French Revolution Timeline Essay

What was the meeting of the Estate General? The estates General met very seldom. Their last meeting was in 1614. The Estates General met back in 1789 in Versailles. They met back because government was in a serious crisis. France was bankrupt and Louis XVI needed the Estates General opinion on what to do next. What was the importance of The Meeting of the Estates General? The importance of the Meeting of the Estates General was to give Louis XVI some judgement on what to do next for the debt that France has to pay. Louis XVI, new director the treasury. Jacques Necker hoped that the meeting of the Estates General would help France raise some money. In hope of the Estates General siding with the king gave the Estates General the power to change taxes. The Estates General did not agree with the king. Tennis court Oath: June 1789 What was the Tennis Court Oath? A pledge made by the Third Estate of the Estates General at the Royal Tennis Court that states that they will continue to meet until France has a new form of government. What was the importance of the Tennis Court Oath? Louis backed down and had all three estates in the Estates General. It was one-step closer to winning the French Revolution. Storming of the Bastille: 1789 What was the Storming of the Bastille? On July 14, 1789, a great mob attacked the royal prison known as the â€Å"Bastille.† There were 7 prisoners that were released. The mob cut off the head of the governors and paraded through the streets. What was the importance of the Storming of the Bastille? The fall of the Bastille frightened Louis to agreeing to send his solders away. The citizens formed a new army called the â€Å"National Guard† to keep order in Paris. The Great Fear: 1789 What was the Great Fear? The great fear was when peasants began to feel that the king’s soldiers and the aristocrats would stop the revolution. These feeling resulted to the â€Å"Great Fear.† The peasants stormed the chà ¢teau of the aristocrats. They burned down the chà ¢teaux, killed hundreds of people, invaded their offices and burned feudal obligations to their lords. What was the importance of the Great Fear? The split of the revolution spread wildly to the countrysides, and serfs rose up and fought to end the feudal system. Women’s March: October, 1789 What was the Women’s March? The Women’s March was hundreds of women marching to Versailles because of food crisis and they think that the government needed to come to Paris instead of being isolated in Versailles. What was the importance of the Women’s March? The importance of the Women’s March was to get the queen and king to come back to Paris and solve their crisis or troubles involving women declaring for women’s rights. National Assembly pass laws: 1789 What laws were passed by the National Assembly? The laws that the National Assembly passed were: †¢ Abolished all feudal rights, privileges, and ended serfdom. †¢ Passed the Declaration of the Rights of man and the citizen. What was the importance of these laws? The importance of these laws was: †¢ Feudal rights allowed royalty to take advantage of the serfs. This ended. †¢ Gave basic human needs to the everyday citizens. Monarchy tries to Escape/ Monarchy Overthrown: 1791 How did the Monarchy try to escape? How was the Monarchy overthrown? In 1791, the queen, king and children tried to escape from the country to bring back the monarchy. The royal family was recognized and arrested so Louis was forced to accept the constitution and was tried for his crimes and guillotined on January 21, 1793. What was the importance of overthrowing the Monarchy? A republic began known as the Reign of Terror, which happed from 1793 to 1794. it was the end of monarchy. King Louis XVI is guillotined/ Republic is established: 1793 Who is responsible for guillotining King Louis? Jean-Paul Marat, Jacques Danton, and Maximilien Robespierre were the radical leaders of the revolution they sent the king to trial and had him executed. Robespierre was ordered to guillotine King Louis in 1793. Who established a Republic? What is a Republic? The Radicals established a Republic and a republic is a country lead without a monarch. Reign of Terror: 1793-94 What was the Reign of Terror? †¢ The trial and execution of the king. †¢ The government passed down harsh laws to anyone who disagreed with the Jacobins. †¢ 37,000 people were guillotined for standing up against the government. Why was the Reign of Terror important? It was important because complete reorganization of the armed forces, and new legislation was passed to regulate business. All granaries and hackneys placed under control. Fall of Robespierre: 1793-94 What happened to Robespierre and why? Robespierre’s downfall was that while trying to create a democratic government he instead became a dictator. He caused a lot of bloodshed, the â€Å"Reign of Terror,† and when he tried to condemn those who were against him, he was condemned because he, himself turned into a ruler like that of an absolute monarchy instead of democracy. What is important about the end to Robespierre? After he was gone, the â€Å"Reign of Terror† was over and the rule of the Directory began. People began to realize that a good government isn’t just non-monarchy. Directory Meets: 1794 What was the Directory? The directory was a new government that was controlled by middle class. It was formed and replaced Robespierre. Why was the forming of the Directory important? It was important because they replaced Robespierre, however only classes with money could vote and elect members to government to equality was gone.

History of forensic medicine Essay

The necessity of understanding the reasons why a loved one suddenly becomes missing, his/her whereabouts difficult to trace and the difficulty of establishing the probability of that person’s survival is one of the many realities of families today. Should threats actually pose on a person’s life or the missing member left traces of his/her whereabouts are stuffs that not only fill the minds of those who are after detective stories; these are matters that provide meaning and hope for those families and individuals with real, missing loved ones. The popularity of shows on television such as CSI and police crime stories in a weekly slot has virtually lined almost all of networks around the globe. Films and theaters make sure they profit and usually they do whenever they strike the old formula of suspense and crime. Embedded in these formats is the dependable work of forensic medicine and the people behind it. It is no wonder that many children and adolescents today list the job of a forensic specialist as one of their ambitions. Purpose of the Paper Forensic medicine is a distinct discipline dedicated to accomplish the ultimate which is to solve crimes and prevent, limit or reduce its occurrence with the application of a wide-ranging field of sciences in response to inquiries in relation to the legal set-up. It utilizes scientific methods and the application of pharmacology and other related schemes in the pursuit of justice. Basically derived from the time of the Romans when both the accused and the accuser are given their day in â€Å"court† to present their speeches to persuade the court of the issues of their cases; today, an intricate system of a combination of knowledge from different sectors is used to achieve the purposes of the legal system. It uses modern technology and the expertise of behavioral sciences in law enforcement. Myths have been built around notorious serial killers and rightly so, because many of those who perpetrate such heinous activities manage to cause people to tremble just by hearing stories about their â€Å"exploits. Many were astounded by such names or tags as â€Å"BTK† and others like him who tried to carve their names in history though rather infamously. More modern types in the likes of Ted Bundy for instance and the â€Å"happy face† killer still evoke fear as well amazement that such people do exist. What was more amazing though is that they had been caught and that the breakthrough of forensic medicine in the early years to its modern developments had made the capture more successful and a credit to the science. In the case of jack the Ripper, he was popularized in London many years ago, around 1880, when this man started to murder prostitutes in the East End portion of this metropolis. He was never caught and his identity remained clouded in mystery. But the details as to the methods of his killing (or ripping) and whether he reaped them or not (his victims) became known only when the developments that had brought forensic medicine to the forefront started to become available (Barbee, 2006). The paper is written to explain, enlighten where forensic medicine is today and where it started. With the view that many of high profiled cases were solved due to the advances in the field which includes computer and digital forensics, use of forensic analysis tools of all kinds i. e. , sampling techniques, and a host of other manners of gathering evidence, the author seeks to establish the history of forensic medicine in precis. Problem Statement The literature today is rich to provide an enthusiast and serious student of the field with sufficient information concerning the issue on how this particular discipline emerged. It therefore seeks to answer the following question: What is forensic medicine and what are the major developments that helped established its place in the legal system? Basing on that primary inquiry, the following are the paper’s sub-problem statements: o How is forensic medicine defined? o What are the developmental milestones significant in the understanding of the discipline? o What are the current medical and scientific breakthroughs that are being employed in the application of forensic medicine? o What are its successes in terms of accomplishments as solving such high profiled crimes as BTK and insights into the legendary Jack the Ripper? What are its failures and the deficiencies in the system that needs to be improved and addressed? Definition of Terms Forensic medicine is a distinct science that â€Å"involves the principles and techniques that identify evidence at a crime scene† (UKTV people, 2007). Crime scene investigation refers to the protocol that peopl e in the uniform employs whenever a crime occurs such as the incidence of murder that brings the trained to examine the scene of the crime. The intention is to find traces or clues that might lead to the solution of the crime (UKTV people, 2007). DNA which represents the chemical Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the â€Å"chemical found in virtually every cell in the body and which carries genetic information from one generation to the next. When translated, this information determines our physical characteristics and directs all the chemical processes in the body† (UKTV people, 2007). Fingerprint evidence. â€Å"Fingerprint evidence rests on two basic principles: A person’s â€Å"friction ridge patterns† – the swirled skin on their fingertips – never change and no two people have the same pattern of friction ridges. † (UKTV people, 2007). Ballistics.  The science of ballistics is often a highly important element in finding out who did the â€Å"killing. † It deals with the motion, behavior and effects of bullets. Theoretical Framework ~On criminality: Factors contributing to the incidence This refers to the body of knowledge that provides a basis to the current understanding of the different facets of the field. There are various scientific viewpoints where criminality is concerned and its reduction and prevention as goals. The author attempts to discuss various theoretical perspectives as knowledge base for the strength of its proposition. Sociologists, in an attempt to explain and point out the reasons behind delinquency, have concluded that there are connections between specific youth behaviors with the home environment, family background, the neighborhood, associations, and many other aspects that together, or separately affect the formative years of young people’s social environment. Delinquent children usually come from a background of difficult circumstances. Parental alcoholism, poverty, breakdown of family, abusive conditions in the home, death of parents during armed conflicts or drug overdose, and the HIV/AIDS scourge, and etc. re some of the various reasons that can leave children virtually orphaned. One or both parents may be physically present, but because of irresponsibility on their part (if even one of them is addicted to drugs or alcoholic), a child may grow developing certain ways and attitudes that are directly/indirectly caused by the parent/s addiction or drug-related behavior. In this case, true delinquency lies on the parents; and the children are, in a way, orphaned or unaccompanied, and without any means of subsistence which, in the first place, the parents’ fundamental responsibility to provide. Generally, and increasingly, these children are born and/or raised without a father. They are first in the line of those who are at greatest risk of falling into juvenile delinquency. Without noticing it as it is typical of any youth to be lacking in prudence, with newly embraced group, the gang, a corresponding subculture starts to assimilate them, and before long, they start to engage in activities of adult criminal groups. It is usually after being engaged in criminal activities for an extended period of time with its accompanying consequences (such as ending up in prison or rehabilitation institutions for drug addicts) that delinquents realize they are into a very dangerous zone. A large portion of all juvenile violations (between two-thirds and three-quarters) are perpetrated by youths who are members of certain gangs (Venkatesh, 1997). Unlike in school and their family, these have no strict rules to be followed except loyalty to the group. It gives young people esteem when they somehow feel they are the â€Å"rule† in themselves. This is the lure of gangs. It gives the promise of fulfillment to would be delinquents. Popularity, access to the powerful figures on the streets, freedom to express one’s self, as well as easy flow of money (if the gang is also involved in some illegal activities such as drug dealings, which is common in most gangs) are seemingly within grasp of anybody who just have the guts to dare (OJJDP, Mar. 2003).

The development process in Sweden reflects the success and efficiency Essay

The development process in Sweden reflects the success and efficiency of the fiscal policies of the government - Essay Example The United Nations Development Program has developed several indicators to assess and analyze the economic and employment status of the various countries of the world. The HDI and the HPI are examples of the human development indicators that are developed to give a notion about a country’s economic variables, such as poverty, human development, and unemployment. However, those indicators are not fully informative because they sometimes disregard some of the important criteria of development. For example, an HDI or an HPI of a certain country may not take into account the economic gap between the various sectors of the society of that country. In other words, there may be discrepancy between human development indicators and other indicators of poverty distribution, such as the Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve. Thus, in this research paper, the development process in Sweden will be deeply analyzed, using the UNDP development indicators in addition to the other economic indi cators. In order for the analysis of development in Sweden to be clear and objective, it will be compared to the development processes in other countries, from various continents. ... , Africa, Central Europe and South Asia: Egypt Life expectancy at birth (years) (HDI), 2002 70.7 Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) (HDI), 2002 91.0 GDP per capita (PPP US$) (HDI), 2002 3,580 Education index 0.85 Human development index (HDI) value, 2002 0.735 HDI Rank 120 Human poverty index (HPI-1) Rank 20 Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) Value (%) 12.0 Paraguay Life expectancy at birth (years) (HDI), 2002 70.7 Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) (HDI), 2002 91.6 1 GDP per capita (PPP US$) (HDI), 2002 4,610 Education index 0.85 Human development index (HDI) value, 2002 0.751 HDI Rank 89 Human poverty index (HPI-1) Rank 15 Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) Value (%) 10.6 Mozambique Life expectancy at birth (years) (HDI), 2002 38.5 Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) (HDI), 2002 46.5 GDP per capita (PPP US$) (HDI), 2002 1,050 Education index 0.45 Human development index (HDI) value, 2002 0.354 HDI Rank 171 Human poverty index (HPI-1) Rank 89 Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) Value (%) 49.8 Sweden : Life expectancy at birth (years) (HDI), 2002 80.0 Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) (HDI), 2002 .. 1 GDP per capita (PPP US$) (HDI), 2002 26,050 Education index 0.99 Human development index (HDI) value, 2002 0.946 HDI Rank 2 Human poverty index (HPI-2) Rank 1 Human poverty index (HPI-2) Value (%) 6.5 Thailand Life expectancy at birth (years) (HDI), 2002 69.1 Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) (HDI), 2002 92.6 GDP per capita (PPP US$) (HDI), 2002 7,010 Education index 0.86 Human development index (HDI) value, 2002 0.768 HDI Rank 76 Human poverty index (HPI-1) Rank 22 Human Poverty Index (HPI-1) Value (%) 13.1 Therefore, from the above tables, one can get an idea about some important development indicators, such as GDP, life expectance, and adult illiteracy.

Film Forbidden Games Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Film Forbidden Games - Movie Review Example From the destruction caused by the war, and out of the ashes of the concentration camps as well as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is not surprising that the philosophy known as Existentialism became a significant force. Not only philosophers but also artists in different disciplines saw mankind as lost, 'thrown' from grace into a graceless universe which no longer gave purpose and meaning to existence. In the pale, death-like faces of concentration camp survivors one recognized the fragility of human life, realized how inconsequential - ineffective - the individual was against the monstrousness of the Totalitarian State which Hitler and his National Socialists - Germany - had created. And, if the barbarism of the Final Solution and the cataclysmic destruction in Japan could happen, if human beings could imagine and create these infamies, where was God in the Universe Where was a moral center In his 1954 film Forbidden Games, Rene Clement and his screenwriters depict the effect of war's barbarity on a little girl whose parents have been killed as they were fleeing from the city. The girl, Paulette, is taken in by a family of peasant farmers and develops a close relationship with the family's young son, Michel. Their attempts to make sense of death become Clement's expression of an existentialist perspective; the children create a world that is not rational but which at least gives them a structure that has meaning to them. To an existentialist, the world has no meaning other than what we give it because no ultimate order or meaning exists outside of our own being, i.e. there is no a priori consciousness, as rationalist philosophers asserted. Human beings are 'thrown' into existence without having chosen it. They are cut adrift. Consequently, we make decisions based on what has meaning to us, not necessarily based on what might be considered rational. Though we try to avoid anxiety by being rational, an existentialist would insist that doing so only keep us from being free. Moreover, there is an aspect of Existentialism that considers humans and the world absurd; with no external purpose or meaning, our attempts to create meaning are laughable because they are merely rationalizations and therefore futile - absurd. At the very beginning of Forbidden Games, Clement presents a scene that is almost an encapsulation of existentialism. Paulette is not the only one cast adrift. Hundreds if not thousands of people are fleeing the city, fleeing what is familiar to them in the face of what seems irrational, to escape its - and their - destruction by German bombers and fighter planes. But when her parents are killed, the girl is literally thrown into a world she did not choose. The death of her dog Jock further isolates her. Even when she is taken in and surrounded by the Dolle family her isolation is apparent. What ensues between Paulette and Michel becomes the heart of the film and oddly echoes The Grand

Social Contract Theory of John Locke Research Paper

Social Contract Theory of John Locke - Research Paper Example The US constitution includes the Bill of rights, which protects the freedom, liberty, and other rights of the individuals; at the same time, the constitution specifies the scope of authority of the President, the Judiciary, and the Congress. Thus, the constitution in its true sense in indeed a contract between the individuals and the state, whereby the natural laws of the individuals are intact and the state authority has been specified as well. Moreover, the criminal justice system also follows the principals of Locke`s social contract theory, as the system ensures that the rights and the belongings of individuals are protected, and, by collective submissiveness to law, all citizens empower the system to take punitive action against the violators. In this context, one can conclude that freedom leads to complete independence and liberation; however, as per the social contract, one also has to fulfill the duties and comply with ethical standards to obtain one`s own rights. Social cont ract is an intellectual, even political theoretical paradigm, which focuses on the origins of the society and the legitimacy of the state authority over the individuals of the state. The basic tenet of this theory implies that the individuals of the state have permitted the state to exercise power over them to protect their rights and freedoms; in other words, there is a social contract between the state and the individuals – the people will give authority to the government and, in turn, seek the protection of their natural laws. Different theorists have come up with their own versions of the theory, with the same basic assumptions but, however, with minute differences in the perspectives. Hugo Grotius (1625) gave the idea of the natural laws and argued that all individuals should comply with the moral and religious values to ensure that everyone receives their due share of rights. Thomas Hobbes has an important contribution to the development of the theory, as he suggested t hat a social contract resulted between individuals and the state due to the anarchy, which was the reason behind poor living conditions of the individuals. Rousseau, on the other hand, gave a different version of the theory, as he believed that the general will of the people should be considered for the social contract, as every person has the right to express his or her will – thus he aimed at attaining social contract not by collective will but rather by the general will of the individuals. However, Pierre-Joseph’s version of the social contract implies that the contract is a result of the individuals trying to avoid coercion from other individuals; he argued that the contract is a result of â€Å"†¦ An agreement with a man to a man...† (Morris, 1990). However, Locke`s form of social contract theory implies that the individuals would willingly form a state in an effort to protect their natural rights by virtue of the state, which would further be discusse d in detail. (Morris, 1990) John Locke is of the view that the natural law transcends all other man-made laws, and thus, to protect these natural laws, the individuals themselves willingly give authority to

History of Mathematics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of Mathematics - Essay Example For instance, with the use of sequence, one may be able to solve how many pairs of rabbits will be produced annually assuming that each pair reproduces a new pair monthly with the new pair becoming productive starting from the second month (Boyer & Merzbach 256). Furthermore, the sequence may be applied to phyllotaxy or growth patterns of plant leaves as they spiral up the stem or trunk. With the sequence, the plant may not have to be stripped to determine the age or rings of the trunk ("Wikipedia"). The Dark Ages refers to the period in the Middle Ages to the first few centuries after the fall of Rome when knowledge including those pertaining to mathematics is said to deteriorate. This is evidenced by the textbooks used by Church schools in the Middle Ages were based on the primitive works of Cassiodorus and Isidore of Seville and featured limited coverage of arithmetic of Boethius. The only use of mathematics identified was for ecclesiastical calendars and growth in mathematical knowledge is limited to the representation of number by means of the fingers. (Boyer & Merzbach 249) This period is dubbed as the Dark Ages to reflect the loss of enlightenment provided by classical learning and prevalence of ignorance and barbarism (Hirsch, Kett & Trefil).

Art as a way to creatively call attention to social issues Essay

Art as a way to creatively call attention to social issues - Essay Example Evolution of technology has had positive impact on artistic values in society and in aesthetics. In his essay â€Å"The Art of Collecting Light bulbs,† Kimmelman (2005) exposes characteristics and qualities contained in art making such as being ubiquitous and converting uselessness into an asset. However, as Restak (2004) explains in his essay â€Å"Attention Deficit: Brain Syndrome of our Era,† technology serves not only as an ally but also as a distraction to our daily activities. For instance in the summer of 2003, e-mails from themobproject@yahoo.com began to circulate inviting people to convene in a public place so as to take part in a random act with the sole purpose of confusing others (Bill 2003). The first successful mob took place in New York Macy where hundreds of people entered the store in search of a â€Å"love rug.† After that about two hundred people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about fifteen seconds, and the next shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip (Bill 2003). These activities provide the viewers with a sense of wonderment which heightens people’s curiosity and help them become aware of their surroundings. Moreover Restak states that ADD and ADHD is not actually a state of mental condition but merely a new state of cognition. Boredom arises when the brain attempts to account for incredible amounts of information available to us through technology and is simply overwhelmed. This causes the brain to develop differently in order to successfully understand everything that modern human expose themselves to, hence a way of thinking that certainly is an unprecedented change in cognition. This partially stems from multitasking which is a mechanism that humans have developed in response to suddenly having a much higher amount of distractions in comparison to just a few decades ago. Technology and modern art have

Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example This report is fundamentally structured in two parts such that first part of the report highlights financial analysis of FDP with the help of ratio analysis. Last part of the report evaluates the non-financial indicators through Balanced Scorecard. Conclusion is provided at the end of this report which summarizes the performance of FDP. Background Information Cut throat competition, shrinkage in profits and increasing redundancies turned out to be the prime factors that lead FDP to change its business strategy. The company’s streamline business used to have both non-urgent and urgent delivery system of the parcel from both mail order companies as well as from internet retailers. The normal non-urgent parcel delivery system used to take around 5 to 7 working days but due to excessively increasing and tightening situation of competition especially with the entrance of international players, it has become extremely difficult for FDP now to survive in such closed competitive envir onment of the non-urgent parcel delivery system. The board of directors of the company has realized all the situations and considered different options in order to boost the revenues of FDP. The final strategy that has been selected by the board is the discontinuance of the non-urgent parcel delivery system by replacing a fast urgent delivery system which would ensure that every parcel is delivered to its recipient within 2 hours of the order booking. Such adoption of the strategy requires significant amount of investment in the existing operations of the business as the company requires more infrastructure and advancements in its communication and information technology based machines. It is intended to provide the parcel delivery personnel a notebook computer along with a parcel scanner such that they are linked with the central database system of FDP. Through all this communication devices, the tracking, collection and delivery of parcels would be delivered with much more conveni ence as well as ensuring their delivery less than 2 hours. The board has also decided to charge the premium price in respect of the urgent delivery system from the customers. Impact of Implementation of New Strategy upon the Financial Performance of FDP This strategy would be implemented from 1 December, 2011. Therefore, the impact of the change in strategy would definitely change company’s financial performance for the upcoming year. The performance of the company in respect of its profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity and financing has been discussed as under: Profitability Profitability is the most highly concerned area of financial performance as it is the basis upon which every business decision is taken whether it is small as per company’s perspective or large. Whatever the decision the company takes, everyone is interested to know as what would be the impact of that decision upon the profitability position of the company. Generally there are few profita bility ratios that actually highlight the profitability in terms of various different perspectives. Some of those ratios are discussed as under: Net Profit Margin The company was struggling to maintain a steady growth rate in terms of its Net profit Margin in the past two years but with the implementation of the new strategy, the company can stabilize the growth rate of net profit margin

Jain Man Fasts to Death Essay Example for Free

Jain Man Fasts to Death Essay A 76 year old Indian man died of starvation that is called â€Å"santhara†. It is an old practice in Jainism where a person fasts for a number of days and is believed to help the person achieve salvation. Some people are still not amenable to this practice as they believe that this is a sort of suicide. On the other hand, Amar Chand, the man who died, believed that it would help him cleanse his soul as he has been ill for some time already. â€Å"Santhara† is a religious ritual described as intended death by fasting. During the process of fasting, the person is given time to reflect on his life, which is reason why this is considered to bring salvation. If someone feels like he has served his purpose in life and felt like he has imparted enough of himself to the world, one can decide to fast. There are a lot of religious practices in the world; some may even seem absurd and illogical. However, to the followers of the specific religions, their belief stands by the fact that they would be able to achieve something out of it; in this case, salvation. If you think about it, to decide that you have served your purpose is a sign of consciousness and knowledge of the belief that you are following. It shows that given enough will power and faith in something, anybody can do anything. To the Jains, though some may think that â€Å"santhara† is synonymous to suicide, they still hold on to the practice because as far as they know, being able to reflect upon one’s life can help them save themselves from spiritual death just as the Muslims believe that they need to travel to Mecca at least once in their life.

The Ethics of Milgram Essay Example for Free

The Ethics of Milgram Essay When this question is posed, immediately we are confronted with a subject of ethics. In three studies by; Milgram, Zimbardo and Hofling, conformity and obedience are tested to extreme levels. Thus bringing ethics to the forefront of the psychological community and the world, concerning the treatment of subjects/participants. Milgrams study addressed obedience to authority. This began three months after the start of the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, his accomplices and his/their part in the genocidal holocaust. Eichmann had said that he was simply following orders. The experiment was set up to see how varying members of society would respond to a figure of authority when asked to deliver electric shocks to another person. Milgrams orthodox view was that few subjects would administer harsh shocks to another human. The test however showed Milgram that though the participants questioned whether they should continue, surprisingly it took little prompts to get them to continue. In this scenario 65% delivered the full, potentially fatal shock to the subject. These findings are of enormous importance both from an ethical and psychological viewpoint. This simple experiment showed and extreme willingness to follow the commands of an authoritys figure, against their own morals, even when confronted with the screams of another person. In Zimbardos experiment obedience and conformity are addressed within a prison environment. This was a mock prison setup at Stanford University, participants were requested in a local newspaper, 24 were chosen. This study showed the knock on effect of demoralisation. The prisoner participants were kept in a constant state of uncertainty from the moment they were arrested, to when the guards took over. In having their individuality removed through complying with the processes applied by the rules of an institutionalised system, the display of obedience grew dramatically. The guards in turn conformed to their perceived position of authority. On the second day the guards put down a rebellion. In response the guards decided to break the prisoners moral by dividing and conquering, developing distrust amongst the inmates and consolidating themselves into a working unit. The effects of this from an ethical point of view is that the inmates were subject to mental and physical mistreatment on a grand scale, meanwhile the guards it seemed had forgotten that the situation was experimental, as they grew more sadistic an abuse of power was displayed. Every prisoner fell under the guards arbitrary control as their living conditions continually fell into the realms of degradation and depravity. When an inmate had been in the prison for approximately thirty six hours he displayed acute emotional disturbance, crying and rage. After interview it was decided that he was trying to con his way to early release. He was given the option of remaining but as an informant in exchange for no further harassment from the guards. This did not seem to work as this lead him to telling the other inmates that they could not leave or quit, this lead to his condition worsening as he screamed cursed and began to act crazy. He was released. This strongly raises the issue of ethical practice, though the experimenter wanted to maintain a real life prison scenario, the protection of the prisoners human rights were not taken into consideration enough, especially in view of the guards sadistic and aggressive methods. Possibly a real prison guard should have lead the other guards for better reality between guard and inmate. The next day the family and friends of the inmates arrived to visit them, the experimenters became concerned that the extreme conditions, if witnessed by the family and friends would possibly effect the continuation of the experiment. So they cleaned and fed the inmates, played music through a speaker system, had a cheerleader greet the awaiting visitors. The visitors mood was good, as they saw the whole thing as a bit of fun, in this way the experimenters systematically brought the visitors behaviour under situational control. Though the parents complained about the arbitrary rules they complied like good middle class citizens trusting implicitly the words of educated men of medicine. When the parents were reunited with their children they were shocked to see how drawn and fatigued they seemed to be, when this was raised, the experimenter simply used reverse psychology on a typical American family, by challenging the strength of their childs resolve and in turn challenging their parenting skills. These methods paid off, and the parents didnt want to waste anymore of the experimenters times and left. Ethically this was a poor decision as the parents werent part of the experiment, but were used without thought to how they may react or feel when they would eventually find out that they had been party to a hoax and that their children were actually being treated badly. It is impossible to tell how much the aftershock would affect a family.