1,867 words

Sinclair's socialist critique and exaggerated portrayal in The Jungle

Updated Sinclair's novel, The Jungle, is a worthwhile piece of literature that can contribute to the understanding of human development within the last century. It is a story of an immigrant family who experiences incredibly difficult and trying hardships in early 20th-century America.

~10 min read

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466 words

Tocqueville's theory of press freedom applied to modern social media

Tocqueville's Democracy in America provided a useful interpretation of American and American values in the early to mid 19th century.

~3 min read

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1,125 words

International law violations in "The Road to Guantanamo"

The docudrama, the Road to Guantanamo, the 2006 film by Matt Whitecross and Michael Winterbottom provided a unique look at the complexities and difficulties of enforcing international cooperation.

~6 min read

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2,199 words

Personal growth in reading and writing through academic discourse

The required reading felt daunting and it seemed like the expectations put upon students were rather high. I remember having the impression that a lot of my learning would entail simply memorizing and regurgitating facts and ideas. I had concerns about the amount of writing expected of us.

~11 min read

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1,026 words

Kantian and utilitarian perspectives on euthanasia and assisted suicide

Euthanasia has been a hotly debated topic, off and on, for several decades. Public opinion was enflamed by the case of Dr. Kevorkian, in which the doctor claimed to be helping people claim their right to a dignified death.

~6 min read

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1,883 words

Harriet Tubman's roles beyond the Underground Railroad conductor

Harriet Ross Tubman Davis (c. 1822 -- 1913) was best known for her role as a conductor on the Underground Railroad prior to and during the American Civil War (Sernett 22).

~10 min read

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1,040 words

Self-interest and fear as fundamental human motivations

Philosophers and psychologists have argued endlessly about the forces that motivate a person most since the earliest time of recorded history.

~6 min read

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1,056 words

Nuclear proliferation debate: Sagan versus Waltz on deterrence

The apparent anti-proliferation approach of the George W. Bush Administration to nuclear and other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) seems to coincide with the perspective of Scott Sagan in The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate, as opposed to the deterrence perspective of his co-author, Kenneth…

~6 min read

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1,021 words

Unsupported assumptions in arguments about God's existence and goodness

Arguments, both for and against the existence and "goodness" of God as outlined in the readings fall short of convincing because they are based in unsupported assumptions. Chief among these assumptions is the definition of evil and good; and a narrow construction of pain, suffering, and death.

~6 min read

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3,156 words

American support for capital punishment: demographics and arguments

Like abortion, the institution of capital punishment is a very divisive topic. The line dividing the supporters and opponents of capital punishment is variably drawn across political philosophies, race, sex and religion.

~16 min read

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