. â€Å"Unbeliever’s Quest. † Newsweek, 1997. Hefner, P. â€Å"Why I Don’t Believe in Miracles. † Newsweek, 2000. Keller, J. Problems of Evil and the Power of God. Ashgate, 2007. Woodward, K. â€Å"Is God Listening? † Newsweek, 1997. How to cite Belief in Miracles: Mysterious Works of God, Papers

Ethical theory by Cathy Burke Samples for Students Myassignment

Question: Identify an ICT-related Ethical Issue from a Media article or Case Study. Answer: Introduction: The development of stealth drone machine was commissioned by United States in year 2015 directed by Pentagon. Expansion of the machine was responsible for payroll delivery and transforming surveillance. The article depicts that after the mission is accomplished, drones would have prevailing capabilities like vampire that disappears in thin air. In addition to this, the government was motivated for putting project with an amount of $ eight million. Such investment was done on 26-week design project and it was the initial investment made by government. Some of the dilemma related with the project and ethical issues have been exhibited in the report and this issues is represented in article written by Cathy Burke. There are four classical theories that would be discussed in the report. Discussion: Disappearing drones: The projected device comes with specification; some of the resources would be deliver by drone in areas that is difficult to reach. In addition to this, the device, it would assist in dropping payroll in altered areas and hide them in locations that are convenient. Moreover, surveillance duties will be conducted using drones by a watchful eye that is; it would maintain high distances in air. It would also consider the innumerable acts of violating the components of ethics such as intellectual, property, security and privacy (Beckman, 2016). Knowledge of civilians will not be required for operation of drones. However, military would have the right to carry out some surveillance to some extent. Deontology: Military are the people who have the right of governing the device and in this regard, it is need to consider the duties that they have when they are in power. There are certain policies and rule, which they are obliged to follow. Irrespective of the actions taken by them are right or wrong, they have to comply with the rule based on their experiences.Depending upon the moral standards of users, sage and implementation of disappearing drones would have in the long run. If another situation is considered, where military are required to comportment surveillance in foreign land. The dominant security conditions in foreign land forms the basis of judgment of executing the actions by military (Carlton Schaerf, 2015). People who are miles away from grounds are least interested in conducting critical assessment and this result in raising questions about dilemma relating to ethics. The report also exhibit two ethical issues by making the introduction of deontological issues, duties and constraint. Ethical standards possess a question and are constrained by standard of ethics so that irrespective of relationship, they are to be treated equally (Nichols et al., 2016). Nonetheless, military have the duties of protecting others by making use of all obligatory means. Hence, irrespective of measures that are placed for governing the execution of operations, there would be a tendency of booming the conflict. Utilitarianism: If the outcome of action is maximized, then it is exhibited as moral and ethical standards. This comprise of the definition of Utilitarianism. There might be all the available measures for safeguarding the lives of human being with drones. This era has the features where terrorism exist and many acts are done that is characterized by insecurities and for stopping the criminals, drones will assist required intelligence. However, the thing that is to be questioned is the monitoring of the acts of surveillance and military teams. This relates to monitoring those who are monitoring other people (Abdulhamid et al., 2014). The fate of some countries in Middle East regions is judged by the actions of few individual and in this regard, quality is regarded as most important. It is so because Middle East suffers most and there are innocent civilians. Disappearing drones should not lead to subject their own count of happiness. This is so because it is quite possible that bombs will be dropped i n secrecy as collected from surveillance (Mulgan, 2014). Virtue: The acquisition of proposed contract according to DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is that drones will perform righteous and good acts. There are few areas that are hard to reach will be accessed by drones for delivering medical and food system. Some of the technologies intends to improve way of living as depicted by history and it fell squat of course. Nuclear and atomic bomb are best example. End users such as military personnel and developers are entitled to having moral standards (Melden, 2013). Moreover, ethical outcomes are outlined by standards and character expansion. The moral outcome of project is determined by using technology and taking moral decisions is the function and purpose of people that might have an impact on people. If the operation of military are aligned with righteous acts would lead to use of minimal resources. In first place, there would be violation of privacy and secondly if wrongdoers discover the elusive acts of military, then this lead to compromising of security (Dodds Pippard, 2013). Contract: It has been exhibited in the Cathys article and have proposed have inherent contractual responsibilities toward society. This from an ethical viewpoint may either help or disrupt the course. Societies are governed by universal principles and policies. There would be negative outcome if such rules were not present. Rational individuals would develop the said and prescribed rules. The case study depicts many legal loopholes in the project of disappearing drone and individuals having their own personal agendas are likely to exploit by the project. When considering existing and experiences, this particularly line of thought is justified completely. In order for guiding the users intheir function and governing the moral outlook, a critical legal framework and a social contract must be put in place. For prosecuting and apprehending the international cyber-criminals, there are negligible international laws in the flied of cyber security. It is required by US pentagons and DARPA to make the assessment about the contractual obligations before the said laws and rules are developed (Levitt et al., 2015). This is to be done to immediate society along with those in foreign land where drones are worn. Conclusion: People are governed by act of morality for undertaking good actions that are liberated from harm and evil things. Hence, human life should be promoted by taking ethically upright decisions without directly or indirectly harming those who are related to it. Some of the serious ethical issues are raised in Cathys article and they involve security, privacy and intellectual property. Transformation of surveillance is undertaken in proposed project where disappeared drone would have capabilities that are extended compared to current processes. Some of the valuable intelligence would be collected by them on security matters such as terrorism. Nonetheless, collection of such information does not require innocent civilians consent. Moreover, there are some extended capabilities possessed by system and this involves rising of serious concern such as potential harm of carrying equipments. There are some serious ethical concerns involved in this particular drone project discussed in the article where execution of drone strikes has the consequence of serious causalities of most of the innocent civilians. Execution of project comes with good purpose of DARPA. Nonetheless, for meeting the extended operations, the application would wander off from the course. The likelihood of drones on residents intellectual property is used irrespective of their location or regions. Hence, main question relates to implementation of proposed device would be determined by what standards. Reference: Abdulhamid, S. M., Ahmad, S., Waziri, V. O., Jibril, F. N. (2014). Privacy and national security issues in social networks: The challenges.arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.3301. Beckman, J. (2016).Comparative legal approaches to homeland security and anti-terrorism. Routledge. Carlton, D., Schaerf, C. (Eds.). (2015).International terrorism and world security(Vol. 3). Routledge. Dodds, F., Pippard, T. (2013).Human and environmental security: an agenda for change. Earthscan. Levitt, D. H., Farry, T. J., Mazzarella, J. R. (2015). Counselor Ethical Reasoning: Decision?Making Practice Versus Theory.Counseling and Values,60(1), 84-99. Melden, A. I. (2013).Ethical theories. Read Books Ltd. Mulgan, T. (2014).Understanding utilitarianism. Routledge. Nichols, J. M., Judd, K. P., Olson, C. C., Novak, K., Waterman, J. R., Feller, S., ... Brady, D. (2016). Range performance of the DARPA AWARE wide field-of-view visible imager.Applied optics,55(16), 4478-4484. Taylor, R. W., Fritsch, E. J., Liederbach, J. (2014).Digital crime and digital terrorism. Prentice Hall Press. Walklate, S., Mythen, G. (2014).Contradictions of terrorism: Security, risk and resilience. Routledge.