Thursday, November 28, 2019

Joseph Campbell The Power of Myth Essay Example

Joseph Campbell: The Power of Myth Essay Myth reveals spiritual truth about the world. Why read myths? You need myths to find your truth. You have elaborate myths to compare to everyday experiences and to other myths. â€Å"Myths give a meaning to life (Campbell, 5). Mythology is a collection of stories based on one’s knowledge and stories of experience. Myths are clues to life meaning. They are clues to â€Å"spiritual potentialities† or your potential to develop spiritually and finding your inner self.For example, marriage creates a transformation in us spiritually because it transforms our perspective of ourselves and our ability to sacrifice. 2. Do people ultimately seek knowledge or experience? In your opinion which is more important in the 21st century? People ultimately seek experience. They believe seeking experience is their true meaning of life. They want something to remember and something to live for and at the same time we do this to resonate from our inner self because from experience we gain kn owledge.This could be a reason many of the 21st century go towards their quest for experience and not knowledge. 3. What is Campbell’s definition of â€Å"consciousness†? How does this consciousness define the role of mythology in our world? Campbell says that consciousness is something that the mind uses to guide you to a certain direction or towards a set of purposes. Consciousness is all your thoughts at a deeper level and your awareness or perception of your surroundings. Your consciousness depends on your level of energy that leads us to higher level consciousness. What leads you to these evels of consciousness? Myth. Mythology transforms your consciousness on a deeper level and to a higher spiritual level. You can not develop your consciousness without mythology 4. How does the modern Western world relate to myths? The modern world developments are myths. The example of machines is a prime relation (Campbell, 24) but they tend to take over our idea of whatâ€℠¢s true. The modern world has rejecting myths and everything about them including the fact that nature surrounds the whole concept. Modern world has a mindset that everything is about you, which rejects mythology’s spiritual messages. . How do we live without myths and why does Campbell claim that America is moving too quickly to become mythologized? Are these two concepts related? When you live without myths you have to figure out life by yourself. That is why America is moving too quickly to be mythologized. As Campbell would say we are focused on â€Å"news of the day† and â€Å"problems of the hour† (Campbell, 1). We lose connection to the meaning to culture and the knowledge of life. These concepts are related because it explains America’s slow self-destruction without myths. Chapter 2 1.Why do myths reflect what we know inside is true? How do myths then help us with â€Å"the public dream? Myths reflect what inside is true because we all come from the same place we go through similar life experiences. We all grow and develop. Myth also comes from our dreams. Campbell describes dream by saying, â€Å"†¦.. a dream that talks about permanent conditions within your own psyche as they relate to the temporal conditions of your life right now. † (Campbell, 47). Your dreams truly reflect your inner self and are just spiritual information about yourself. Your dreams are myths, personal myths.The Public dream is society without its corrupt ways and its lack of mythological knowledge. Myth helps correct this because it is society’s dream and it unites society. That one place is having a dream and when you are on the correct path you are finding your reason and your inner self. 2. Why are the world’s creation stories so similar? The world’s creation stories are so similar because of the similar environment and the basic experiences of birth, growth, temptations, and death. This creates a sense of curiosit y where we ask â€Å"how? † and â€Å"why? † and some record their thoughts.These records reflect mythical reality. The same concept of nothing, paradise, and distance from the creator. Cultures like Christianity, Bassari tribes of West Africa, and the Pima Indians. 3. What is a metaphor and how does it operate in religion? How does metaphor assist one with the â€Å"journey inward†? A metaphor is a comparison that suggests something else. In religion, Campbell says that the metaphors used are not literal. It was a metaphor and in his definition metaphors are not to be taken literally. Myths are written in a way to be discovered and unknown so it is able to awaken your inner self.It is deeper that what most people have been interpreting it as. People may believe that Campbell was undermining Christianity when he said Jesus never really ascended into heaven when in fact he was just cracking the code. It was a metaphor. Society’s problem is that we don†™t use connotation to interpret metaphors and myths, but use denotation. 4. How do myths help us to connect to the spiritual world? Myths and religion share the same qualities. Myths help connect to the spiritual world. â€Å"The myth is for spiritual instruction† (Campbell, 59). Myths help us relate to other spiritual references.Campbell uses the example of reincarnation and how it ties into other concepts of religion also, â€Å"†¦. dimensions of your being and a potential for realization and consciousness that are not included with the concept of yourself. † (Campbell,70). In religion, you come out a new person spiritually because of experience just like in myth. 5. Why is good and evil promoted in mythology? Discuss the purpose of good and evil in your response. Good and evil are promoted in mythology because of duality and characteristics of life. Many have come to a closed, biased mindset that everything should be good and nothing should be evil.Some peopl e’s idea of evil could be another’s idea of good. There is no true definition of â€Å"good† and what is â€Å"evil† because we all contribute to it when we live life. We do need evil without evil there is no duality. They must coincide with one another. Chapter 3 1. What do our souls owe to ancient myths? Myths from ancient times help with transcendence and understanding our fears and mysteries of life. It complements the mind and body on a track controlled by nature because we tend to become astray as we venture through life. Ancient times have the same human development as today.We grow up being taught certain things and how to be dependent then as we grow older we have to transcend into maturity and learn to become independent. Campbell says, â€Å"†¦. myth has to serve both aims, that of inducting a young person into the life of his world-that’s the function of the folk idea-then disengaging him. † (Campbell, 87). Myths open up ide as that lead up to your inner life. Ancient myths also give us rituals. This gives us a larger idea of life instead of what we see it as. It helps us understand the mysteries greater than us.How are men and women initiated into adulthood differently? Once initiated, is there room in modern society for negotiation of responsibility? Men are to be put into manhood automatically and must learn how to provide, seek, and act as society tells them to be. Man is formed by society. Women on the other hand give life, they are life. As Campbell says, â€Å"the girl becomes a woman with her first menstruation† (Campbell, 104). He says this to point out that woman is formed by nature. I think man has to work for their manhood while woman just become a woman by control of nature.The woman gives and nurses without effort, while man has to work for his greater being. 2. How has religious instruction become â€Å"obsolete† to many people today? (focus on idea of ritual) Rituals help p eople grow and develop into appropriate individuals in society. Today they have been ostracized and are not followed correctly. As Campbell says it perfectly it is now â€Å"dumbed down† and â€Å"lacks of substance† (Campbell, 104). Myths help us understand things that are more prominent than ourselves. We must understand the overall picture before we truly understand ourselves. 3.How does the environment shape the mythology? How are artists the keepers of mythology today? How are these two questions related? The development of nature and mythology explains the environmental shape of mythology. Just as the shaman of many Native American times, we must have spiritual growth where we come to understand myth and awaken your inner self through unfamiliar experiences. Artists are the â€Å"mythmakers of our day† (Moyers, 107). They perform rituals by creating their artwork. They are the â€Å"shaman† They are specifically gifted because of the things theyâ₠¬â„¢ve experienced.

Monday, November 25, 2019

4 tips for using December to prep for a 2019 job search

4 tips for using December to prep for a 2019 job search It’s one of the busiest months of the year – but not for hiring. Even if hiring managers and recruiters aren’t using up their use-it-or-lose-it vacation time at the end of the year for holiday preparations and travel, they’re likely to be focused on anything but work. This can make December a particularly frustrating time of year to look for a job. But don’t place your search on hold. Instead use this time to revise, revamp and revitalize your resume, LinkedIn profile and social networks.It won’t be easy, given the holiday madness at this time of year, but with a bit of efficient time management, you can use December to get a strong head start on your 2019 job search come January 2.The following tips can help you make the most of the final weeks of the year so you can spring ahead of the competition come the first weeks of your 2019 job search.1. Update your resume and cover letterNow is the perfect time to assess your job search materials. W here are your weaknesses? What could you improve?If it’s been a while since you’ve sent out your resume, consider using a resume builder to make sure you’re applying the optimal structure and design to effectively highlight your strengths as a candidate.Once you have a basic resume structure (and hopefully, your most current role added to the Work Experience section), spend some time evaluating recent job ads for the role you are seeking. Focus on skills they share and common keywords used to describe those skills. Use those keywords to describe your own skills and experience, and then tweak accordingly for each new job you seek.Because most employers use automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) to tally keywords and filter job candidates, using the exact wording in the job ad will help make sure your resume is seen by human eyes. Many ATS count keywords from your cover letter as well as from your resume, thereby increasing your overall keyword count. So, usin g the same list of keywords you’ve compiled for your resume revamp, craft a cover letter that tells a brief story – aim for 200 words total for the body paragraphs – about how you are uniquely positioned to help your next employer achieve their goals.2. Reconnect and NetworkStart making lists of people you know at companies where you might want to work. The holidays are a perfect excuse to send an email or direct message to old colleagues, classmates, and friends. If they have any time over the holidays, try to set up times to reconnect. If not, set up meetings, lunches, and coffee dates for the first few weeks of the New Year. As you’re catching up, ask if their companies are hiring.Focus on expanding your online network for your 2019 job search. Work on adding past coworkers and friends to your social networks, especially LinkedIn. Recent data shows that over 90 percent of recruiters use social media, and especially LinkedIn, to evaluate candidates. Spr uce up your LinkedIn profile with a new picture and new keywords to describe your skills and accomplishments.3. Polish your online presenceIn addition to refocusing your professional web presence, take some time to revamp your social media accounts as well. Of course, it’s fine to have a well-rounded life outside of the office, but you’ll want to make sure your social media accounts don’t contain anything that would cause a potential employer to become wary of hiring you.Over-sharing, angry rants, constant posting, and too many images of social drinking can all send the wrong message to a potential employer. Take some time in the waning weeks of the year to curate your online accounts, pruning where needed, to help present the image you want future employers to have of you.4. Launch your 2019 job searchIn the first few weeks the New Year, contact people who might not have gotten back to you over the holidays. Use the New Year as an excuse to send an email or mak e a phone call: â€Å"Now that the holidays are over I thought I’d get back in touch†¦.†Using the revamped summary from your revised resume, refresh your elevator pitch. Splurge on a new interview outfit item, even if it’s just a new tie or scarf- something that will make you feel confident and full of energy. When hiring managers are back from vacation and ready to make new hires, you’ll be ready, looking your best and primed to talk about how you can help them and their bottom line.Author Bio:LiveCareer assists jobseekers at every step of the journey to employment. Access free  resume templates  and  resume examples, plus a  cover letter builder  and advice on how to answer  interview questions  of all stripes.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Good Management in the Public Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Good Management in the Public Sector - Essay Example To achieve this, all barriers to good management in the public sector should be identified and done away with. After the barriers have been eliminated, the officials serving in the public sector should find ways through which they can improve the quality of both management and work life so that the public can enjoy the services available (13). One of the barriers that come in the way of good management in the public sector is too much red tape. Excessive bureaucratic tendencies have been known to bring whole organizations down to their feet. When compared to the private sector, there is a big difference in the way matters are handled in the public sector, where there are too many people who must approve of something before it goes through (Denhardt and Denhardt 35). This kind of rigid conformity to excessive regulation not only impacts negatively on management roles, it also hinders timely and relevant delivery or services to the general public. Bureaucratic tendencies are also a recipe for uncontrolled misuse of power by managers in different levels of the public sector (37). In this situation, it becomes hard for the officials on the ground to offer quality services to the people that the government is supposed to serve with diligence. Another common barrier to good management practices in the public sector is corruption. Corruption in government offices comes in many forms and can include irregular financial dealings and power corruption. Due to the lack of clear policies which can act as professional guidelines for managers and employees in government agencies, there is a lot of room for misappropriation or resources, including funds (Cohen, Eimicke and Heikkila 23). Managing such a work environment becomes tricky especially when it is considered that people are normally unwilling to fight against such practices. When finances are mismanaged, or when an individual uses his influence in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Sigmund Freud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Sigmund Freud - Essay Example All human beings have aggression in them but some people are more aggressive than the others, Civilization dwells deep into aggression and why human beings get aggressive. Sigmund Freud has given logical explanations which sound really convincing to the readers. There are set laws in almost all the countries and this helps in keeping the aggressive people at bay. The most aggressive people tame their aggression when they think about the laws according to Freud. According to Freud the most important reason of aggression is unhappiness, an unhappy person reacts differently in most circumstances when compared to a happy person and this is very true and easy to understand. Unhappiness is also the root cause of several other problems; depression is directly related to unhappiness. People who become depressed often give up hope and try to inflict pain upon themselves, all this happens because they feel there is no place for them in the society. Psychological counseling comes into play here , the psychologist tries to explain to the victim the importance of their life and the ones closely related to him. According to Freud aggression also results from a very burdensome guilt, for instance a person who has committed a murder and is on the run would inevitably be more aggressive than a normal person because the burdensome sense of guilt will chase the accused everyday an make their life miserable. The other reason which triggers of bursts of aggression is psychological neurosis which means problems in the nerves. Some people are more mentally stable than the others and the ones who are mentally stable act appropriately even in the most difficult of all circumstances, on the other hand the people who are unstable act as they like and do not care about what the other people may think about their behavior. The disintegration of society is the result of over aggression; people get together and embark on an ambitious journey to rebel against a behemoth and this is when the di sintegration of the society begins. Freud also talks about the role of aggression in Eros and Thanatos, Eros refers to life and Thanatos refers to death drive. Freud talks about how we have a drive for death; this is why some bike riders especially the youths go at top speed. They do it because of the death drive and the aggression in them. â€Å"Freud argues that civilization is intrinsically inimical to human happiness. The process of "civilizing" the human being involves stifling many of the sexual impulses that lead most directly to pleasure. Freud also notes that participation in civilized life entails the renunciation of one's aggressive impulses. Thus, to be civilized we must do without the two strongest claims to our instincts, sex and violence.† (Civilization and its Discontents Theme) To conclude it is very fair to say that aggression plays a key role in the life of everyone, a person can make a grave mistake should he act aggressively where it is not at all require d. On the other hand a chaotic situation can easily be avoided if a person decides not to act aggressively. Eros and Thanatos are also linked with aggression, the death drive forces people to do unprecedented things. Aggression mainly stems from unhappiness; people who are unhappy with their lives tend to be more aggressive than the ones who are happy with their lives. Sense of guilt is also more than capable of causing people to be really aggressive; people also tend to be really aggressive when there is a problem with their psychological neurosis. â€Å"Individuals have consequently begun to rebel against civilization with an aggression that exceeds the level of aggression originally suppressed, threatening the disintegration of society.† (Civilization a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Hellenic and Roman Periods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hellenic and Roman Periods - Research Paper Example The preference for the infantry appears to stem from the ideology that came with men fighting on foot in hand to hand combat. Based from the culture, philosophy and norms of the ancient Greeks, they must have seen infantry warfare as nobler. There is something admirable, which could have been appealing to the Greeks, when men endure great hardships, from training and the actual combat, and defeat the enemy in a violent clash. This is hardly surprising. Even today, when battles are recreated in film, for instance, the frontline where the soldiers fight in violent clashes - through a collective spirit and discipline - evoke a sense of pride and inspiration from among us because the condition allow for a great show of valor and bravery. Compare this with going to battle riding atop a horse. The battle strategy for the cavalry is more calculated, requiring a degree of skill, cunning and calculation. In addition, it avoids and could not hold its own in a protracted battle. This was suppor ted by Schmid who pointed out the Greeks might have equated cavalry warfare with the barbarians way of fighting. He said that the Greeks acknowledge the skill and boldness involved but that they generally consider it to be "inferior to the kind of fighting courage needed by the hoplite in the ranks, which did not permit the excuse to run away.2 Even in actual warfare, the Greek cavalry was unwilling or hesitated to face the Greek hoplite. Fagan and Trundle (2010) identified a pattern in this attitude. First they cite numerous instances of defeat by cavalry horses in the hands of the Greek hoplite. There were the cases of Pharnabazus's cavalry defeat at the hands of Athenian infantry and the failure of a Persian-led cavalry in the Pactolus plain against the Greek hoplites in 395 B.C. There are, of course, periods when certain shifts transpired. This can be demonstrated in the case of the Peloponnesian war. The infantry was not extensively used during this time. Instead, the Greeks re lied on light troops such as archers, slingers and peltasts.3 This was what happened because the war was mostly typified by raiding and quick attacks. The training of the Greek hoplites meant that they are not suitable to fight most clashes. Therefore, light troops and even cavalry came to be used in the conflicts as well as those that preceded the Peloponnesian War. The changes demonstrate how warfare, particularly the tactics involved in using infantry, light troops or cavalry, is also determined by the nature and characteristics of the enemies that it faces. For instances, in order to defeat the notorious Persian cavalry, Alexander’s tactics involved the development of heavy infantry to serve as a platform of maneuver for his cavalry.4 Similar experience transpired for the Byzantines. The empire heavily copied the Roman warfare strategy but modified them in order to be effective in dealing with its neighbors such as the Saracens. This enemy was notorious for its highly agi le mounted archers. As a result, the Byzantines trained its infantry to use bows, which dealt significant damage to the enemy cavalry.

Friday, November 15, 2019

English Tort Law Imposing Liability Law Essay

English Tort Law Imposing Liability Law Essay This essay will address the question by exploring cases dealing with occupiers liability, vicarious liability and psychiatric harm. I intend to focus on narrow aspects within these three areas of law allowing a deep critical analysis. Occupiers liability, in my opinion, is an area of law that imposes too much liability in cases involving trespassers. I dont doubt that there must be liability for the homeowner who invites someone onto their land and fails to provide a safe environment which is seen in statute such as the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, duty to take such care as in all the circumstancesto see that the visitor will be reasonably safe in using the premises.  [1]  However, tort law insists that an occupier can be held liable for personal injury suffered by trespassers because of the state of the land and this is where I believe the Occupiers Liability Act 1984  [2]  takes the principle of the 1957 Act and stretches it too far. My first critique of this aspect of to rt law is the conflict it has with criminal law. It seems incoherent that in a criminal court a home owner whose land has been trespassed on, perhaps by a burglar, will be considered the victim and duly have the sympathy of the court and yet be cast in the role of villain in a civil court. Leon Green describes how an occupier will, insist[ing] upon the intruders own wrong andinvoke[ing] his own immunity from any duty to exercise active care in behalf of a trespasser.  [3]  He then goes on to say, Assuming the intruder to be a wrongdoer, the landowners position would seem unassailable.  [4]  This journal dates back to 1917 before statute had imposed occupiers liability but the sentiment holds true. Why should the victim be held accountable for the criminals injuries in cases where there has been no active action on the part of the occupier? The negligent state of the land and arising liability should, in my opinion, be limited to lawful visitors and trespassing children, who cannot be held to the same standard as adults, if only for policy reasons. A clear message needs to be sent to unlawful visitors; crime does not pay. Why recompense them in any way from an illegal venture? Not only does it not dissuade criminal behaviour it is also wholly unfair to impose this liability on a home owner. Additionally, I would argue that when comparing occupiers liability to other areas of tort law, such as pure economic loss, it becomes clear that comparatively occupiers liability allows too much liability. The case of Weller Co.  [5]  established that a person cannot claim for pure financial loss if that loss is unaccompanied by physical damage. It seems reprehensible that innocent victims of negligence cannot claim damages from those whose, shoulders are broad enough to bear the loss,  [6]  and yet homeowners can be held liable for the injuries of trespassers. Tort law insists that innocent victims of pure economic loss must accept the financial loss as bad luck. Why is this principle not extended to trespassers? Those who trespass on land with the intent to commit a crime cannot claim to be innocent of the misfortune that may befall them. This awareness combined with the illegality of the act is enough in my opinion to put any injury that befalls a trespasser down to bad luck with, in my opinion, no liability to the homeowner. If tort law will not help the innocent it seems foolish that it is so willing to help the guilty and this yet another reason why I believe tort law imposes too much liability. Furthermore, I believe there is too much tortuous liability for occupiers in this area of the law and this can be seen in the conflict with the absolutist nature of property law. This view is seen in Semaynes case: The house of everyone is to him as his castle and fortress.  [7]  This principle has always come with certain restriction as English property law has never recognised total dominion over land. The 1957 and 1984 Occupiers liability acts impose a safe standard of maintenance of property. However, I put forth the argument that a landowner who has paid for the privilege of a property right should not be compelled by the law to prevent trespassers being injured. Property law does not enforce positive covenants as they are considered an erroneous duty, why then, should the occupier, who is doing nothing, bestir himself to look out for the safety of those who come upon his premises? Why should they not look out for themselves, as they would do anywhere else, except as to negl igence of those pursuing an active course of conduct.  [8]  I believe this burden should be alleviated and that occupiers should be allowed to spend their money, not on lawsuits, but on their property. Surely that is the prima facie benefit of owning land? Insisting that occupiers are liable for trespassers does not sit well with the absolutist history of English property law as it presupposes that money be spent in a certain way to prevent injury. I do not believe tort law should add further restrictions to property that is already subject to the laws of planning permission, restrictive covenants, nuisance etc. I believe tort law imposes too much liability and needs to strike a better balance with occupiers property rights. Another area of tort law where there is too much liability, in my opinion, is vicarious liability for employers. I am not challenging the belief that employers should be liable for their employers, to an extent, however I do believe greater limitations need to be put in place as employer liability is far too expansive. The law currently insists that employers are liable for any tortuous act committed by their employees as long as the act is within the scope of employment. Even in cases where the employer has done his utmost to prevent any negligent behaviour from his employee the law still holds him accountable such as in the case of Whatman v. Pearson.  [9]  Vicarious liability is an important aspect of tort law, as employer insurance means the claimant has a higher chance of being paid damages. However I struggle to accept an area of the law that so transparently undermines the crucial principle of causation. The law has had trouble establishing what employers should be liable for and I believe to make liability just and fair, vicarious liability should only apply in cases where the employer had some measure of control over the actions of the employee for example, authorising the act. Acts that involve the work environment but are actually entirely removed from the employers scope of awareness, for example the fraudulent dealings of the defendants in Lloyd v. Grace, Smith Co.  [10]  , would therefore fall outside the employers scope of liability. This would allow for fairness for the employer, something which I believe has been disregarded in the development of vicarious liability, because as it is the law imposes too much liability in this area. Moreover, I believe that tort law imposes too much liability in placing the burden of liability on the employer as this reduces the employees accountability for his actions. The practice of indemnity is in place but prima facie, vicarious liability effectively negates an employees legal culpability as despite sharing liability damages are most likely to come from the employers insurance. Legal theory has taught us that laws play their part in shaping social dynamics and surely what is needed to improve society are laws that ensure people are held responsible for their actions. The practice of vicarious liability, though coherent regarding policy reasons does not deal with the human reality of being legally and socially culpable for ones actions. It seems to me that vicarious liability is yet another area of the law that supports the notion of passing the buck and the way to reduce acts of negligence is to hold the actual tortfeasors, the employees, financially responsible. Take the J apanese model of employer liability as described by Joseph Sanders and Lee Hamilton, Japanese law stresses individual responsibility for corporate crime and rarely holds the organization responsible.  [11]  As long as employees are aware that any tort of negligence they commit during the course of employment will be recoverable from the employer they will never be inclined to be diligent to the best of their ability. It is for this reason I believe that tort law imposes too much liability on employers. I believe the area of psychiatric injury is one area of tort law where there is far too little liability. For a claim regarding psychiatric injury to be actionable the claimant must have either been a primary victim who was a foreseeable victim of psychiatric or physical injury or a secondary victim who meets various criteria. These criteria are laid down in Alcock v. Chief Constable of South Yorkshire  [12]  and are that there is a loving bond with the claimaint and the primary victim, proximity to the accident and that the psychiatric injury occurred as a result of seeing or hearing the accident with eyes and ears. Secondary victims have to jump through hoops to prove they deserve recompense for a psychiatric injury and this seems to suggest that the judicial system does not hold psychiatric injury in the same regard as physical injury. The law commission states, although psychiatric illness is often more debilitating than physical injury, the message conveyed by the prevailing rules is that mental and emotional wellbeing are of less account than physical integrity.  [13]  Perhaps the recalcitrance of the tort system to consider psychiatric injury as equal to physical injury, and therefore increase liability, is because of the residual stigma associated with psychiatric injury as well as the fear of floodgate liability. Whatever the reason, a system that differentiates between the two forms of injury is in my opinion a flawed system as both are forms of injury that should be dealt with uniformly. Lord Lloyd remarks that, there is no justification for regarding physical and psychiatric injury as different kinds of injury,  [14]  and yet the liability for both forms of injury is still imbalanced. Furthermore, why should different rules apply to primary and secondary victims? Should forseeability, causation, establishment of harm etc not be the core principles in establishing liability? As H. Teff states, in distinguishing between primary and secondary victims tort law, allows artificial criteria to displace the more natural question: should the defendant be liable to the plaintiff in all the circumstances?  [15]  I believe tort law offers too little liability by erecting false barriers that prevent victims from attaining damages. Cases such as Alcock  [16]  and White and Others v. Chief Constable of South Yorkshire  [17]  are evidence of the unfair system at work. Both cases involve innocent victims who were denied damages as liability was not imposed because crude, superficial criteria were not meant. As long as the harm to the victim was caused by the defendant and the damage to the victim was foreseeable then I do not believe there should be any differentiation between primary and secondary victims. The flaws of tort laws attempt to make a distinction between between primary and secondary victims is summed up by H. Teff who states, Instead of discriminating against foreseeable secondary victims, the law should reflect the fact that, often, the altruistic source of their reactions makes them at least as deserving as many primary victim Until the current legal system looks to a new and fairer model of liability regarding psychiatric injury the liability imposed will never be enough. Another fault with the tort system in how it deals with psychiatric injury is that the limits imposed for liability are too restrictive and the reasons behind the restrictions not particularly persuasive. The law refuses to relax the criteria for liability with no real explanation as to why bar a fear that laxer criteria will open up the floodgates of litigation. However H. Teff, referencing B.F. Hoffman  [18]  and the Law Commission, Consultation Paper  [19]  , explains why he does not think this is a real cause for concern, The enduring, if diminished, stigma associated with psychiatric illness inhibits many would-be claimants, and the risk of exposure through increasingly refined techniques of psychological assessment has reduced the risk of undeserving claimants succeeding on the strength of loose medical definition.  [20]  So if one accepts that the floodgate argument, for imposing such rigid criteria before there can be criteria, is unsound then one must also accept that the current law imposes too little liability as a result. Furthermore, many of the criteria regarding psychiatric injury are archaic and arbitrary. For example, Mullany noted that, The psychiatric literature does not allow the assertion that the impact of trauma is inevitably more severe if directly perceived  [21]  and yet tort law has stubbornly held onto the criteria that the event causing injury must be perceived with the senses, refusing to allow development and change in line with new understandings of psychiatric illness. Cane argues, how can we justify a rule which requires mentally traumatized people to go to court and prove that they have strong feelings of love and affection towards another?  [22]  The old attitudes to psychiatric harm are no longer justifiable and so a criterion that is insensitive to the needs of those suffering injury must be criticized and adjusted. The criterion that the event causing psychiatric harm must be sudden  [23]  again seems arbitrary, a rule designed for no other purpose but too limit liability. Harvey Teff argues, The laws current stance effectively penalises those whose illness involves a more prolonged reaction to an event or events closely connected with the defendants negligent conduct.  [24]  These are but a few of the criteria imposed before there can be liability and I believe they serve to show that as Harvey Teff states, the current rules are, At odds with psychological reality, amount(ing) to no more than unprincipled line-drawing.  [25]   I have attempted to give both sides of the question equal attention and in doing so this has led to me to the conclusion that one cannot say tort law as a whole imposes too much or too little liability. I believe that psychiatric injury is too restricted in its liability and vicarious and occupiers liability are too expansive. In these areas I believe reform would be welcome however one must recognise that no legal system is perfect and the tort system could be far worse.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Major Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology Essay -- Psychology Paper

Major Theoretical Perspectives in Psychology INTRODUCTION In this assignment I will be describing the five major schools of psychological research. These are Behaviorism, Biological, Cognitive, Humanist and Psychoanalytical. I will then attempt to evaluate the pros, cons and practical applications of the Behaviorist and Psychodynamic approaches. BEHAVIORISM The earliest origins of behaviorism can be stemmed from the philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). He believed that the human being is born as a 'tabula rasa'. This effectively means a neonate is a blank slate with no prior knowledge or ideas. According to Locke it is experience through senses, which provides the mind. The modern founding father of behaviorism is John Watson (1878-1958). He believed that ÃŽÂ ¨ should be about the study of observable behavior and that behavior is molded by experience. Behaviorists believe that however complex a piece of behavior might be, it is possible to break it down and analyze it in basic STIMULUS-RESPONSE units. This theory also relates to Reductionism, where psychologists attempt to understand behavior by looking at the most basic parts. This S-R theory can be best demonstrated in the work of a Russian psychologist called Pavlov (1849-1936). His theory of Classical Conditioning centred on his study of dogs and his attempt to artificially condition a natural response. The sight/smell of food leading to salivation is an unconditioned S-R. He introduced a neutral stimulus when food was presented so the dogs associated the two. After this conditioning was complete the dog salivated when presented with the neutral stimu... ...ed from one subject. So if the basis for the research is in doubt the results must also be brought into question. In modern research a large sample is demanded to give room for error and individual differences. The main theme is that we are controlled by our past, this is true to an extent but it implies that we have no control over our lives. All our actions are pre-determined by past experiences. This has also brought reservations about the merit of Freud's theories. Flawed though it is, without it the world of psychology would be a different place. BIBLIOGRAPHY Printed publications: Perspectives in psychology Wadeley and Birch 1997 Macmillan Psychology in perspective Hayes 2002 Palgram Mind watching H and M Eysenck 1994 MMB Internet Sites: www.psychclassics.yorku.ca www.psychology.org