Abstract
This paper provides a pragmatic evaluation of Karl Marx's paradigm and his contribution to classical and contemporary sociological theory. It is an attempt to make clear, by philosophical criticism, the value, purpose and relevance of Marx's work. Marxism is a very broad field and this paper does not necessarily cover every single aspect of it. Instead, not sacrificing depth of analysis, it examines only Marx's theoretical assumptions about how society's technological superstructure relates to its respective economic base. In addition, commodity is the main key concept explored since it synthesizes and represents an important aspect of Marxist epistemology and is indeed a concept free from 'pure' theoretical abstraction. Therefore, the paper also establishes commodity as a tangible, practical and relevant concept that is still used as a framework to explain technocracy in high-modernity.

From the Paper
"Marx's theoretical approach has received critical attention from postmodernist thought sociology which has largely rejected his orthodox social analyses. For instance, Jurgen Habermas, a member of the Frankfurt school argued that one of the weaknesses of Marxist epistemology is the assessment of human evolution as just an economic and technological progress. He insisted that evolutionary progress can be discerned not only in the sphere of technical control, but also in the sphere of social and moral development (How, 2001). In addition, he also suggested that Marx's theory of capitalism is too deterministic since that it encompasses a known end. In this way, Habermas reconstructs and expands Marx's ideas by eliminating notions of evolutionary stages and revolution by moving Marxist analysis to social scientific and critical inquiry. "

Tags:hegel, commodity, capitalism, habermas

Abstract
This paper attempts to dispel the claim that Dickens romanticises crime in "Oliver Twist". It looks at how he gives an account of the miserable reality of the way the underworld operated in London at the time and the sheer ruthlessness and inhumanity portrayed by criminals. It also discusses how Dickens also holds a mirror up to society to show the squalid poverty experienced by people in the workhouses and the corruption of people in positions of power such as Mr Bumble and Mr Fang, the magistrate.

From the Paper
"In a preface to Oliver Twist, written in 1841, Dickens makes direct response to Thackeray's criticism of Nancy's character. ?It is useless to discuss whether the conduct and character of the girl seems natural or unnatural, probable or improbable, right or wrong. It is true. Every man who has watched these melancholy shades of life knows it to be so. Suggested to my mind long ago - long before I dealt in fiction - by what I often saw and read of, in actual life around me, I have, for years, tracked it through many profligate and noisome ways, and found it still the same. From the first introduction of that poor wretch, to her laying her bloody head upon the robber's breast, there is not one word exaggerated or over-wrought. It is emphatically God's truth.... It involves the best and the worst shades of common nature... it is a contradiction, an anomaly, an apparent impossibility, but it is a truth.` "

Tags:workhouses, nancy, poverty, bumble, fang

Abstract
This paper discusses how from the the outset of the play, "Othello", Shakespeare makes it explicitly clear who the outsiders are. The paper examines how Othello is the strongest candidate and as the main character of the play, he fits in the least. It also looks at how, in addition, Shakespeare also portrays Iago as an outsider, not in race and background like Othello, but in nature and motive. The paper further shows how both of these characters are different from any other in Venetian society and how both, although in completely dissimilar ways, are subject to falling into the category of an outsider.

From the Paper
"The main outsider in the play is quite clearly Othello, who cannot help but be seen as different from the others because of his colour and background. Unlike Iago, he is not a born Venetian but a black slave, who through hard work and determination, has risen to the ranks of General of the Venetian army. However, in spite of his prestigious military position he is still viewed by many as an outcast in contemporary society. This is particularly prevalent in Elizabethan times as Queen Elizabeth herself denounced the blacks and banished them from England. "...banishing the great number of niggers and black moors which are crept into this realm..." Othello has the majority of society against him in this respect, a stereotypical way of thinking being to persecute the black race. "

Tags:Iago, race, color

Abstract
This paper discusses the issue of evidence-based Medicine (EBM), providing arguments for and against it being abandoned altogether. The author of this paper puts forward his own suggestion that the real question is not whether EBM should be destroyed or sustained, but what it should look like a cathedral or a bazaar? He goes on to argue that, if EBM is to serve the interests of service users as much as those of the medical and pharmaceutical powers, it must come to resemble a bazaar more than a cathedral.

From the Paper
"Some critics of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) argue that it should be abandoned altogether (e.g. Sa Couta 2003). By contrast, Sandra Tanenbaum (2003, p. 298) argues that, despite its weaknesses in practice, the public idea of EBM lends it a power that can be used by health administrators to support policy decisions that can benefit patients. A key problem with Tanenbaum's approach is that it underestimates the role of ideas in shaping social practice and the extent to which the philosophy of EBM has come to serve particular commercial and ideological interests. I would suggest that the future of health services research lies not in destroying or preserving the idea of EBM but in questioning and subverting it. The real question is not whether EBM should be destroyed or sustained, but what it should look like: a Cathedral or a Bazaar? One type of structure represents hierarchy, order, authority, exclusion and the pious realisation of a complex but unitary concept. The other represents a 'great babbling bazaar of different agendas and approaches' (Raymond 2000, p. 1), potentially profane and subversive, but nonetheless inclusive in character. I want to argue that the movement that embodies the idea of EBM must be subverted from within. If it is to serve the interests of service users as much as those of medical and pharmaceutical power it must come to resemble a Bazaar more than a Cathedral."

Tags:medicine, clinical, ideological, science

Abstract
Freedom of expression is one of the crucial ideas, if not the crucial idea, behind modern concepts of liberty and democracy. This paper discusses the issues surrounding the limitations on free speech with reference to John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Thomas Hobbes and other philosophers.

From the Paper
"This issue of whether and to what extent to curtail free speech has a clear role in that most historical significant of liberal documents, the American constitution. Its first amendment prevents the executive or Congress from passing legislation which curtails freedom of expression, freedom of the press or the right to openly petition the government for any grievance. The United States, does, of course have a slightly contrary relationship with freedom; for all its commitment to "life, liberty and happiness" it took until the 1960s to get rid of institutionalised racism, and it still lags behind Europe in its attitudes on gay marriage and abortion. However, of most relevance to this essay is the Patriot act of 2001, which sought to use the power of the state to curtail unnecessary liberties which created fertile ground for terrorism."

Tags:hobbes, rawls, democracy, philosophy, civil, liberty, rights, islam, terrorism

Abstract
This paper argues that the relationship between an environment and its diseases that occur within it are not static over time. The paper discusses infectious diseases, non-vectored diseases, and deficiency diseases. AIDS is given as an example of how a disease that was once a major problem in North America is now a major problem in Africa.

From the Paper
"Diseases occur in all parts of the world. However, different groups of people will be vulnerable to different diseases at different times, depending on where they are in the world - or rather, what environments they are in. The term used to investigate the relationship between diseases and the environments in which they occur is known as Disease Ecology. Disease Ecology can be a reference to diseases within the natural environment, but also to diseases that occur within manmade environments, mainly cities. There are many different types of diseases that could be investigated here. This essay will look at diseases in both the natural and man-made environments. These will include Deficiency diseases, Infectious diseases, Chronic diseases and Social diseases."

Tags:infectious, disease, ecology, aids, manmade, environment, non-vectored, africa, north, america, chronic, social, cholera

Abstract
Massive corporate mergers are becoming increasingly commonplace in 21st-century America. As one huge merger follows another, the benefits for owners and investors are obvious. The paper argues, however, that for our society as a whole, the consequences seem far less beneficial. When too many large corporations merge, competition is reduced, consequently denying consumers a variety of benefits that they are entitled to in our allegedly free market system. The paper argues that the lack of price reduction and innovation are the two most prominent detriments to society in the face of these industry oligarchies. Because one company owns many businesses, the businesses are all run in virtually the same way, leaving very little room for creativity or competition.

From the Paper
"Time Warner's recent merger with Turner broadcasting created the largest media company in the world. It now owns cable distribution, cable channels, production, music publishing, book and magazine publishing, retail interests, film production and theater chains. An example of possible problems: the 1996 controversy over Time Warner's cable provider not wanting to distribute Fox's 24 hour news channel, a competitor with Turner's CNN. Another example is The Disney/Cap Cities/ABC merger, which combines cable, merchandising, theme park, production, film and local media outlets (Barnou, 1999)."

Tags:acquisitions, Alan, Greenspan

Abstract
This paper examines how HLA Hart, a legal positivist, developed his theory on the notion that for a legal system to exist it should comprise entirely of rules and how within this legal system, Hart states that rules are divided into either primary or secondary rules. It looks at how Ronald Dworkin's theory, on the other hand, is founded on criticisms of Hart?s theory. It seeks to analyze Hart's Postscript to "The Concept of Law" and determine to what extent has Hart successfully defended his theory against his critics.

From the Paper
"The basis of Dworkin's theory is founded on criticisms of Hart's theory. Dworkin pictures law as a "gapless" legal universe in which there is always a right answer. He suggests that there is much more to the law than just rules, contending that the Positivist view of a system of rules ignores the important roles of other standards which are not identified as "rules." Dworkin maintains that principles and policies play a crucial role in judicial reasoning, particularly when the existing rules of law prove controversial in a case, as evidence in Riggs v Palmer (1889). This case example provides an intuitive sense of Dworkin's idea of principles."

Tags:positivism, principles, rules

Abstract
This paper attempts to identify why technology may no longer be just our slave, but our tyrant. Technology clearly shapes the way we live today, and is now no less of a significant influence than religion or the government for determining how we shall live tomorrow. We can perceive technology as the artificial enhancement of human power, which will be used to serve all of our needs within the twenty first century. However is our society learning that technology is potentially self-destructive, and would it be so welcomed if people really new how it will impact our life in the future, and the nature of mankind.

From the Paper
"It appears that as technology advances, it will continue to play an increasingly significant role in the future and shape of mankind. We must remember that whatever technology does to our lives, technology in itself is not to blame, but rather how we use it. Humans should not become so dependant on technology that it dictates the way in which we live our lives, and the fundamental decisions we make. Technology is certainly a virtue of human intelligence, but we must be careful not to phase ourselves out, and create more wrong than good. In conclusion I would say that technology should be used to support our efforts, but not replace our efforts."

Tags:automation, future, impact, new, society, technologies

Abstract
Many sexual predators have admitted that they cannot control their urges to sexually and violently abuse women and children. This paper advocates that more strict legislative measures are needed that would prevent vulnerable individuals from being raped, abused and possibly killed by essentially "incurable" predators. It puts forward the proposal that if people were assured a harsh punishment if they were to commit a crime, they would be less likely to be able to justify their criminal actions as being "worth the risk". It discusses the holes in current legislation and how offenders are often not required to undergo sex offender treatment or evaluation and they are released into the community without being forced to adhere to sex offender registration laws and evaluates Megan's law. Megan's Law refers to the series of laws introduced in New Jersey following the murder of seven year-old Megan Kanka who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by her neighbor, a twice convicted sex offender who had committed a similar crime only months before. It analyzes the increasing public awareness and concern about crime together with intense media focus on the issue.

From the Paper
"According to Princeton University professor John DeIulio, "almost half of the country's 671,000 parolees and probationers are caught committing serious new offenses within three years" (Feinsilber, 1997). Many sexual predators have admitted that they cannot control their urges to sexually and violently abuse women and children. For this reason we should not allow these dangerous criminals to terrorize our neighborhoods, schools and homes. It is therefore my contention that more strict legislative measures are needed that would prevent vulnerable individuals from being raped, abused and possibly killed by these essentially "incurable" predators."

Tags:child, deviants, law, legal, molesters, rapists, sexual, megan, criminals