The Wealth of Nations Essay examples -- Economics Economy Politics Ess

The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith’s famous attempt to explain the nature and causes of the wealth of nations rests on several crucial assumptions about human nature which in turn rely on false universalism and questionable dichotomies. To begin with, Smith makes roughly three claims about human nature. Primarily, Smith assumes that self-interest is inherent in all human beings. As opposed to animals which rely on benevolence, in opposition to natural pity (Rousseau p. 53), the human â€Å"will be more likely to prevail if he can interest [others’] self-love in his favour, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them† (Smith, p. 18). Smith later relies on this â€Å"self-love† to ground his arguments on the steady base of human nature. More subtly, the â€Å"faculties of reason and speech† play a crucial role in Smith’s treatment of human behavior. Although he never openly lists these â€Å"faculties† as essential to human nature, his argument relies on this assumption. The step from having some goods and needing others to trading with those who have the needed goods and want the overabundant ones cannot be warranted without a presumption of a rational actor. Similarly, every development towards improved efficiency, if these are anything more guided than random evolutionary steps, require such an actor to instigate it. In the case of the arrowmaker, Smith must assume some force driving the arrow maker to save time and maximize profits. Of course, the concepts of barter, trade, and the rest require speech, or some kind of communication. Finally, Smith instills â€Å"a certain propensity in human nature; the propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another.† (Smith p. 17). This, he sugg... ...to the commonness of rationality. Far from all cultures were capitalistic, nor is it possible to prove any would have become capitalistic in the future. Thus Smith’s description of human nature is applicable primarily to Western European coastal trading humans, rather than to the supposed universal and original human specimen. WORKS CITED Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Ed. Cannan, Edwin. Chicago, IL: U of Chicago Press, 1976. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. â€Å"Discourse on the Origin of Inequality.† The Basic Political Writings. Trans. Cress, Donald A. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1987. Visvanathan, Shiv. â€Å"The Laboratory State.† Science, Violence, and Hegemony: A Requiem for Modernity. Oxford University Press, 1988. October 11, 2001.

Theories and goals of education don’t matter a whit if you don’t consider your students to be human beings

The book entitled, A Loss for Words, by Lou Ann Walker, tells the wonderful tale of how a child deals with the disabilities of her parents (Walker 1987).The protagonist of the tale, Lou Ann Walker, narrates her experiences of how she acted as the ears and was the voice for her deaf parents.   While the family setting was warm, loving and typical of most happy families, the challenges that Lou Ann Walker and her parents had to face outside the house constantly challenged their character (Walker 1987).The story revolves around the experiences of Lou Ann Walker who was born in the American Midwest in 1952 and recounts the experiences she has as one of the three daughters who were capable of hearing of Gale and Doris Jean Walker who were both deafened as infants due to illnesses.The inspiring tale of how she served as the â€Å"medium† for interactions for her parents with the outside world.   â€Å"I’d seen plenty of families where there was more communication and les s love, (Walker 1987)† as the author declares when she recalls how warm it was in their home despite the hearing disabilities of her parents.The book is not above the frustrations that people have to deal with when they are outcast and misunderstood and Lou Ann Walker is able to show this through the lighthearted narration of just how crude and condescending the reactions of people were to the plight of her parents.The manner of education that her parents got, while seemingly different for those who are unaware of the circumstances of the hearing impaired, showed just how difficult yet heartwarming it was.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The beauty is in the narration of the tale as it seeks to embed itself in the hearts of its readers and finds a way to bring the comfort and warmth of the author’s own family to the reader.References:Walker, Lou Ann (1987) Loss for Words: The Story of Deafness in a Family Harper Perennial ISBN: 0060914254   

Adam And Eve, And The Serpent - 892 Words

According to the Genesis in the Hebrew bible, the story of Adam and Eve in books 1-4 eating from the tree of knowledge was considered a sin, but after a close analysis of the story perhaps eating from the tree of knowledge only opened up Adam and Eves eyes to see the world for what it truly is. The serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit, and later Eve convinced Adam to follow in her footsteps. From this act the Lord God Punished Adam, Eve, and the serpent. Their disobedience was the first sin committed by the first humans, but why was the Lord God being so overprotective of both Adam and Eve? Was finding out the truth of the world . Was eating from the tree of knowledge a good or an evil act? And Why was the punishment that the Lord God implemented on Adam, Eve, and the serpent harsh? Adam and Eve committed the first sin but through their sin or mistake the human race has accomplished great success. Was the Lord God being too overprotective of both Adam and Eve? Well, they had everything that they could need in the Garden of Eden. In the Eden, the land was fertile with beautiful gardens, fruit trees, cool breezes, rivers, and the tree of knowledge. He created eve from Adam’s rib when he needed company. Adam and Eve were the Lord God’s first humans so he gave them the highest quality of life and even gave them immorality. The Lord God really cared for them because they were his first children. The Lord God only had one rule which both Adam and Eve couldn’t obey.Show MoreRelatedGenesis 3, God, And Eve969 Words   |  4 Pages God was testing Adam and Eve. However, they both failed the test by eating from the forbidden tree. The fall of mankind was the Eve, Adam, and the serpent’s fault. Certainly, most of the blame goes to the serpent. The serpent was the master mind behind the scheme he pulled on Eve, and thus making him the one responsible for the fall of mankind. Eve did not listen to God’s command; she was deceived by the serpent leading her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Likewise, Adam is at fault becauseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Garden Of Eden 1124 Words   |  5 PagesIn the traditional Church-inspired depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Eve is responsible for taking the fruit and tempting Adam. In contrast, Michelangelo shows egalitarianism by depicting both Adam and Eve being equally responsible. Adam and Eve are not interacting with each other but are both taking the forbidden fruit from the tree. By employing traditional Jewish imagery in his â€Å"Temptation and Expulsion of Adam and Eve†, Michelangelo promoted a revolutionary change to the relationshipRead MoreThe Fantasy Of The Garden Of Eden : The Erotic Nature Of Man1282 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature Date: December 5, 2014 The Serpent in the Garden of Eden: The Erotic Nature of Man The book of Genesis chronicles the process of Creation and highlights the story of the first man and woman who lived in God s paradise or the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were both innocent and carefree people until the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Many scholars interpreted this scene as the fall of man and believed that the serpent was symbolic of Satan. KimelmanRead MoreThe Lord God Punishment : Did The Punishment Fit The Crime?991 Words   |  4 PagesHebrew bible’s story of Adam and Eve, some people may ask, did the punishment fit the crime or was the Lord God being harsh and brutal with his punishments? This can be argued by many people because Adam, Eve and the serpent committed a sin. Adam and Eve without knowledge of what a sin is committed the act thinking everything would be okay, but what they didn t know was that the Lord God was offended by their disobedience and so he punished them the way he saw fit. The ser pent also was included inRead MoreAdam And Eve : The Garden Of Eden1743 Words   |  7 PagesAdam and Eve were the first man and woman to ever be created by God’s image. In the story of Adam and Eve is to believe that God created two human beings to live in a Paradise on earth, called the Garden of Eden, although they had fell from that state it said to be in history that they began humanity, and the loss of innocence. In the story Adam and Eve were let to be living in the Garden of Eden, where God had created one of everything. He created many fruits and vegetables, animals, plants, andRead MoreThe Lord God And His Oppressive Punishment927 Words   |  4 PagesPunishment According to Genesis in the Hebrew bible’s story of Adam and Eve, The Lord God is the creator of everything and an authoritarian. The Lord God is the supreme being in the story where he has absolute power and expects obedience from his creatures or subjects. The Lord God created the universe, the earth, the land, the seas, plants, and all living creatures. The Lord God also created the first humans, which were Adam and Eve. The Lord God placed them in Eden, which was a beautiful landRead MoreAllusions Of The Serpent1707 Words   |  7 Pagespiece of literature, one which many people will recognize if there are references to it in modern-day books, movies, and even music. One of the major topics for allusions is the Serpent. Most commonly known for his role in the story of Adam and Eve the serpent is sly, cunning, and deceivingly tricky. Authors allude to the Serpent if they want to characterize a character as evil or devious. They may also use this allusion to advance a t heme as to not trust everyone you meet or temptation may be your downfallRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost1212 Words   |  5 Pagescharacters dramatically establish theme. Milton tells the story of Adam and Eve, as well as the story of Satan’s rebellion against God. Milton emphasizes the major theme of â€Å"Man’s disobedience† through his representation of Adam and Eve and also partly through the interactions between Satan and God. Man’s disobedience in â€Å"Paradise Lost,† is defined by Sin. The word Sin is defined as the act of going against the law of God. In the epic, Adam, Eve, Satan and God perfectly set up the theme, while propellingRead MoreCritical Reasoning Of Sin And The Serpent990 Words   |  4 PagesReasoning of Sin and the Serpent There are a number of circumstances involving the temptation to suggest that the serpent chose the ideal and appropriate instant, place and individuals upon which to formulate his assault. Some have said that the approach was intentionally directed to the woman Eve, the fragile one of the two, and not Adam. On the contrary, some scholars say that the Scriptures indicate that Adam was present while the conversation between the woman and the serpent took place. GenesisRead MoreParadise Lost Critical Analysis1680 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the poem of Paradise Lost, gender inequality is visible in the relationship between Eve and the male characters. Upon a closer look, one can see that, in a nuanced manner, the poem challenges much of the Eve’s discrimination. Common interpretations during the time period depicted Eve as a weak-minded, subservient, or evil woman. Instead of following a similar pattern, Milton goes so far as to defend Eve by forming a relatable and persuasi ve Satan and describing the positives of the Fall suggesting