Tartuffe, Swift and Voltaire in His Own
In his own way, Moliere's Tartuffe represents one aspect of the Enlightenment, if only a negative one, since he is a purely self-interested individual who cares only about advancing his own wealth and status. He is a fraud, a con artist and a hypocrite who puts on a show of religion but is really only interested in stealing Orgon's estate—and his wife. Orgon is too foolish to understand this until the end, although his wise and cunning servant Dorine understands Tartuffe's intentions almost immediately. In this case, the uneducated servant is far more intelligent and clever than her master, who even seems callously indifferent to the illness of his wife.
Conversion therapy: practices, efficacy, and ethical concerns
Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a pseudoscientific therapy that purports to be able to change the sexual orientation of a person (American Psychological Association, February 2008). It is controversial since it has had a long history of not only being largely unsuccessful in changing the sexual orientation of the person but also because it has frequently eventuated into depression.
For that reason, California recently came out with a law banning conversion therapy for teenagers and children (Buchanan, 2012), but this decision has had both its proponents and critics. Proponents argue that the bill is long in order; critics argue that it has helped some people (sometimes including them). People should have a choice regarding whether or not they wish to change their sexual orientation, and the government cannot interfere with that privacy. This essay examines both sides of the story.