WORKBOOK #2: PERSPECTIVES

Andrew Hinds

Name:

This assignment is designed to (1) provide you with an opportunity to reflect on your own
views and values, (2) encourage you to analyze and contrast alternative, conflicting value
systems, and to (3) provide a baseline against which to measure the growth, development and/or
change of your views in this course.
Therearethreepartstotheassignment.First,youwillbeaskedtodescribeyourown
perspective,tothebestofyourabilityatthispointinthecourseandinyourlife.Second,you
willbeaskedtodescribethefourperspectivescoveredinthiscourse.Third,youwillbeaskedto
discusswhichperspectivecomesclosesttoyourownandthemostimportantthingyoulearned
fromthisexercise.
Toanswer,clickinthegrayareasandtypeyouranswersintheappropriateboxes.Theboxes
willexpandifyouaddmoretextbeyondtheoriginalboundaries,sodontskimponyour
answers!Beasspecificasyoucaninallyouranswers.Makesurethatyousavethisdocument
frequentlyasyouworkonit.Whenyouarefinished,submitthisdocumentthroughtheDropbox
inD2L.
Describeyourownperspective.
Therearenocorrectanswerstothesequestions.Justbesuretodescribeandexplainyourown
viewsinasmuchdetailasyoucan.
1. What are your most important values?
(e.g., What would you be willing to die for? In the eulogy at your funeral, what would you
want people to say you stood for?)
IhavemanydifferentimportantvaluesthatIbelievein.Oneofthemostimportant
valueorbeliefsIhaveismyfaithinGod.ItrulybelievethatJesusChrististhe
sonofGod,andIbelieveinallthethingshestandsfor,suchaskindness,giving
toothers,andbeingfaithful.IwouldhopethatotherscanseeChristlivinginme
andunderstandmyfaithinhim.IhopethatIshowkindnessandlovetowards
others,justasChristshowshisloveforthechurch.IknowthatIamnotsinless
likeChrist,butIhopeIdisplayloveandkindnesstowardsothersinaway
pleasingtohim.Actionsspeaklouderthanwords,andIhopeIshowmylove
forChristinthewayIlivemylife.Truth,honesty,patience,love,kindness,
faiththeseareallextremelyimportantvaluesthatIwouldhopeotherscouldsay
aboutme.IbelievethatifChrististhecenterofyourlife,allofthesevalues
willbepresent.
IknowthatChristhasgiftedmewithmanyblessings.Iamblessedwithmy
family,health,andmanywonderfulopportunitiesthatIamverythankfulfor.
WithoutmyfaithandloveforChrist,Idon'tknowifIwouldhaveallofthese
blessings.
Ibelievethatyoushouldhonoryourfatherandmother,justasitisstatedinthe
tencommandments,andIvaluemyfamilyverymuch.Familyisextremely
importanttome,andIknowIamimportanttothem,too.Myfamilysupports

mewithencouragementandlovedaily,andIamthankfulforthat.Love,
patience,andkindnessareimportanttoexpressinthefamilyunit.Iwouldhope
Ihaveallofthesevirtueswithmyfamily,andIbelievethatIdo.Iwouldhope
otherscouldseethisinme,andwouldbeabletosaythatmyfamilyisextremely
importantandvaluabletome.

2. In your view, what is the nature of human nature?

(i.e.,Whydoyouthinkhumansbehavethewaythattheydo?)
Ibelievethatbyhumannature,mosthumansbelieveingoodnessandkindness
towardsothers.Humannatureisthewayweact,feel,andthink,andIbelieve
thatmostwantgoodandkindnessoverevil.Humanbeingshavemanydifferent
faithsandreligionswithmanydifferentbeliefs,butmostofthembeliefin
kindnesstowardothers.Mostpeopledonotgooutandcommitawfulorhorrific
crimesofviolence,andthemajoritybelieveitiswrongtodoso.Iunderstand
thatthisisnotalwaysthecase,thatevilisoutthere,butIbelievethatgood
almostalwaysprevailsandhumanstendtoloveoneanotherratherthanhate.
Humanshavemanydifferentlearnedbehaviors,butIbelievethatmosthumanshave
theneedtocareforothers,alongwiththemselves.Innature,thisisevident
whenyouobserveananimalcaringforitsyoung.Thisisinstinctual,andI
believehumanshavemanybasicinstinctsforcaringfortheiryoung,aswell.
Thismaynotalwaysbeconsideredkindness,butinstinctual,butIbelievethatis
whatseperateshumansfromanimals.Weallgenerallywanttoshowloveand
kindnesstowardeachother.
Theenvironmentthatsomeonegrowsupinwilleffectone'shumannature,andthis
iswhentheymaymakebadorcorruptchoices.Nothavingloveandkindnessas
achildwillhaveanegativeimpactonapersonandpersuadethemtowardthe
wrongpath.Fallenhumannaturecanbeseenfromthebeginning,asstatedin
GenesisintheBible,whenAdamandEvetookfromthetreeofgoodandevil,
thuscreatingsin.IbelieveintheBible,andIbelievethathumanswerecreated
forgoodandkindness,sothatisourhumannature.Unfortunately,sinisan
unpleasantfactorinourlives.

3. What is your vision of a good society?

(e.g., On what principles should society be organized?)
Ibelievetherearemanyfactorsthatgoalongwithhavinganideal"goodsociety."
Inaperfectsociety,everyonewouldhavegoodethicalvaluesandwouldwantto
worktohelpeachother.Peoplewouldhavegenuineconcernandkindness
towardothers.Therewouldn'tbeanycorruptionorcrimeandeveryonewould
begettingalongwithoneanotheraswellasdoingtherightthing.Therewould
bemanyopportunitesforjusticeandequalityforeveryone.Readingourtextby
DianaKendall,shewritesaboutdemocracybeingruledbythepeople.Thisis
importantforagoodsocietysothateveryonehasavoiceoranopinonon

differentconcernsandintereststhatholdvaluetothem.Themajorityvotewins
inaperfectdemocracy.
AdemocracyintheUnitedStatesisdefinedasagovernmentofthepeople,bythe
people,andforthepeople.Statingthis,itisimportantforthepeopletobeactive
intheirgovernmentbyparticipatinginvoting,attendingandtakingpartin
politicialmeetings,activelyparticipatinginpoliticalcampaigns,andrunningfor
and/orholdingpoliticaloffice.Alsoinagoodsociety,therewouldbemany
economicopportunitiesforeveryone,andeveryonewouldalsohavetheright
forpublicproperty.Citizenswouldbeabletohaveahometolivein,foodto
eat,andtobeabletogotocollegeandgetagoodeducation.
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Describe the perspectives discussed in this course.
Describe each of the four perspectives in your own words, covering, at a minimum, each
perspectives view of human nature, central values, and view of society. Show how each of these
elements fit together to make up the perspective. (Remember: You are demonstrating your
understanding of each perspective.)
Organic Conservative perspective
Description
Theorganicconservativeperspectivebelievesthathumans,bynature,areaggressive,
competitive,selfish,andhierarchical.Theorganicconservativeperspectivesays
thathumansonlycareaboutthemselvesmorethantheydoforothers.Itbelieves
thathumanscreatetheirownsociety.Oncehumanscreatetheirownsociety,itis
biggerthanusbecauseeverybodyinthesocietyactsthatway.Itishardto
changesocietyagainifeverybodyisactinginacertainway.Changeinsociety
hastobeslow,andifthereisarapidchangeinsociety,thatwillcause
disruptivenesstowardit.Theorganicconservativeperspectivebelievesthat
peoplewhothreatenthehealthofthesocialbodyarelikecancer,whichmeans
thatpeoplewhothreatenotherpeoplearelikecancerbecauseitishardtogetrid
ofthosepeople.Societycanbecomparedtohealthinthateachpartofitfulfills
anappointedrole.Theorganicconservativeperspectivealsobelievesthat
traditionisnotperfect,butitisalwaystheanswer.Whensomethinggoeswrong,
peoplealwaysrelyontraditionandwhattheyalwayshavedonetofixthe
problem.Alloftheseelementsmakeuptheorganicconservativeperspective.
Individualist Conservative perspective
Description
Theindividualistconservativeperspectivebelievesthathumansareselfishyethighly
individualistic,whichmeansthathumansareselfishbuttheyarealso
independent.Weliketoactonourownandbeindependent.Nobodylikestorely
onsomebodyelseallofthetime.Havingindependencemakesusfeelgoodabout
ourseleves.Theindividualistconservativeperspectivebelievesthatweare

completelyrational,andthatwearemotivatedbyarationalcalculusofpainand
pleasure,meaningthathumanactionsareguidedbywellbeing.Itishardtobe
successfulandmostpeopleknowthattheyaregoingtohavetoworkhardtoget
whattheywant.Peoplealsowanttobehappyandliveacomfortablelife.The
individualistconservativeperspectivebelievesthatsocietyisaconvenientfiction,
orthatpeopletrytodothingsthatwillbeeasyandwithouttrouble.Anything
collectiveexistsonlybyagreement.Peopleinasocietyhavetoagreewithone
another.JohnLockesays,"Propertyisanationalrightcreatedbyhumanlabor."
Peoplehavetherighttoownproperty.Theindividualistconservativeperspective
believesintheimportanceofTheDeclarationofIndependenceandtheproper
rolesofgovernment,whichincludenationaldefense,criminaljustice,referee,and
publicgoods.Theybelievethatthegovernmentisforcingpeopleintodoing
somethingwhichisnecessaryinalimitedform.Alloftheseelementsmakeup
theindividualistconservativepersepective.
Reform Liberal perspective
Description
Thereformliberalperspectivebelievesthathumansareselfishandindividualistic,
buttheycansometimesbemotivatedtobeunselfishandthattheyhaveaconcern
forotherpeople.Theybelievethattheideaofsocietyismeritocratic,which
meanspeoplegetwhattheydeserveanddeserevewhattheyget.Anexample
wouldbeifsomebodyworkshardand,asareward,receivesaraise,while
anotherpersonwhodoesnotworkasharddoesnot.Theybelievethatsociety
mustberegulatedforthecollectivegood,meaningthatsocietymustbechanged
foracertaingood.Theybelievethatthegovernmentistheonlyonewhocan
providejusticeandmakethingswork.Theywanttocreatefairnessandjustice
foreveryone.Affirmativeaction,headstart,publicdefenders,andsocialnet
safetyaretheprogramsthatthereformliberalperspectivebelieveinthatwill
createfairnessandjusticeforallpeople.Alloftheseelementsiswhatmakesup
thereformliberalperspective.
Socialist/Radical perspective
Description
Thesocialist/radicalperspectivebelievesthathumansareflexible,andthathumans
createtheirnaturewithinaparticularformofsociety.Bychangingtheirsociety,
theybelievethathumanschangetheirnature.Theybelievethatpeoplehave
responsibilitiesandrights.Capitalismispartofthesocial/radicalpersepective
whichincludesmarket,privateownership,andwagelabor.Theybelievethatthe
idealsocietyisbasedonequality,solidarity,andcooperation.Everyoneshould
haveequalrightsandbeabletounitewithoneanother.Theywantpositiverights
forpeopleandentitlementsforpeople.Theywantpeopletohavefood,housing,
healthcare,andeducation.Theybelievethateveryoneshouldhavefoodtoeat,a
house,healthcare,andthateveryoneshouldbeabletogotocollegeandgeta
goodeducation.Ifmiddleclassandrichpeoplehaveaccesstothese,thenpoor
peopleshouldbeabletohaveaccesstothem,too.Alloftheseelementsmakethe

socialist/radicalpersepective.
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Which perspective(s) comes closest to your own? Explain.
Theperspectivethatcomesclosesttomeisthesocial/radicalperspective.Thereason
isbecauseIbelievethatpeoplehaveresponsibilitiesandrights.Everyoneshould
beresponsiblecitizensinsocietyandeveryonehasrightsoftheirown.Ina
perfectsociety,everyonewouldhavegoodethicalvaluesandwouldwanttowork
tohelpeachother.Ibelievethateveryoneshouldgettobeabletogotocollege
andgetagoodeducation.CollegeissuperexpensiveandIbelievethatitshould
befreesothateveryoneisabletogetagoodeducation.Iwanteveryonetobe
abletohavehealthcaresothatanybodycangettreatedwithouthavingtopaya
hugeamount.IalsoagreewiththereformliberalperspectivebecauseIbelieve
peoplegetwhattheydeserveanddeservewhattheyget.Ifsomebodyputsaton
ofeffortintosomething,theyneedtoberewardedbetterthansomeonewho
barelydidanything.
What would you say is the most important thing you learned from doing this exercise?
ThemostimportantthingthatIlearnedfromdoingthisexerciseiswhateach
perspectiveisandhowtheyareinvolvedinsociety,aswellasthedifferent
peoplethatareinvovledineachperspective.Ithashelpedmetoknowwhat
perspectivesthatImightfitin.Withoutdoingthisexercise,Iwouldhavenever
hadbeenabletoreallythinkabouteachperspectiveandseehoweachperspective
isdifferent.BydoingthisexerciseIlearnedhoweachperspectiveaffects
societyandhowpeopleusethemthroughouttheworldtoday.Doingthis
exercisereallyhelpedmetogetanunderstandingofwhataperspectiveisand
howimportanteachofthemare.
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