Humor and Persuasion free essay sample

Humor and Persuasion Jake Swenson 5/30/2011 The actor John Cleese once said, If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth. † (Mortensen, 2004) Humor disarms an audience, making them more likely to open up to you. In a book by Kurt Mortensen, called â€Å"Maximum influence: the 12 universal laws of power persuasion†, he stated: †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦once your prospects feel comfortable with you, they will be more in tune to your message and more likely to remain attentive.Perhaps most powerful of all, in our fast-paced culture where most things are fleeting, they remember you and continue to hold you in a positive light long after the initial exchange. When you leverage the element of humor, any message coming from you receives more weight than one that comes from someone who has not created the audience rapport you have a chieved. We will write a custom essay sample on Humor and Persuasion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † (W. , 2004) The use of humor in persuasion is a technique that has been the source of many studies. A parallel between the humor and an audience’s influenced nature, however, has still yet to be quantifiably substantiated as a legitimate source of persuasive prowess.As stated in a publication written for the Journal of General Psychology by Jim Little, called â€Å"The effectiveness of humor in persuasion: The case of business ethics training,† he recognizes that, â€Å"Humor is presumed to aid in persuasion in both advertising (Heinecke, 1997) and education (Wallinger, 1997), but empirical research has rarely been able to demonstrate these effects (Bryant, Comisky, Crane, Zillmann, 1980; Gruner Freshley, 1979). It is not yet clear whether the investment of time and effort in the use of humor in persuasion is justified† (Lyttle, 2001).Modern day examples of persuasion are in advertisements. The main point of an advertisement is to supply varying detail s to the listener to convince them that their product, event etc. is worth their time, money, etc. Many advertisements use humor, which seems like a great asset to assist in persuasion. However, as stated by Dorothy Markiewicz written in an article named, â€Å"Effects of Humor on Persuasion†: â€Å"Those concerned with politics, advertising, or rhetoric often suggest that humor enhances the effectiveness of a persuasive message.Yet research considering the effects of humor on message effectiveness suggests that its contribution is questionable† (Markiewicz, 1974. ) However debated the effectiveness of the use of humor in persuasion may be the general psychology of its far reaching and unifying effects is much more easily recognized. In general, the more people involved in a situation, the more we laugh. For example, when a movie theater is packed, the laughter tends to be greater and last longer than when there are only four people in the audience. This is one of the reasons why TV producers use canned laughter in their programming.Often the scenario being acted out really isn’t even that funny, but studies show that the use of laugh tracks actually gets us to laugh more (Mortensen, 2010). Whether the material even registered as being funny or not, we are more inclined to laugh along if we hear others laughing. Thus, the affect had on the audience is a allowing them to feel persuaded to agree that what was being said was actually funny. This scenario of unifying an audience with laughter has a disarming effect. Humor can make a person feel warm and comfortable therefore kicking into gear the heuristic theory.This theory states that a person is bound to be influenced by past experiences and intrinsic desires rather that systematic processing. For example, if a consumer preferred to buy name brand products (heuristic cue) and then read an article in a computer magazine (systematic processing) arguing that name-brand computers were superior to generic â€Å"clones,† the two forms of processing would reinforce each other (Gass Seiter, pp. 58). Instead of consciously putting in the effort to find the best product, it’s easy to just go with what feels right. One way that humor might be effective in persuasion is by creating positive affect. People who are in a good mood are less likely to disagree with a persuasive message and more likely to rely on heuristic/peripheral cues† (Lyttle, 2001). Obviously an adverse affect would be that if humor happened to be at the expense of the target, making them feel uncomfortable and in a bad mood. Now, no longer trusting of the source and their feelings, the client may switch to a critical evaluation of the persuasion at hand. As a guest speaker I have the opportunity to put into practice these theories and techniques daily.I have also experienced that in an attempt to unify my audience in laughter so as to disarm and appeal to their accepting natures I comically singled out an individual. Drawing on their response to my comment I discovered that I was successful in alienating that person from my purposes and essentially lost their interest and trust. Other risks of the use of humor in persuasion include causing offense to be taken by your audience should they not agree with your brand of humor, its sexual nature, its racy content or simply the time of day, the lighting of the room or the size of the audience at the time of its delivery.In another article by Kurt Mortensen at PositiveArticles. com he offers; â€Å"There are many other less apparent factors that influence humor. Have you ever considered factors such as what time of day it is, the number of people in your audience or even the layout and li ghting of the room? All of these things can influence how your humor will come across. As far as time of day, mornings are typically more stressful, since it is then when most people are confronted with all the demands that await them.Under certain circumstances, this stressfulness may be precisely the type of mood you’re looking for. Other times, you may want an audience that’s a little more relaxed. When people are on a lunch break or winding down for the day and readying themselves to leave work, you may find that they are more receptive to a good joke† (K. Mortensen, 2010). References Lyttle, J. (2000). The effectiveness of humor in persuasion: the case of business ethics training. The Journal of General Psychology, 128(2), 206-217. Markiewicz, D. (1974).

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Angelina Jolie an icon to gay/ essays Over the last century, queer roles have transcended through numerous changes in Hollywood. On the forefront of Hollywood during the 1930s, queer roles in film were looked upon as transgressions against society and humanity. At this particular point in history, the studios took great liberty at hiding behind the newly formed Motion Picture Production Code. The code was developed due to studio heads recognition of the high trust and good judgment clause placed in their hands by moviegoers and society. Upon this recognition, Hollywood understood their responsibility to the public as demonstrating the utmost moralistic behaviors and attitudes in their films. During the rapid transition from silent films to audio enhanced pictures, Hollywood promoted entertainment in films over meaning in films that dealt with dramatic issues. This type of censored filmmaking continued into the late sixties. In reference to gays and lesbians, film studios were prohibited any sympathetic depictions of queers. As to avoid displaying any sympathetic portrayals, queer characters were often depicted as isolated, perverted, abnormal individuals. Also, it was not uncommon for queers to be subject to harsh punishment, torture or even death. Studios hoped these images and depictions of gay and lesbian characters sent a severe message to the audience about the sinfulness of homosexuality. As time has progressed queer roles have went from career threatening to trendy and now to even career heightening. Has our culture developed so rapidly over the last sixties years? This is a very difficult question to answer. Although, gay and lesbian characters and films have become more mainstream then ever, there is still a feeling of less then equality in the representation of these characters. Television has made major strides in the realm of queer characters but character developed is severely lacking. The television show, Ellen, is the most notable in t...

Promoting Individual Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Promoting Individual Health - Essay Example The plan is based on providing knowledge and awareness of the ethical issues associated with health and especially the inherent. In the given plan, a specific scenario of Erick is looked at. Erick is suffering from Autism Spectrum. The plan thus analyses the causes of his behaviour and seeks to link it to the causes of the health promotion as well as providing teaching lessons to his parents on the importance of health promotion, how to adapt to the current situation of their son and finally, Erick’s learning because of disability. In addition, the plan analyses the position of the parents of Erick and especially the case of Molly. The plan is very important since it equips an individual with psychosocial behaviour that affects the wellness of an individual in terms of behaviour, cognitive abilities, environmentally among many more (Rappaport & Seidman 2000, p. 171). A scenario of Erick is chosen to be used as a point of reference. Erick is a son of Molly and James. His mother, Molly, suffers from diabetes and his father, James, works as a driver, driving long distance vehicles and thus he is rarely at home. Eric has a learning disorder, though mild. He also suffers a little in the autistic spectrum. He often gets frustrated and as a result, throws anger tantrums at the fellow students and teachers, especially when he goes to school whereby he attends a mainstream school. Autistic spectrum refers to the conditions that an individual suffers from that majorly affects the communication by an individual, their interests, social interaction and also affects the behaviour of an individual (Pandora 2006, p. 96). In addition, the autism spectrum also includes childhood autism and Asperger syndrome. The condition may not show its symptoms immediately, but after some time. The condition of Eric has been contributed by several psychosocial

Bauhaus and Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bauhaus and Modernism - Essay Example This essay discusses that the main concepts of the Bauhaus began in Germany in the early 1900s, specifically when World War I and World War II began to dominate the lifestyles of those in the region. The philosophy was based on the changes that were within society and how this led to different perspectives of what was important to those in a given culture. The basis of this was known as being a logical positivist, which embraced futuristic and avant – garde ideologies. It was understood that this particular concept of philosophy was one that not only demanded the change toward mathematical and economic associations with art. There were also values that were placed on the changing culture, specifically because of the wars which were taking place. As the report declares, Europe and America began to experience a profound shift in sensibility that would lead to an explosion of creativity in the arts, transform moral values, and in time reshape the conduct of life throughout Western society† This basis was followed by other concepts which were associated with the understanding of Bauhaus and the movement toward modernism in Germany. The art and architectural forms that were a part of the movement were one of the main associations made with the Bauhaus movement. The philosophy developed was based on simplistic forms and colors as well as a synthesis between the two. Unification of the forms and colors were then able to create a different focus on the ideology of the subject and what was being said.... This essay stresses that the desire to create a sense of innovation and modernism then became reflective of the ideologies of the Bauhaus movement, specifically in trying to find a definition that created the perception of modernism. The similarities of defining modernism then became a part of the art and architecture that was in both America and Europe. When looking at the different movements and the artistic works, it can be seen that there are similarities specifically in the definition and philosophy of modernism. When looking at these two artistic concepts, it can be seen that there is a direct relationship to creating shapes, forms and specific colors with the art. The Bauhaus perspective is based on incorporating mathematical concepts and philosophies of technology, specifically to re-identify art into a modernist perspective. The later work of Dove uses these same philosophies, specifically which takes the subject matter of the mountains and makes it into what one could define as a modernist work. The concept of Bauhaus and the American modernist movement have changed the way that many looks at the idea of modernism. Bauhaus worked as the precursor to American modernism with several philosophies, including the art, craft, and philosophy of defining modernism. The early influences of those that were a part of America from the Bauhaus movement, as well as the incorporation of different ideologies in trying to find the meaning of modernism led to different understandings that created the modernist philosophies.

Psychodynamic Theories: Social Behaviour

Psychodynamic Theories: Social Behaviour This essay uses the ecological and the psychodynamic theories to explain social behaviour, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis thus making an initial assessment on the Banks family. The essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the theories, the similarities and the differences between both of them and it will conclude that human life and behaviour is such a strong illustration that a single theory cannot satisfactorily account for all events across the life span. However, it will assert that in regard to the Banks family, the ecological model has an advantage over the psychodynamic theory because it holistically encompasses number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing, and parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse. The issues identified in the Banks family include; Marks bullying, identity issues, and Kens negative early life transactions and his relationship with Mark. To address these issues, the social work will use the ecological theory. The reason for choosing the ecological theory is because it is compatible with the assessment framework (2000)(DOH 2000a) as it links family history, genes, parents and their off springs relationship, economic factors, parental relationship experiences, individuals ability to cope or manage the stress and the interactive effect of risks (Ciccheti and Valentino: 2006). Therefore, basing on the ecological perspective, the social work will have to work within Marks ecology (Bilson Ross: 1999 p.70-71) to find out the difficulties that the family might be facing and to also find possible solution (Ward: 1995). The social worker will explore the three ecological dimensions which are; Marks developmental needs, Mel and Kens parenting capacity and family environmental factors (D.O.H 2000a). The social workers will initiate an honest and open partnership with the family with an aim of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Mark and his siblings. This will be for the parents to feel confident thus engaging in the assessment by providing relevant information about Mark, Mel and John, themselves. He should also endeavour to find out about Marks paternity and any genetic inheritance or temperament issues that might exist between Mark and his biological father (Aldgate and Bradley 1999). The social work will explore the parents history by requesting them to describe who they are and the trend of their relationship with Mark. This framework will help the social worker to amalgamate the historical and current information about the family, its functioning, problems and relationships (Reder and Duncan: 1999 p.98-101) with the view of finding out what is happening to Mark in the context of the entire Banks family and the environmental factors and how they affect the family relationships. Other issues that will have to be looked into are; the family income, neighbourhood and Marks friendships with his peers. This is because there is a link between the familys economic disadvantage and the chances that children in the family will not prosper (Utting :1995, Jack: 1997) It is also notable that Ken is securely attached to his biological children (Mel and John) and not to Mark who is his step-child. That should trigger the social workers curiosity thence exploring both the parents emotional availability, responsiveness, and their ascriptions to Mark and compare it with the way they interact with Mel and John. This can be done through direct observation, questioning and gathering testimonies from other significant people including professionals such as the general practitioner and the teachers (Department of Health 2000a). The social l worker will also explore Kens childhood experiences because they might be influencing or causing effect to his relationship with Mark (Sroufe et al 2005: p.10). This implies that the quality of care that Ken is providing Mark might in itself be a product of his own developmental history which is characterised by having been in care during childhood, having no father figure, thus his strained relationship with his mother (Cicchetti and Valentino: 2006 p.148). It is also notable that all Marks efforts to know his biological father proved to be futile. And because of this, Mark might be experiencing identity issues such as low self- esteem, poor self-image and a poor sense of belonging and acceptance by the family hence his negative behaviour (Draper Draper: 1982, p.26). For this reason, the social worker should ensure that he gathers as much information about Marks biological father as possible just in case Mark expresses wishes to see or to know about him. In regard to Marks bullying problem, the social worker would carry out direct work with him. In order to minimise the anti discriminatory and anti oppression practice, the social worker will have to consider his age, gender and culture, religion and any disability or developmental issues. He will have to acknowledge and respect Marks wishes, feelings and his understanding of the implications of the situation in which he finds himself thus making the assessment child centred (DOH 2000a). The social worker would also explore Marks friendships and how the interaction therein influences his negative behaviour (Rutter et al, 1998). At the end of the session, depending on what the social worker makes out of Marks behaviour and his social-emotional condition he may refer Mark for psychological assessment to further establish his emotional wellbeing. The outcome of the psychological assessment will then be used during the core assessment to inform the appropriate plan of intervention to ensure Mark development, safety and wellbeing (Department of Health 2000a) Advantages of the ecological theory. The advantage of using ecological approach is that it focuses on the relationships in transactions between the systems in the ecology thus minimising the predisposition of the professionals to think exclusively in linear terms thus adapting a wide range of intervention hence exploring issues such as social support, social capital and socio-economic difficulties that people experience (Garbarino 1990). The ecological perspective is an integrated model which acknowledges the effects of the biological, psychological social and economic factors that affect the well-being of individuals (Payne, 1994). Disadvantages of using the ecological theory? Despite all the advantages of the ecological approach, it is a long process for families or individuals who need quick solutions for their problems (Payne 1997). The psychodynamic approach Another theory that can be used to interpret the Banks familys phenomena, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis is the psychodynamic theory. The reason for choosing the psychodymic theory is that it emphasises supporting the ego which is a reality element of the mind hence providing stability and equilibrium to the service user. Through using this approach, the social worker will be able to support Ken and Mark to develop adequate ego strength which will enable then to manage their emotional conflicts and the snags that they may come across in the life span (Goldstein: 1984). It is notable that both Mark and Ken do have unresolved issues or conflicts which do have roots from their individual childhoods. For that reason, the social worker will explore Ken and Marks conscious and unconscious parts of the minds there by making any reserved painful materials therein conscious hence realising their impact on their surface behaviour (Bee and Boyd, 2006). By focussing on Mark and Kens past and present unconscious and conscious feelings, the social worker may to be able to predict and explain how Mark and Ken may behave during certain situations or conditions. This is underpinned by the psychodynamic principle that all behaviour is motivated (Bee and Boyd, 2006). Due to the emotional issues already identified, the social worker may explore the how both Mark and Kens egos function and their defence mechanisms. Through respecting and working with their defences, the social worker is ought to recognise the threats that both Mark and Ken face in life and he will discuss the consequences and confusion of their feelings. The social worker would also find out how both Mark and Ken have already tried to resolve the conflicts before deciding either to look for other possible ways of dealing with it for example using sublimation or to modify the ways that they have already tried to use (Hollis, 1972). In regard to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice, it is helpful to devote the assessment within the framework or perspective of recognising the implication of structural and individuals oppressive practice which leads professionals into an authoritarian and rigidly discriminatory practice (Davis, ed., 2000:12,14 cited in Becket Maynard: 2005 p.158). This implies that during assessment, professionals are ought to listen and also respect and take into consideration the service users and carers views, choices, age, culture, religion and needs as this makes them feel valued and respected (Brandon, 1990: p.59 cited in Becket Maynard, 2005: p.158). Additionally, Payne (1997: p.89) advises that in professional relationship, social work values involve being tolerant to service users behaviour, promoting healthy client-social worker relationship, rather than personal emotional responses to service users needs. This may mean that professionals are ought to create professional instead of personal relationships with the service users which might negatively affect their independence and impartiality. Advantages of the psychodynamic theory The advantage of the psychodynamic theory in social work is that it recognises the impact of past painful life transactional processes and helps to create beneficial suspicions about them in relation to the current observable behaviours (Milner OByrne 2009). The psychodynamic theory also lays emphasis on modifying the ego through initiating good client-social worker relationship (Goldstein: 1984), thus improving peoples relationships within their environment (Payne 1997:80). The disadvantages of the psychodynamic theory. However, critics of the psychodynamic theory such as Dorfman (1998: P.70) contend that it is an andocentric theory. This implies that the psychodynamic theory is based on research that was done solely on males and then taken to mean all human behaviour which itself is a bias in favour of males and thus partial. Similarity and differences btn the psycho and eco theory. One of the similarities between the psychodynamic and the ecological theory is that both of them consider age and stage appropriateness of behaviour. While the psychodynamic theory takes into account the anal, oral and phallic stages of development, the ecological- transactional perspective views child development as a progressive sequence of age and stage -appropriate tasks in which success at each developmental level must co-ordinate and integrate with the environment and other issues such as emotion regulation, and formation of attachment relationships among others that emerge across the lifespan (Cicchetti and Valentiono 2006 p.143). Although these two theories do have the above similarity, they also have differences. For example, while the psychodynamic theory upholds the concept of the existence of the unconscious mind or awareness (Payne 1997), the ecological perspective focuses on the principle of interaction among the individuals and it also depicts individuals as existing in relation to others in the ecology (Reder and Duncan 1999 p.98-101). In relation to child abuse, Sidebotham et al (2002) argue that the psychodynamic models are deficient to give explanation in this regard and he calls for the use of the ecological models because they include a number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing, and parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse. Conclusion Given the complexity of the Banks family phenomena, the quest to explain the behaviour, predict the outcomes and formulate the hypothesis requires one to use theories otherwise; the assessment would be directionless and woolly. Therefore, this essay has used the psychodynamic and the ecological theory to discuss how an assessment would be done to support the Banks family. It has explored the ethical principle of anti-discriminatory and oppressive practice. It has also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each of them before identifying the similarity and the difference between them and it has given the complicity of human life, all theories work in a complimentary way to give social workers an eclectic understanding of issues in the phenomena with one theory helping to explain certain issues more clearly than the other. And in case of child maltreatment, the ecological models has been has had an advantage over the psychodynamic theory because it has holistically encompassed number of issues such as financial security, material benefits, housing , parents history among others which do have effects on the risk of child abuse.

Religion and Morality Essay

Morality as dependant on religion The idea of whether morality and religion are linked or not was first looked upon by Plato, where in his Euthyphro Dilemma he asks, ‘Is what is pious loved by the Gods because it is pious, or is something pious because it is loved?’ In other words he is questioning whether things are good because God commands them to be, or does God command them because they are good? I will first examine the view followed by theists today, that things are good because God loves them and that religion and morality are linked. There are a number of ways which you can establish a possible link between religion and morality, the first being heteronomously. Heteronomy is the view that morality depends on religious belief, or things derived from religion. The rules in heteronomous societies are from religious authority so will obviously be linked to religion, however a non-religious person is still capable of being heteronomous as they live and abide by the culture’s laws therefore adopting a morality based on religion. To a certain extent it is hard to deny aspects of heteronomy, since words like ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are shaped by religion. It would be hard to present an ethical theory free from these terms. A theonomous link can also be made, where morality and religion depend on one source (for example, in Western cultures God) who is the fundamental designer of what is moral. Unlike Heteronomy, Theonomy does not require a religious authority as it is to do with the individual’s personal belief in the aforementioned source. The Natural Law theory developed by Aquinas is considered theonomous, in which an uncaused cause is the creative source for all. We can access God directly in this theory by fulfilling our purposes in life set by Him at our creation. The view that things are good through God’s command is directly illustrated in The Divine Command Theory, the common theory adopted by believers in the God of Classical Theism. According to Emil Brunner (1947), ‘The Good consists in always doing what God wills at any particular moment’, as it essentially impossible for God to command an evil act. If nothing was commanded or forbidden by God then there would be no wrong or right and arguably, there would be chaos. The DCT can be seen to provide a strong foundation for a stable necessary morality to be built upon as well as personal reasons to abide by it. For example, taken from the views of Kant (although not directly aimed at the DCT) the belief in the existence of an afterlife gives us incentive to live a moral life, which we otherwise may not be able to force ourselves to do. The presence of such an afterlife, and the fear of punishment make it rational (According to William Craig) to go against your own self-interest for the benefit of others, as self-sacrificial acts are looked upon well by God. This provides more answers to the question ‘Why be Moral?’ The DCT can be accessed through the Decalogue in the Bible (Exodus 20, old Testament), which provides a set of ten absolute, deontological commands by God. Also through the New Testament in Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount’ where he makes laws much more situationalist with teachings such as ‘Love your neighbour’, which are flexible and apply to many situations. Finally, many theists argue that it does not make sense for morals to exist in a non-moral universe as there is nowhere they originate from, they don’t fit into a natural universe. They do however fit into a theistic universe where they were created by a moral creator (i.e God), it is then easy to see why they exist. This is supported by philosophers such as John Newman who states that feelings of responsibility and guilt point to God, and by D.I Trethowan, who suggests that an awareness of obligation is an awareness of God. Aii) Morality as independent from Religion A belief in morality as being totally independant from God is an autonomous belief, and there are many arguments in compliance with Autonomy, very much to do with the idea of free-will. If we really are to act with personal freedom of choice then we cannot act out of fear of God’s punishment, it totally voids the notion of free-will; and if God is omniscient and omnipotent he would know what decisions we are to make anyway and he would have the ability to stop us making the wrong ones. James Rachels concludes that no being like God can exist who requires us to abandon our moral autonomy is worth worshipping. There are theories in concurrence with Autonomy which allow still for a good, firm morality without dependency on religion such as Utilitarianism (greatest good for greatest number) so it can be said that religion is unnecessary There are many autonomous arguments against the DCT, beginning with the fact that God himself is not bound by any moral law. This would mean that God’s Ten Commandments could easily have been totally the opposite to what they are, encouraging acts like murder and we would still consider them to be good as God is the epitemy of good. This worrying problem was recognized by philosophers such as G.W Leibniz, who decreed, ‘Why praise him for what he has done, if he would be equally as praiseworthy if he had done the contrary?’ There is belief that if God had commanded acts such as murder, people still would not do them as we through our intuition feel they are intrinsically wrong. Another difficulty with the DCT lies in the many different interpretations which can be drawn from God. The existence of lots of different religions all with equal claim to God makes it very complicated as we cannot tell which one is right. Also, if morality depends on God then surely it would be impossible for an atheist to live a moral life, but this is obviously untrue as so many atheists do live morally. Further criticisms of the DCT stem from its assumption that God is omnibenevolent, a claim which is not easy to comprehend for the atheist because of the undeniable existence of evil. Lastly, many people argue that religion is itself immoral, as it is through religion that the most part of suicide bomb attacks, and other horrific acts are carried out. Examples could be drawn from the events in America involving the Twin Towers, or more recently the teacher in Sudan who is imprisoned for allowing a teddy to be named after the prophet Muhammad. If not for religion, these arguably ridiculous acts would never be justifiable. Hume said on the subject, ‘the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous. Richard Dawkins in ‘The God Delusion’, clearly advocates the theory that religion is immoral when he discusses the story of Lot. This ‘righteous’ man is to be saved from the destruction of Soddom and Gomorrah because he is the most worthy man, however he offers his daughters for gang rape. According to Dawkins this emphasizes the serious disrespect for women in an intensely religious culture. B) To what extent is one of these claims more convincing than the other Going back to the basics of the Divine Command Theory, there are 613 commands in the Bible which were originally in effect, but are not now because they are ‘outdated’, and theists argue that an omniscient God used them knowing they would be relevant for different times. These theists fail, however to a provide a logical explanation for why there is nothing in the Bible which can be related to biological advances such as cloning, an omniscient God should be capable of filling in these gaps in moral law. Furthermore, as Dawkins relevantly points out – how can someone decide that parts of the Bible are now irrelevant, this is just picking and choosing which parts are in your best interest to follow. This suggests that the Bible and therefore the DCT does not in fact provide a stable foundation for morality as there are numerous conclusions to be drawn from ‘relevant’ parts. It must also be taken into consideration that the Bible is not in its original form, through hundreds of years it has been composed and revised so (as put forward by Dawkins again) does it not seem strange that we base our whole morality on such a distorted teaching. Another feature of the DCT, is that everyone will be judged by God, punished for their sins, often in the form of natural disasters. People could say that the recent tsunami and Hurricane Katrina incidents were a form of punishment, but as Dawkins once again highlights, why did this have to happen? It is hard to believe that everyone who died in these disasters was evil, so why could our omnipotent God of Classical Theism not just strike down the individuals without causing so much collateral damage. Moreover, this persuasively further argues the immoral messages religion can be seen to give. Often, it is argued that the set in stone rules of the DCT inspire people to live a moral life out of the incentive of making it to heaven, and avoiding hell. This may be true, but does it not tarnish the goodness of an act when it is done out of selfish reason? Does it then make that act immoral? Yes it does, so it can then be said that the DCT again fails to provide a stable, reasonable basis for morality. These set in stone rules are also cause for discussion, as they are obviously inarguable to a Divine Command Theorist. To them, consequentialist views such as killing someone to save a greater number would undisputedly be wrong. Even if our intuition is what is telling us that defying a command is right, the believer in DCT would say it is our intuition at fault; They do, however fail to take into consideration that by their own decrees intuition is given to us by God to live morally, so why would we intuitively want to go against God? Dawkins’ arguments suggest that religion is responsible for the most part of evil in the world and his descriptions of people like terrorists as e.g. ‘Not psychotic; they are religious idealists who, by their own lights, are rational’ certainly make sense. However he makes it seem that no religious person has the capacity to do good, which can easily be refuted at the mere mention of the names Mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King. He also unsurprisingly doesn’t mention the likes of atheist like Stalin who birthed communism in Russia. Despite this, the majority of Dawkins views and the massive flaws in the DCT show the latter statement in the initial question (‘Is something good because God commands it, or does God command something because it is good?’) to be the most convincing of the two. Although the DCT offers a way for humanity to be good, religion itself harbors too many inconsistencies to base everything we stand for on.

Obama and Bush in the Iraq war Essay

On April 11, 1991, the Gulf war ended with a cease fire that was negotiated between the United States and its allies and Iraq. A policy of containment was maintained by the United States and its allies towards Iraq. This policy encompassed various economic sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, the enforcement by the United States and United Kingdom of Iraqi no flying zones and inspections to prevent Iraq from developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. In October 1998, the United States official policy toward Iraq became regime change with the enactment of the Iraqi liberation act. The act provided for the transition of Iraq to a democracy following the withdrawal of United Nations weapons inspectors. This legislation however did not correspond with the terms that were set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 which basically focused on weapons and weapons programs and made no mention of change of regime. The United States and the United Kingdom launched the Operation Desert Fox one month after the Iraq Liberation Act was passed. The rationale behind the campaign was to restrict the ability of Saddam’s government to produce chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. On the other hand, United States national security personnel hoped that the exercise would weaken Saddam’s grip on power. With the election of Bush as the United States president in 2000, the United States became actively inclined toward the policy of regime change in Iraq. The Republican’s campaign became prior to the elections called for complete implementation of Iraq Liberation Act and the ousting of Saddam. The invasion of Iraq may have been planned since the inauguration with the first National security meeting discussing the invasion (Hamilton, 2004). However, there are also claims that the National Security Council discussions were a continuation of Clinton’s administration’s foreign policy. However, little formal step was made by the Bush’s administration toward invasion despite its stated interest in liberating Iraq until the September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers. The rationale behind the invasion of Iraq after the 9/11 attacks has been questioned as there was little to suggest that Saddam had any cooperation with Al Qaeda. Shortly after the attack, President Bush announced the new war on terrorism which was backed by the doctrine of preemptive military action. Why Bush Started the War The Bush’s administration considered Saddam Hussein to be a major distraction and threat not only to American security but also to global peace. As such, the only way to guarantee the global stability and peace was by ousting Saddam’s regime. The administration believed that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction and thus rushed to conquer the country before they could fire any weapon. The administration also believed that Saddam was a major sponsor of terrorists and with the 9/11 attacks, the American people were thirsting for some form of action. The electorate of the United States was skillfully convinced that the best solution to the problem of terrorism was to get Saddam Hussein. As such, the main reason that was given by the Bush’s administration as a justification for the invasion was the Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Other reasons were that Saddam supported terrorism and held the people of Iraq captive. Another primary motive which was however not stated with regard to the invasion of Iraq was the consolidation of oil resources in Iraq (Holtzman, 2006). A report which was commissioned before the September attacks by Dick Cheney indicated unambiguously identifies Iraq as the main destabilizing influence to the flow of oil to the international markets from the Middle East. The report also indicated that Saddam had expressed a willingness to threaten to employ the oil weapon and to use his own export program to influence and manipulate oil markets. Iraq was a destabilizing influence to global oil flow from the Middle East and therefore United States military intervention was inevitable (Moore, 2004). Within the American grand design for the world, oil plays a major role. The Middle East id the only place that is capable of satisfying the demand for oil as it contains the world’s largest reserves. An increase in the demand for oil was conceived by the Bush administration as inevitable, and Iraq was a stumbling block. The invasion was thus necessary for the United States to guarantee its energy needs. By securing a strategic position in the Gulf region through establishing a friendly and compliant government in Iraq, the United States will not only manage check the OPEC but also influence the conduct of other global powers. Why Obama is against the war According to Obama, Iraq’s invasion without any clear rationale and without strong international support had the capacity to lead to instability not only in Iraq but also in the Middle East (Ambinder, 2007). The invasion, according to him, would fuel sectarian warfare. The Sunnis, having been empowered by Saddam, were likely to discover that they were the targets of Shia radicals who sought for revenge for the way that they were treated and power to control Iraq’s future. Iraq’s insurgency will thus be inspired, not only by the desire to kill the Americans but also by the ambition to be in power when the United States leaves. Obama also opposed the war because he envisioned a situation whereby the attacks would increase leading to the death of more American young people. The difference between Obama and Bush with regard to Iraqi war became clear in 2007. The year marked a critical turning point in the war in Iraq. It was during this period that Iraq sunk into a state of savage sectarian chaos with three thousand civilians dying every month. It was also during this period that the American people lost hope in the war and were thus prepared to bring the troops back to America. However, instead of letting the soldiers go back to America, a move that was favored by both Republicans and Democrats, Bush ordered a troop surge to ease the violence, suppress al Qaeda in Iraq and set the stage for political reconciliation. Obama had much to say concerning this issue, predicting that the surge would not be effective (Stone, 2009). Obama was not convinced that the twenty thousand additional troops would not solve the sectarian violence in Iraq. According to him, the effect will instead be reversed (Obama, 2002). This move, in his view, would not solve the long term political strife between the ethnic and religious groups in Iraq. Obama believed that strategic defense is a much more preferable approach to the entire war, an idea that many people seem to agree with. He opposed the war on the premise that the United states did not know how much it was going to cost, what the exit strategy would be and how the invasion itself will affect the relationship of the United States with the rest of the world. Again, he doubted the soundness of the American intelligence and held that capturing Bin Laden ought to have been the priority. Obama felt that because Al Qaeda had not been put to rest, it may act as distraction. Obama conceived of the invasion of Iraq unwise use of the military. According to him, the invasion brought more problems than solutions as more and more money was being used, more American soldiers were being killed and Al Qaeda had grown stronger. With regard to the reduction of the surge due to the deployment of more troops, Obama felt that it the reduction of violence was mainly as a result of the sacrifice by the soldiers. According to Obama, the Bush administration’s judgment concerning the length of the war, the conception of America by the Iraqis as the liberator and the view that there was no history of violence between the Shiite and the Sunni were all wrong. Obama referred to the war in Iraq as a dangerous distraction. His view is that central front in the war on terror was never Iraq but the terrorist themselves. As such, his position is that the terrorists should be attacked directly. His new strategy has therefore been to directly fight Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His first priority has been to end the war in Iraq as he had opposed it from the onset. With his position that the war in Iraq was unnecessary, Obama has made it his responsibility to redeploy the United States combat troops that propel Iraqi leaders toward a political solution, rebuild the military and refocus on Afghanistan and broader American security interests. His plan is to remove the combat brigades from Iraq by 2010 and to send additional combat brigades to Afghanistan. The worth of Iraqi war Assessing the worth of Iraq war requires that one reflects upon whatever would have happened in the Bush administration would have not gone to war in March 2003. There is no secret concerning the things that have gone wrong ever since the United States invaded Iraq but it cannot also be assumed that everything would have gone right if the United States had not invaded Iraq. It is a fact that there was a heavy casualty which does not go well with the American public. However, there is need to address what the alternative to war would have meant. Many people agree that Saddam was not the best leader. Other individuals like Madeleine Albright compared him to Hitler, a comparison that cannot be far from the truth in many respects. Saddam had contempt for human life, killing thousands of his own citizens beside threatening and butchering his neighbors. It may therefore be argued that removing such a man from power was worth some sacrifice. A more intriguing question is however whether the failure of the United States to go to war with Iraq in 2003 would have produced a lasting peace or would have postponed war. It may be said that Saddam would have pushed toward confrontation and war regardless of what might have been done. He brutally and patiently pushed his way to power in Iraq after which he impatiently and brutally made himself the dominant figure in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. In all these instances, he employed war and the threat of war as his principal tools. In short, Saddam was in every conceivable way a threat not only to his people but also to world peace. However, some individuals have argued that even though Saddam posed a threat to world peace and stability, he would have been contained through sanctions and no-fly zones which would have acted as deterrence (Hunt, 2008). This argument was advanced even before the war even with the belief that he had weapons of mass destruction. For the majority of Americans, the question of whether the war was worth fighting revolves around whether the weapons of mass destruction were recovered or not. However, the major issue is whether Saddam could have been contained. Even though the war in Iraq has remained unpopular, the Iraqi people can claim some success with regard to the introduction of democracy. With the help of the United States, the Iraqi people have been successful in establishing the first Arab democracy. This is a major achievement with regard to the war on terror and for the purpose of liberty. The different ethnic and religious groups can now work together in a national army. They have made important steps in repossessing their country from the insurgents that have invaded their homeland. The Iraqi troops are solely responsible for clearing the Basra and Sadr City. The oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein was ousted. Conclusion The main difference between Obama and Bush on Iraq war lies in the objective of the invasion. The bush’s administration saw it as a war against terrorism while Obama felt that there were better ways of fighting terrorism rather than invading Iraq. A sensible argument for the invasion was not that Saddam was about to attack anyone with a nuclear bomb. It was that the preservation of containment would nit have been indefinite and that Saddam was defying the international community repeatedly and that this defiance seemed to both the Clinton and Bush administration to be succeeding gradually. It may therefore be argued that if the Bush administration would have not gone to war then the United States would have faced a more daring and dangerous Saddam Hussein. References Ambinder, M. (2007, April 21). Obama’s Iraq evolution. National Journal, 39(16), 79-80. Retrieved on March 29, 2009 from EBSCO host database. Hamilton, W. (2004, April 17). Bush began to plan war three months after 9/11. The Washington Post, p. A01. Holtzman, E. (2006). The impeachment of George W. Bush; A handbook for concerned citizens, New York: Nation Books. Hunt, T. (2008. March 18). Bush: Iraq war worth it. The Huffington Post, Moore, J. (2004). Bush’s war for reelection: Iraq, the White House, and the people. John Wiley Obama, B. (2002, October). 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