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Essay on Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural
Essay on Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural
Analysis of a slave narrative
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When the analysis of slavery by Charles Darwin and John Locke are brought forth, both share a common stance excluding one solitary indisposition. For John Locke’s view, though similar in nature, portrays from a hypocritical perspective. Although both exemplify their views on equality, Charles Darwin observes slaveries position in nature, while John Locke observes its position as a mean of punishment. Charles Darwin is a devout abolitionist, such views may have portrayed his writings of evolution. For his beliefs revolve around universal common decent, his theory that all races and species derived from a similar ancestor. A theory that developed during his study of Galapagos Finches, where he found that the beaks of thirteen different Finches, though closely related, are suited solely to the food in such species environment: an adaption of natural selection. Although, Darwin’s observation of Galapagos Finches impacted his opposition on slavery, it had no comparison to the Beagle Voyage. For when he set sail off the coast of Brazil he illustrated his sorrow writing, “I thank God, I shall never again visit a slave-country. To this day, if I hear a distant scream, it recalls with painful vividness my feelings, when passing a house near Pernambuco, I heard the most pitiable moans, and could not but suspect that some poor slave was being tortured, yet knew that I was as powerless as a child even to remonstrate. I suspected that these moans were from a tortured slave, for I was told that this was the case in another instance” (Darwin 496). This is not a dispute that the scientific observation in which Charles Darwin examined in the Galapagos Islands does not affect his views in on slavery, but that his personal views may have p... ... middle of paper ... ... history shall be discouraged. Often forcing him to not categorize species into higher and lower forms of life, but seeing people as equal common ancestors. After considering both oppositions on slavery, it is with ease to state that the ideals of Charles Darwin demonstrate the true rights of the people, with his simple view that all people were created equally. Thus illustrating that the views of John Locke are hypocritical in nature, for he believes in equality, but only when it is involved directly with the punishment of an individual. Works Cited Darwin, Charles, and David Quammen. On the Origin of Species. New York: Sterling, 2008. 349. Print. Darwin, Charles. The Voyage of the Beagle. New York: Harper, 1959. 496. Print. Locke, John. Two Treaties of Government. New York: Legal Classics Library, 1994. 15+. Print.
Zhao, Buyun. "Charles Darwin & Evolution." Charles Darwin & Evolution. Christ's College, 2009. Web. 04 May 2014.
For Edmund S. Morgan American slavery and American freedom go together hand in hand. Morgan argues that many historians seem to ignore writing about the early development of American freedom simply because it was shaped by the rise of slavery. It seems ironic that while one group of people is trying to break the mold and become liberated, that same group is making others confined and shattering their respectability. The aspects of liberty, race, and slavery are closely intertwined in the essay, 'Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox.'
Bowler, Peter J. Evolution: The History of an Idea. London: University of California Press, 1989.
Darwin: A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition ; ed. by Philip Appleman; copyright 1979, 1970 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
1. First of all, John Locke reminds the reader from where the right of political power comes from. He expands the idea by saying, “we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit.” Locke believes in equality among all people. Since every creature on earth was created by God, no one has advantages over another. He makes a strong suggestion by saying, “that creatures of the same species and rank, should also be equal one amongst another, without subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another, and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty.” For people to confirm the state of Nature, a law is set that obliges people to follow and consult it. The Law of Nature brings many things that need to be followed by each person. Locke describes the law’s consequences if not obeyed by saying, “the execution of the law of Nature is in that state put into every man’s hands, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such a degree as may hinder its violation.” Every law is fair and equal to every person. As you have equal rights, you may also be punished equally if you don’t obey it.
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe”( Douglass). This famous quote epitomizes the philosophies of Frederick Douglass, in which he wanted everyone to be treated with dignity; if everyone was not treated with equality, no one person or property would be safe harm. His experience as a house slave, field slave and ship builder gave him the knowledge to develop into a persuasive speaker and abolitionist. In his narrative, he makes key arguments to white abolitionist and Christians on why slavery should be abolished. The key arguments that Frederick Douglass tries to vindicate are that slavery denies slaves of their identity, slavery is also detrimental for the slave owner, and slavery is ungodly.
In many ways Hobbes and Locke’s conclusions on man and society create a polarizing argument when held in comparison to each other. For instance the two make wildly conflicting assertions concerning mankind’s capacity to foster and achieve organized society. Hobbes asserts humans cannot be trusted to govern themselves lest they fall into war and chaos; Locke, on the other hand concludes almost the exact opposite. Despite the polarity in each man’s train of thought, both philosophies share a common ancestor: a state defined by total equality where no human is superior or holds dominance over another. Although this is the base of both theories, it is the only similarity between the two. This commonality can be illustrated when tracing each argument deductively from their conclusions, the comparison reveals that the heaviest and most base opposition in each mans philosophy is his assertions regarding the nature of human beings.
Furthermore, Locke's passion for morality is also seen in his interpretation of the social contract. We see that Locke's ideas in freedom of life, liberty, and property have formed the basic morals of past and current governments. One of Edwards's morals that have been seen throughout American history is the infinite sovereignty of G...
...that must thereby emerge. Hobbes successfully defends that economic inequality is simultaneously a consequence of his definitions and a cause for the commonwealth. He does support that economic inequality is moral assuming the existence of money and market exchange. His views of original appropriation are not contested by this inequality, but rather developed and made relevant. Locke never requires original appropriation to be equal; he simply requires that each man gets what he needs to survive and that nothing is wasted. The more profound result of the system Locke describes is the ability of man to increase efficiency and productivity as a result of this inequality. Any inequality is a result of some men being more productive than others. Locke derives property directly from the state of nature to explain how its inequality is unavoidable and not harmful.
When looking at the bigger picture, it is evident that it is John Locke who has the better understanding of the topic, his outlook on man includes the same principles that we are taught since birth today; that we are all equal, that no man is greater than another, and we all have natural rights. Unlike Hobbes, Locke did not view man as being born with a set agenda that is self-serving and evil, one only has to look at the good that there is in the world today to realise that we are not born with this pre-conceived notion. Instead, Locke saw the potential in the human species, a potential that had gone unseen by Hobbes as he did not view man as being born with a clean slate with no emotions engrained.
Both Aristotle's “Politics” and Jean Jacques Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality address the natural right and superiority of man and his subsets. In his piece, Aristotle discusses the emotional feeling of superiority, while Rousseau discusses the more logistic aspects. Together, their writing begs the question of the morality of slavery. Aristotle seems more willing to accept slavery as a natural creation by humans, however, in the end both of their pieces show the immorality and abnormality of slavery.
Locke believes that everyone is born as a blank slate. According to Locke there is no innate human nature but human nature is something we create. And because we are born as an equal blank slate all men have the opportunity to create human nature therefore Locke believed all men are created equal. Unlike Bentham Locke believed that government needed to take a step back and allow for each individual to have the right to three things: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The Governments role should not be in dictating people what to do but to allow individuals to their three
Mayr, Ernst. Populations, Species, and Evolution: An Abridgment of Animal Species and Evolution. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1970.
Evolution and The Origin of Species. (2013). In Biology (OpenStax College ed., pp. 485-510). Houston: Rice
- Hyman, Stanley Edgar. Darwin For Today. New York: The Viking Press, 1963, p. 252.