Unit 2 Reflection

“Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of [his] estate, [or] subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.” These are the famous words of John Locke, one of the most intellectual philosophers that helped shape our society to the grand nation it is today. In this unit, we studied numerous philosophers who had different views on how a society should be run and its motivations toward success. Justice, fear, love, and other factors were important for many thinkers such as Socrates and Hobbes, but the wise words of John Locke have significantly impacted the United States of America as a whole as well as individuals living within different societies. It is John Locke whose ideas left the most powerful legacy amongst all the other philosophers.

In The Second Treatise of Government, John Locke summarizes his views on government. He enforces the belief of natural law, which states that all men are equal and this is the right that is bestowed upon them from birth. They are not oppressed by any other man and can legally do whatever they need to do to have a better life- even if this means to start a new government. He also argues that individuals would agree to form a state that would protect the lives, liberty, and property of those who lived within it.  This social contract theory differed greatly from Thomas Hobbes, who wanted absolute authority and force in order to dictate the lives of the citizens and later create a stronger nation. It is evident that John Locke’s natural views are much more personable and optimistic because he defends that the government is formed by the citizens’ and favors the citizens’ wants and needs rather than not allowing their input in a society. John Locke’s theory of natural rights was used when creating the United States of America when the founding fathers was writing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In fact, part of Locke’s words were used in these pieces, proving how influential his views truly are on a society. If it were not for John Locke’s social contract theory being adopted by America, then our nation would not be as free and smoothly-running as it is today. 

Aside from John Locke’s political philosophy shaping our nation today, Locke’s views also had an impact on my own personal life socially and culturally. While growing up in a commonwealth based on the foundation of the greater good of the people, I believe I am very comfortable in my society and there is never a time where I fear that the government will steer me in the wrong direction or take away my basic rights as a person. Compared to a dictatorship or anarchy in other countries, my social life is much more liberal and I have the gift of freedom to do whatever I want as long as I am not endangering myself or breaking the laws that have been in place and not changed since I was born. I have a wide knowledge of how the government is structured, and I understand the consequences that could occur if I disregard these laws. If I grew up under a strict dictatorship where the government is not appointed by the citizens, I would have much more fear for I have no say in how my nation is run and my freedom would certainly be limited. Also, at any given moment, the leader could change the nation completely for the worse without the consent of its people. John Locke has impacted my life because if it were not for his political philosophy of natural laws and the happiness of the majority of the people, my world would be detrimentally different and I would not have as many opportunities open for me to be able to live a happy and free life as I do now.

This unit helped me to understand the foundation of our society through the ideas of philosophers, thinkers, and rhetoricians. The wise words of the rhetors that were studied (Plato, Cicero, Machiavelli, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and Dekanawidah) struck a chord in my mind because I found it astonishing that these intelligent men could create such a powerful nation through their arguments. After delving into the readings of these writers, I have a much larger world view that is continuing to expand as this class progresses. Using the rhetorical skills that were learned in unit one, I felt that tackling these tedious pieces were much easier and I was able to use each device in order to help me understand the content. As the year progresses, I feel that my ability to rhetorically analyze a piece will continue to help me gain more knowledge. 

AOW #10- Tampax Pearl Outsmart Mother Nature (Advertisement Commercial)

This advertisement commercial is about a theoretical "mother nature" who is giving a woman a present of her "monthly gift"- her period. The woman is wearing all white, and she is stopped during a photo shoot as Mother Nature interrupts her with the gift. The woman concludes that she does not need to be worried because she has Tampax Pearl tampons- a stronger, more durable tampon that lasts longer and prevents leaks. This advertisement was created by Tampax, a brand that has been serving women since World War II. The audience of this advertisement is women between the ages of 12-50 who get their menstrual cycle monthly and need a product that helps to stop the leaks. The context of this piece is causal because the product was created to serve women who, by nature, have their menstrual cycle every month and are in need of a product to prevent leakage. The purpose of this advertisement was to convince women to purchase Tampax Pearl over the other leading brand of Tampax because of its unique abilities to shape every women and its LeakGuard protection. The brand accomplishes its purpose through numerous rhetorical devices that engage the reader in buying this product. The white outfits serve as pathos because it appeals to the emotions of women who may have had embarrassing moments when wearing white pants and having a leakage that was visible to the public through their light colored outfits. Also, the theoretical "Mother Nature" woman who gives the lady wearing white the physical gift of the period adds exaggeration because in reality, this does not occur. Finally, the tone of this piece is humorous which appeals to the audience because it makes women engaged in the product and encourages them into buying Tampax Pearl over other brands.

Locke: Second Treatise of Government Presentation Period 4

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AYCdpvTpC_74ZGczNDk0cHFfNzdjOW5yd3BmZA&hl=en_US

AOW #9- The Last Big City with an Occupy Camp: What's Los Angeles to Do?

This article discusses the Occupy Wall Street movements occurring across the nation. After numerous police raids drove out many of the occupiers from cities such as New York to Oakland California, the last city to continue with the protests is Los Angeles. After hearing rumors that the mayor wants to move the occupiers out of Los Angeles, these protesters are very angry and are going to stand their ground until they are forced to leave. This article was written by Jens Erik Gould, a writer from Los Angeles for Time.com- the first weekly news magazine in the United States. The context of this piece is causal because the Occupy Wall Street Movement was brought about by the severe economic decline which impacted a huge growing gap between the upper class and the large middle class citizens, causing unrest and protests across the country. This piece was written to convince society about the importance of this movement and how these people are fighting not only for a fix in the economy but to prove that they are not afraid to stand up to this nation and take control of a situation through force. The audience for whom this piece was written for is the middle class citizens of America who are supporting these fighters and understand how significant it is that they maintain the protests in Los Angeles in order for them to seek a brighter economical future. Some rhetorical devices used in this article are pathos when the author alludes to the emotions of the protesters and how they are determined and using their strength to fight for America, logos through the accurate information as well as statistical data to prove the point, and using rhetorical questions to seek intellectual answers to keep the audience thinking about this movement and its effects on society. The author accomplished her purpose because of her accurate information that she proposed as well as touching the audience on an emotional level through her descriptions of the occupiers risking their lives for America.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2099885,00.html

IR Choice (MP 2)

Blink
Malcolm Gladwell
Section 1- Introduction to Chapter 2
Section 2- Chapter 3 to Chapter 5
Section 3- Chapter 6 to Conclusion
I decided to read this book because I am a fan of Malcolm Gladwell's style and his views on social psychology. I read Outliers for my first independent reading novel, and it opened my eyes to the world around me and how surroundings can influence success. My friend recommended Blink and told me that if I enjoyed Outliers, I will definitely enjoy Blink. I am very eager to start this novel and am excited to see what Gladwell has to say about decision making.

AOW #8- Bystander Psychology: Why Some Witnesses to Crime Do Nothing

This article discusses the investigation of the 40 counts of child abuse against former defense coordinator Jerry Sandusky at Pennsylvania State University. On Wednesday, the head football coach, Joe Paterno, was fired for knowing about the abuse and not telling the police. After carefully scrutinizing the social psychology behind this case, it is proven that when something within a group is hidden, the tendency is toward protecting the reputation within the group without doing the right thing in order to avoid the consequences that will certainly follow if the secret is revealed. The author of this article is Maia Szalavitz, a neuroscience journalist whose work has been published in TIME Magazine, the New York Times, Elle, Scientific American Mind, the Washington Post, New Scientist and Psychology Today. She is the winner of the American Psychological Associations Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions. The context of this piece is causal because the case has just been brought about by the secret of the 40 counts of child abuse that Jerry Sandusky was committing on young ten-year-old men. The purpose for this article is to offer the social psychological background of why Joe Paterno and another witness of previous rape, Mike McQueary, did not tell the police about the children being abused. Maia Szalavitz accomplishes her purpose through the use of logos when pulling content from credible psychologists to explain the behavior of people, as well as the similar stories that are discussed of people who did nothing and let innocent children become stabbed to death, harassed, or abused. The audience of this article is directed towards the thousands of kids and people who are against the decision of Paterno being fired and being very selfish at the fact that this man did not come forward and let innocent kids suffer. The people who are supporting Paterno only care about the football team's victory instead of the unethical actions committed by Sandusky. 


Friday, Maia Szalavitz. "Bystander Psychology: Why Some Witnesses to Crime Do Nothing – TIME Healthland." TIME Healthland - A Healthy Balance of the Mind, Body and Spirit. TIME, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/11/bystander-psychology-why-some-witnesses-to-crime-do-nothing/>.

Final IR Post

Outliers is a novel written by Malcolm Gladwell that offers an alternative explanation for the reason why some people succeed farther than others due to their surroundings. In an interview with the New York Times, Gladwell states, “Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities — and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.” The last section of the book describes how culture affects success more than intelligence and how various outliers portray this claim. For example, an outlier named Joe Flom had to take on harder, more risky law cases where no one else would because Flom was jewish and he was not hired by many firms. This cultural discrimination lead Joe Flom to the successful man he is and his firm boomed. Malcolm Gladwell successfully argues his claim through the use of rhetorical devices. One such example is the personal stories that the rhetor discusses to describe the outliers' lives and how they developed into a success. In addition, Gladwell uses statistics and facts to provide proof that supports his argument about culture relating to success.


After close reading Outliers and analyzing the piece through rhetorical devices, there were many observations that were made. The overview of Outliers is success and how culture and the environment play a large role in the achievements of the elite. After scrutinizing the parts of the novel, some elements that seemed important and made it evident that culture dictates accomplishments was the 10,000 hour rule. This rule shows how investing an exponential amount of time in a task will eventually reach perfection. It is scientifically proven that 10,000 hours results in achievement, and this part of the novel clearly put culture and success together. The environment of practice and pressure from family results in a favorable outcome for the outliers. The title, outliers, successfully fits the novel because an outlier is defined as "a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample". Gladwell includes this definition in the first chapter which sets up the type of arrangement of this novel- definition. The entire book is based on using examples to define what an outlier truly is. Malcolm Gladwell successfully creates a relationship between himself and the audience as well as the audience to the content through establishment of credibility as well as the arrangement of definition to help the reader understand the claim. Finally, Malcolm Gladwell sums up the novel by noting that success "is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky- but all critical to making them who they are. The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all."This statement makes the reader thing about the claim that was made throughout the novel and how Gladwell completely refutes this claim by stating that an outlier is not an outlier, but just a person who was lucky and may have had an opportunity in their environment that lead them on the path of success. The conclusion makes the audience realize that this novel was an autobiography about Gladwell's life that he was not born into success, but the environment that evolved around him created him to the person he is today.