Private Language in The Philosophy of Wittgenstein Essay

Private Language in The Philosophy of Wittgenstein - Essay Example In the Tractatus Wittgenstein argued that there is much deeper connection between words and the world than that the mere notion that words stand for things. Wittgenstein saw a structural similarity between language and the world, so that the structure of reality could actually be read off the structure of language. The notion of correspondence, with its attendant conception of meaning as static, was abandoned in the later philosophy. In the Preface to his Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein (1953) writes, "For since beginning to occupy myself with philosophy again, sixteen years ago, I have been forced to recognize grave mistakes in what I wrote in that first book" (p.vi). What Wittgenstein came to recognize was that it is ill conceived to think that words always have fixed meanings. Rather, meaning is dynamic in the sense that it can only be determined by the interpretation that language users give it as they use it. In section 43 of Investigations, he tells us, "For a large class of cases— though not for all—in which we employ the word meaning it can be defined thus: the meaning of a word is its use in the language." The idea of meaning as use is the principle idea advanced in the Investigations. Searle (1998) points out that whereas Wittgensteins earlier philosophy revolves around the metaphor of language as a picture, his later philosophy revolves around the metaphor of language as a tool. The difference between the two metaphors is crucial. When Wittgenstein said that words are like pictures, he was operating on the assumption that words, like pictures, represent. When Wittgenstein said that words are like tools, he was trying to stress that words, like tools, can be used in many different ways and for many different purposes. Wittgensteins contention that in most cases, the meaning of a word is its use suggests that the same word could mean different things at different times

Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example for Free

Throughout Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses a number of different items as symbols to convey the significance of certain events that take place in Janie’s, the main characters, lifespan. In this novel, Janie’s life moves in stages. With each stage comes a different item of clothing that represents another relationship and reflects Janie’s inner self during that period in time. Using an apron, a head rag, a blue satin dress, and overalls, Hurston communicates how Janie grows and evolved as a person throughout her relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and most importantly, Tea Cake. In the beginning of the novel, Janie’s marries a man by the name of Logan Killicks, a very successful farmer. During their relationship, Janie wears an apron. The apron shows that Janie is a housewife, merely taking orders and doing what she is told to do. During the course of their marriage, Janie came to realize that she â€Å"knew now that marriage did not make love† (25). Janie does not love Logan. She married him for Nanny, her grandmother, and never was able to develop the love for him, as she desired. At this point, Janie begins seeing Jody Starks, and eventually leaves Logan. Upon leaving, she â€Å"feels the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside one road and walked on† (32) as if release of being a housewife and allowing herself to move on; no strings attached. In Jane’s second marriage with Jody, Janie is forced to wear a head rag by Jody. This hides Janie’s hair. Janie’s hair is very different from other women in her community. Her hair is straight, like white women, as opposed to curly. Her hair is a symbol of her uniqueness and independence. By forcing Janie to cover her hair and wear the head rag, Jody extinguishes Janie’s independence. Jody controls Janie, insults her, and destroys her self-esteem. She conforms to his wants and demands, not even fighting back when he hits her. The head rag represents Jody’s dominance over Janie in their relationship. Ultimately, this proves that their relationship in not based on true love, and this ends in a failed relationship. After Jody dies, Janie’s meets Tea Cake, who buys her a blue satin dress. This dress is worn at their wedding and is of high significance despite the small amount of time it is worn by Janie. It is a symbol of a new start with Tea Cake. In addition, it has only been nine months since Jody’s death. At one point. Janie says to Pheoby: Ah ain’t grievin’ so why do Ah hafta mourn? Tea Cake love me in blue, so Ah wears it. Jody ain’t never in his life picked out no color for me. De world picked out black and white for mournin’, Joe didn’t. So Ah wasn’t wearin’ it for him. Ah was wearin’ it for de rest of y’all (113). This shows that Janie is sad about his death since she is not mourning, as the community believes she should do. Janie did not truly love Jody, however, she does love Tea Cake greatly and is â€Å"always in blue because Tea Cake told her to wear it†(110). Later in their marriage, Janie switched her attire to overalls. These overalls are nothing fancy and are worn for her work in the fields with Tea Cake. For this reason, they are proven to be a symbol of equality and true love. Neither Tea Cake nor Janie are of higher stature than one another as the men were in Janie’s past relationships. â€Å"What if Eatonville could see her in now in her blue denim overalls and heavy shoes?† (134) is a thought that Janie simply laughs at. Janie’s love is proven in her ability to become Tea Cake’s equal despite what the people of the town say about how he is poor. Janie continues to wear the overalls after Tea Cakes death, when she returns to Eatonville. She doesn’t dress up to mourn. Janie â€Å"went on in her overalls. She was too busy feeling grief to dress like grief† (189). This further proves Janie’s feelings for Tea Cake more than anything. With Jody, Janie mourned his death and didn’t care for him, showing that mourning doesn’t mean she was sad. In this situation, Janie does not follow what is considered the right thing to do. She knows how sad she feels about Tea Cake and that is the only thing that matters to her at this point in time. The use of clothing as symbols is a dominant element of Hurston’s writing in Their Eyes Were Watching God. It successfully conveys Janie’s emotions and thoughts throughout her life. The symbolism of clothing shows how she evolved from following what is considered â€Å"right† and becoming what she wants; someone who experienced true love. Janie wore an apron for Nanny’s dream, a head rag to satisfy Jody’s need for dominance, and a blue satin dress and overalls for true love and equality with Tea Cake. Works Cited Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.

F. Scott Fitzgerald: Living the American Dream Essay -- American Dream

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of America’s most famous authors whose works were greatly influenced by his life and his economic crises. Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was named after his second cousin three times removed on his fathers side: Francis Scott Key, the man who wrote the â€Å"Star- Spangled Banner†. (Bio.com) Mary â€Å"Mollie† McQuillan, Fitzgerald’s mother, was an Irish immigrant with a large inheritance. Then, his father was Edward Fitzgerald, who was a failed wicker, but later was a salesman for Procter and Gamble. (Shmoop Editorial Team) Due to his father’s failure they moved back and forth, for the first decade of his life, between Buffalo and Syracuse in upstate N.Y. His dad lost his job as a salesman when F. Scott Fitzgerald was 12 and they moved back to St. Paul living on the mothers inheritance. When F. Scott Fitzgerald was 13 when he published his first piece of writing for his school’s newspaper in 1909.(Bio.com) After Fitzgerald’s formal education he went on to Princeton University, where he wrote for Princeton Tiger and the Triangle Club.(Shmoop Editorial Team) But, he was put on academic probation for his bad grades, so he dropped out and joined the army.(Bio.com) And even in the army Fitzgerald wrote, he began a novel titled The Romantic Egoist in 1917. Unfortunately, when he sent it to his editor/publisher, Scribners, it was rejected, but Scribners encouraged him to revise it. Then, in 1918 he meets his future wife, Zelda Sayre, in Alabama while he was commissioned there.(Shmoop Editorial Team) This new beauty Fitzgerald found in Alabama is an artist, dancer, and also a writer. Although Zelda liked Fitzgerald she broke off their engagement, a year after they me... ...24 Feb. 2014. . "F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . "F. Scott Fitzgerald." PBS. PBS, Mar. 2007. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. "F. Scott Fitzgerald Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. . "The Great Gatsby: Reviews and Ratings." IMDb. IMDb.com, 10 May 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. . Shmoop Editorial Team. "F. Scott Fitzgerald Timeline of Important Dates." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. .

Alcohol Use during Pregnancy Linked to Hyperactivity in Children

Most women understand that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. Multiple studies indicate women who drink three or more glasses of alcohol at any one occasion in early pregnancy increase the child’s risk of developing alcohol disorders by 21 years of age (JAMA and Archives Journal, 2006; British Medical Journal, 2005) and is also linked to higher incidents of hyperactivity I children (British Medical Journal, 2005).Conversely, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reveals that â€Å"data on the relationship between FAS and hyperactivity are inconsistent† (Jacobson & Jacobson, 2003).Studies conducted by the NIAAA, indicate hyperactivity of clinic–referred patients â€Å"may have been caused by social and environmental factors, such as co–occurring attachment disorders, anxiety, and post–traumatic stress disorder† (2003, Hyperactivity and Attention, para 3).Fetal Alcohol Syndrom e (FAS) was first identified in 1973 has reached new levels in terms of research and relevance to other birth defects (Locke-Wellman et al, 2000), including the hypothesis that â€Å"alcohol consumption in doses not generally associated with alcohol problems can produce a variety of neurocognitive deficits in the absence of effects on growth and morphology† and â€Å"appear to have a continuum of neurobehavioral morphological and developmental effects† (e.g. hyperactivity), (Locke-Wellman et al.,2000,p. 661).Understanding HyperactivityThe National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) defines hyperactivity –as applies to this report- as Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is a neurobehavioral disorder affecting 3-5 percent of all American children (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Association, 2007). ADHD interferes with an individual’s ability to focus (stay on a task) and to exercise age-appropriate inhibition (cognitive alone or both cognitive and behavioral) (NINDS, 2007).Warning signs include what may appear as ignoring verbal instructions, lack of organization (personal and school work), fidgetiness, excessive talking, inability to finish chores and homework, and problems paying attention to and responding to details (NINDS, 2007;Attention Deficit Disorder Association, n.d.). While hyperactivity at any level is most common in the younger years up to the early teens, there are many whose condition continued into the adult years (Ibid).Research Supports Alcohol’s Link to HyperactivityMore than 20 years ago, studies first revealed alcohol use during pregnancy as a valid link to hyperactivity. In effect, children who were administered the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children (KSADS) who showed signs of hyperactivity were born to mothers who admit to drinking during pregnancy (Coles et al., 1997; Chambers et al., 1985).In 1989, Archer et al. i ndicated a need to study specific factors (e.g. dietary sensitivities and fetal alcohol damage) that may be important for subgroups of hyperactive children. However, the authors add that this findings are â€Å"unlikely to account for the syndrome as a whole† (Archer et al.,1989, p. 18).When covering substance use and abuse, Archer et al. (1986, 1989) reported on an earlier study by Weiss et al (1979), explaining that follow-up findings on substance use and abuse (both alcohol and other compounds) have not been consistent, of which Jacobson’s theory (2003) supports citing that potential reasons for these inconsistencies includes differences in geographic study locations, the birth years of subjects, attrition rates, data collection procedures, definitions of use and abuse, and varying degrees of co-morbidity (e.g., ADHD symptoms and conduct problems) across studies (Archer et al, 1986, 1989).Conduct problems in the early adolescence of hyperactive children have been co nsistent in most studies, of which Weiss et al (1979) reported that â€Å"at [the] follow-up mean age 13 years, 25 percent of formerly hyperactive subjects showed a history of antisocial behavior, 16 percent were referred to juvenile court, and 3 percent (2 of 64 subjects) were placed in a reform school†¦teachers reported that hyperactives exhibited more conduct problems than controls† (p. 1350).Ackerman et al (1986) acknowledges the findings of Weiss et al. (1979) citing that when comparing hyperactive, hypoactive, and normoactive learning-disabled boys and controls in a 4-year follow-up (mean age 14 years) the results indicated a three to sixteen fold increase in comparatively serious behavioral problems (e.g. breaking and entering, aggressive acts in school, and serious incorrigibility) in the hyperactive group (Ackerman et al., 1986; Weiss et al, 1986).However, all studies reveal that the outcome in late adolescence and young adulthood is less clear.

American Political System

The American political system is presidential type of system where the president is the head of state and head of government. There is the state government and the federal government; these two shares the sovereignty with the Supreme Court balancing their powers. The American system also has the two-party legislative and electoral system. The American political system is made up of three main branches which are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The executive branch is headed by the president and is independent of the legislature.The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces and exercise overall authority in the management of national affairs of the United States. The ideology of the incumbent President and the President's advisers largely determines the government's attitude in foreign affairs. The legislative power is vested in the two chambers of congress which is the senate and the House of Representatives while the judiciary comprises of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. The function of the judiciary is to interpret the United States Constitution and the federal laws and regulations.These include resolving disputes between the executive branch and the legislative branch. The American political system has always been dominated by two political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party since the time of the American civil war. Other parties have existed but they have not been as dominant as these two. It is a usual view that the American political system is weak and disjointed. It is also a usual opinion that this was by deliberate design for the American founding fathers believed in limited government, and designed a system to ensure it.In a number of ways, it is certainly true that the American system is fragmented, if not necessarily weak. Many governmental functions that are performed by the national government as a matter of course in most countries are in the United States relegated to the states. In turn the states pass many of these functions on to local government. The standard form of identification carried by most people is a state driver's license, not a national identification card. Local police perform most law enforcement. They are not directly answerable, in a day-to-day administrative sense, to the national government or even the state government.Local government officials register marriages, property transactions, and much of the other fundamental administration of society. Basically the political system is made up of the federal government the state government and the local government; these include the state, the local, the county, and the town and village governments. (Bruce, 1997) Federal, state and local governments The federal entity created by the Constitution is the dominant feature of the American governmental system. Every person outside the capital is subject to at least three governing bodies: the federal government, a state and units of local governm ent.The local government includes counties, municipalities, and special districts. The federal government was created by the states, which as colonies were established separately and governed themselves independently of the others. Units of local government were created by the colonies to efficiently carry out various state functions. As the country expanded, it admitted new states modeled on the existing ones. State government States governments have the power to make law on all subjects that are not granted to the national government or denied to the states in the U.S. Constitution. These include education, family law, contract law, and most crimes. Unlike the national government, which only has those powers granted to it in the Constitution, a state government has intrinsic powers allowing it to act unless limited by a provision of the state or national constitution. Like the national government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The chi ef executive of a state is its popularly elected governor, who holds office for a four-year term (although in a few states the term is two years).Apart from for Nebraska, which has one-chamber legislature (known as a unicameral legislature), all states have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually called the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives, the House of Delegates or Assembly. In most states, senators serve four-year terms, and members of the lower house serve two-year terms. The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government.State constitutions are generally more detailed. (Bruce, 1997) Local government There are 87,000 local governments, including 3,034 counties, 19,498 municipalities, 16,500 townships, 13,500 school districts, and 35,000 other special districts which deal with issues like fire protection. To a greater extent than on the federal or state level, the local governments directly serve the needs of the people, providing everything from police and fire protection to sanitary codes, health regulations, education, public transportation, and housing. Nearly 30% of the people live in cities of 100,000 or more population.City governments are chartered by states, and their charters feature the objectives and powers of the municipal government. For most big cities, cooperation with both state and federal organizations is essential to meeting the needs of their residents. Types of city governments vary widely across the nation. However, almost all have some kind of central council, elected by the voters, and an executive officer, assisted by various departmental heads, to manage the city's affairs. There are three general types of city government: the mayor-council, the commission, and the council-manager.These are the pure forms; most c ities have developed a combination of two or three of them. (Bruce, 1997) Mayor- Council. This is the oldest form of city government in the United States and, until the beginning of the 20th century, was used by nearly all American cities. Its structure is similar to that of the state and national governments, with an elected mayor as chief of the executive branch and an elected council that represents the various neighborhoods forming the legislative branch. The mayor appoints heads of city departments and other officials with the approval of the council.He or she has the power of veto over the laws of the city and regularly is in charge of preparing the city's budget. The council passes city by laws that sets the tax rate on property, and apportions money among the various city departments for various developments that have been ratified by the council. Cities have grown and council seats have more often than not come to represent more than a single neighborhood. The Commission: T his combines both the legislative and executive functions in one group of officials, usually three and more in number, elected all around the city. Each official supervises the work of one or more city departments.One of the officials is named chairperson of the body and is often called the mayor, although his or her power is equivalent to that of the other commissioners. Council- Manager: The city manager is an answer to the increasing difficulty of metropolitan problems, which require management expertise not often possessed by elected public officials. The answer has been to entrust most of the executive powers, including law enforcement and provision of services, to a highly trained and experienced professional city manager. The person usually holding this office is a government employee sent to the council or city by the federal government.The city manager plan has been adopted by a large number of cities. Under this plan, a small, elected council makes the city laws and regula tions and sets policy, but hires a paid administrator, also called a city manager, to carry out its decisions. The manager draws up the city budget and supervises most of the departments. Usually, there is no set term; the manager serves as long as the council is satisfied with his or her work(Bruce, 1997) County government The county is a subdivision of the state, sometimes containing two or more townships and several villages.New York City is so large that it is divided into five separate sections, each a county in its own right In most U. S. counties, one town or city is designated as the county seat, and this is where the government offices are situated and where the board of commissioners or supervisors meets. The board collects taxes for state and local governments; borrows and appropriates money; fixes the salaries of county employees; supervises elections; builds and maintains highways and bridges; and administers national, state, and county welfare programs Town and village governmentThousands of municipal jurisdictions are too small to qualify as city governments. These are chartered as towns and villages and deal with such strictly local needs as paving and lighting the streets; ensuring a water supply; providing police and fire protection; waste management; and, in cooperation with the state and county, directly administering the local school system. The government is usually entrusted to an elected board or council, which may be known by a variety of names: town or village council, board of supervisors, board of commissioners.The board may have a chairperson or president who functions as chief executive officer, or there may be an elected mayor. Governmental employees may include a clerk, treasurer, police and fire officers, and health and welfare officers. One distinctive characteristic of local government is the town meeting. Once a year the registered voters of a town meet in open session to elect officers, debate local issues, and pass laws fo r operating the government. As a body, they decide on road construction and repair, construction of public buildings and facilities, tax rates, and the town budget.The town meeting, which has existed for more than three centuries in some places, is often cited as the purest form of direct democracy. (Bruce, 1997) Voting in America is by adult Suffrage which is nearly universal for citizens who are18 years of age and older. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, contribute to the electoral vote for President. However, the District, and other U. S. holdings like Guam do not have states' representation in Congress. They do not have the right to choose any political representative outside their respective areas.Each commonwealth, territory, or district can only elect a non-voting delegate to serve in the House of Representatives. Voting rights are sometimes restricted as a result of felony conviction, but such laws vary widely by state. Election of the president is an indir ect suffrage: Voters vote for electors to vote for President. The voters who elect a president are usually called the Electoral College. A candidate may have the majority of votes but looses in the Electoral College, this candidate is deemed to have lost the elections to the candidate who wins more votes in the Electoral College.Finance In order to participate in winning elections, especially in Federal elections it requires large amounts of money. The money is usually used for television advertising. This money is always very hard to raise. Candidates raise their money by appealing to a mass base. Both the two major parties normally depend on wealthy donors and organizations. Traditionally the Democrats depend on contributions from organized labor while the Republicans rely on business donations. Democrats' business donations have surpassed those from labor organizations.This dependency on donors is contentious, and has led to laws limiting spending on political campaigns being ena cted. Opponents of campaign finance laws challenge campaign finance laws on the grounds that they attempt to evade the people's constitutionally-guaranteed rights. Even when laws are upheld, the complication of compliance with these laws requires careful and cautious drafting of legislation, leading to laws that are still fairly limited in scope. (Bruce, 1997) Voting There is the primary election.This is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for an ensuing election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election. â€Å"Primaries† are widespread in the United States where their beginning is traced to the progressive movement. The primary elections are conducted by the government on behalf of the parties. Elsewhere in the world, the nomination of candidates is usually the responsibility of the political party organizations themselves and does not involve the general public.Besides prim aries, other ways that parties may choose candidates include caucuses; conventions and nomination meetings. There are several types of primaries. These include the open, semi open, closed semi closed. There is also the blanket type. In the closed type voters vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. In Semi-closed, as in closed primaries, registered party members can vote only in their own party's primary. Semi-closed systems, however, allow unaffiliated voters to participate as well.Depending on the state, independents either make their choice of party primary privately, inside the voting booth, or publicly, by registering with any party on Election Day. In an open style a registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary, it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she wishes to vote in on Election Day. Because of the open nature of this system, a practice known as â€Å"raiding† may occur.â€Å"Raiding† consists of voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party, effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate. The theory is that opposing party members vote for the weakest candidate of the opposite party in order to give their own party the advantage in the general election. In a Semi-open style each voter may vote in any single primary, but must publicly declare which primary she will vote in before entering the voting booth. Typically this declaration is accomplished by requesting a ballot.In many states with semi-open primaries, election officials record each voter's choice of party and provide the parties access to this information. In the blanket type the voters are allowed to vote for one candidate per office, regardless of party affiliation. The current Presidential primary election schedule is that it gives undue weight to the few states with early primaries, as those states often build momentum for leading candidates and rule out trailing candidates long before the rest of the country has even had a chance to weigh in, leaving the last states with virtually no actual input on the process.The counterargument to this criticism, however, is that, by subjecting candidates to the scrutiny of a few early states, the parties can â€Å"weed out† candidates who are unfit for office. (Bruce, 1997) Reference Bruce, E. J. (1997): Native American Political Systems and the Evolution of Democracy: Greenwood Press; Westport,

Cathy William essays

Cathy William essays In preparation for a research paper on Cathy Williams the first female Buffalo Soldier, a book was from the library; Cathy Williams from Slave Girl to Female Buffalo Soldier by Phillip Thomas Tucker. Articles about Cathy were read and printed out from the internet. The book, Cathy Williams from Slave Girl to Female Buffalo Soldier, was very insightful, and a lot of information was obtained. The articles helped to fill in some of the gaps in Cathys life that the book left out. For instance, the book gave the month but not actual dates that Cathy was sent to duty stations or infirmaries. That information was obtained from the articles found online. Cathy Williams First Female Buffalo Soldier Cathy Williams was born into slavery in September of 1844. Her mother was Martha Williams. Her father is unknown, although he could have been a freedman. Marriage between her parents would have been illegal, if this were the case because of their different social statuses. She was born in or around Independence, Missouri, on a plantation owned by William Johnson. Mr. Johnson, his family, and servants, including Cathy, would move to Jefferson City, Missouri, around 1850. This is where she would grow up. Cathy was considered a house girl. As a household servant, she was in the highest status in slave society. Some of her chores could have been; to set tables, draw bath water, cooking, cleaning, and assisting Mrs. Johnson. Mr. Johnson died just before the start of the Civil War. She stayed with his family even after his death. Rebel soldiers would take over Jefferson City, only to be defeated by the Union soldiers. The Union soldiers then freed the slaves of Jefferson City, including Cathy. The 8th Indiana Regiment would take Cathy and other freed slaves as "contraband." On August 6, 1861, fugitive slaves were declared to be contraband of war if their labor had b...

Union vs. Nation essays

Union vs. Nation essays There are many controveries inbetween weter or not the united states was was to be considerd a nation or a union. the whole union nation debate came into play during the time right befor the civil war the noth and south were having problems on agreeing with everything so eventualy the south decided to sessede from the union. Which the noth found to be unconstitutional and illigale. the southenres were outraged at the alligatoins coming from the noth and still felt they had every right to leave the union. The northerners were still very upset over the whole thing and were astoished that the south would illigaly leave the union. Which i find funny considering during the revolutionary war it was illigale for them to do exactly what the south is doing. The shouth stood by there deffence that the departure from the union was NOT illigale considering that there were no laws prohibiting them form leaving. Because they belived themsevels to be a UNION nothing more they felt that it was not there obligation to take part in the norths and Abrahm Lincons dreams for an American exceptionalism nation. As where the noth felt they clearly stated that that was the goal from the begining of tier forfathers and the documents they wrote such as the Articels of Confederation and the constitution. Thats what i fell was the whole problem with this debate. The erly government documents were too vauge and gave soo much power to the states which is why i fell, while the union should have stuck it out and stived for the greatness the northeners were thinking about, also had no comitment at all to the othe states in the union. I fell that if the articales of confederation would have more clearly stresed nation insted of union as it dose then the norths point would hold some granger but seeing that allt it talks about is union this state that the south souldnt have been ridiculed and charged with braking a law Another document that states nothing about ...