Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Cruelty in animal testing Essay Example for Free
Cruelty in animal testing Essay Hobbes, the cat, has been under experimentation for most of his life. This is probably the last time that he will ever have to be experimented on again. Why? Because he is probably not going to make it through this time. The makers of Herbal Essences are about to force shampoo down his throat to see what happens to its organs. Even if the cat lives through the process, they will have to kill it to see which organs were affected by the toxic chemicals. If this was an actual human going through this deadly experiment, people would be in shock. Animal testing started numerous years ago to help provide humans with information. The process of animal testing is of great importance to scientists that work in testing for toxicity, in most cosmetics and personal care products that are made every year and are put into the market after being tested on animals. Animals in Product Testing stated, these products have gone through a long and complex testing process that leaves millions of animals mutilated, burned, poisoned and gassed in outmoded and unnecessary tests. From these different experiments, animals are often left with different diseases like Syphilis, Herpes, or AIDS (Animal Rights: Animal Testing). Manufacturers of these different products say that they are performing these tests to assure our safety for these products. They want to make sure that humans are not in any amount of danger (Animals in Product Testing). Animal testing is an unethical process, most of the testing is invasive and unnecessarily cruel torture to an innocent animal does that make us inherently evil even though many say we do the experiments for the greater good? Inflicting pain purposely is considered wrong in society and people are punished if caught. How can we justify the killing of an animal no matter how small and insignificant, in the larger scheme is there an alternative that we can use that will not cause pain and suffering and even save costs. Yes there are several different ways we can eliminate the use of animals in testing. There are certain types of animals that scientists use for certain types of experimentation. Some well-known animals that they use for testing are: cats, dogs, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, sheep, llamas, cattle, owls, deer, monkeys and other primates. These are not, by any means, all of the animals that they use. These are just the most common (Animal Rights: Animal Testing). For example, the Draize Test is used on white albino rabbits (S. , Jeremy). They use white albino rabbits because of their sensitive eyes and also because the formation of their tear ducts stops tears from draining away all of the foreign substance (Animal Rights: Test ). In this process, scientists rub shampoo, soap, toothpaste, oven cleaner, lipstick, or lawn products into their gorgeous, red eyes. From this point, scientists record the damage that they observed. This test can last up to eighteen days with their eyelids held open with a clip. Many of the rabbits end up breaking their necks trying to escape from the horrifying pain. First of all, it is pointless to keep the product in their eyes for that long of a period. There is no way that even a child would have something like that in his/her eye for very long. The second reason this is unnecessary to do to a rabbit is that the eye tissue of a rabbit is completely different from humans. (S. , Jeremy). Instead of using the Draize test we can use these alternative that provide better results and less cost from the government and private companies. Nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. Using blood from human volunteers to test for the presence of fever-causing contaminants in intravenous medicines can save hundreds of thousands of rabbits each year from traditional pyrogen tests. EpiSkinâ⠢, EpiDermâ⠢ and SkinEthicââ¬âeach composed of artificial human skinââ¬âcan save thousands of rabbits each year from painful skin corrosion and irritation tests. The Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability Test and Isolated Chicken Eye Test use eyes from animals slaughtered for the meat industry instead of live rabbits to detect chemicals and products that are severely irritating to the eyes. The 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test can replace the use of mice and other animals in the testing of medicines and other products for their potential to cause sunlight induced photo-toxicity. The Reduced Local Lymph Node Assay for skin allergy testing makes it possible to reduce animal use by up to 75 percent compared with traditional guinea pig and mouse tests. When testing to determine chemical concentrations that are deadly to fish and other aquatic life, use of the Fish Threshold Method can reduce the numbers of fish used by at least 70 percent compared with standard test methods. Why do companies even agree with animal experimentation? Some companies, like Clairol, demand that they do not use animal testing on their shampoo product, Herbal Essences. Even though they have cut down on animal testing, they have not eliminated the complete line of cosmetics and other products of animal experimentation (Consumer Companies Animals). There are also some companies, like Mothers Bath products, that do test on animals. The only difference is they shampoo their own dogs to see how it smells after being cleaned off with water. This type of procedure is not actual animal testing. The reason being is because it is not deathly and does not harm the animals in any way. Mothers Products inventor did mention, Beyond these happy volunteers WE DO NOT TEST ON ANIMALS. All other product testing is on ourselves, friends, family. This is the best type of testing to do, on real human beings (Mothers Cupboard Bath). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has different laws about the safety of humanââ¬â¢s health. In other words, the FDA and the different laws agree with animal testing. The FDA supports two different acts, the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy and Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Animal Testing). The Animal Welfare Act is to assure the health of humane care and the management of dogs, cats and other certain animals that are used for research and experimentation. As well as to make sure that humane treatment of animals during the transport to help protect the owners of the animals from theft (U. S. Fish ). The Public Health Service Policy and Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals is a law that assures animal care for farm animals, mice and rats (Public Health ). The FDA feels that if animals are used instead of actual human beings, then there is no risk of taking a humans life. If animals are put under experimentation, then the loss of an animal wouldnt be as devastating as an actual person. Other companies like: Arm Hammer, Gillette, Procter Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, SmithKline, Beecham, and Unilever still test their products on animals (S. , Jeremy). Another element why animal experimentation is wrong is because in multiple ways, it is pointless. The reason that companies even test their products on animals is because they are supposedly watching out for our safety. Most toxic products are tested on different animals. Some toxic products that are used are: soaps and detergents, oven cleaners, and toilet cleaner, etc. What is wrong with this picture? The internet site titled, Animals in Product Testing stated, no amount of animal testing can change the fact that many of these products are harmful if ingested or used in a way not intended by the manufacturer. In other words, there is no reason to force animals to swallow any toxic products, when no matter what, they would harm someone if they digested it (Animal in Product Testing). Also, many different types of drugs are very useful to human beings, but are very dangerous and deadly to animals. For example, Penicillin can help peoples lives, but actually kills guinea pigs. Another drug is Aspirin, which, in fact, causes birth defects in mice, monkeys, rats, cats, guinea pigs and dogs. Obviously, this is not a problem toward humans (Animal Rights: Animal Testing). There are many reasons why animal experimentation is meaningless, but, in many ways, it can be good according to Jack Botting and Adrian Morrison. Both of these scientist claim that animal experimentation is essential because that is the only way that cures can be invented for many diseases. Also, many other medicines have been developed through animal testing. Morrison and Botting feel that there is no difference between humans and animals. Experimenting on animals helps store precise information for humans (Botting, 78). Animal testing is also unnecessary because there is not a law saying that you have to test any product on animals (Stevens). The only product that is forced by the law, to test on animals, are certain types of chemicals and pharmaceutical products (S. , Jeremy). To think that people are so cruel against animals, and there is no reason for it. Karen Lee Stevens stated, Sophisticated alternatives to the use of animals in consumer product testing are readily available. So, from the Stevens statement, there are obviously many other ways, besides animal testing, which can be used to test different products. These different alternatives could possibly be more effective, be a better indicator for humans, have much quicker results, and it would not be involved in any kind of animal unkindness. So, why dont all companies realize that they dont have to do testing on innocent animals? There are two main reasons why it is so hard for manufacturers to use alternatives: the fright for human safety and the fright of productà assurance. The first company that changed their ways of animal testing was Revlon Cosmetics. In 1979, Revlon gave $750,000 to the Rockefeller University to research different alternatives to test their products. Different organizations such as the John Hopkins Center for the Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Toiletry and Fragrance Association, the Cosmetic, the International Foundation for Ethical Research, and the Soap and Detergent Association started their own research to develop different alternatives. While this research is going on, the amount of animal testing increases so that they can guarantee consistent results with the new alternatives (Stevens). The final reason why animal testing is so cruel is because innocent animals are being abused without reason. For example, many animals that are used in all of these experiments are animals that have either been stolen or are from different animals shelters. From there, they are taken to animal testing sites. All of these animal experimentation sites have been inspected, but just because the research centers are legalized, does not mean that animals arent being abused. According to Jeremy S. , A research scientist at Huntingdon Life Sciences was recently caught on videotape punching four puppies repeatedly in the face. This so-called scientist is trying to prevent humans from danger by punching puppies. The scientist tried to back up his crime by stating that he was only trying to do the puppies a favor because the product that he just made them sniff was giving them terrible effects on the body (S. , Jeremy). There is no reason to do this to such young animals, or any animals for that manner. Today, many companies have turned from animal testing. They now feel that animal experimentation is a cruel process that leaves innocent animals dead for no apparent reason. Although many companies have agreed that it is an absurd process, animal testing still is a huge part of product testing (Animals in Product Testing). After all of the reasons of why animal testing is ridiculous, hopefully a law will stop the cruel process. Although, like stated in the previous paragraph, many companies have stopped these practices and tests, there are many that still practice this process. Hobbes, the cat, could still be alive today if it wasnt for the companies that still believe that it is okay to test animals with products. A question that is brought up in many peoples mind is, why would animal testing still be going on if there a Overall, animal testing is expensive, time-consuming, unpredictable, and not easily reproducible from one lab to another (i. e. , results lack reliability). Because of their expense, cumbersomeness, and scientific limitations, animal tests have not adequately addressed the vast number of chemicals already in commercial use, nor the estimated 700 new ones introduced every year. According to Dr. Thomas Hartung, director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, out of ââ¬Å"some 100,000 chemicals in consumer products,â⬠¦only about 5,000 have had significant testing so far because no one has the capacity for experiments using standard methods involving animals. â⬠[7] While all new products must be tested for safety, using animals to assess human health risks is inefficient, unreliable, and has limitedââ¬âif anyââ¬âpredictive value for what will happen in humans. Thankfully, private industry and a growing number of federal agencies are now acknowledging the superiority of alternative methods for safety testing. While alternative methods have not received the full scientific, industry, and government support that they deserve, progress is being made, as the development of alternative techniques becomes more widely recognized as a legitimate and important area of basic and applied scientific investigation. For example, one traditional criticism of in vitro replacement alternatives was their inability to mimic or reproduce the consequences of long-term, chronic human exposure to toxic substances. This is no longer the case. As cell culture technology has evolved, it is now possible to maintain in vitro systems for sufficiently longer periods of timeââ¬âweeks or months. It is not necessary to maintain such cultures for years, as is done with some typical chronic animal tests. Long-term cell and tissue culture techniques can now allow in vitro studies of the effects of chronic, repeated exposure to toxic substances, as well as the recovery from such exposure in a shorter period of time.
Monday, August 5, 2019
Critical Analysis Of Heart Of Darkness English Literature Essay
Critical Analysis Of Heart Of Darkness English Literature Essay Considered one of the greatest novelists in English, Joseph Conrad (born JÃ ³zef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski), Conrad was actually of Polish descent. Although he did not fluently speak English until his twenties, Conrad nonetheless excelled at prose and the written English language, with many of his works having been adapted into film. English was in fact his third language, Polish and French being the first two languages he learned. Conrad led a harsh life as a child (Conover), and when he was only three, his father was imprisoned Warsaw for his supposed revolutionary political affiliations (Conover) until the family was exile to northern Russia in 1861 (Liukkonen). In 1869, both of Conrads parents passed away due to tuberculosis, and he was sent to live with his uncle Tadeusz in Switzerland. While living with his uncle, Conrad persuaded his uncle to let him go to sea (Liukkonen), where his many adventures and journeys laid the foundation for most of his works, which are mostly sea- faring stories. In 1890 he sailed up the Congo River, a journey that provided much of the material for his most notable and highly regarded work Heart of Darkness. During his time in the Congo, Conrad experienced extreme physical and mental stresses, which eventually affected his health for the rest of his life. Resettling in London, Conrad went into exile for various reasons including political (Conover). Ending his mariner career that spanned more than twenty years of sea-faring experiences, Conrad was able to draw from there intricate characters and stories which spoke of the human condition, and the complexities of the inner psyche. One such important literary work titled Lord Jim, in which Jim, a young British seaman accompanies his captain and other crew members in abandoning the passengers of their ship. Later hounded by his misdeed, Jim settles at a remote island where the natives title him Tuan or Lord. While there he protects the villagers from bandits and a local corrupt chief. Lord Jim speaks of the rise and fall of the human spirit, and the honor and redemption inherent in noble deeds. These themes are present throughout Conrads stories, and in the Heart of Darkness he also makes heavy use of colors, primarily white and black, and references to light and dark, often intermingling the socially accepted view of each one respectively. Conrad also deals with the issues surrounding imperialism in the Heart of Darkness (Sparknotes), yet there is also a larger underlying issue of race and equality, or lack thereof, within the overall story. The story revolves mainly around Marlow, and his journey through the Congo River to meet Kurtz, purported to be a man of great abilities. In his job as a riverboat captain with a Belgian Company organized for trade within Africa, Marlow encounters much brutality against the natives within in the Companys settlements. The inhabitants of the region have been pushed into forced labor, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment in the hands of the Companys agents. The cruelty of the imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with majestic and massive Congo jungle that surrounds the white mens stations, causing them to appear like small islands amongst the vast darkness of Africa. Amidst problems with the oppressed natives, Marlow manages to survive his time in the Congo, but because of the extreme conditions and harsh living in the area at the time, he returns home with ill health. The events depicted in Heart of Darkness truly could have occurred anywhere, but Conrad chose the Congo for the feeling and impact of the climate, the individuals involved, and the very way of life there. The title itself reflects the heart of darkness within men, who can sometimes use others for their own benefit and profit, casting away human life as if it had no value. The title may also refer to the Congo itself, due to the darkness and uncharted territory and mysteries that lurked within at that time. Conrad creates a build-up of tension and mysteriousness to the plot, which causes one to wonder what may happen next, and even though nothing overly climactic occurs, each individual event adds to the foreboding of the story. Deaths and other dark happenings are spoken of, and Conrads technique in describing these events conveys the darkness and hopelessness of the entire situation. The story portrays darkness as emanating from the depths of the jungle; it fills men with evil and allows them to act upon it. The main example of this darkness is within the station manager Kurtz, who performs such debauchery in the jungles that he eventually becomes ill and dies. The character of Kurtz could be considered a catalyst for change, and the symbol for the Europeans failure in the Congo. Unaware of his own evil, Kurtz is unable to fight the darkness within. There is a question of good and evil that is addressed within Heart of Darkness; the motifs of light and dark in which the darkness in Africa is separate from its blackness, and the whiteness in Europe being far removed from the goodness of light. In a sense, light and dark are polarized; Light represents the falsehoods and corruption in the world symbolized by the white man, whereas dark is a symbol for truth, while the dark natives show the pureness and innocence of humanity. Though there is some ambiguity of whether the title Heart of Darkness refers directly to Kurtz dark heart, or to the darkness of the jungles interior, the latter is more likely, due to the extent of abusive and evil actions portrayed by all the white men, which only grows in intensity with their close proximity to the center of the jungle. These settings and symbols help to portray the theme of universal darkness that Conrad alludes to. Conrads descriptive passages about the interminable waterways of the Congo and the Thames River show the connection between humanity and darkness. Each river flows into each other, and lead into a heart of immense darkness. This shows that all of humanity is connected through the heart of darkness and the truth. Ultimately Heart of Darkness is a story of the pitfalls and perils of greed, lust, and the corruption of ideals and values by the darkness that dwells within all of mankind. It tells of the madness that the greed for riches or power can create within the heart and mind, and that even the best of intentions can become twisted into something evil and oppressive. Works Consulted Conover, Matt. HEART OF DARKNESS: The Hypertext Annotation. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, 23 Nov. 2003. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. . Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Planet EBook. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. . Crowther, John, ed. No Fear Heart of Darkness. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Search EText, Read Online, Study, Discuss. The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays Summaries. The Literature Network. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Liukkonen, Petri. Joseph Conrad. www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Roberts, Andrew Michael. Joseph Conrad. London: Longman, 1998. Print. SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on Heart of Darkness. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
The Cannabis Debate Essay -- Weed Marijuana Legalization Medical Essay
The Cannabis Debate The Federal Government of the United States doesn't condone the use of marijuana and any schedule I drugs at the present time, which is any substance that has no current medical use and is a mind altering drug. Under new circumstances in California and Arizona, there is a temporary Bill that has been passed legalizing the schedule I drug for medical use, known as Act 215: Medical use limited to cancer patients and individuals with the disease glaucoma. Individuals that are of consequence are punishable by law and the severity level of punishment is increased from using, to growing, and intent to distribute. Controversy has erupted from the legalization of marijuana for its potential medical, industrial, economic, and environmental benefits. Many have taken government restrictions to new levels of ideological debate, such as reading in them as an attack on personal Freedom Amendment. With controversy and advanced technology, individuals can now voice their opinions is to find out why the subject matter of cannabis is on the internet. The purpose of my research is to find out why the subject matter of cannabis is on the internet. I will discuss why people are interested in the subject and the arguments that they present on the internet. My research will focus on the aspects of freedom of choice, legalization, medical aspects, industrial economic activity and usage among college students. The internet contains many web sites addressing the subject of drugs. The most prevalent and debated topic in the present time is cannabis, a green plant that has been around since the ancient Greeks. Early usage dates back as far as ancient China in a tea form to cure or tame wild children that were disobedient and trou... ...htm(5 March 1997). Green Panthers. "Green Panthers" http://www.greenpanthers.org/welcome.htm(20 March 1997). Mercury Center. "Harnessing Hemp: Environmental, Economic vision drives move to legalize industrial hemp"http://www.sjmercury.com/special/reprints/mari8.htm (27 March 1997). Heretik. "Heretik's Hemp page" http://freethought.tamu.edu/~heretik/(3 April 1997). High Times. "High Times" http://www.hightimes.com/ht/welcome.html (5 March 1997). "Marijuana as Medicine:A Plea for Reconsideration" http://www.calyx.net/~olsen/medical/lester.html (25 March 1997). "NORML"http://www.xs4all.nl/~mlap/norml/jun953.html(1 April 1997). Tom. "Tom's Views On Prohibition In America" http://www.televar.com/~thawkins/tomview.html (20 March 1997). "Washington State Marijuana/Hemp Legalization Initiative" http://www.hemp.net/hipws/intro.html (20 March 1997).
A Wish of Rain :: Essays Papers
A Wish of Rain "Close your eyes and imagine," he told us. "Imagine it is late at night. A train pulls up to the place where you are standing. The doors open and the hundreds of people who were standing inside begin to jump down. A young Jewish boy of sixteen and his family are among this tired, hungry, beaten crowd. Eventually, they are separated into two lines; the boy and his father are pushed into one line, his mother and sister into the other. Then they are marched off into the night. "I was never to see my mother and sister again. I was in the line to live." The speaker, a survivor of the Holocaust, told his story and many more one bright, warm summer day at Birkenau, a concentration camp in Poland. His audience of American students listened enthralled and horrified as he told of his struggles to stay alive in the camp during World War II, the struggles of six million Jews caught up in the terror. I remember wishing it would rain. That day at Birkenau held no warmth or brightness. It was a day of realizations and acceptances. In a way, it marked a passage from innocence and naivety to a greater understanding of human nature. For me, there were no more denials. I had always known about the Holocaust, even before I took the literature course that would bring me to Poland, yet deep-down I could never truly accept it. I found it difficult to believe that one man in his hatred of all that was good and decent could condemn a people to death or that a nation could stand blindly by and let it happen. I wanted to believe in human compassion and understanding. Thus, it was easy to pretend that the stories were exaggerated or sensationalized. Now, I feel as though I know too much. I never thought I could get so emotionally involved, but after living closely with it for three weeks, I could not help but become involved. It became increasingly more difficult to deny or to remain detached once the truth began to unfold. I did not like the feelings it evoked in me or the unanswered questions it left me with. My mind balked. Yet, to run my hand over the wooden bunks in the barracks, to walk on the same hard-packed earth, to look out over barbed-wire fences and empty guard towers and just to know that I stood in the spot where they breathed their last, I believed.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Essay example --
Reasons Why Diamond Bangle Bracelets Should Be Included In Your Weeding Day Shopping List The wedding is the most important and exciting day in the life of a person. It is a day which signifies not just the relationship of the bride and groom, but also their immediate families, friends and society. This is the reason why all brides are generally excited about their bridal jewelry be it earring, ring, necklace or sparkling bracelet. Which bracelet should you choose for your wedding day? There are very many options available in the market but diamond bangle bracelets for women remain the best choice for most people. These bridal bracelets add elegance to the brideââ¬â¢s wrist. They are stylish and beautiful, and they will not just add sparkle to the wedding but will also make statement about your style. You can get diamond bangle bracelets for women in various designs ranging from subtle and striking to bold or dainty. For very long time, diamond has been popular choice wedding bangle bracelets because it symbolizes everlasting love. Bangle bracelets made of diamond will add touch of elegance to your wedding gown, as well as sophistication top your entire wedding attire. Many women love rings and bracelets that match the color of the wedding gown, and thus diamond bangle bracelets have gained popularity all over the world. In most weddings you will find that the bride has adorned her wrist with dazzling, beautiful diamond bracelet. In terms of look, bangle bracelets made of diamond are gorgeous and thus they will add sparkle to the eyes of all those who attend your wedding. All brides, regardless of their age love diamond bangle bracelets If you are a bride, you can choose your favorite from the various options available such... ... you believe that you are not getting a better deal, walk away and go to another pawn shop. Let the clerks and sales people realize that you are not desperate, and can afford to wait until you get a better deal. Before you take your jewelry to the San Francisco pawn shop, make them as presentable as possible. Clean them to make them as presentable as possible. If you still have the original packaging in which they came, take it with you to the pawn shop. No matter how expensive your piece of jewelry is, you must ensure that you clean it. Never take the jewelry to the pawn shop while it is in bad shape, or dirty. If the jewelry is made of gold, make sure that you also familiarize yourself with the current gold prices. As long as you follow the tips mentioned above, you can go to the local San Francisco pawn shop with a great deal of self-belief, to get best deals.
Friday, August 2, 2019
1984 â⬠Big Brother Essay
Our world is actually growing closer to the world of 1984 because of the use of technology. America is turning into oceania because we are starting to lose privacy. For example, Big Brother is the ruler of oceania. He is the name of the govenment not a person. Big Brother could represent americaââ¬â¢s government. One of the books element that can be compared to todays society is the telescreen. The telescreens in 1984 were everywhere and never turned off. It Picked up everything you did in your apartment. It even picked any noise you made. It was Winstons fear of being over heard or seen. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay Surveillance is frightening to some people. Most of the palces we go to is full of cameraââ¬â¢s. There is cameras in the mall, schools, and even on the streets ATM machine. Phone lines are also a way of spying on you. It is also east to tap a phone call. Mostly everytime you call a store or a bussiness your phone call is being recorded. The excuse that they make is that your phone call is being monitered for your protection. If televisions in todays society had a chip that is called the ââ¬Å"V Chipâ⬠, The government would be able to control what you watch on your televison. The chip does actually exsist in todays world. Even without the chip the govenment could still control all the media on televison. A computer called the ââ¬Å"The Pentium IIIâ⬠by Intel is able to note everywhere you go online in order to get feedback of what people like to see in the internet. The govenment tracks what people do and see on daily basis. A lot of people have a Easy-Pass. This keeps track of how many times you go through a bridge. Who knows if they could track it by satelite.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Criminology Theory â⬠Rational Choice Theory Essay
Rational choice theory was inspired in the 1700ââ¬â¢s by a man name Cesare Beccaria, whose utilitarian views and ideas were accepted throughout Europe and the United States. This theory is also known as rational action theory meaning the framework for understanding and often formally modeling social and economic behavior. It is the dominant theoretical paradigm in microeconomics. It is also the central to modern political science and is used by scholars in other disciplines such as sociology and philosophy. Rational Choice Theory is used by social scientists to understand human behavior. This theory is the belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice. Beccariaââ¬â¢s helped to eliminate cruel and unusual punishment in the nineteenth century, which at the time was very common, and formed the basis for the classical theory of crime, a school of thought that influenced the French Revolution and the establishment of the Eighth Amendment in the United States Constitution. Beccaria believed that people choose to engage in all behavior, criminal and non-criminal, and without the fear and certainty of severe punishment for criminal offenses. People will continue to choose to commit those crimes. Beccaria believed that all individuals possess free will. People use free will to make rational decisions, such as whether or not the personal benefits are worth the risk of violating the law by committing a crime. It is by free will that people are able to follow through with those ââ¬Å"rationalâ⬠decisions. To Beccaria, punishment should address prevention rather than revenge. He believed that the only way to deter criminals from continuing to commit more serious offenses is to ensure that the punishment is well suited for the crime. He believed the punishment should only be severe enough to outweigh the personal benefits gained from committing the crime. A British philosopher named Jeremy Bentham elaborated on Beccariaââ¬â¢s views and proposed the id ea that people choose their actions by whether or not they produce happiness and avoidedà unpleasant conditions. With this theory laws were created to keep the community happy and punishment is only justified if it is used as a method of prevention. The popularity of the classical theory peaked in the 1800s but began to decline and was eventually neglected altogether by the majority of criminologists by the end of the twentieth century. During the mid-1970s, as positivist approaches towards the rehabilitation of known criminals began to prove ineffective, the popularity of the classical approach improved. Criminologists began to portray criminals to the public as rational planners who deserve to be punished. This modernized view of the classical school of criminology is now known as the rational choice theory and is used to explain why criminals commit crimes. According to the rational choice theory, criminals are people who share the same goals and ambitions as ordinary citizens, but choose to obtain those goals by illegitimate means. The rational choice theory is based on the assumption that before choosing to commit a crime, the criminal considers personal factors or motivation for the crime, such as their immediate need for benefits, revenge, or excitement, and also situational factors, such as the severity of the consequences and the risk of apprehension. The rationality described by rational choice theory is different from the colloquial and philosophical uses of rationality. Rationality means in colloquial language sane or in a thoughtful clear headed manner. Routine activity theory is a sub-field of rational choice criminology, which was developed by Marcus Felson. Routine activity theory says that crime is normal and depends on the opportunities available. For example after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, meaning poverty, inequality and unemployment became a problem this gave people a reason to commit crimes.
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