Pyramids and Aristotle

Maslow's Hierarchy


Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology that Abraham Maslow proposed in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation,[1] which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity.
Maslow studied exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people, writing that "the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy."[2] Maslow also studied the healthiest one percent of the college student population. This subjectivity troubled even Maslow himself. In his book, "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature", Maslow writes, "By ordinary standards of laboratory research...this simply was not research at all. My generalizations grew out of my selection of certain kinds of people. Obviously, other judges are needed."
While Maslow's theory was regarded as an improvement over previous theories of personality and motivation, it had its detractors. For example, in their extensive review of research that is dependent on Maslow's theory, Wahba and Bridgewell [3] found little evidence for the ranking of needs that Maslow described, or even for the existence of a definite hierarchy at all. Chilean economist and philosopher Manfred Max Neef has also argued that fundamental human needs are non-hierarchical, and are ontologically universal and invariant in nature - part of the condition of being human; poverty, he argues, is the result of any one of these needs being frustrated, denied or unfulfilled

Aristotle was thinking and writing about the concepts of Maslow's hierarchy centuries before Maslow lifetime.

Obama

Obama's opponents are accusing him of plagerising his friends speech. Obama did in fact use his friends speech, but he had his friends permission....therefore it's not concidered plagerism. Obama's opponents fear his success and the large numbers of people that he is drawing that they are now trying to sling whatever they can his way to try and make him look bad. It was a good speech that deserved to be heard and related to Obama's message. The Washington Post said-
"The clearest comparison, the experts say, is to John F. Kennedy, who like Obama was able to mix high seriousness and humor. The shared cadences with Kennedy are not entirely a surprise -- Obama's young speechwriters are steeped in the addresses of Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the campaign has been getting informal advice from Kennedy speechwriter Ted Sorensen. " Obama poses a threat to the Republican party and to Hillary Rodom Clinton...so they are trying to get anything negative to stick to him.

Doc's Lecture 2/19/08

Sullivan vs. New York Times

Facts:
Newspaper Ad was published
Ad never mentions Sullivan

Legal Issues:
Racism
Freedom of Speech
Libel
Defamation

3 Questions and Answers

Claire Keldermans

What is the clearest point that you have learned so far in COMM 317?
Don’t open yourself up to a libel law suit.

What is the most confusing point you have learned in COMM 317?
Due Process

What would you like to learn next as we go on?
I would like to learn how to play the guitar.

18th Century Politicians

The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the United States Congress—which was waging an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War—and signed into law by President John Adams. Proponents claimed the acts were designed to protect the United States from alien citizens of enemy powers and to stop seditious attacks from weakening the government. The Democratic-Republicans, like later historians, attacked them as being both unconstitutional and designed to stifle criticism of the administration, and as infringing on the right of the states to act in these areas. They became a major political issue in the elections of 1798 and 1800. One act (the Alien Enemies Act) is still in force in 2008, and has frequently been enforced in wartime. The others expired or were repealed by 1802. Thomas Jefferson held them all to be unconstitutional and void, then pardoned and ordered the release of all who had been convicted of violating them.
(Information found on Wikepedia)

Britney Spears - Due Process and Media Ethics

After reading the latest story about Britney Spears' recent hospitalization, I think admitting her was the right thing to do. Due process was involved because the state of California recognized that she was a threat to herself and others, therefore hospitalization was the right choice. Spears' behavior could have endagered herself, her children/family, and others in the community. I think using 5150 was the right thing to do, remove Britney from her home and evaluate her. Hopefully she will realize that she needs treatment. If after 72 hours she wishes to leave the state of California or Spears' family have the right (and should invoke the right) to make sure she says there for as long as the law allows without Spears' consent. I think the State of California stepped in and used due process to help Britney get the medical attention she needs.

I feel the media/ paparazzi has been very unethical in their pursuit of Britney. Yes it makes for a good story, yes there at thousands of nosey people who can't get enough gossip about Spears', but it wrong...plain and simple. She obviously needs mental help and being chased like an animal all over the world isn't helping her mental state. The media should respect the fact that Spears is indeed sick, and wait until her treatment is complete or she is ruled physically and mentally fit before the start to pursue her once again. Of course the media/paparazzi has never left Spears alone and I doubt they are going to now. Spears is in the public eye, which does subject her to photographs and stories. The 1st amendment does give the media the right to free speech and press, but the way they chase people down and plauge their life is very unethical is some cases when it is obvious that the person needs mental help.

Due Process

DUE PROCESS - The idea that laws and legal proceedings must be fair. The Constitution guarantees that the government cannot take away a person's basic rights to 'life, liberty or property, without due process of law.' Courts have issued numerous rulings about what this means in particular cases. (Lectlaw.com)

Walter Burgwyn Jones served in the Alabama state legislature from 1919 to 1920. He was then a circuit court judge until 1935. Jones was a presiding judge from 1935 to 1963.
In the 1956 Presidential election, faithless elector W. F. Turner cast his vote for Jones, who was a circuit court judge in Turner's home town, for President of the United States and Herman E. Talmadge for Vice President, instead of voting for Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver. (Wikepedia)

T. Eric Embry was a Superme Court Justice in Alabama. Justice Embry, who as a trial lawyer represented The New York Times in what became the landmark libel case New York Times Company v. Sullivan. (New York Times).

Walter Burgwyn Jones wrote an article called "Alabama Pleading and Practice of Law". Jones later over ruled his own article.

It seems these two men were both involved in a civil rights case in Alabama. These men were also determined to not let black people have any rights.