To what extent can Beitz's claim for a 'cosmopolitan international morality' be sustained?
To what extent can Beitz's claim for a 'cosmopolitan international morality' be sustained? The main difference between Beitz and other moral cosmopolitanists such as John Rawls (whoÆs work Beitz based much of his theory on) is that he extends the moral cosmopolitan theory (previously confined to the ædomesticÆ realm) to that of an æinternationalÆ realm. Beitz argues æthat a suitable principle can be justified by analogy with the justification given by Rawls in a æTheory of JusticeÆ for an intrastate distributive principle.Æ (Beitz 1979b:8) Essentially, Beitz wants ideal theory to become a goal within the non-ideal world. In order to realize this, he must assume that there already exists sufficient interdependence among states that can constitute a cooperative scheme. He must also assume that the natural duty of justice provides the motivation and grounds for fulfilling it. If there was no natural duty of justice, then there would be no compelling reasons for individuals to apply principles of justice to the non-ideal world. In short, I shall attempt to show how BeitzÆs claims for a æcosmopolitan international moralityÆ cannot be sustained since he postulates a disjunctive relationship between ideal theory and the non-ideal world. Therefore, BeitzÆs ideal only serves as a feasibility condition instead of an existence position. The central problem for Beitz
The State of African Politics : A Setback for Democracy
Natalie Cecini Cross Cultural Perspectives, SOC 315 The State of African Politics; A Setback for Democracy Prof. Shaun Sullivan March 1, 2009 Although it has been a long and hard road, the path to democracy is obtainable by suffering African nations. Progress is being made slowly, but there are some missing pieces that need to be resolved in order to make democracy work for the people. Overcoming a long history of violence and military rule is the challenge that confronts many nations, as for so long it was the only way to be heard and counted. The practice of democracy in African nations has been a shaky experiment where although many of the necessary motions are in place, the underlying theme is corruption. The true power that should be in the hands of voters is still being fought for by coups, which gain support as the people become unsatisfied with the choices for candidacy and the democracies that reek of state failure. In many African nations, politics still seem to revolve around ethnicity rather than on other common grounds. Creating an infrastructure to spread relevant information that will allow open discussions between the people and their government and between people of different backgrounds and allow them to reap the benefits of democracy and will put government officials in a position of accountability. Fortunately, the kinks are slowly being
The Israeli Palestinian Conflict
The Palestinian Israeli Conflict Does responsibility lie outside the region? The Palestinian Israeli conflict is a very debateable subject, and the discourse around it, on many occasions is pre-determined by cultural backgrounds. When examining the Palestinian Israeli conflict one cannot overlook its direct relation to the conflict in the Middle East in general. To understand whether the responsibility for the conflict lies outside the region or not, one needs to examine the origins of the conflict. In this essay I will present and analyse those origins that date back to the end of the nineteenth century and show that the perpetuated situation in the middle east is resolvable only if those responsible are willing to fulfil their duties. I will analyze the historical facts according to Kenneth Waltz's three levels of analysis. The first level is the international system which focuses on the effects of global developments on the behaviour of the state. The second is the state level, which looks at the domestic changes of a state in context with its interior factors. And the third is the individual level which looks at history as determined by the actions of individuals. None of these levels is sufficient to an explanation by itself, yet on the other hand they are combined together in a way that it is difficult to separate them to determine the causes of the conflict (Shlaim
What impact do the mass media have on modern government and politics.
What impact do the mass media have on modern government and politics. The mass media is now a global phenomena and has revolutionised the way individuals communicate with each other and receive information. In this essay I will examine the three forms of mass media - newspaper, radio and television - and the way they have evolved. I will explain the three main theories relating to the impact of mass media on the public. I will then discuss how media has altered the emphasis of government at election time and on a day-to-day basis. The term 'mass media' embraces all kinds of information sources, such as books, pamphlets, mail circulars and films. The three principle sources of political information are however television, radio and newspapers. The mass media is a recent innovation which has reformed the way politics and government operates. "Without newspapers, radio and pre-eminently television, the present political system could not work. The media are so omnipotent and all-pervasive we are often unaware of the addictive hold they exert over our attention and the messages they implant in our consciousness on a whole range of matters." Television is widely seen as the most important of the three mediums, and radio the least. In a survey relating to the 1983 British election, television was cited as the most important media source by 63% of respondents, newspapers by 29% and
Why Has Nationality Failed To Prevail Over Ethnicity In Pakistan after more than 50 years and counting...
WHY HAS NATIONALITY FAILED TO PREVAIL OVER ETHNICITY IN PAKISTAN AFTER MORE THAN 50 YEARS AND COUNTING.... Ethnicity is based on language, culture and religion, among other things. Pakistan, like other post-colonial states is multi-ethnic, and herein lays the failure of our leaders, who were unable to realize this basic fact. The Muslim League even during its heydays was never an organization .Rather the sole reason for its phenomenal success was mass popular support. The Pakistan movement though led by secular, liberal educated middle classes primarily drew its mass support on the basis of an Islamic communitarian tradition. After partition, save for a brief period which ended with the tragic assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan has failed to produce a leader capable of joining the various ethnic groups residing within its boundaries. A commonly held distinction between an ethnic and a nationalist movement is that while an ethnic politician tries to gain some advantage within an existing state, a nationalist seeks to establish or maintain his own state. In the case of Pakistan, more often than not, the ethnic politicians have held sway. Interaction between the various ethnic communities on power-sharing has been the causal factor in catalyzing the ethno-national movements. No group has been completely satisfied whenever a leader from such other ethnicity takes
Does the American Political system meet the needs of the American People?
Does the American Political system meet the needs of the American People? "My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government -- he promised Dad he'd go straight"-John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It's not whether or not the system can meet the needs of America, rather, why it does not - the politicians. The American political system cannot meet the needs of the American people because the right people are not elected to office. The right people are not elected to office because they are usually new to politics, which means they start at the bottom as underdogs. As underdogs they need to run against wealthy politicians who build their campaigns on gold foundations, or ones who use dirty politics and mudslinging to divert attention from issues. They also need to fight the two party system that prevents alternative ideas from being expressed. One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome for new politicians is gathering the financing necessary to run a successful campaign. Finding backers for new politicians is an extremely difficult task. They have little or no political past for their financial supporters to "back," and without strong ties to their party, they are not necessarily going to receive campaign funds from one of the two primary parties. However, for long time politicians, who are usually the wrong representatives because of corruption that develops over time,
Why are Presidents usually frustrated in seeking particular goals?
Ben Tucker Why are Presidents usually frustrated in seeking particular goals? Presidential powers are very limited in the United States because of the system of 'checks and balances', the three branches of Government are equally powerful and for the president to succeed in achieving his goals he must learn to deal effectively with congress. This can often lead to great frustrations when either party cannot reach an agreement leaving no sign of progress. How the president interprets their role plays and important part in both the success of their presidency and the amount of work they achieve as president. There are two main interpretations of the presidential role, firstly the Constitutional Theory1 which is that the President can only do what the Constitution states and nothing else. This is found in Article two of the Constitution sections two and three which states the powers of the presidency. "The President shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United states"2, "He shall have the power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senate Concur"3, "he shall nominate, and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Offices of the United States"4 and "He shall from time to time give to the Congress
“Knights is only funny if you have knowledge of Athenian politics and politicians”. To what extent do you agree with this statement? You should consider aspects such as the plot, Cleon and Characterisation in your answer.
"Knights is only funny if you have knowledge of Athenian politics and politicians". To what extent do you agree with this statement? You should consider aspects such as the plot, Cleon and Characterisation in your answer. Hippês, or Knights, was first produced in 424BCE as part of the Lenaia, an annual religious festival in Athens. This play is a comedy, or to be more precise, an allegory written the classical Greek playwright Aristophanes. The purpose of the play is to criticise Athenian democracy, and more particularly an eminent politician, Cleon. Contemporary political figures are transplanted as slaves into the household of a man called Demos. This is significant because the translation of Demos is "the people", so these political characters become slaves of the people. The play opens with a discussion between two slaves called Nicius and Demosthenes, these characters were generals who had been involved in the wars against Sparta on the island of Sphakteria. They discuss their resentment a new slave who they refer to as "the Paphlagonian" who their master has recently bought. The Paphlagonian is their master's "favourite" who has gotten them into trouble. Nicius and Demosthenes contemplate running away but dismiss the plan as impossible; they drink some wine in the hope that it will provide them with inspiration as to what to do. In true comic fashion, no sooner
Do you think that internal pressures within societies were more important in causing world war 1than International tensions?
DO YOU THINK THAT INTERNAL PRESSURES WITHIN SOCIETIES WERE MORE IMPORTANT IN CAUSING WORLD WAR I THAN INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS? The origins of the First World War have been discussed and redicussed among historians and students for many times. In this subject area so many different arguments and interpretations can be found, and the question is still of vital interest among historical students. This essay is due to analyze whether internal pressures within societies were more important in causing World War One than international tensions. By internal pressures we mean the economic, social and political problems societies have to face in their own country. International tensions are based on the relations between the different countries and how they react to one another. Internal pressures are often more specific in nature, whereas international tensions often range through a wider context. To begin with, we will analyze the domestic and international situation of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, who plays an important role in the First World War. Germany will be considered in the next part. Russia's situation will be followed by a brief account of British and French societies. These countries were chosen, because they played vital parts in World War One, and each of them can furnish us with a different perception of the problem. I will start by analyzing the situation in
The Dimensions of Strategy - Failure in 'Nam.
The Dimensions of Strategy - Failure in 'Nam In the bipolar world of the Cold War period, the security and power of the United States of America (USA) was threatened by the spread of communism, and the focus of grand strategy was shifted to stop this from continuing. According to the introduction by Williamson Murray and Mark Grimsley, "On Strategy",1 the formulation of this strategy can be attributed to several factors including the threat posed by the Soviet Union's, and therefore communism's, proximity to Eurasian states. This resulted in the Truman doctrine and the associated policy of containment,2 which was put into practice in Vietnam. In a study of American counterinsurgency in the Vietnam War, there are several major issues that need to be addressed. As well as considering theories of international relations to explain US action, it is necessary to examine how the happenings in Vietnam fit within the various theories of asymmetric conflict, such as the work of Ivan Arreguin-Toft3 and Gil Merom,4 who both detail important aspects of counterinsurgency such as the necessity for brutality and the importance of the social dimension; and thence the broader dimensions of strategy presented by Michael Howard,5 to consider why the US failed in its counterinsurgency strategy in Vietnam. Application of the Liberal Paradigm: A Theoretical Approach
