Penitentiary Ideal Essay Example for Free

Penitentiary Ideal Essay To the Roman Catholic Church the penitentiary was a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins. (dictionary, Webster)To the average person it was a place to house prisoners who committed horrible crimes. Although it’s main purposes were both secular and spiritual, it was suppose to be a place of humane punishment rather than that of physical. (Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) The penitentiary was suppose to be a healthy and clean place unlike most jails and prisons. Prisoners were to be kept from each other preferably in isolation as to not contaminate one another with their bodily fluids as with their unholy spirits and thoughts. It was suppose to teach inmates their social purpose, to work doing productive labor and practice corrective discipline as oppose to sitting around not doing anything. (Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) As a secular institution the penitentiary was meeting the religious need for the sinners to express their sins. It allowed for the sinner or prisoner to admit his crimes or wrong doings as a kind of confession and promise to do better. The principal goal was for the prisoners or sinners to find or achieve their spiritual transformation.( Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) There were two principal models of the penitentiary, the Eastern State and the Auburn. John Havilland designed the prison we know as the Eastern State penitentiary. This prison featured seven long corridors that resembled what looked like spokes on a bicycle. It was flat and had thirty-foot walls that surrounded it. The cells were ten feet long and eight feet in width and the ceilings were about fifteen foot in height. Each cell had a toilet, a table and a bed along with a private patio the same size of the cell. The prisoners were aloud to go outside onto their patios at any time because they were enclosed and attached only to their cells.( Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) Prisoners in the Eastern State penitentiary were kept in isolation. They were aloud outside twice per day for only thirty minutes and led outside with hoods over their heads, as they were not aloud to see one another. Eastern State in its time was considered the ideal prison or penitentiary. The prisoners were kept on close watch by the guards so close that they wore socks on their shoes so the prisoners could not hear them approaching their cells. (Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) Just thirty miles of New York City in 1817, Auburn penitentiary opened its doors. This penitentiary was made of small cells about seven feet in length and about three and a half feet in width with a height of only about seven feet, stacked on top of one another. There was no courtyard so the prisoners never went outside. The prisoners were divided into three groups only for the guards to have better control of them. This penitentiary used solitary confinement as punishment. They soon learned after using this method that some prisoners took their own lives, died, or were crazy and delusional upon leaving solitary confinement. (Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) In my opinion Eastern State penitentiary was the model prison. Although the prisoners were held under solitary confinement all of the time they were let outside and had their own patios which they could go out on anytime they chose. It was better controlled and quieter I would imagine. Auburn penitentiary was led more as a congregate prison, which means that the prisoners were allowed to interact with one another.( Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.) I believe that when punished and put in solitatry confinement that is why most of them died or killed themselves because they were use to being with others and were never aloud outside. If I had to choose which prison to go to it would definitely be Eastern State only because things seemed more organized, you did not have to deal with other prisoners and the troubles that came with them and you got to go outside and have your own patio. I believe that if prisons today used the example of the Eastern State penitentiary there would not be as many fights and riots that broke out in the prisons and people would have time to think about what they did and not be influenced by the criminal minds of others. References -Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Can the media influence politics?

Can the media influence politics? Can the media influence politics? If so, how? If not, why not? There are numerous academic theories as to the relationship between politics and the media, and whether or not one is a dominant partner greatly influencing the output of the other. Some purport that the media hold extraordinary amounts of power in the political arena, however many other believe that the power they wield is in fact minimal (Newton Van Deth, 2009). What cannot be disputed is the idea that the media and its audience are interdependently connected; the media will alter their message to suit a specific audience, while the public are more likely to invest in media which reflects their viewpoints. Generalisation is something which should be avoided when discussing the media’s relationship with politics, as while the term media traditionally may have been used in reference to newspapers and radio or television programmes, (Newton Van Deth, 2009) it now encapsulates social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. There are those who may argue that media simply represe nts the political views of the public, and while that may be true in the cases of social networks, many may challenge its truth in relation to mass media news outlets. In this essay I will attempt to conclude myself as to the extent of influence media has on politics, and evidence how I have come to that conclusion. In the UK, the link between media and politics is undeniable. For a major newspaper to alter its political allegiance is a sizeable change, which would be expected to dominate all forms of media. For example the decision of The Sun, Britain’s most widely circulated newspaper and therefore the focus of my study, to remove its 12 year support for Labour in 2009 created national news, and ultimately forecast the downfall of the Labour government. It is worth noting that The Sun has supported the party that eventually forms the next government in the last 7 General Elections; something which suggests that The Sun hold great influence over the political opinions of their readers. However, in 1997, 2001 and 2005, the Conservative vote was not as effected as one may imagine, with an average32% of Sun readers saying they would vote Conservative through that period (Ipsos MORI, 2010). While this research may suggest that The Sun is a newspaper which will ruthlessly alter its allegiance in order to be on the winning side of an election, I would argue that this is not necessarily the case. In the 1992 General Election for example, The Sun had been consistently anti-Labour and Kinnock, including their infamous ‘If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights’ headline, despite the polls suggesting either a minority Labour government or a very slim Labour Majority. The attacks on Kinnock in the final days of the 1992 campaign were widely regarded as responsible for Labour’s unexpected defeat (McKee, 1995), and even Neil Kinnock himself announced in his departing speech that ‘the Conservative-supporting press has enabled the Tory Party to win yet again when the Conservative Party could not have secured victory for itself on the basis of its record’ (Whitney, 1992). This would be used as an example for the theory of agenda-setting, whereby a media outlet has an opinion which it pushes upon its view ership, and attempts to influence which issues are considered important. Agenda setting is achieved by attaching priority to certain stories which may reflect the opinion which the media outlet wishes to push – in this instance the opinion that a Labour government would have been bad for Britain. Another example of how the mass media have exerted a great influence over British politics, and politics in general is the growth in the publication of scandal within Westminster. Prior to the Profumo Affair in 1963, the media and the public very much stuck to the idea that the private lives of politicians should be exactly that; private. The great public interest in this story however, meant that this affair was the watershed of political scandal, with journalists taking ever further measures in order to reveal the next big scoop. Albeit not immediately followed by a huge stream of revelations, the boundaries of privacy in the lives of politicians had been broken by the media and have not been the same since (Stanyer, 2012). This could be said to be an example of priming with, in the 1990s especially, the scrutiny over the dealings of Conservative politicians from the left-wing press leading to an environment whereby Majors administration was seen to be one full of sleaze and mistru st. This was achieved with revelations such as the Cash for Questions scandal and the backfiring of John Major’s Back to Basics campaign. This is priming as rather than directly stating the conservative ministers were untrustworthy, the media simply dripped out stories to highlight this way of thinking (Newton Van Deth, 2009).The mistrust of Conservatives created by the media environment of the 1990s is perhaps best characterised in the result of the 1997 general election in the historically safe Conservative seat of Tatton, in which the Cash for Questions tainted MP Neil Hamilton lost out to an independent, Martin Bell, standing on an ‘anti-sleaze ticket’ (Mann, 1999). The coverage of scandal can also be used in an argument to suggest that the media has little influence over political thinking. Those who believe in the reinforcement theory which states that ‘mass media can only reflect and reinforce public opinion, not create or mould it,’ (Newton Van Deth, 2009, p. 196) would point to the relatively recent shifts in what journalists publicise in relation to scandal in politics. While prior to the millennium scandal was often focused on the private lives and sexual misdemeanours of the political class, as such behaviour has become normalised in open society, the media has taken less of an interest in it. The public have gone from being shocked by behaviour that may be considered immoral, or not ‘Christian’, to now being shocked by primarily criminal activities. This has directly led to the kind of journalistic research which resulted in the Expenses scandal in 2009. The enormity of this story reflects the moral leanings o f the British people in the 21st century, and was a story picked up by media outlets nationwide – all of which will have held different agendas. Some may say that this proves to an extent that the media cannot control or influence, but merely just publish information which will reinforce public opinion. On a more international scale, it is difficult to ignore the way in which social media forms and revolution have gone hand in hand, specifically in the Arab Spring. It is not a recent idea that the new media of the late 20th and 21st centuries would create new dimensions from which politics can be influenced (Poster, 1995). In Egypt, ‘cyberactivism’ first came to existence in2004, and offered an alternative to the state-controlled media; allowing people to express opinion unpopular with the government. From 2008 onwards, in the shadow of a global economic crisis and an increasingly repressive government, there was a growing number of protests in which a key role has been played by new media forms (Khondker, 2011). It cannot be questioned that social networking was a pivotal player in the organisation and publicising of the protests across the region. One reason for this was the state control of traditional media, which left social media as almost the last voice of the pe ople. On a ground level ‘Facebook was used to schedule the protests’ and ‘Twitter to coordinate’ (Khondker, 2011), and then following on from this traditional media was utilised to present the uprisings to an international audience who in turn supported the uprising. In this case, and similar ones across North Africa, new media held great influence over politics. It mobilised opposition groups, allowing them to build a group identity as well as coherence. The influence that such new media can exert over politics in times of revolution and uprising should not, however, be overstated. It is important to point out that for such events to unfold, certain revolutionary conditions and the inability of the state to react to the actions of the people must be present. In this sense the media is merely a tool of the revolution, not a predetermined necessity for a revolution to occur (Khondker, 2011). Personally I believe that the media, both new and old, does not have a monopoly over the thoughts of the people and instead just provides them with a voice from which their ideas can be spread. The fact that revolutions have occurred throughout history in times before social media, such as the French and Cuban Revolutions, tells me that new media is more of an enabler than a driving force behind such events (Himelfarb, 2011). To conclude, I believe that the influence of the media over politics depends greatly upon the political situation in the region that it is being published. In more politically stable areas, such as the UK, while the media may have a certain agenda their consumers are likely to only access and take note of media that reflects their personal views. Mass media must cater to a certain readership in order to be sustainable as a business, and therefore cannot obviously attempt to mould public opinion. This is evidenced by the fact that in all post war elections but 1, the party with the greatest media support has formed the next government (Butler Butler, 2010). Despite this, the media can play a vital role in influencing politics, as displayed in the aforementioned Arab Spring. I believe this is a sign of the future, in which conventional media will play a comparatively small role to that of social media, in Africa and beyond.

Comparing Notebook and Desktop Computers :: Compare Contrast Computer Essays

Comparing Notebook and Desktop Computers Computers are one of the most popular kinds of electronic devices in the world today. Whether kid or adult, male or female, everyone wants to learn how to operate the computer. People use computers for different purposes such as typing papers, creating websites, making presentations, browsing on the internet, playing games, etc. In fact, many people are still confused about choosing what kind of computer they want to buy. In the world today, there are two types of computers: notebook/laptop and desktop. They both are actually very different in several ways. In this paper, I will compare the size, connectivity, power, and price of notebook and desktop computers. I can make these comparisons because I have both a notebook and a desktop computer in my apartment. Size is one of the major concerns for people who want to buy a computer. A notebook/laptop tends to be smaller than a desktop computer. This makes the notebook more convenient to use than a desktop computer. Because of the size, the components, which are built inside a notebook, are relatively small as well. Components of a computer consist of: microprocessor, memory, disk drivers, motherboard, sound card, input/output port, and power supply. Moreover, notebooks seem to be lighter than desktop computers. This also makes a very difference for the users. A notebook's weight will be about 10 pounds or less. Because of this weight, notebook can be brought anywhere easily. Many people use notebooks for business purposes so they can bring their notebook everywhere. On the other hand, a desktop computer's weight is more than 20 pounds. Because of this, desktop computers are used by people who stay at home most of the time. Besides that, a notebook is built as a fixed computer. In other words, all the components used to build a notebook cannot be changed if something is broken, or all the components cannot be upgraded as a user desires. On the other hand, a desktop computer seems to be less complicated than a notebook because all the components inside the desktop computer can be changed as the user desires. Because of these changes, a desktop computer has more memory capacity than a notebook. Besides size, connectivity is also an important aspect in order to operate the computers correctly. The connectivity that I mean is an internet connection. There are several components that are used to connect the computers to the internet such as modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), wireless, etc.

John Locke and The Rights Of Children :: Empiricists, Empiricism

Locke firmly denies Filmer's theory that it is morally permissible for parents to treat their children however they please: "They who allege the Practice of Mankind, for exposing or selling their Children, as a Proof of their Power over them, are with Sir Rob. happy Arguers, and cannot but recommend their Opinion by founding it on the most shameful Action, and most unnatural Murder, humane Nature is capable of." (First Treatise, sec.56) Rather, Locke argues that children have the same moral rights as any other person, though the child's inadequate mental faculties make it permissible for his parents to rule over him to a limited degree. "Thus we are born Free, as we are born Rational; not that we have actually the Exercise of either: Age that brings one, brings with it the other too." (Second Treatise, sec.61) On top of this, he affirms a postive, non-contractual duty of parents to provide for their offspring: "But to supply the Defects of this imperfect State, till the Improvement of Growth and Age hath removed them, Adam and Eve, and after them all Parents were, by the Law of Nature, under an obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate the Children, they had begotten." (Second Treatise, sec.56) Apparently, then, Locke believes that parents may overrule bad choices that their children might make, including self-regarding actions. Leaving aside Locke's duty of self- preservation, his theory permits adults to do as they wish with their own bodies. But this is not the case for children, because their lack of reason prevents them from making sensible choices. To permit a willful child from taking serious risks to his health or safety even if he wants to is permissible on this theory. Parents (and other adults as well) also seem to have a duty to refrain from taking advantage of the child's weak rational faculties to exploit or abuse him. On top of this, Locke affirms that parents have enforceable obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate their children; not because they consented to do so, but because they have a natural duty to do so. 2. The Problem of Positive Parental Duties The first difficulty with Locke's theory of childrens' rights is that the positive duty of parents to raise their children seems inconsistent with his overall approach. If, as Locke tells us, "Reason teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and

The Consequences of Peoples Obsession with Physical Appearances Essay

In this essay, I will compare people that are obsessed with physical appearance and appearances. It is not strange for individuals to worry about physical appearance. In fact, we could argue that we are living in a culture that weighs the most up-to-date trends or newest fashions more heavily than more pressing issues that affects society. As a result, many people become obsessed with their physical appearance in order to keep up with trends and fashions. People pay too much attention to appearance, it is important in some situations and the general population seems to put more of their focus on how good someone looks or what the newest trends are, instead of concentrating on greater issues at hand, which are often not discussed. For instance, there are problems with our health care system but many people have a greater knowledge of what is going on with the death of Michael Jackson. In our society where image and presentation is everything, it is impossible not to care about our appearance. We find ways to beautify ourselves, such as not eating properly which leads to anor...

Continuous Professional development Essay

Continuous professional development (CPD) is a framework of learning and development that ensures a professional’s competency, effectiveness, knowledge, skills and practice are continually kept up to date through ‘lifelong learning’ strategies and activities. There is not a fixed CPD standard or structure and a ‘one size fits all’ process would not work for all professions and individuals who work for companies with diverse objectives and working practices. The various approaches may have common themes and goals such as setting objectives for development and charting progress towards them, or asking questions such as where I want to be, and how I plan to get there. Reflection is also a key element of the process. Just as important is the motivation and responsibility of professionals for keeping their own skills and knowledge up to date. An early definition of CPD was developed in 1986 by the Construction Industry Council (UK). However, Friedman et al. (2000) found that it was still the most commonly cited definition of CPD among UK professional bodies in 1999. ‘The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for execution of professional and technical duties throughout the individual’s working life’. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggest the following elements of a good and broad CPD structure. be a documented process be self-directed: driven by you, not your employer focus on learning from experience, reflective learning and review help you set development goals and objectives include both formal and informal learning. CIPD further suggest the benefits to CPD practitioners provides an overview of your professional development to date reminds you of your achievements and how far you’ve progressed directs your career and helps you keep your eye on your goals uncovers gaps in your skills and capabilities Opens up further development needs provides examples and scenarios for a CV or interview demonstrates your professional standing to clients and employers helps you with your career development or a possible career change. CPD can involve any relevant learning activity, whether formal and structured or informal and self-directed. Good CPD practice will include a variety of learning models that help professionals remain competent and up to date. Whatever the model or structure the process should highlight the needs of the job, strengths and weaknesses of learners and their future goals so learning gaps can be addressed. Listed below are examples and a short explanation of types of CPD learning and practice. The training model – often delivered by an expert in a classroom type environment. The award-bearing model – validation achieved via a standard or qualification. The deficit model – weak performance highlighted and measures taken to improve it. The cascade model – one learner cascading their learning down to other colleagues. The standards-based model – meeting standards, often highlighted in observations. The coaching/mentoring model – on the job training that includes shadowing. The community of practice model – secondment or interagency training initiatives. The transformative model – flexible approach involving many of the above models. My own development is based very much on the transformative model of CPD that involves a range of both formal and informal learning, this provides me with the up to date knowledge and skills I need to do my job competently. Schunk describes learning as, ‘Learning is an enduring change in behaviour or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion which results from practice or other forms of experience’. Schunk, Learning theories, 5th ed, 2008 Formal learning through training or qualification is often related to something specific, like a skill or competence. Formal training may include on-line and CD-ROM based courses or full or part time study leading to qualifications. Development on the other hand can be more informal and has a broader outlook on learning and may include private study such as reading, observing and reflection. Structured continual learning is important in any profession because new research and practices may require new knowledge and skills. For example the QCF Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development is one example of formal learning that I have considered and want to undertake. This is for both professional and financial reasons. Professionally it proves a level of academic ability, knowledge and credibility. It is the standard that many career companies now expect from professionals delivering career guidance in schools. Gaining the qualification should also help me remain competitive when applying for a job and hopefully keep me within a reasonable pay scale. Conferences, workshops and seminars also help keep professionals up to date with changes to practice and can be a vehicle for networks to be built up and experiences shared. On the job training such staff training, shadowing, secondment, coaching and mentoring all provide excellent provision for professionals to learn new skills and build up work based knowledge. Professionals may also learn by taking part in working groups or involvement in research projects. Babcock recognises the benefit of CPD and is committed to broadening and developing all employees’ knowledge and skills in the pursuit of excellence. They understand the process helps promote career development and ensure legislation and contractual agreements are met. The company handbook CPD at Babcock Education and Training – Guidance for Staff’, describes the process of CPD as, ‘’any activity which increases the knowledge, skills and understanding of staff, improves job satisfaction and raises company performance’’. The policy strongly advocates that practitioners should be accountable for their own personal growth and not solely rely on the company for training and development. It also requires professionals to maintain competent levels of learning as directed by their own professional bodies. If professionals are to be committed to their own CPD practice then there needs to be a certain level of self-motivation. Career Advisers as with all professionals need to remain competent to practice, regardless of whether they qualified yesterday, last year or twenty-five years ago. (Golding ; Gray, 2006) agree and suggest that the last day of professional training signals the beginning of lifelong learning. According to Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs that suggests people are motivated by a range of wants such as basic needs from food and shelter right up to the final stage of self-actualization and fulfillment. Herzberg (1959) showed that to motivate an employee a business needs to create conditions that make them feel fulfilled in the workplace. He suggested motivators such as achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility and advancement will motivate the worker to want to succeed and do well. Both models recognise that when conditions are right workers want to do a good job and find satisfaction in their work. I would argue that professionals such as career advisers go further by recognising their duty of care to clients and desire to serve them well by providing the best service possible. This is only achieved by having up to date skills and a positive outlook on personal learning and development. CPD clearly benefits professionals, employers, customers and users. For it to be best utilised practitioners may need some form of CPD training. Learning how to learn is a skill in itself, Joyce and Showers (2001) suggest that a positive impact on performance is more likely if training is provided on it. Cunningham (2001) agrees and says ‘’It cannot be ‘caught; people must be trained in the process’’ A full understanding of the CPD process gives the practitioner a methodical and structured approach to their learning that can be flexible and involve a number of learning styles that best suits the learner’s needs. My own CPD practice and planning is assisted through various policies and templates implemented by Babcock. Supervision meetings with line-managers take place every 6-8 weeks where performance against SMART targets (objectives broken down to specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely goals) are discussed and feedback given. Before annual reviews take place a pre-review template is filled in by the member of staff. This process alone demands employees to take time to reflect on their past performance and draw attention to skill gaps and future training needs. Another template used during the annual review guides both practitioner and line-manager through the process. This tool asks questions that demands a certain level of thought and reflection. Questions are asked around time spent on an activity, why it was done, what was learned and can it be shared with others. The pre-review template and review process agree much with guided reflective theory developed by Johns (1995) where he suggests a series of questions can challenge the motivation and rationale for actions. These questions from a third party can help guide learners through the reflective process. Johns suggested reflective diaries and sharing experience with others can lead to a greater understanding than reflections done alone. Though I do not keep a written diary of reflection I do reflect constantly and can relate to Schon’s ‘reflection in action’ and ‘reflection on’ practice. I also incorporate much of Rolfe (2000) Driscoll’s (2000) thinking by asking what, so what and now what into my practice. Another simple strategy I endorse and find useful is SWOT analysis, a technique accredited to Albert Humphrey in the 1950’s that asks practitioners to scrutinize their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Practitioners can also be unaware of issues in their own practice, this is suggested by the Jo Harari window, developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955; it proposes that others see things about us to which we may be blind. New objectives and action plans can then be agreed and formalised. Feedback from supervision and annual review meetings help to evaluate work and clarify agreed targets and future development tasks. The meetings also offer a platform to formally raise concerns or requests for training. A training request was made after I became aware of a number of young people in school who seemed to be unmotivated, withdrawn or depressed. I had no knowledge of mental health issues and felt out of my depth to offer solutions and wanted to be able to offer better front-line support. I approached my line-manager and it was suggested I investigate possible training options. I later attended three one day courses on adolescent mental health that were free of charge and run by Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH). The training was around spotting mental health disorders, early intervention and ideas for support in school. Networking is also a valuable source of gathering information and developing support channels. It was through a network that I learned of the free training delivered by CAMHS. Another effective learning tool is observation. Feedback from formal interview observations and those from colleagues, teachers, pupils, parents and others has benefited my overall reflections and development by highlighting levels of performance. Critical thinking allows me to analyse different qualities, talents, views and opinions of others. I often ask myself whether I would have handled a situation differently to a colleague and would my actions have made the situation better or worse? Writing regular case studies has been useful when reflecting on my work. They help me focus on what went well and what hasn’t gone so well. The discipline of writing down events and analysing them requires much deeper thought processes. Attending regular training events and seminars ensures I remain up to date with new practice, law and policy changes. Training has broadened my knowledge around specialist areas such as homelessness and sex education. Some training programmes are also compulsory requirements of Babcock and include child protection training or online courses like equality and diversity. Attendance at staff meetings keep me up to date with events in the careers industry and practice at a local level. Often meetings include training workshops, group discussions and presentations from guest speakers. As a group member of the Career Development Institute I receive regular updates, advice and information on topical subjects through journals and annual conferences. In summary CPD is an investment that gives professionals a methodical structure to directly link learning with practice. It records learning undertaken and helps plot any future training. Confidence and professional credibility can be boosted and it may accelerate career advancement. Through creative thinking and tackling new challenges personal interest and job satisfaction can also be increased.

What is Justice?

Plato was a Greek philosopher a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. The three laid down the western philosophy. Plato was a mathematician and a writer of philosophical dialogues, was the founder of the first institution of higher learning in the western world. Plato was equally influenced by his mentors thinking just as what he saw as his teacher unjust death. Aristotle was a student of Plato and a teacher of Alexander the great. He was the man who created a comprehensive system of western philosophy, which was inclusive of aesthetics, morality, logic and science and finally politics. Plato who attended all Socrates’ trail got a trauma which led him to desire to design an idea society. Following his death Plato traveled wide in search of learning after which he established the Athens academy. Socrates appears as a character in most of Plato’s dialogues. Most of his writings are in form of dialogue it enabled him raise several points of view and let the Reader decide which is more varied. Plato had a great influence in philosophy as well as social and cultural science. Plato grew up in a family setting that enabled him have an interaction with city affairs. And desired to become a master of his own self and find out the state of publics affairs then as many were discontented with the constitution and a revolution took place. Having brought up in a family that hand a hand in leadership, who asked him to join them what he desired most. Plato expected the family to exercise justice instead of injustice. What is Justice? Justice is the concept of moral uprightness based on ethics, law and natural law. Justice can be equitable to fairness and equity. It is a key feature in the society. It is the fair ordering of this and persons and the first virtue of social institutions. It can be elaborated to be ones right to be protected and treated fairy according to the law; either in good or in wrong doing. Also as deciding carefully and fairly if one is guilty of what he or she is been accused of. Referring to shame I strongly agree that shame enhances the truthfulness of individuals due to fear of disrespect. In this way justice is achieved to the individuals concerned. This also enables many to develop the acquired virtue of justice. On other hand shame can make people be denied justice when the person involved fears to offer something to avoid disrespect. About females and justice they should be equally handled with men they shouldn’t be discriminated assuming they are sub-species. In the current world we have seen some women do better than their male counterparts meaning even the rest given a chance can do it. Justice should be ensured equally to all classes of people to the poor and the rich. Slaves are people like any other hence should not be eliminated when it comes to some matters. They can vote and those with leadership qualities should be allowed to go ahead and exercise them. State leadership is not for a chosen few families any one from which ever family as long as they have the capability can be given the mandate and not discriminated due to where they come from. As justice in the state is been sought, justice for individuals should also be sought. The state affair shouldn’t be run on the expense of the individual’s welfare. The individuals are the components of the society and state hence negligence on their affairs means neglecting the states justice. Justice according to Plato and Aristotle I have italicized philosophers’ remarks to distinguish then from the rest of the discussion] [In brief, Socrates says writing would bring harmless pleasure to old men and memories against the forgetfulness of old age] A pastime, Socrates, as noble as the other [wasting seeds during youth] is ignoble, the pastime of a man who can be amused by seri ous talk, and can discourse merrily about justice and the like. He meant as the idea of Socrates that the best and true way of writing is the in bold letter the principle of justice is communicating orally for the sake of instructions and engraving in the souls. This makes the principles become ones own and his legitimate offspring; though writing would keep the exact information for future generations. Justice is an old concept in existence and was discussed by several philosophers of the past. According to Plato justice is harmony of three things of the soul which includes desire, appetites and reason. Reason is what reign over both desires and appetites. ‘Plato likened it to a chariot pulled by to joined horses towards the sun where the horses are desire and appetite and the driver represents the reason that reigns. The sun represents the truly important goal in life. They have to be monitored not to fly too low or too close to the sun and doing so give a true balance to all elements. He believes through this balance justice can be achieved to all individuals. ’ Plato believed justice is implemented when the three types of human character performed their functions. Likewise justice of a state is not found in a part of it but the whole of the state; which only occurs when it systems are balanced. Also the justice of an individual is found when his elements are balanced. He refuted the fact that just was that which was mandated by the powerful, and that might is right as opposed to Thracymachus. Plato saw a just society as one that meets the needs of all its individuals not a few or some (Hooker, pp234). Taking the ideal of Plato’s mentor major ideal that justice would be an excellent character, he sought to explain that no excellence would be achieved through destructive means. He argued that the role of justice was to improve human nature, which involved only constructions. Justice according to Socrates implies superior character and intelligence while injustice is deficiency in these two areas. Hence just men are effective in action due to these two traits and are better and happier. In addition Plato defined justice in an excellent way as morality or righteousness, this includes the whole duty of man and involves individual induct towards others. In deed justice can be a quality of the soul, which most men set aside and fight for selfish desires and satisfaction. Aristotle denoted that the purpose of every human action was for achievement of good things. The things carried out by individuals are sough to give pleasure and happiness, others for the sake of honor and justice. He also distinguished between moral virtue and intellectual virtue; moral virtues are acquired and not inborn. He emphasized that people with virtues act virtuously and this is nit deniable. According to him justice is amoral virtue which includes lawfulness and fairness. Fairness calls for all privileges and responsibilities of individuals be equally and proportionally distributed. Aristotle concludes that pleasure is not the aim of human action because not every pleasure is good. He described happiness, as the unity between will and action, of intellect and reason. He concluded that human beings are happiest when guided by reason. Perfect happiness there of is gained by a unity of practical and theoretical wisdom (Scott, Para 4, 5 &10). In reference to justice, shame and reputations were termed as motivators of action in justice. Many people are able to express truth when unimpeded by shame. According to Aristotle shame was a pain concerning things that caused individual disrespect. Aristotle concluded that a true expert is the one who challenges city’s convectional justice and not constraint of shame and concern of reputation. In view of Aristotle he spoke of justice as a virtue, individual traits which have a lot of ground in social justice. On the contrary Plato terms justice as an overarching of virtues of individuals, meaning every thing that he would term as ethical came under the notion justice. In the modern usage justice only covers a part of morality, and we don’t count people as unjust when they neglect their children or lie. Plato builded around the idea of philosopher rulers which was his primary point. This led to the question, ‘then why do you need ideal state to begin with? The discussion begins with the key term justice which leads to creation of an ideal state. He says the reason for an ideal state is to guarantee the existence of justice. This never denoted that there can be no state without justice because human being are not self sufficient so they need a social environment and each person has specified tasks on which they should build on (republican, pp56-62). Though a person is not self sufficient combination of person – a state should fulfill the need of all its members. Plato condemned the fact that only the auxiliaries are got a chance to state leadership and the poor had no where near. His aim was to define justice though he used politics to do that. On the other hand Aristotle used politics to define politics itself. He begins his text by asking, why does the state exit? ‘ His answer was a state is a culmination of natural groupings that begins with the coming together of a man and a woman- a pair, get a family and form a household, which units form a village and villages into a state. ’ Lack of sufficiency just like in Plato’s view is the catalyst to rising up of unions among people. In politics he is not up to breaking down the society, he argues that there are different classes in society which are naturally defined. He devotes a lot of time to explain the ‘naturalness’ of salves and their importance in the society. Both Plato and Aristotle agree that some people can’t play an active role in politics. They upheld benefit of the community above those of individuals; today’s constitution includes a bill of rights that guarantee the rights of every individual. This is good for today’s citizens. In accordance to the three elements in human nature equally there are three classes in the society-Philosopher class or the ruling class which denotes reason; auxiliaries, a class of warriors and defenders of the country implying the spirit; and the appetite instinct of the community which includes farmers, artisans the lower class people of the society. Thus, weaving a web between the human organism and the social organism, Plato said this to assert that every person had a role in seeing that justice is done to all. Slavery is a contradicting issue between the philosophers and today’s society. Aristotle considered slavery natural when it came to politics; and in relation to slavery he undermined female population. Plato was a lot less discriminatory but this didn’t stop him from believing women were sub-species. This made woman fight endless battle to gain recognition they deserved, today its well acceptable that what men can do women can do better. Plato discussed the possibility of a luxurious state. Where the needs of the people are met and there is division of labor. And there is existence of military protection that is not a threat to the state itself and offers successful military protection. Plato asks if an unqualified good human being must appear to fall to bad now and then. This would be a person who is neither perfect in virtue and justice, nor one who falls into misfortune through vice and depravity; but rather, one who succumbs through some miscalculation. He must also be a person who enjoys great reputation and good fortune Enjoying a reputation means finding happiness which Aristotle on the other hand liken to performance of ones duty and is determine by ones degree of evolution. He disagrees with Plato’s view of sacrificing ones happiness for the interest of the community. Plato contrary to the theories of his student, like cephalous justice out to be treated as internal not something external. It is not an importation, or an accomplishment. He proved that justice is not dependent upon chance or an external force. He termed it as the right condition of a human soul. He concluded his debate by saying justice is the bond that joins men together in society. Aristotle on the other hand recognized the role of deliberations in a government, in particular democracy and the extent to which real justice depended on good deliberations (politics, pp410). He argued that democracy supports good life. Aristotle proposes that the private and the government assistance should be given to the poor as a way of trying to achieve self-sufficiency which denote justice. Aristotle’s ideal of justice appeared superior, upon further investigation but Plato’s was stronger. In conclusion both Plato and Aristotle had good points of view they agreed in most of their debates. This was as a result of originating from the same roots academically. These deliberations they made were for the good of the society. On the other hand they differ on several topic or views which enabled the society to take the better view as emphasized by their mentor Socrates. Justice should be for the good of the individuals and also the society. Work Cited Hooker R. Greek Philosopher Plato, 1996 retrieved on 25th Nov, 2008 from; http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/PLATO.HTM Scott A, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, 2002 retrieved on 25th Nov, 2008 from: http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/ethics.html River S, Pearson N.J, Politics Ancient Philosophy.2008 Ed. Forrest E. Baird and Walter Kaufmann. Upper Vol. 1 of Philosophic Classics. 442-453.