Leviathan

When considering the relationship between law and literature, one might come to the conclusion that the intersection between the disciplines is one of interrogation. Literature enables man to ask questions of the letter of the law without endangering himself. If this scenario were to happen, how would this be handled legally? Is the legal decision just and/or moral? It enables man to venture into the psyche of the legally accused and say, “Is this man guilty? Does guilt imply evil? What if I…

Different forms of modern governments can be traced back to the philosophers Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau who had their own ideas of how a legitimate government should function. This is reflected through their view of human nature as well as their definition of a social contract that must exist between citizens and the government. A legitimate government requires that all citizens have political representation as well as having the right to speak freely. In addition, a legitimate government…

At the University of California, Berkeley students around me push mental health care to the side, intake exorbitant amounts of caffeine, sleep four to five hours each night in pursuit of a magical little bundle-- consisting of a high GPA, a diploma, and a dazzling resume that will somehow guarantee a successful future. How little we know. In the meantime, our university administration grapples with nearly a 170 million dollar budget deficit, little to no expansion for space, a housing crisis, a…

One of Hobbes’ central claims is that one should obey the laws of one’s state. His main argument surrounds the assertion that the presence of a sovereign is in the people’s best interest, so to go against the sovereign is to go against oneself. The fool objects to this, stating that it is sometimes rational for an agent to break their covenants and go against the sovereign, so long as it will benefit themselves. We will argue that Hobbes’ reply to the fool’s objection is insufficient and will…

The eighteenth century presented itself as a very interesting time in history, especially in the literary world. Changes were occurring in British society, as well as Europe as a whole, which sparked a change in literature. Literature became more satirical and authors felt that they had more of an obligation to "out" crooked politicians, a monarch that did not do much, or to even go as far as to criticize other authors and their incapability of proving themselves worthy of joining the literary…

A worthy comparison to make is that between the Republic and another work that expressed similar views concerning governmental rule, the Leviathan. Written by Thomas Hobbes, a 15th century enlightenment thinker, Leviathian expresses a lack of faith in the individual and that without a hierarchy, society would crumble and humans would succumb to their basest desires. Similarly, Plato’s tripartite…

The sonnet was a common literary work in the Middle Ages and continues to remain an enticing form of literature. Furthermore, the sonnet is often regarded as the ‘rite of passage’ for new poets to demonstrate their mastery of this heavily structured and themed form of poem. Within the genre of poetry and specifically, sonnets, there are two predominant types of sonnets. The first, prevalent sonnet form was the Petrarchan sonnet developed by Francesco Petrarch, an Italian writer in the…

The focus of this paper is on how to assign limited, life-saving treatments to a surplus of people in need. Sadly, there are many individuals who are currently suffering from diseases that are treatable. Although there are treatments for their diseases, they are often in limited supply; creating an important ethical dilemma which must be considered. While deciding who should receive the treatments may seem easy on the surface, two major ethical questions must be answered first: who should be…

The monarchy that fell due to new ideas and old political problems. Changes in political culture from the absolutism to the moderate revolution that lead to the French Revolution There have been many revolutions throughout history some see as more justified than others such people in America see their revolution a necessity. But I personally believe that the French Revolution was more radicle and due to centuries in the making. Through new ideas and philosophers of the time this lead…

been thinking about this moment almost every night for a year, when they weren’t black out drunk, imagining meeting Castiel again. It had made their heart ache, but it had also kept them going some nights. “When I came back to myself after the Leviathan…everything was confusing. I tried to explain before I left, but I really didn’t understand myself…” Maison started and stopped, trying to get the words out. “Now I do a bit. I saw a side of myself, found a part of myself, that scared me.…