Who was John Locke?

John Locke, a prominent English scholar of the 17th century, was one of the first of many philosophers who delved into the ideas of the laws of nature, state of nature, natural rights, and the social contract. By creating hypothetical situations in which humans interact with one another in an attempt to form a society and government, he formulated several theories about human nature itself. Using these situations, he also attempted to articulate the basic wants and needs of man. What resulted were clear-cut and fairly accurate theories about humankind. Making generalizations about the entire human race is a grand task indeed, however Locke faces the challenge exceptionally. Stating that there are laws of nature, laws which are active only in one's conscience, he explains that they oblige everyone not to hurt "another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions..." This is resting solely on the person himself - if this person has an active and good conscience, then this law will apply; not all people are good, however. This theory about the conscience of individuals is very accurate, especially in stating that people depend on a government to make sure that the laws of nature are enforced - and the government depends on the people's consent to enforce them. Without government, one would have no repercussions for violating the law of nature, and thus chaos would ensue, with

  • Word count: 400
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?

'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' Coursework What view of human nature does Stevenson present in the novel, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'? In this essay I aim to define what view of human nature Stevenson has and how he portrays this in the book. I will also explore what I believe human nature to be and how collectively Jekyll and Hyde represent all people. One of the best ways in which Stevenson represents human nature is through Hyde. Jekyll/Hyde is one of the most complex characters in any book from the 19th century, or indeed, from any book that has been written to date. Hyde is someone who gives off an inexplicable aura of evil. People are instantly filled with hatred upon seeing him. 'I had taken a loathing to the gentleman at first sight. So had the child's family... Sawbones turned sick and white with the desire to kill him...not all of these together could explain the hitherto disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr Utterson regarded him...I never saw a man I so disliked, yet I scarce know why.' He is short, ugly, and pure evil. 'a little man...so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me...some damned Juggernaut...had Satan's signature upon his face.' On more than one occasion he is described as being deformed. Upon meeting him Utterson sees Hyde as 'pale and dwarfish; he gave an impression of deformity without any notable

  • Word count: 2447
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Tony Kytes The Arch Deceiver

Introduction Tony is a nice and gentle man but he has a thing with the ladies and he has a problem in the little town of Wessex that he living in. There are three women that he likes and one of them is the one he wants but he cannot seem to make his mind up. These three ladies are called 'Milly Richards', 'Unity Sallet' and 'Hannah' at the moment Tony is engaged to Milly Richards and is getting seduced by the other two women. He gets caught be Milly and she doesn't care what other women think or say to Tony. She can trust Tony and that he wouldn't go with any of them women. All that Tony has to do is wake up and smell the coffee and marry Milly and stop fooling around with those other two women. Through out the essay I will discuss the matter in more detail. Tony is a womaniser it shows this in the text e.g. "O the petticoats went off and the breeches went on? ". Tony says this in a religious manor as if having sex with women is like his religion. Tony does have a sensitive side though for example "Milly Richards, a nice, light, small, tender, little thing and soon said that they were engaged to be married". He talks about Milly in a soft and tender way like he truly did love Milly and it was his right choice. Again it shows Tony is a womaniser because he is seeing other women and they are called Unity Sallet and Hannah, he still cannot make his mind up. But he is a small

  • Word count: 480
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw makes more sense when it is read in the context of the history of Victorian Ghost Stories. Do you agree with this assessment? Discuss in relation to the Turn of the Screw and at least one other ghost story. The Turn on the Screw written in 1898 has lent itself to many different interpretations, from the supernatural to the hallucinationist. Critics use these elucidations to attempt to determine what the nature of evil within the story actually is. I present that The Turn of the Screw's narrative remains deliberately ambiguous and does not make more sense when it is read in the context of the history of the Victorian ghost story. If the reader decided at the start of the novella that the Governess was insane, then it would be read as a straight piece on the insanity of the woman. We would take the death of Miles as deliberate, or if not deliberate solely the Governess's fault. By presenting the tale in the format of a Victorian Ghost story, it allows James to use the power of the fictional narrative to manipulate the reader. Due to the Gothic genre's popularity in the late nineteenth century, James's choice of style for his novella could be viewed as a deliberate façade for an examination into the depths of the human psyche. I would argue that The Turn of the Screw makes more sense when read alongside works such as William James's Principles of

  • Word count: 1671
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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