Thomas Aquinas was a Christian Theologian and created the theory of Just War which has set conditions for when Christians should be okay with allowing war.
The conditions are split into Jus Ad Bellum-Right to go to war, and Jus in Bello-Conduct in war.
Jus Ad Bellum: Right to go to war
*There must be a just cause for going to war:
Defending life/protecting human rights or securing justice are good examples
"It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of Justice"-Proverb 18:5
*War must be declared by a competent legal authority
This is usually the local government
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities... The authorities that exist are established by God"-Romans 12:1-6
*There must be a comparison of justice on both sides
This is usually difficult to achieve as both sides will maintain the idea of having a just cause.
*There must be right intention
The right intention must be as just as the cause and not be out of hatred/revenge or anger
"All people's actions seem pure to them, but motives are weighted by the Lord"-Proverb 16:2
*It must be a last resort
After all other attempts of peace have been made i.e. negotiations and military sanctions.
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone"-Romans 13:17-18
*There must be proportionality
Between the injustice occurring and the suffering that war would cause and the cause but not b upheld by unjust means.
*There must also be a likelihood of success.
So the outcome results in a better state of affairs.
"Suppose the King is about to go to war against another King. Won't he sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?" Luke 14:31
Just In Bello: Conduct in War
*Proportionality
The amount of weapons must be proportional to the threat. Only minimum force should also be used.
*Discriminate
Civilians should be protected and not attacked. The deliberate intention of killing civilians is prohibited. Th use of nuclear weapons renders this criteria impossible.
"Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty"-Exodus 23:7
Sunday 2 June 2013
Thursday 30 May 2013
Explaining Aristotle's Virtue Theory **A-Level Revision**
Key points to be explored of the theory:
Quotations
Key Words:
Purpose
Eudemonia
Reason
Community
The Soul
Virtues
The Doctrine of the Mean
Friendship
According to Aristotle we all have a purpose, and this purpose is to achieve the final aim.
"Every art and every investigation and similarly every action and pursuit is considered to aim at some good"-Aristotle.
To achieve this aim, humans must use superior and subordinate aims. For example; I must study hard to do well in my exams, this is the subordinate aim, to pass my A-Level is the superior aim. To Aristotle, this final aim is happiness or 'eudemonia'. Aristotle believed that there were three types of happiness as there are three types of people:
Those who love pleasure (example: the ordinary man)
Those who love honour (example: Politicians)
Those who love contemplation (example: Philosophers)
To figure out what a good life is, we must use our reason. Aristotle believed that humans were superior to animals and that
"Animals have no share in happiness being completely incapable of such an activity"-Aristotle.
Although as humans were have reason, Aristotle believed that there was no such thing as a free thinking individual as we are all influenced by our social groups, friends and families. The philosopher also believed that the good of the community is more important than that of an individual
"For even if the good of the community coincides with that of the individual, it is clearly a greater and more perfect thing to achieve and preserve that of the community"-Aristotle.
To achieve eudemonia, Aristotle believed that you must cultivate your virtues which could be found in the soul. The soul is split into two parts, the rational and irrational. The rational is further split into two and is made up of scientific, which is where a persons logic and fact is stored and calculative which is where a person weighs things up and uses choice. The irrational is the same and is split into desiderative, what we want and desire and the vegetative which is about our instincts and needs. The intellectual virtues can be found in the rational part of the soul, whilst the moral virtues can be found in the irrational part.
"Virtue is of two kinds, intellectual and moral; intellectual owes its birth and growth to teaching, whilst moral virtue comes to us through habit"-Aristotle
The Intellectual virtues are split into primary and secondary virtues. The Primary:
Wisdom
Intelligence
Scientific Knowledge
Practical Wisdom
Art and Technical Skill
The Secondary:
Resourcefulness
Understanding
Justice
Cleverness
These can be used in moral dilemmas. For example, you may use these during making a decision about abortion. Wisdom might be experience that you have previously had with this moral issue, intelligence could be knowing the consequences, scientific knowledge could be knowing the process of pregnancy and abortion.
"Man acquires a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way"-Aristotle.
Some of the moral virtues include:
Courage
Liberality
Temperance
Magnificence
Magnanimity
Proper-Ambition
Patience
Truthfulness
Wittiness
Friendliness
Modesty
Right-Indignation.
In order to be a moral person you must cultivate your virtues and find the midway point between excess and deficiency. This is known as the Doctrine of the Mean.
"The brave man is the mean between to coward and the rash man"-Aristotle.
Aristotle believes you must use your emotions, but they must be regulated so you
"have these right feelings, at the right times, towards the right people, for the right motive and in the right way"-Aristotle.
For example, if you were responsible for a country and you had to make a decision about going to war, you should consider using the Doctrine of the Mean. You must not be a coward and refuse to do anything, however you must also not be rash and run straight into war without consideration. Instead you must find the midway point and show courage.
Excess Virtue Deficiency
Rashness Courage Cowardice
Vulgarity Magnificence Pettiness
Shamelessness Modesty Shyness
Ambition Proper-Ambition Lack of Ambition
Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness
The final point to Aristotle's Virtue theory is that of Friendship. Aristotle believed that without friendship, all the virtues would be pointless.
"nobody would choose to live without friends even if he had all other good things"-Aristotle.
Aristotle believed a community relied on friendship
"Friendship is the bond that holds communities together"-Aristotle.
The philosopher also believed that there were three types of friendships:
Utility-Friendships that are useful to us: people in the workplace, people in a queue.
Pleasurable-Friends which have attractive qualities, such as wittiness and are pleasurable to be around.
Perfect-People who we care about more than ourselves
"there are few truly good friendships for there are few truly good people"-Aristotle
Quotations
Key Words:
Purpose
Eudemonia
Reason
Community
The Soul
Virtues
The Doctrine of the Mean
Friendship
According to Aristotle we all have a purpose, and this purpose is to achieve the final aim.
"Every art and every investigation and similarly every action and pursuit is considered to aim at some good"-Aristotle.
To achieve this aim, humans must use superior and subordinate aims. For example; I must study hard to do well in my exams, this is the subordinate aim, to pass my A-Level is the superior aim. To Aristotle, this final aim is happiness or 'eudemonia'. Aristotle believed that there were three types of happiness as there are three types of people:
Those who love pleasure (example: the ordinary man)
Those who love honour (example: Politicians)
Those who love contemplation (example: Philosophers)
To figure out what a good life is, we must use our reason. Aristotle believed that humans were superior to animals and that
"Animals have no share in happiness being completely incapable of such an activity"-Aristotle.
Although as humans were have reason, Aristotle believed that there was no such thing as a free thinking individual as we are all influenced by our social groups, friends and families. The philosopher also believed that the good of the community is more important than that of an individual
"For even if the good of the community coincides with that of the individual, it is clearly a greater and more perfect thing to achieve and preserve that of the community"-Aristotle.
To achieve eudemonia, Aristotle believed that you must cultivate your virtues which could be found in the soul. The soul is split into two parts, the rational and irrational. The rational is further split into two and is made up of scientific, which is where a persons logic and fact is stored and calculative which is where a person weighs things up and uses choice. The irrational is the same and is split into desiderative, what we want and desire and the vegetative which is about our instincts and needs. The intellectual virtues can be found in the rational part of the soul, whilst the moral virtues can be found in the irrational part.
"Virtue is of two kinds, intellectual and moral; intellectual owes its birth and growth to teaching, whilst moral virtue comes to us through habit"-Aristotle
The Intellectual virtues are split into primary and secondary virtues. The Primary:
Wisdom
Intelligence
Scientific Knowledge
Practical Wisdom
Art and Technical Skill
The Secondary:
Resourcefulness
Understanding
Justice
Cleverness
These can be used in moral dilemmas. For example, you may use these during making a decision about abortion. Wisdom might be experience that you have previously had with this moral issue, intelligence could be knowing the consequences, scientific knowledge could be knowing the process of pregnancy and abortion.
"Man acquires a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way"-Aristotle.
Some of the moral virtues include:
Courage
Liberality
Temperance
Magnificence
Magnanimity
Proper-Ambition
Patience
Truthfulness
Wittiness
Friendliness
Modesty
Right-Indignation.
In order to be a moral person you must cultivate your virtues and find the midway point between excess and deficiency. This is known as the Doctrine of the Mean.
"The brave man is the mean between to coward and the rash man"-Aristotle.
Aristotle believes you must use your emotions, but they must be regulated so you
"have these right feelings, at the right times, towards the right people, for the right motive and in the right way"-Aristotle.
For example, if you were responsible for a country and you had to make a decision about going to war, you should consider using the Doctrine of the Mean. You must not be a coward and refuse to do anything, however you must also not be rash and run straight into war without consideration. Instead you must find the midway point and show courage.
Excess Virtue Deficiency
Rashness Courage Cowardice
Vulgarity Magnificence Pettiness
Shamelessness Modesty Shyness
Ambition Proper-Ambition Lack of Ambition
Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness
The final point to Aristotle's Virtue theory is that of Friendship. Aristotle believed that without friendship, all the virtues would be pointless.
"nobody would choose to live without friends even if he had all other good things"-Aristotle.
Aristotle believed a community relied on friendship
"Friendship is the bond that holds communities together"-Aristotle.
The philosopher also believed that there were three types of friendships:
Utility-Friendships that are useful to us: people in the workplace, people in a queue.
Pleasurable-Friends which have attractive qualities, such as wittiness and are pleasurable to be around.
Perfect-People who we care about more than ourselves
"there are few truly good friendships for there are few truly good people"-Aristotle
Sunday 12 May 2013
April Book Review and Summary: The Fault In Our Stars(Detailed) *Spoilers*
Recently (8 days ago) I turned eighteen! woo! so anyway, going off tangent. I was given, by my best friend a new book. Now i'm a huge book worm, I love to read and I had never read this book. My friend said she hadn't finished it because it destroyed her, you will find out why later, but it took me three hours to read the book in total. if you don't want to know anymore, stop reading here as spoilers may occur from here.
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is 313 pages is long and a really enticing read. Each chapter encourages you to want to read more and pulls you in after every page. The title, as you may have guessed comes from a William Shakespeare Play Julius Caesar, and is a quote that can be found within the book. The book itself is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It was published in 2012 and retails in the United Kingdom at the Recommended Retail Price of £7.99 ($12.39 US Dollars).
The book is set out into chapters (25 in fact) and is in Chronological order. You as the reader follow the main protagonist: Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is sixteen years old. "Hazel Grace" (as she gets called frequently throughout the book) has thyroid cancer, stage four. She first got cancer three years previously, but is living thanks to an experimental drug called Phalanxifor (which Green informs us at the end does not exist-he made it up because he would like it to exist). Wherever she goes Lancaster has to pull a wagon with an oxygen tank in so she can breathe. This oxygen tank is called "Phillip" this is because it "looked like a Phillip". This is not the only inanimate object Hazel Grace owns. She also owns a stuffed bear named "bluie" which she got when she "was like one", which occurs a few times within the book.
The book begins with Lancaster being very depressed and not doing very much (according to her mother) which Lancaster definitely agrees with as she calls it a "side effect of dying". In accordance with this, her mother sends her to a support group for teenage cancer suffers. This is where she met Isaac: a boy who has lost an eye due to cancer (he later undergoes an operation to remove the cancer and it results in him being blinded), later she meets Augustus Waters, a friend of Isaac. He too has had his issues with cancer but has been NEC (No evidence of cancer) four fourteen months. Waters had osteosarcoma which resulted him in requiring losing a leg and in its place he wears a prosthetic one. On there first meeting Lancaster describes Waters as being "hot" and Waters describes her as looking like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta (although it is later revealed that Hazel Grace has an very similar appearance to Waters ex-girlfriend that died from cancer).
Lancaster introduces Waters to her favourite book An Imperial Affliction-or AIA. The book ends in the middle of a sentence and Lancaster desperately wants to know what happens. later in the book, the writer tells her that if she came to Amsterdam (where he lived) he would give her all the answers she asked for. Of course she has the issue of cost as her medical fees were very high. Waters then reminds Lancaster that she should have a wish, which she shamefully admits to having used when she was 13 to go to Disney. Luckily Waters banked his wish and uses it to take Lancaster and her mother to Amsterdam with him to meet the writer-Peter Van Houten.
Both Lancaster and Waters meet Houten and find out he is a drunk and insults the pair (he later turns up in America and apologises for his attitude). Whilst on their trip, after dealing with Houten, the pair go back to Waters' room.
Afterwards, I personally broke down and was emotionally destroyed when it was revealed that Augustus Waters was riddled with cancer. The rest of the story is just as heartbreaking, as you already know what is coming. The rest of the book talks about how Lancaster deals with 'Late stage Augustus'. Lancaster also later speaks at his funeral and begins a better relationship with her parents, after he mother tells her that she is going to get a career in Social work.
Personally I never expected this book to effect me how it did, I cried through the last couple of chapters and actually smudged part of the ink. It took me around three hours to read the whole thing, once I had started reading it, I was hooked. Although, you have to physically force yourself through the rest of it after Amsterdam as you do not want to read any more. If you are looking for a not-so-typical teenage romance novel, or just want a good cry, this book is ideal. I have never read anything like this before but will definitely be looking into what else John Green has written.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
I rate this book 8/10 it would have been more, but it seemed to just wrap up so quickly, and I am waiting for the sequel. It has definitely opened my eyes to a different type of book.
I am definitely looking forward to see what is next in this type of genre and also excited to see what else Mr. Green can produce.
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is 313 pages is long and a really enticing read. Each chapter encourages you to want to read more and pulls you in after every page. The title, as you may have guessed comes from a William Shakespeare Play Julius Caesar, and is a quote that can be found within the book. The book itself is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It was published in 2012 and retails in the United Kingdom at the Recommended Retail Price of £7.99 ($12.39 US Dollars).
The book is set out into chapters (25 in fact) and is in Chronological order. You as the reader follow the main protagonist: Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is sixteen years old. "Hazel Grace" (as she gets called frequently throughout the book) has thyroid cancer, stage four. She first got cancer three years previously, but is living thanks to an experimental drug called Phalanxifor (which Green informs us at the end does not exist-he made it up because he would like it to exist). Wherever she goes Lancaster has to pull a wagon with an oxygen tank in so she can breathe. This oxygen tank is called "Phillip" this is because it "looked like a Phillip". This is not the only inanimate object Hazel Grace owns. She also owns a stuffed bear named "bluie" which she got when she "was like one", which occurs a few times within the book.
The book begins with Lancaster being very depressed and not doing very much (according to her mother) which Lancaster definitely agrees with as she calls it a "side effect of dying". In accordance with this, her mother sends her to a support group for teenage cancer suffers. This is where she met Isaac: a boy who has lost an eye due to cancer (he later undergoes an operation to remove the cancer and it results in him being blinded), later she meets Augustus Waters, a friend of Isaac. He too has had his issues with cancer but has been NEC (No evidence of cancer) four fourteen months. Waters had osteosarcoma which resulted him in requiring losing a leg and in its place he wears a prosthetic one. On there first meeting Lancaster describes Waters as being "hot" and Waters describes her as looking like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta (although it is later revealed that Hazel Grace has an very similar appearance to Waters ex-girlfriend that died from cancer).
Lancaster introduces Waters to her favourite book An Imperial Affliction-or AIA. The book ends in the middle of a sentence and Lancaster desperately wants to know what happens. later in the book, the writer tells her that if she came to Amsterdam (where he lived) he would give her all the answers she asked for. Of course she has the issue of cost as her medical fees were very high. Waters then reminds Lancaster that she should have a wish, which she shamefully admits to having used when she was 13 to go to Disney. Luckily Waters banked his wish and uses it to take Lancaster and her mother to Amsterdam with him to meet the writer-Peter Van Houten.
Both Lancaster and Waters meet Houten and find out he is a drunk and insults the pair (he later turns up in America and apologises for his attitude). Whilst on their trip, after dealing with Houten, the pair go back to Waters' room.
Afterwards, I personally broke down and was emotionally destroyed when it was revealed that Augustus Waters was riddled with cancer. The rest of the story is just as heartbreaking, as you already know what is coming. The rest of the book talks about how Lancaster deals with 'Late stage Augustus'. Lancaster also later speaks at his funeral and begins a better relationship with her parents, after he mother tells her that she is going to get a career in Social work.
Personally I never expected this book to effect me how it did, I cried through the last couple of chapters and actually smudged part of the ink. It took me around three hours to read the whole thing, once I had started reading it, I was hooked. Although, you have to physically force yourself through the rest of it after Amsterdam as you do not want to read any more. If you are looking for a not-so-typical teenage romance novel, or just want a good cry, this book is ideal. I have never read anything like this before but will definitely be looking into what else John Green has written.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
I rate this book 8/10 it would have been more, but it seemed to just wrap up so quickly, and I am waiting for the sequel. It has definitely opened my eyes to a different type of book.
I am definitely looking forward to see what is next in this type of genre and also excited to see what else Mr. Green can produce.
Thursday 2 May 2013
Overview
Hi, i'm Lauren and as you have guessed by the title I am sure, I love soft drinks; to be fair I drink just about anything, I just thought it was an interesting title. Anyway, I don't have a particular theme for my blog, it could be anything and everything. I've kinda been a blog lurker for about three years but finally decided to make a blog! I apologise if the content isn't exactly your cup of tea but you can't please everyone right? I mainly made a blog to fill in my free time, and because I like to share my thoughts with others. This is likely to be more of an online diary than anything else. Please forgive me, i've never made a blog before and am getting to grips with it. Thank you for reading this and I hope you will read more in the future!
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