Errors in Reasoning Fallacies

Errors in Reasoning Fallacies Fallacies are errors in reasoning better known to as misconceptions that arise as a result of incorrect reasoning particularly during argumentation (Rottenberg, 2004, p. 13). Consequently, fallacies arising by accident or design can influence certain emotional triggers in persons listening to such statements or they can also exploit the social interactions between the listeners. Furthermore, fallacies are statements used by people in order to avoid, confuse, or oversimplify certain issues, and finally, to deceive others. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Errors in Reasoning: Fallacies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accordingly, fallacious arguments are constructed in such a way that the use of rhetorical arguments obscures the sound arguments, and thus making them difficult to detect (Rottenberg, 2004). In this essay, we will take an extensive look at the use of fallacies in argumentation. Here, the essay utilizes e xamples in real life to describe those fallacies that are used commonly and those that seem difficult to diagnose. The Bandwagon Appeal is one of the most common fallacies, propagandas, or smokescreens used in several occasions. This fallacy is employed by most politicians to lure the masses into voting in their favor. For instance, â€Å"Barrack Obama-The Change that We Desire† forms a good example of the bandwagon appeal. Furthermore, most TV ads present large numbers of people using a particular brand or product in order to influence the attitudes and actions of consumers. Here, the bandwagon appeal implies that if you cannot join the masses, then you are bound to be left in the dark (Rottenberg, 2004). Another common fallacy involves changing the subject or the red herring fallacy. This fallacy entails instances where people use irrelevant information to justify the meaning of unsound statements or arguments. For example, one can say that, â€Å"There is the paramount n eed to increase our funding in education. And just because our neighbors are pumping a lot of money into buying military equipment, does not imply that we should also do the same. This is because the future of our country depends on the youth of the present day.† Commonly, this fallacy is used by most mystery writers in order to conceal the truth from their readers (Rottenberg, 2004). Further, fallacies occur during instances whereby one uses part of the argument in order to support the rest of the argument. This form of error in reasoning is known as circular reasoning. For instance, â€Å"Mr. Dominic is an excellent writer because he writes excellently.† Here, it is worth noting that the statement takes the reader in circles by using the same reason as the conclusion (Rottenberg, 2004). Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, some fallacies occur when one makes an assumption that if two items are similar in one way, then they should be similar in other ways. This fallacy is known as false comparison. For instance, â€Å"Shoes and slippers are worn on the feet. Shoes can protect one from catching a cold more efficiently, and so are the slippers.† Conversely, errors in reasoning that are more difficult to diagnose include fallacies such as conventional wisdom, which entails the use of facts known to everybody to construct arguments. For example, â€Å"A pen is mightier than a gun, therefore, if you are involved in any fight; just grab a pen to your defense.† Moreover, the use of facts and opinions to construct the same argument leads to a fallacy known as opinion-fact, which is very difficult to detect (Rottenberg, 2004). For example, one can say that, â€Å"President Obama came into power during the global economic crisis. He must have helped the United States to get out of the crisis before any country could think of the same.† Overall, charging from the discussions above, it is useful to take note of fallacies in argumentation because as mentioned earlier fallacies are errors in reasoning, which are used to confuse, oversimplify, or avoid certain issues, and thus fallacies can form the basis of deceptions. As a result, the knowledge of fallacies helps people to maintain constant and strict checks against statements of deception, which can conceal the truth and lead one into believing false arguments, beliefs, or even making purchases on the basis of false premises presented in advertisements. Reference Rottenberg, A.T. (2004). Elements of argument (4th ed.). New York: St.Martin’s Press.

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes By Mark Nichol Here are three questions from readers about use of apostrophes to mark possession or plurality, followed by my responses. 1. When I have a list of people who all possess something, how do I handle the apostrophe(s)? Which of the following sentences is correct?: â€Å"Today is John, Mary, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company† is correct, because the possessive (or, more accurately, genitive) function of my covers only itself, and each of the names needs its own possessive markers they can’t share one. (Even â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second anniversary with the company† works only if they joined as a single unit; by contrast, â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second wedding anniversary† is correct because it implies that they united as a couple.) 2. Which of the following options regarding the apostrophe s is correct?: â€Å"This view of Smith regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† â€Å"This view of Smith’s regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† The apostrophe plus s is correct: This is an example of the possessive, or genitive, case; the view â€Å"belongs† to Smith, so it should be treated as if you wrote â€Å"Smith’s view . . . .† (One could also write, â€Å"This view from Smith . . .,† but the possessive form reads better.) 3. Recently, there was a headline in the Los Angeles Times that read, â€Å"The what if’s of Iraq.† Is the apostrophe in if’s correct? No. It should read, â€Å"The what ifs of Iraq† (or, better yet, what-ifs), just as one would refer to more than one no as nos (not no’s) and a list of recommendations as â€Å"dos and don’ts† (not don’t’s). The editors probably thought that â€Å"what ifs† looks odd, but they violated the rule â€Å"Minimize exceptions†: They wouldn’t (one hopes) insert a second apostrophe in don’ts, so why put an extraneous one in â€Å"what ifs†? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Confusing "Passed" with "Past"Testimony vs. Testimonial

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Explaining a Concept Research Paper - Essay Example The act of illegal immigration is increasingly becoming common in the United States and the authorities this has rang an alarm to the natives concerning the overwhelming presence of aliens in the country (Kimmel and Alan 54). The controversy with the situation is that others are of the opinion that most of those who are in the US illegally do no pose any threat to the people and it should not be blown out of proportion that they compromise the security situation in the country. This has sparked a heated debate on whether the stay is actually against the law or not, even with the spirited debate, there are stringent policies that guides entry into the US and those found without a legal document that backs their stay in the US are charged in the courts of law. How the illegal immigrant come to the US Just like any other country, for one to get immigration to the US legally, there are processes to follow, these processes constitutes quotas that will review the individual applications to allow one to go to the US or decline it because of factors that they always cite. For one to be cleared then, it means they have passed all the criteria that are set by the country, in this particular case the US. Some of the factors that are considered include reason for the visit to US. The immigration department is always very particular about the reason as to why some one want s to go to the US and will evaluate the sustainability of the reason to keep you in the US among other things before you can be given a green like to make your visit. Getting US citizenship is through the greed card, this is the sure way by which those who are want to be legal citizen of the US from alien places can consider. The problem with the green card is that most of the people are considering going to the US as citizen that the green card alone cannot grant all of them a chance given the limited number of the slots (Kimmel and Alan 59). It therefore means that most of the people who has the wish to go to the US cannot make it on competitive grounds and have to look for other option available. The fact that greed card is competitive and not all the people can be served by it, that situation has made it possible for these unqualified persons to be in the US illegally. Given the competitiveness of the green card, most of the applicant who does not succeed opts for the temporary visas to be in the US after which they get a job with the temporary visa and eventually apply for the green card. The concept of illegal immigrant in the US is totally misunderstood, people tend to think that when we are talking about illegal entry into the US we are referring to a number of people who have hid themselves behind the big tracks at the borders of the US to get into the country illegally. The picture of how illegally people are accessing the US according to most people is that in which one is hiding or using other faulty means to get into the country, this is not the case. Actually, in the r eal sense, most of the US illegal immigrants use a legal system initially to go to the US. In most cases, these people use the temporary document to go to the US, they obtain temporary work visas, and sometimes it is the touring visas. The problem is that they do this under disguise; their actual intention is not to return to their home country but to stay in the US for unforeseeable period. In this relation, most of the people

Designing an Observational Situation Research Paper

Designing an Observational Situation - Research Paper Example The teacher should show them the importance of the skill, describe it using a T-chart, establish practice circumstances in which students can utilize the skill and make certain that student get a response on their utilization of skill, and reflect on the way to advance the skill. The teacher should make sure the students keep trying to undertake the skill before it grows to be automatic. Structuring cooperative learning should follow this, so that the students can utilize the classroom and social skills, and the teacher can monitor their undertaking. The teacher should intervene in co-operative learning groups to make sure students are utilizing the skill correctly and see them doing so. The student should then complete questionnaires or checklists to self-identify their mastering of the set skills. In using everyday class activities to establish that students are demonstrating skills and understanding, teachers should have observation checklists or notes; recording things they see a s well as the sort of learning demonstrated. The next step should entail assigning students to set improvement targets for enhancing their competency followed by assessment of student knowledge of learnt skill. The final step should entail reporting on the level of students’ skill to the concerned parties, such as parents and students. B. Issues Anticipated in Conducting the Observation The teacher will generally focus on isolated skills and behaviors without concern for the subsequent and preceding actions, which might offer the meaning and context of the behaviors. Methodological issues can also interfere with the drawing of proper conclusions (Adelman & Walker, 2005). The observation effects can occur, as the students are aware that their behaviors are being observed. The presence of the teacher can change the student’s behavior resulting in reactive effects. The other issue relates to the actual amount of time needed to acquire valid observation duration and the co rrect number of observations needed to acquire valid and reliable results. There is the issue of the appropriate level of the analysis (student, the class, or students in the class) the teacher should use when analyzing observation data. The student may also fail to demonstrate all the required learning outcomes (Koth et al., 2009). The demonstration of a learning outcome may not be demonstrated because the attention of the teacher may be elsewhere and thus fail to notice it. The student can also derive unintentional signal prompts. Students do not perform similar tasks under similar conditions and thus some of the teacher’s judgment of student demonstrations of learning outcomes can be undependable. The teacher’s judgments are also prone and subjective to inconsistencies (Koth et al., 2009). Too much is left to the teacher’s discretion. Subjective judgment may allow the teacher to stereotype students in terms of other characteristics and performances. It may al so allow the possibility of unconscious and conscious bias for or against groups or individuals. C. How to Address the Challenges The teacher can address the learning outcome issue by deliberately prompting learning outcomes. The assessment should be incidental and planned. The teacher should also ensure that the assessment is all-inclusive. Over time, the teacher has numerous opportunities of observing the demonstration o

A Talk About Oral English Teaching Problems and Solutions Essay Example for Free

A Talk About Oral English Teaching Problems and Solutions Essay As a result, spoken language becomes more and more important. Nowadays, almost everyone knows the importance of learning English, it is taught as a compulsory subject at elementary school, secondary school and university in China. A lot of people consider that vocabulary is the key to learning English, so they prefer to memorize words as many as possible. It is true that one cannot communicate effectively or express his ideas in both oral and written forms without a sufficient vocabulary. However, we all know that the effect of learning language is marked by the students’ communication ability. There is a phenomenon which we called â€Å"Dumb English† in China, which means a large number of students can only read and write instead of speaking. Although vocabulary is an indispensable element in learning foreign language, a more important one is how to speak that language out. However, after several years of learning, students’ spoken English is also poor. They cannot express their thoughts in English in daily life. They are afraid of communicating with native speakers in English. Whats worse. They even cannot figure out what others say in English. Why did these phenomenons happen? Three reasons are introduced. The first one is that there are still many problems existing in spoken English teaching, such as absence of English learning environment, the Grammar-Translation Methods, and teachers paying much attention to vocabulary and grammar. The second one is the subjective reason: students are afraid of speaking English. They are scared of being laughed at by others if they say something wrong. There is a saying: â€Å"Practice makes perfect. † They are lack of practice, so their spoken English is poor. The third one is the objective reason, for example, the non-English environment, the different culture between China and western countries. This paper will only focus on the problems existing in spoken English teaching in High school and suggests some teaching strategies to deal with these problems to help improve students’ spoken English and communicative competence. Theoretical Framework 1 1. 1 The requirements of the New English Curriculum Standard The overall aim of the New English Curriculum Standard is to develop students’ overall language ability. Such abilities are grounded in the development of language skills, language knowledge, affects, cultural awareness and learning strategies. Language skills contain listening, speaking, reading and writing. And the requirements of speaking skills in junior high school advocate what students can do in the speaking process as following listed: the third level requires students can tell some simple and short stories. The fourth level requires students can use simple words to describe his own or others’ experiences with the teacher’s help. And the fifth level requires students can exchange ideas and complete tasks corporately. New English Curriculum Standard,2001). It has six designing principles: Firstly, it aims for educating all students, and emphasizes quality-oriented education. Secondly, it promotes learner-centeredness, and respects individual differences.

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

When I first began considering a graduation speech, my initial impulse was to spend this time discussing the advent of college preparation at Ridgemont, and the rise of empty values. I thought it would be a good chance to point out the fact that the quest for college admission has ground some of the best people I know into pulp, and that for the most part it seems as though both their parents, and to a large extent the school, seem afraid to confront that system for what it is. I wanted to speak to the changes happening here at Ridgemont, that the focus of the school is being shifted from educating for character to trying to improve the efficiency with which Ridgemont can heard students into the Ivy League. It seemed to me that my entire fourteen years here had led to the final understanding that a lot of what we have been told to strive for amounts to little more than bowing down before Mammon. But, upon reflection, I realized that I would not be doing justice to the school and the class I love if I spent my time up here attacking the parents and the school in that manner. I really owe the school and my peers a lot more than that. If it were not for my Ridgemont education, I probably would never have seen the system for what it is. Ridgemont taught me to despise that system by showing me a better way to do things; by showing me that education, success, and happiness do not have to come at the expense of others, that I could go further if I learned to help, and to be helped, by those around me, rather than compete against them. Ridgemont's emphasis on process versus product will stay with me for the rest of my life. So when I sat down and tried to pull together what it was about Ridgemont that made it an interesting and wonderful place to attend school, I remembered that my friend Larry had once pointed out to me the distinction between the two types of people that you can associate with. There are those that care about your soul, and those that don't. I think that the Ridgemont education, for many in my class, was one that cared for our souls, and this is what distinguishes it from other schools, and this is why it is so unlike the real world in here.

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell: Human Rights in Nigeria Case Analysis International Business April 22, 2013 The History Royal Dutch Shell is a global company. It has about 93,000 employees and is located in more than 90 countries. It is an energy and petrochemicals business. In the US it was founded in 1912 by the American Gasoline Company to sell gasoline along the Pacific Coast, and Roxanna Petroleum to buy oil product properties in Oklahoma (according to Shell. US website). However, it was founded in 1907 in Europe when Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd merged.This was done to help the company compete globally. It has done several mergers and buyouts in its hundred plus years of business. Throughout the years Shell has made changes in their business to better compete in the market from becoming a global business to investing in research and development in the newest and latest energy technologies. Today it is in the top six of oil and gas companies. It produces around 3. 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. The Problem The Guardian News has run an article reporting on the inconsistencies of what the Royal Dutch Shell has committed to and the reality of the situation.Two hospitals that we built in the Ogoni region of Nigeria are diametrically opposite of each other in health standards and overall aesthetics. The company has reported that it is committed to the social well-being of the area, but the reality is completely different. The Situation The situation is that we have as part of the 1996 â€Å"Ogani Reconciliation† plan committed to the social and economic well-being of the local communities. There has been millions of dollars sent to the country allocated to the areas of hospitals and medical care as well as to other needs.Though resources have been sent to build hospitals for the region, the reality is that any of the improvements that was said to be done are seriously subpar to any health standard of any country. Improvements have been done with little regard to the needs of the people and were primarily done so that it can be said that the company was committed to the local region. Though millions has been sent to the country, much of this has been siphoned off to other areas of government and possible to fill the pockets of people that are in the place of authority. Also, some decisions have been made without direct input from the region itself.What to build? Where to build? How to allocate resources? These are all questions that need a comprehensive answer that involves each of the concerned parties. It is concerning that these issues have been allowed to happen. A company of their size and magnitude should not have allowed these community projects be the mockery of the press. Royal Dutch Shell is a company that has many well rounded and sound business plans. The execution and maintenance of these business plans is one of Shell’s main issues. They have the ability to creat e great business plans but lack the commitment to maintain them and sometime execute them in all areas.Marketing Issues The company has had a lot of negative publicity due to the companies operation in the Ogani region of Nigeria. The company is seen to be working hand-in-hand with Nigerian security personnel with little regard to the local minority people of that region. This is causing violence and unrest of the region as well sabotage of the oil pipelines causing oil spills and environmental damage. Actions For the short term, we need to consider the following objectives: * One of the first steps is to make sure the hospital consistently has the electricity and the fuel to run a backup generator.Provide backup generators with the fuel to run them when necessary. If a lavish hospital can be kept up for the employees of our company we can keep up adequate levels of care of Gokana. This will serve as big public relations improvement. * The company should use its knowledge to help ou t the struggling hospital and install wind and solar power technology so they can lower the cost of electricity and help improve a bad situation. * The company should consider helping and sharing their equipment, employees, ambulances, etc. with the hospital in Ogoniland.This will show the community that Shell is â€Å"being a good neighbor†, which in turn would boost the communities morale. * Making improvements on the hospital will directly affect the people of the region. * Setup a working committee with MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) and Nigerian national representatives, as well as an independent group to oversee any agreements. * Work with the region to start making the improvements that will directly affect the people of the region. * Take responsibility of the oil spills due to company failure and get these cleaned up. Take responsibility for all of the pollution * Use the people of the company to reach out into the community and start community clean up days so the people can help clean up their community and also have a little ownership into the improvements. * Review the companies committees and oversight boards and make sure that the people in place are committed to working with the region. * Reach out to the community with surveys to the people to get their feelings about Shell and what they would like to see improve. * Once improvements are made hold a press conference to help with the PR of the company.It is obvious that the public relations area has suffered. Make it a point to show what is being done to help the area. The long term goals would be to: * Work with the MOSOP to get a comprehensive plan in place that will work to end the protests and sabotage of company pipelines. * Put a sustainable corporate plan in place with independent review that all policies are being adhered to by all officers pertinent to this region. * By getting these agreements, and with the investments in the local infrastructure will cau se less problems that will need money allocated to them. Work to develop better company practices to promote a higher sense of ethics and their climates in the work place * Change their business approach from an egoistic approach to a principal-based approach (integrity approach based on laws) Conclusion Caution will be needed due to the political environment and instability of Nigeria. The company will always need to be aware of what is going on politically on both the national and local levels. The corporate actions taken by Royal Dutch Shell has affected and destroyed a community.The company has tried to recover and fixed what they have done but they have not succeeded in doing so. Royal Dutch Shell has to build a relationship of trust with the Nigerian community. They have to let the community be heard when they are reaching out to let the company know what they need and allow them to be part of the reconstruction and rebuilding of their community. Shell is a very lucrative comp any that makes millions of dollars a day; they would be very hurt to lose this business operation base in Nigeria. Shell went from an egoistic operation in Nigeria to a principle based operation.If Shell even took on a larger sense of social responsibility, they would have gained a larger competitive advantage over the competition. Though the company was acquitted of several charges in January of 2013 by the Dutch courts and made responsible for the oil spills on the last count, there will be unrest in the local region as they want to make the company responsible for all of the problems. Careful steps will need to be taken to address the concerns in such a way to help the region and to lessen the criticism of the people and media.

Law of Attraction Essay

The law of attraction is the name given to the belief that â€Å"like attracts like† and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts one can bring about positive or negative results. This belief is based upon the idea that people and their thoughts are both made from pure energy, and the belief that like energy attracts like energy. For example, if a person opened an envelope expecting to see a bill, then according to the law of attraction would confirm those thoughts and contain a bill when opened. A person who decided to instead accept a check might under the same law would find a check instead of a bill. Although, there are some cases where positive or negative attitudes can produce corresponding results, there is no scientific basis to the law of attraction. I do believe in the law of attraction to some extent and in this paper I will explain thoroughly the steps in the law of attraction and give examples why it works if you truly believe in it. Before I can give examples and explain why the law of attraction is an accurate way of thinking, I have to first explain how it works and the steps you have to take. First, you have to believe in the concept of subjective reality. Subjective reality is a belief system in which there is only one consciousness and everything and everyone in your reality is a projection of your thoughts. The correct viewpoint is that you the single consciousness in which this entire reality takes over. An example of subjective reality is if someone asks you what happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available? Since you are the only intender, this is entirely an internal conflict. You are holding the thought, the intention for both people to want the same position, but you are also thinking that only one can get it. You believe in competition so that is what you manifest. You may have a higher order belief that life is random, unfair, uncertain, etc†¦, so in that case you may manifest a surprise because that is what you are intending. Being the intender in your reality places a huge responsibility on your shoulders. You can give up control of your reality by thinking randomness and uncertainty, but you can never give up responsibility. Since you are the ole creator in this universe, if you think about war, poverty, and disease that is exactly what you will manifest. Your reality is exactly what you think it is, so whenever you think about anything you summon its manifestation. So by thinking that there are two people competing for one position, you focus too much attention on the other person, and not enough attention on yourself who in fact holds the key to success. By focusing inward and just on yourself, you pay more attention on the job itself and not the competition making the job come to you and the promotion. The vital step in the law of attraction is letting go. It is one of the most important stages in the manifestation process. If you cannot let go of the attachment to the desire itself, you will not ever be able to see it manifest for you. An example would be a lot of people want to manifest more money but because they really need to manifest the money they find it difficult letting the desire go and releasing it to the universe. One of the steps is you create in two different stages. The first stage of creation happens when you form the desire. As you see an unpaid bill, you immediately form the desire of wanting more money. It is automatic and it happens without you ever realizing that you are asking for more money. However, if you stay in this mode and never move forward, you are always going to be wanting. Wanting can never attract you what you want. The second part of the creation process is when you get into alignment with your desires. Getting into alignment is what will bring the manifestation into the physical world. Holding onto the desire and staying in the desire forming stage will not. If you want to manifest anything into the physical world, you have got to move out of the desire forming stage and into the alignment stage. There are two ways in which you can become aligned with your desires, they are believing and feeling good. When you have massive expectation and actually begin to believe that you have what you are asking for, in that moment you will become perfectly aligned with what it is you want and so the law of attraction matches like with like and ultimately yields you the stuff. Affirmations and vision boards are examples processes that are used to yourself believing your desire is already here. The second way of alignment stage is feeling good. This step is the easiest because all you have to do is feel good and you will manifest the stuff you want. The law of attraction does not hear or see your thoughts; it responds to your vibration which is primarily affected by your feelings. If you practice these ways of first letting go and then the ways of the alignment stage, it is a sure thing that it will work. Personally, when we watched the documentary in class two weeks ago I had never heard of the law of attraction or how it worked. After watching the movie I was skeptical about if it truly worked or not so I decided to do an experiment of my own and see what would happen when I followed all the rules to the law. I had this huge midterm for my social work class last week and I needed to get a very good grade on it. Usually I will study as much as I can but I am always negative and think the worst when I am waiting to see what grade I get, never positive. So I decided to think positively after I studied and took the midterm. This consisted of me getting rid of all my bad thoughts and just focusing fully on the midterm and grade. I never thought about the day I was going to get it back but just the grade I was going to receive. I thought these thoughts for four days straight and believing that the I did all I could do but now I have to leave it in the universe’s hands and let it take over. All I could do is think fully on it and know that if I did it would work out in my best interest. Four days past and I got the exam back and received a 90 percent on it and I wanted an A, nothing lower than that. This is why I know the law of attraction works and I would recommend anybody to start focusing your thoughts on the positive. The Law of Attraction is a complex system that takes practice and understanding to fully receive the benefits of what you want. From all the steps in the process to the examples I think the law of attraction really works and even if someone does not believe it to the full extent I think just the way of thinking like it is beneficial to everyone. Form positive habits and repeat processes that feel good every single day.

The Cautious and Paranoid Foreign Policy of John Adams

The Cautious and Paranoid Foreign Policy of John Adams John Adams, a Federalist and Americas second president, conducted a foreign policy that was at once cautious, underrated, and paranoid. He sought to maintain Washingtons neutral foreign policy stance, but increasingly found himself grappling with France in the so-called Quasi-War during his only term in office, from 1797 to 1801. Adams, who had significant diplomatic experience as ambassador to England before the adoption of the Constitution, inherited bad blood with France when he took over the presidency from George Washington. His foreign policy responses rank from good to poor; while he kept the U.S. out of the full-blown war, he fatally hurt the Federalist party. Quasi-War France, which had helped the U.S. win independence from England in the American Revolution, expected the US to help militarily when France entered another war with England in the 1790s. Washington, fearing dire consequence for the young country, refused to help, opting instead for a policy of neutrality. Adams pursued that neutrality, but France began raiding American merchant ships. Jays Treaty of 1795 had normalized trade between the US and Great Britain, and France considered American commerce with England not only in violation of the Franco-American Alliance of 1778 but also lending aid to its enemy. Adams sought negotiations, but Frances insistence on $250,000 in bribe money (the XYZ Affair) derailed diplomatic attempts. Adams and the Federalists began building up both the US Army and Navy. Higher tax levies paid for the buildup. While neither side ever declared war, the US and French navies fought several battles in the so-called Quasi-War. Between 1798 and 1800, France captured more than 300 US merchant ships and killed or wounded some 60 American sailors; the US Navy captured more than 90 French merchant ships. In 1799, Adams authorized William Murray to make a diplomatic mission to France. Treating with Napoleon, Murray crafted a policy that both ended the Quasi-War and dissolved the Franco-American Alliance of 1778. Adams considered this resolution to the French conflict one of the finest moments of his presidency. Alien and Sedition Acts Adams and the Federalists brush with France, however, left them afraid that French revolutionaries might immigrate to the U.S., link up with the pro-French Democrat-Republicans, and stage a coup that would oust Adams, install Thomas Jefferson as president, and end Federalist domination in the US government. Jefferson, leader of the Democrat-Republicans, was Adams vice-president; however, they hated each other over their polarized governmental views. While they became friends later, they rarely spoke during Adams presidency. This paranoia prompted Congress to pass and Adams to sign the Alien and Sedition Acts. The acts included: The Alien Act: enabled the president to deport any resident alien he believed to be dangerous to the U.S.The Alien Enemies Act: enabled the president to arrest and deport any alien whose home country was at war with the US (an act aimed directly at France)The Naturalization Act: extended the length of residency required for an alien to become a US citizen from five to 14 years and prevented immigrants from voting against incumbent Federalist office-holdersThe Sedition Act: made it illegal to publish false, scandalous, or malicious material against the government; the president and justice department had such wide latitude to define those terms that this act nearly violated the First Amendment Adams lost the presidency to his rival Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800. American voters could see through the politically driven Alien and Sedition Acts, and news of the diplomatic end to the Quasi-War arrived too late to mitigate their influence. In response, Jefferson and James Madison wrote  the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.

Persuasive Essay on Teenage Pregnancy

Persuasive Essay on Teenage Pregnancy Persuasive Essay on Teenage Pregnancy A persuasive essay targets to inform a particular group of readers about the detrimental impacts of a certain habit or activity. In the same way, a persuasive essay can also be intended to depict the positive side of an argument that is not favored by the majority in a group. For example, the head of communications in a large organization can write a persuasive report that presents the benefits of adopting new communication technology, say videoconferencing. When one writes a persuasive essay, he or she hopes to let somebody know that a change of behavior is necessary. In the end, the person that reads the persuasive essay will realize that he/she urgently needs to change from a costly, dangerous, or outdated practice and adopt a more effective alternative. Persuasive essays are mostly written when the issue being discussed has a likelihood of being highly resisted. Equally, writing a persuasive essay is the way to go when you are targeting a group of readers who have little or no awareness about the topic. For instance, young people nowadays engage in casual sex with little knowledge about the repercussions. Negative peer pressure and inappropriate media content are to blame for this trend. Over and above this, there are contraceptive advertisements all over that encourage young people to interact freely, knowing that they can always protect themselves when sexual urges emerge. In spite of all this, it is the responsibility of the society to shun premature sex. Parents have a duty to monitor their children’s’ behavior, but adequate information through persuasive essays can be helpful. The most effective persuasive essay on teenage pregnancy is one that is written using the direct approach. The implication of this is that the essay will begin with a summary of the dangers of teenage pregnancy. Usually, essays written in a direct format are attractive because the main argument catches the reader’s eye instantly. This leads him or her to desire to know the reasons why the writer has made the conclusion presented. Because teenagers often exhibit a tendency of instantaneously dismissing arguments that do not favor them, a direct approach will suppress this urge. Apart from employing directness in writing, the persuasive essay needs to incorporate recent statistics about teenage pregnancy. The written content of the essay will persuade the readers to change their view of early sexual activity. However, including several statistical examples to highlight the dangers of teenage pregnancy enhances the persuasive effect. For example, the writer can utilize the Internet to obtain statistics about the number of teenage deaths that were caused by unsafe abortions. In addition, if the writer can get hold of material written by a person whose future was ruined by teenage pregnancy, it would be better. The writer can also obtain the consent of prominent personalities to include their written advice on teenage pregnancy. Because making a decision is a personal matter, the writer can include a certain clause in the essay that encourages the reader to consult the writer for further advice or clarification if he/she needs to. Do you need help with writing a persuasive essay on this topic? Feel free to order a custom essay online at paper writing service now!

The Crucible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Crucible - Essay Example The plot involves a series of accusations about people participating in witchcraft. Reverend John Hale, an expert in witchcraft, is called from a neighboring town, to investigate the unnatural events that have recently been reported in Salem. Many people accused of witchcraft end up in court and are hanged for their supposed involvement in unnatural activities. The scenes reveal that many of those who undergo trial for involving in witchcraft are in fact innocent people accused by others for personal reasons. The Crucible features many prominent characters among them John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, Ann Putman, Thomas Putnam, Giles Corey, Reverend John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, Thomas Danforth, and John Hathorne. John Proctor (Husband to Elizabeth), a humble famer, had an affaire with Abigail at the time she was working for the Proctor family as a house help. Abigail a great liar wishes to see Elizabeth dead in the belief that upon Elizabeth’s death she would be married to John (Grade Saver par. 3). In a private conversation, Abigail reveals to John Proctor that the entire witchcraft saga was a hoax. Abigail accuses Elizabeth of attempting to murder her as she feels a needle-stab while she is eating. This she does knowing fully well that Mary had made a poppet and given it to Elizabeth as a gift with a needle stuck to it. It is based on the needle and the poppet that she accuses Elizabeth. In court, Proctor denounces Abigail’s claims stating that she is a liar an d a whore. As a result of Abigail’s lies Proctor is hang, Elizabeth is imprisoned awaiting her hanging after delivering her unborn child, and Rebecca Nurse is scheduled to face the gallows. The setting of the plot is Salem, at a time when accusations of being involved in witchcraft could draw the death penalty. The author is keen enough to involve create characters with different traits so as to be able to develop a captivating plot. In the Crucible, if