Week Seven

Journal



John Glenn



American Visions and Values LA-400



October 15, 2007



Week Seven

Another busy week in the program for everyone ! The larger projects are coming up and will need to get some ideas put together for the final capstone. The readings this week were interesting in that it covered a different look at what a free society looks like and what countries could say they have one.

Donald Devine's writing this week regarding " Adam Smith and the Problem of Justice in Capitalist Society" was very interesting. He was looking back at where the concept of Justice came from and other people's view on justice. They looked at how Plato and Aristotle defined justice and how they considered it as a general virtue of each person's life. They expected people to consider justice in all aspects of their life. Not just in the day to day aspect, but in their "professional" part also. I believe that Smith's concept that justice came from God, and the quote "love our neighbor as we love ourselves". I believe he is correct regarding that the original concept came from God, it has been changed in concept over the years since.

The other reading that I enjoyed and researched some more information on was the writing of David Wessel. The Legal DNA of Good Economies, was interesting looking how the laws and the government has a affect of the economies of different countries. The difference in the countries that have common law versus civil law. I had never looked at this theory before, but it was interesting comparing the contrasting examples.

I believe I will probably look at some of the material from this week to apply to my final project. It is still amazing to me the vast topics that have been covered so far in class. I think his will continue as the class goes on.