The Responsibilities of an Individual
Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote 'The Social Contract', published in 1762
and from which the passage for this TMA is taken. He was against the
monarchy's 'Divine Right' to rule and believed that the People, or
sovereignty, had to be the legislative authority and obey the law
because they felt they should not because they are forced to. 'When as
'subjects', we obey society's laws, we 'the people', are really only
just obeying ourselves as sovereign 'citizens''1.
Rousseau believed that the people, under general will, would vote for
laws they believed necessary and would be incapable of breaking them
because they deemed these laws morally correct. As all people are
members of the state they share sovereign power by means of voting.
Therefore when a law is proposed, it is the decision of the general
will, i.e. the majority of the people, whether it is accepted or
rejected. Because individuals do not vote for their personal advantage
but for the good of the people, if their individual opinion is in the
minority they accept that they would not be free because their opinion
would not be the general will, which is what they want. For this type
of state to survive, it must be small enough for everyone within it to
take part in the decision-making, all issues must be fully discussed
without any interference from outside and each individual must
exercise their social conscience. To achieve this social freedom
people would have to abandon personal freedom, which would be very
difficult as they are instinctively selfish.
"The Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies of his Sons" is a painting
by Jacques-Louis...
... middle of paper ...
...mself
before anything else. I suggest that people have a right to live as
they wish so long as it is within the principles and laws of the
society or state in which they live. No individual's rights within
that society can override the rights of the society as a whole, whilst
any changes to the laws must be made as a group in a consensual and
democratic way. Individuals have a responsibility to respect and
nurture the rights of others whilst the society in which they live
also has a responsibility to protect their rights to freedom within
that society.
Bibliography
1. Introducing Rousseau, Dave Robinson and Oscar Zarte, Icon Books pub
2001, p 85.
2. Internet - firstclass.swil.ocdsb.on.ca May 2004
3. Internet - WebMuseum, Paris, May 2004
4. Introduction to Humanities, OU, Block 3, Unit 12, p188
d by agreement in the court of appeals. By applying principles to the conflicting laws, the judge is able to make the greatest social advancements by both punishing for actions causing harm and also giving hint that his honest intentions did not go unnoticed and such intentions should be upheld in society. Looking at the case R.V.Machekequonabe, it is a prime example of conflicting rules. It is always difficult to decide which rule should be followed and which should be rejected, especially in cases where cultural upbringing plays such a major role.
his own life how he wishes, even if it will damage health or lead to
Devane, D., Gates, S., Hatem, M., Sandall, J., Soltani, H., (2009), Midwife-led versus other models of care for childbearing women (Review), 3
The decisions of the group is governed by a vote, majority of the votes wins the dispute. If in any case there should be an even number of votes on both sides of the decision, a conference is held where all members must speak their mind on why the decision they chose is correct. If the decision remains at a 50/50 vote,
Personal responsibility is the idea that people have full control over their actions. Things like basic health and hygiene can be seen as personal responsibility because they are actions that are carried out independently. In my life, I don’t have to shoulder responsibilities all by myself because my sister helps me balance things out. Although I am still solely responsible for the outcome of my decisions, it is easier for me to act reasonable with help by my side. Personal responsibility to me is the act of taking care of yourself while owning up to any mistakes you made.
Our modern world is focused on unimportant things such as celebrities and their eating disorders. Whatever happened to close-knit communities focusing on neighbors and their families? Although individuals may not seem important when blended into a crowd, each person is a puzzle piece to the community.
The concept analysis of autonomy will be analyzed according to the Walker and Avant method of concept analysis. Walker and Avant (2005) present a strategy for analyzing concepts in a comprehensive manner to present new theories and a common definition for different concepts. The current as well as historical meaning is an important aspect to analyze the concept of autonomy, as one must understand how one simple four syllable word grew into such a powerful concept. Definitive attributes drawn from the concept mapped for future use as well as case study as outlined by Walker and Avant (2005). The necessary attributes are then plugged into model, borderline, related and contrary cases so that full concept involvement and understanding is determined. Antecedents as well as consequences of the concept are also discussed for positive and negative connotations can clarify the meaning of the concept of autonomy. Finally the empirical referents of actual phenomena can be realized as Walker and Avant (2005) strive to explain and simplify the concept analysis.
“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” Responsibility is a big part I am at college and have a job here today which a reason for everyone but for me that didn’t sit in till freshman year of high school I was care free until football. What I had to do was to work together on the field also in the classroom or I would let the team down. Our coach always told us there is teamwork, hard work, and respectful will follow us around for the rest of your life that’s what we are going to learn. I would have to say looking back on it I definitely learn those things from what I did make a better person I would have to thank him for that too.
laws made by others in our society, and decide whether or not the laws we make
of the country, many wanted to abide not only by the law but also by
Certain statements made by Pope John Paul II in his commentary on the lasting significance of the papal encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” resonate in a highly spiritual plane, others a highly earthly one, and others in both at once. I would posit that this integrated place is of utmost significance to a sound doctrine of social justice in society, with which both documents are highly concerned. The current pope most clearly states the intertwining of the spiritual and physical needs of the human being when he says that “the Church's social teaching is itself a valid instrument of evangelization ” and “reveals man to himself” (John Paul II, 78). Like Pope John Paul II, I understand the social doctrine of the Church as more than an opportunity to show others how good God is and how much they need the spiritual salvation that comes from this same God's goodness. I believe in God's goodness, God is content to care for God's created and beloved children through fostering the practice of justice and peace as integral threads in the tapestry of all ...
A major impediment of the common is the tendency to lead to perpetuity of bad decisions once a precedent has been set. If there is no amendment and the same ruling is applied, that bad decision will be subsist and will be perpetuated. Since the common law system revolves around following antecedents, it usually takes a long while for change to occur. Unfortunately, before this change is effected, the bad decision will be upheld as long as the change does not come into effect. This is one area where the codified system of law has an advantage as it is rules based approach to law making designed to provide a comprehensive code of laws for the area in question.
When you hear the word “responsibility,” many people automatically think blame. From my perspective responsibility refers to our capability to make decisions that serve our own interests and the interests of others. We first need to be responsible for ourselves before we can be responsible for others. I think of responsibility as grasping what is in front of you, exerting choice, and taking control. However, the real meaning of responsibility is the ability to respond. It is going out and creating what you want through personal choices. The responsibility that each of us has is that we are completely, 100% responsible for how our lives turn out. Being responsible involves having a good sense of morals and values and displaying positive traits
As a social worker, there are many responsibilities and obligations that come with the job. We have the obligation to protect the human rights of our client’s. We also have the responsibility to abide in an ethical manner. There are many grey areas in the social work and the code of ethics helps guide social workers to promote well-being and meet the needs for people. All though many professions follow similar ethical practices and promote human rights what sets us apart is are needed to promote social justice.
One of the biggest areas of study in the class looks at the self. There are many situations that cause individuals to act differently. One of the biggest and repetitive is how individuals act in a fraternity house. No matter the gender, everyone acts very different in these houses then they would at church. Mead, Goffman and Hochschild look at the self through different lenses but they conclude that there is a lack of self. Everyday people conform to societies many situation which dictates individual’s actions while continuously stripping them of their own self.