However, when these same advocates were faced with the possibility of losing their political power by living in accordance with their own arguments, they admitted that they understood the people they had under their absolute control were men and not animals. Such an admission was tantamount to declaring that they didn't really believe in equality, but instead wanted to protect their own liberty to live their preferred way of life. They formed arguments for states' rights, which consisted of a kind of collectivized justification of liberty at the state level rather than on the personal level, and threatened to reject the constitution if their rights were not protected. The North, on the other hand, had rid itself of slavery earlier in its history, driven by the moral arguments of abolitionists and the fact that their economy had never really depended on slavery. They espoused a belief in equality but were not willing to let that belief get in the way of their desire to solidify the move toward the constitution. The upshot was that slavery, an institution which allowed neither liberty nor equality, proved the lie of equality, but did so in a way that would eventually also prove the lie of liberty.
As the nation ratified the constitution and moved through its early history, there were numerous developments which showed that liberty and equality were incompatible in ways unrelated to slavery. The rise of Andrew Jackson and populist
However, the institution of slavery always remained at the forefront of the national debate and at every turn it seemed to indicate that liberty and equality were zero-sum games. As the nation expanded westward and new territories were annexed, the question of whether to allow slavery was always a major concern. The nation struck upon a balancing act which basically guaranteed that with each free state added a slave state would be added. As long as slavery was permitted in the nation, it seemed that liberty and equality could coexist only in a tense standoff.
Finally, when the nation could no longer stand the tension, the Civil War erupted as an all-out argument between liberty and equality, with slavery as the prize. The North wanted to impose its will on the South and thereby increase equality. The South wanted to protect its own liberty, which would allow its states to continue meting out the most horrible injustice. As the nation went to war, there were other considerations that had an impact, including economic and cultural differences, but the questions of slavery, liberty and equality were the driving forces which pressed fingers to triggers. In the end, as slavery was ended and the South was forced to give up its cherished (albeit horrible) institution, equality won.
Or did it? In the years following, Reconstruction showed that the discrimination of racism was as wicked as the absolutism of slavery in prompting a battle between liberty and inequality. Jefferson's legacy, complicated by more than just the peculiar institution, showed the struggle to bind liberty and equality together was far from complete.
The Southern states were dependent on slavery for the maintenance of their economy. While the abolitionist movement had
Human rights are the activities, freedoms and conditions that all human are entitle to enjoy, and these rights include economic, political, cultural and social rights. Putting differently, human rights are inalienable, inherent, indivisible and interdependent, which cannot be taken away, must be respected, and which the governments are to put in places the instrument to regulate laws and policies for human rights protection. Similarly, international human rights are the set
Negotiation Skills A High Impact Negotiations Model: An Answer to the Limitations of the Fisher, Ury Model of Principled Negotiations This study aims to discover the ways in which blocked negotiations can be overcome by testing the Fisher, Ury model of principled negotiation against one of the researcher's own devising, crafted after studying thousands of negotiation trainees from over 100 multinational corporations on 5 continents. It attempts to discern universal applications of
(Leaves, 680) Similarly Whitman informs us: Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems, You shall possess the good of the earth and sun…there are millions of suns left, You shall no longer take things at second or third hand…nor look through the eyes of the dead…nor feed on the specters in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me.
A report about pornography and prostitution indicated that females in prostitution hold a mortality rate forty times higher compared to the national average (Dianne 28).People who gets involved in prostitution by consent engage in unhealthy activities. Melinda confirmed that when she was in the business of prostitution, she was raped both anally and orally. Most clients who consume services of prostitutes are ill minded and have interests in violating human
Cross-Cultural Differences and Communication Cultural identity is a significant force that shapes the interaction between people from different cultures. The contemporary globalization has made intercultural interactions inevitable in the contemporary society. People draw conclusions about other people's culture depending on a wide range of observations about the individual's way of live, values and behavior. For instance, understanding what people from specific cultural values helps in drawing about that culture in that
Feminism and Liberalism The world of philosophy, political science, and social theory has come a long way since the times during which ancient Greek philosophers created theories according to which the best city state should be constructed and run. The beauty and joy of being human lies in the fact that humanity is constantly evolving. The same is true of social and philosophical ideas and theories. In the views of some,
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now