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A Letter to William James (The Pragmatic Philosopher)
A Letter to William James (The Pragmatic Philosopher)
Dear Mr. James,
First of all, let me introduce myself as one of the greatest admirer of the pragmatism as an essential and important school of philosophy. I am a great supporter of this school and simultaneously a great admirer of the philosophical view that you hold. I have been truly mesmerized by the point of view that you have revealed regarding the objectivity of truth and its ever-changing nature. It has been a great opportunity for me to go through your works and understand the fact that there is no such thing called an absolute and fixed truth.
I must convey that I had been thinking of writing this letter to you just after participating in a debate session in which my opponents were holding strongly the view that William James view on truth is erroneous. I vehemently disagreed with this view because I have all the faith in your viewpoint of the transforming and dynamic nature of truth. I do agree with your claim that truth is dynamic and hence, truth cannot be static. This viewpoint of yours should not be treated as anything wrong or new because as per my knowledge the theory of impermanence of truth has been there in the Buddhist theories too. The Buddhists philosophy is based on the theory of impermanence of things and it also include the impermanence of truth. You have justifiably advocated the view under the light of modern philosophical analysis. I don’t know why the opponents of your theory are not ready to understand a simple truth that whatever is true for now can change in the future. It was with the view of refuting such opposition that in a certain debate session I argued that if it is true that this year my age is 33 then the next year the truth will change into 34. So, just like age, the perspective of truth also changes.
Moreover, it is not only in respect of the dynamic and pragmatic theory of truth that I admire and agree with you but I do revere you for your painstaking effort to make people like us understand that basic difference between truth and knowledge. Knowledge can be gained either by intuition in a directly experiential manner or through a cluster of physical or mental agents that are responsible for connecting our thought and the thing about which we are rendering the thought. And if one can understand the basic difference between the two modes of knowing then it can become easier for the person to accept the dynamic nature of truth. Anything that I hold as a truth about a thing relying on my direct experience or intuition may not be the truth for another person who has gained the knowledge of the same thing through the second mode of acquiring knowledge. So, judging from this angle too I must admit that your theory is flawless. I was really enthralled to learn more about your theory of truth and I was mesmerized to learn how truthful is the fact that all truth is useful and if a belief is not useful then such belief cannot be stated as true. We, the human beings, for different purposes and for adapting to different situations hold some beliefs to be true according to their usefulness and but if such belief in reality is useless then there is no use of considering such belief to be true. You have really explained such a complex concept in a very lucid manner and that is another reason why I got so influenced by your theory and by your approach.
I do believe that your theory is irrefutable because it is thoroughly logical. Believe me, I am not merely appeasing you but I am actually trying to convey the feelings of my heart through this letter. Being a rational human being I must admire your metaphor in which you have compared the value of true knowledge with the value of banking operations. It is through such depiction that you have rightly proved that truth must be expedient and it must have some utility, and without utility, there can be no truth. Moreover, I think that as utility changes according to time and situation, truth must have to be something which should not be dynamic. So, from this perspective too, I do admire your theory.
An eminent philosopher like you might think it unworthy to devote your valuable time in perusing my letter and that is the reason why before stopping my pen I just want to thank you for enlightening individuals like me about the true nature of truth and about the fact that in reality there is a close relation between truth and utility and that to be useful truth has to be something that is dynamic and not stagnant.
Sincerely,
(803 words)
References
Gustafson, A. (1998). A Pragmatic Response to Moore’s Critique of James. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.andygustafson.net/academic/more%20old%20papers/A%20Pragmatic%20%20response%20to%20G.E.Moore.doc
Weed, L.E. (2008). The Concept of Truth that Matters. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://williamjamesstudies.org/3.1/weed.html
Being a Defense Attorney
Being a Defense Attorney
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Tittle
Professor’s Name
Date
If I was a defense attorney
To me, being a defense attorney would be a call to be a citizen with a special responsibility to justice that will benefit the whole community. Advocating for justice goes beyond the duty of the officer of the court to respect the truth-seeking process. Many individuals in the society go through difficulties when it comes to pursuing justice, whereby some end up being convicted even though not guilty (Berryessa, 2020). Being a defense attorney, justice will be something larger and more intimate than truth. Individuals in the community will benefit from the truth being one of the ingredients of justice. I won’t sit and watch corruption taking place for the expense of the individuals in the community. Those found guilty will be sentenced, and fairness will prevail to those not guilty. I won’t encourage taking bribes and punishing the people in the community. The affirmative responsibility for me will be to advocate with courage and devotion and to render efficient, quality representation.
My initial step for the criminal defense will be to try to persuade the clients from the society not to proceed with any false testimony. This will help to bring truthfulness to all targets. As the defense attorney to the clients, I will always recognize the client’s intended course of action as dangerous. The society will depend so much on me. Under the Sixth Amendment, I will be expected to provide the criminal defendant with a rigorous defense undivided by conflicts. At the same time, in many cases, I will have to argue with prosecutors and judges in order to be of great help to the community. My responsibility as a defense attorney will be to take as my obligation the role of champion of constitutional rights. To assist all the community individuals, I will have to understand the effect of such strategies as the war on drugs has on the Bill of rights.
On the other hand, I will have the responsibility to the public interest. I must assume an activist responsibility in the education of the public. I must take part in the public debate of cases, projected statutes, and the system. The public is overloaded daily with conceptions that feed punitive rules and abuses of fundamental rights (Atherton, 2020). As a defense attorney, I ought to always remind the people of the adversarial process’s significance. The public should comprehend that defendants are authorized to the maximum excellence defense (Birckhead, 2017). There are so many going on and so many mythologies in the community that it becomes hard to take part in a meaningful argument on any one problem. Keeping the public well informed on a particular proposal will be essential.
Lastly, being a defense attorney, I will always maintain confidentiality. Most of the conversations with the clients from the community will be confidential to help gain their trust. This signifies not discussing the matter of the clients with anyone else, including the court or police, without permission. Communicating efficiently and in a timely manner will be essential. I will use my position to help the community at all times by acting with skills and diligence. The professional role will be to have a great importance to individuals, and the prosperity of their lives may depend on the exercise.
Reference
Berryessa, C. M., & Chandler, J. A. (2020) The role of the defense attorney in relation to biological interventions as rehabilitative strategies Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 59(7), 389-415.
Birckhead, T. R. (2017). The racialization of juvenile justice and the role of the defense attorney BCL Rev., 58, 379
Atherton, N. K. (2020). Through the Lens of the Defense Attorney: The Effect on Public Opinion of Shifting the Viewpoint of the Criminal Justice System from Retributivism to Rehabilitation (Doctoral dissertation).
A Letter to the Court for Deferred Adjudication
A Letter to the Court for Deferred Adjudication
16th January 2012
To the Sentencing Judge,
I am writing to you this day prior to my sentencing hearing scheduled for 30th January 2012. Desolately, I am requesting for your clemency in passing the sentencing and petitioning that your sentence be compassionate and rather than punitive. Kindly take into consideration what I am about to say, as numerous lives will be touched and influenced by your judgment. Your Honor, I do believe that it is in your knowledge that the transgression I am charged with is failure to render aid following a traffic accident. The accident took place approximately a year ago. I accidentally hit the rear end of the car and that car hit another car that was in front of it.
I am aware that, a person who disappears from the accident scene without stopping to assist anyone who may have been injured, or exchanging information with others involved in the accident, may be charged with an offense. I am aware that, the conviction in such a case may almost certainly result in the suspension of the driver’s license. I am also aware that, it may as well subject the wrongdoer to a jail time or a fine. I believe that you should know the circumstances behind my actions in regard to what transpired at the accident scene.
I hold a graduate degree in speech language pathology, and I am currently working as a speech language pathologist at a skilled nursing facility for geriatric population. At the hospital, we usually have approximately 90% inpatient, and 10% out patients. In this hospital, I have gained experience with diverse disorders including articulation, language, autism, cognition, dysphagia, and aphasia.
Allow me to say that I was extremely overwhelmed by events that had earlier transpired at the hospital. I was urgently required at the hospital in order to attend to an emergency situation. I had been informed that, one of the patients in my caseload had developed swallowing and communication difficulties following a stroke. As a first offender, I am genuinely remorseful for my actions. I kindly pled that you may understand that I had no intention to commit the offense. In regard to my current occupation, I trust that I can utilize my proficiency by involving myself in community service or any alternative sentencing. However, I am of the opinion that, an incarceration period for this kind of offense will be detrimental to the patients I devotedly serve as well as my immediate family.
For the past seven years, I have ardently provided for my family as their sole provider, which includes my aging diabetic mother and two children. My mother has several medical problems which I shoulder fervently. Regrettably, I am the only family my mother and my children have. It strikes me that, without my support, this family will suffer emotionally and financially. As a single mother, I am involved in my children’s daily lives. Therefore, my absence in their daily activities will only be a source of unimaginable pain, as well as additional emotional stress.
I kindly beseech your Honor to please, reflect on my letter as you hand down the sentence. I believe that, only you bear the ability to grant me a second opportunity to serve my family, the vulnerable geriatric population at the hospital, and our nation.
Sincerely,
Name