Cannibalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cannibalism - Essay Example Philibrick (2001) traces the history of cannibalism and relates it to how the sailors and fishermen actually used to slaughter their own mates in the face of what is called an absolute necessity. He presented a side of history of cannibalism which is based on slaughtering humans in order to fulfill the needs of other humans under extreme conditions. He justifies cannibalism mostly on the basis of the acute needs which have to be fulfilled in order to actually allow others to survive. Therefore, the sense of civility did prevail in those who actually attempted to consume the flesh of their fellow travelers. This historical account provides a different dimension of how cannibalism has been practiced out of necessity (Sandel, 2010). It is critical to understand that from a relativist approach it may be difficult to justify or even define cannibalism, as it draws the line between what an acceptable behavior actually is and what it is not. Cannibalism has colonial roots; European invaders used it as a tool to civilize those who were engaged in such horrifying practice. As such, cannibalism was also used as a reason to use violence and killing against those who were practicing it in the New World. This dimension of cannibalism can suggest some sort of historical distortion about this practice in order to validate brutal attempts of using violence against those communities which were involved in this practice (Salisbury, 2001). Cannibalism can also be an act of revenge and anger, which lead to this practice even to date; cannibalism has also been viewed from this perspective by different tribes in Amazon. Cannibalism has also a compassionate face; during funerals, it is a practice caused by compassion. This kind of argument is relatively different from that of what typical anthropological theory actually stated. Cannibalism can also be based on the overall worldviews of those who practice it; it

Legalizing the use of midicinal marijuana Essay

Legalizing the use of midicinal marijuana - Essay Example rlands, cannabis is openly tolerated and can be both purchased and consumed in one of several Amsterdam ‘coffee houses.’ Inexplicably, the city has not been thrown into anarchy which, evidently, is what the opponents of cannabis legalisation are afraid of. The evidence demonstrates that legalizing cannabis for medicinal in addition to general purposes would prove a benefit to society, evidence which is well-known throughout the scientific, political and public arena but this collective knowledge has yet to be acted upon. This discussion will examine the issue of legalisation drawing from European and American experiences. A report in The Economist expressly states concerns regarding a rising drug using and dependent population if these drugs should be made more available. While acknowledging that the price of drugs is artificially high due to the difficulties of circumventing the law, authors of this report indicate that it is precisely because of the high cost and difficulty to obtain that prevents more individuals from experimenting with them, thus becoming addicted, either physically or psychologically. Although these arguments can also be made for other substances that are currently legal, voters have argued that it is not necessary to bring in more potentially harmful substances into legal circulation at this time. To support the argument in favor of legalisation, authors pull in the theories of John Stuart Mill, who espoused that adult citizens should have the right to make their own choices regarding whether or not to participate in harmful activity as long as it does no harm to others, a theo ry that has been largely ignored in the decisions regarding alcohol and tobacco, but not cannabis. (â€Å"Case for Legalisation,† 2001) Eleven states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal use, Rhode Island the most recent joining California, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Washington and, Vermont and Maine. However, laws enacted by