The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Reagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Reagan - Essay Example Animal rights violators have argued that not all living things have equal rights and that humans are superior to the others. They state that human beings have the rights while the other living things, especially animals, have rights only in the right view of the human being responsible. Reagan accounts for the need to have animal rights on the following arguments and sets of theories. First, the violators base their argument on the contractions theory, where the human beings are said to have signed a voluntary contract to ensure rights on themselves and close persons. The rights also cover what the human beings have sentimental value, and what interests them in the society only. Reagan argues that this does not adequately cover the rights of animals in the society from the actions of human beings. He states that in case the animal in question does not have any relevance or value to the human being, then he/she is not morally obligated to uphold or enforce the rights of the animal (Re agan, 1989). The second argument is considered as the cruelty-kindness theory that states that every human being has the duty to be kind to all the animals in the world, whether they have sentimental value or not; we also have an indirect duty not to be cruel to the animals in the world whatsoever. ...The same theory also argues for the statement ‘the end justifies the means’; moreover, Reagan uses the rights view to contradict these statements by egalitarians, by stating that the end does not justify the means, in the upholding animal rights. Reagan’s criticism is valid in light of clearly rational arguments and analysis on some other theories on animal rights. He seeks to bring balance between the animal’s rights and human rights in the world. The sense of belief that animals have no feelings and humans have no moral obligations towards them is clearly misplaced. There needs to be a balance between actions to animals and the results, in that animals are living things too and have emotions and rights that we need to uphold in society, if we are to be rational.

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Recently, the topic of oil consumption and production has been thrust onto the world stage. As demand for oil increases internationally, the role of major producers will change dramatically. As a representative of Saudi Arabia, I will offer my position on these topics, and I will represent the views of my nation as clearly as possible. The first topic I’d like to address is OPEC’s control on global oil production, supply, and pricing. Right now, OPEC member nations control nearly 81% of crude oil reserves, compared to 19% of non-OPEC member nations (EIA.gov). Because we control such a large percentage of the total amount oil reserves in the world, we can effectively control prices through production. If we decrease production, prices rise, and if we increase production, prices fall. As a representative of both Saudi Arabia and OPEC as a whole, I believe that our control over world oil production and supply is both justified and correct. My country in particular controls nearly 1/5 of total world oil reserves, and acts as the largest exporter and producer of petroleum (EIA.gov). Therefore, we should have a significant amount of control over world oil prices, because we control such a large percentage of world oil reserves. We should be able to essentially control international oil prices, and cut off supply to any country we see fit. On the topic of our cooperation with OPEC, the current member nations need to reorganize and reassess our goals. Although we have set oil production allocations for each nation to ensure price stability and adequate supply, nations like Iran and Iraq have skewed production due to their unstable oil output and refusal to adhere to production quotas. In terms of my country’s position on non-OPEC produ... ...my, because OPEC has such a large influence on world oil supplies. Therefore, although Iraq and Iran have, in the past, taken action contrary to OPEC policy, we have to continue cooperating with them. These points of opposition against my country, although they may be justified, do not take into account Saudi Arabia’s political and economic situation. Because of this, they are short-sighted and unreasonable. At this conference, we hope to resolve outstanding foreign relations issues with countries around the world to both ensure continued oil exports and stable oil prices. We will not, however, make any concessions in terms of oil production and greenhouse gas emission, as any decrease in production would stunt our economy growth. Hopefully, we will be able to achieve our goals of mending foreign relations issues while sustaining our control over world oil prices.

Comparison of Roman and Greek Architecture

Comparison of Roman and Greek Architecture Architecture has been a fundamental cornerstone for building societies throughout the entire human development. Architecture in general is constantly changing but the ideas that have been formulated tend to come back and influence the next. They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it and we can see how we are constantly repeating ourselves in terms of architecture. I shall compare and contrast the Greek and Roman ideal styles of architecture, by breaking down both of their discoveries and similarities.Greek architecture has several qualities that mark its work as a fundamental cornerstone in architecture. The Greeks had introduced several interesting factors; the scale of building was now proportioned to that of the human body. Greek architecture had a seemingly positive outlook on things, unlike its predecessors like the Egyptians which brought out the death in architecture. Greek architecture was considered the celebration of life. The most prestigious architectural achievement set forth by the Greek ancestry was the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena.According to The Humanistic Tradition, written by Gloria K. Fiero, the Parthenon represented the apex of a long history of post-and-lintel temple building among the Greeks. The Greeks had introduced three of the five basic columns in classical architecture which are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. Opposed to the Greeks, the Romans had never created their own columns rather re-invited the one the Greeks had made, rendering them different in comparison. The Roman’s had created the Roman Doric columns and the Roman Tuscan columns. Both of which are enhanced version of the Greeks’ Doric column.Like most of Rome’s architectural achievements, their work was merely a rendition of past works. Another prime example which was taken from the Etruscans was the Arch, which was fortified by the Romans and in term led to the Barrel Vau lt; according to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia, it is a ceiling consisting of a series of semi-cylindrical arches. Many may say that the works of the Romans were un-original but to the contrary, they had brought forth the use of concrete, walked us through to the introduction of 50,000 miles of road and provided us with fresh flowing water from the aqueducts they had constructed.The beacon of Roman architecture is the Pantheon, according to The Humanistic Tradition, is Roman technical ingenuity and dramatic spatial design. Architecture in general is constantly changing but the ideas that have been formulated tend to come back and influence the next. Through the comparisons of these two major architectural influences we see that my theory of expansion in architecture is in fact true.Through the comparison of Greek and Roman discoveries and similarities we notice the link between adapted to change in architecture and the influence one civilization has on the other. Work Cited: -F iero, Gloria k. ‘The Humanistic Tradition’, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2006 â€Å"barrel vault. † Encyclop? dia Britannica. 2010. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. 07 Dec. 2010 â€Å"The Five Basic Greek and Roman Columns and Arches. † Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.. 2002. Web. 07 Dec. 2010.

Russia Is Wrought With Inconsistencies And Discord

The history of Russia is wrought with inconsistencies and discord. Flawed with unjust social constructs and plagued constantly by the dichotomous relationship between authority and the people, Russia, since it’s upbringing, had always been one step behind it’s eastern neighbors. And in this rat race to stand among the Europeans, the identity and essence of Russia was always in a state of question. As a result, Russia was constantly struggling to find it’s place within a global narrative. It was Russian philosopher Petr Chaadaev, who in 1829, wrote, â€Å"We do not belong to any of the great families of the human race. We are neither of the West nor of the East, and we have the traditions of neither.† It is a wonder that Chaadaev, in the years of such turbulent changes, was able to identify such metaphysical traits of the nation. But while Chaadaev highlights the indisputable â€Å"sui generis nature of Russia in context with the European nations, perhaps it was too presumptuous to say that this uniqueness resulted in the lack of culture and tradition from both East and West. As the three momentous periods of Russia, the formation, the imperial, and the formation of the soviet, may suggest, rather than a nation outside of East or West, Russia is an amalgamation of elements from both, existing between the dichotomous East and West. Russia before the â€Å"Russians† was a complex mix of people and culture. To the knowledge of historians, the lands were mostly comprised of disjointed clans