Normative and Educational Ethics :: Philosophy Morals Papers

The controversies in our time between teleological and deontological ethics which come down to the problem "from being to ought," referring to human being or nature, can be resolved only by an adequate conception of human nature. Taking up the ancient tradition (Plato, Aristotle, Stoa) again, we can re-examine the teleological conception of human nature as primarily instinctive and selfish, and say that human nature is constituted also by reason and that the instinctive nature is predisposed to be guided by reason or intellect. The constitutive order of the human soul, with the subordination of the instinct under the intellect, involves already some natural goodness, of which the intellect is aware (in the natural moral conscience) and for which the will strives (in a natural inclination). This is the basis for the "moral law" and for normative ethics. Thus, human nature is not selfish in itself. Although moral goodness as humankind’s perfection is an ideal, it has in us alrea dy imperfect natural beginnings, a "natural morality." In a certain sense, the moral ought of actions comes from one’s being, from the natural moral goodness of which the intellect is aware in itself, and from its good intentions. I. Problems of Foundation Seen historically, the foundation problems of ethical norms and normative ethics have been treated, in modern times, in two opposite directions, the empiricist and the rationalistic way. The former is characterized as the aposterioric way, taking the criterion of morality only from the result of experience — feelings of usefulness and happiness —, in contrast to the latter as aprioric, taking the criterion from a law of reason — universal human duties — foregoing to all experience. Kants’ ethics tried to superate the aposterioric ethics of the English empiricists, claiming, with the rationalists, a law of reason apriori, but in doing so he did not follow the way of pure rationalism. Rather he established his position as a combination of both directions, the empiricist and the rationalistic one. They form the so-called "material" and "formal" side of his ethics. The moral law of reason, the famous "categorical imperative", belongs to the formal side, whereas the objects of our actions are considered as "material", i.e. as objects of our sensitive desire or vital needs which can be given only in the field of sensible intuition. He denies with the empiricists any intellectual intuition and formulates the "paradox of method" (1) that no object or "good" can be the criterion a priori for morality, but only the categorical imperative, of which, if applied to actions, every object or good is a consequence.

The Prostitute In Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment, Notes from Undergr

The Prostitute In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and The Meek One The prostitute is a curious fixture of Victorian era literature. In the works of William Thackeray and Samuel Richardson it was almost clichà © for the heroine to end up in a house of prostitution and then to transcend that situation in a show of proper Victorian morals. Having seen many young women forced by extreme poverty to take up the trade of a loose woman, Fyodor Dostoevsky, a petit-bourgeois fallen on hard times himself, took a rather different approach to the whole issue; he recognized that these women were not utterly without merit as so many people of the time thought. Georg Brandes spoke accurately when he said, "Dostoevsky preaches the morality of the pariah, the morality of the slave." Dostoevsky explored these themes through prostitute characters in many of his works. The most famous of these characters are found in Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and "The Meek One." Each of these presents a unique approach to the condition of prostitutes and the problem of their redemption. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky uses the character of Sonia Marmeladov, whose first name means wisdom, not solely to illustrate God's mercy toward a fallen woman but to have her redeem both herself and Raskolnikov through God's mercy. As in the parable given by Father Zosima on his death bed in The Brothers Karamazov, Raskolnikov's initial connection to Sonia in Book I functions as his "stalk of grain" which keeps him from being completely severed from God's grace. Just as the old woman in the parable was without merit except for the fact she gave the beggar a stalk of grain, Raskolnikov lacks merit after his murderous deed exce... ...uments of grace. But most importantly, he tells us that without our own attempt to transcend our sinful nature we will fail like the Underground Man or leap to our spiritual and physical doom as the heroine of "The Meek One" did. We are all Raskolnikov, we are all Sonia. The key is to strive, strive harder and strive forever to reach the unreachable perfection lost to us and unreachable without God. Works Cited and Consulted Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Bantam, 1981. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Signet Classics, 1999. Dost. Research Station. Ed. Christiaan Stange. Vers. ? 17 July 1999 - kiosek.com/dostoevsky/quotations.html Martinsen, Deborah A., ed. Notes From Underground, The Double, and Other Stories. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics NY, 2003.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: Social Relationships :: Great Gatsby Essays

Social Relationships in The Great Gatsby    Novelists are often concerned with exploring the confusions and complexities of social relationships. In the context, confusions refer to puzzling relationships, which are confusing to comprehend. Whereas, complexities relate to complicated and intricate issues. The different social relationships discussed in F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel, THE GREAT GASTBY, are business colleagues, lovers and married partners. The characters involved in these relationships consist of, Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Myrtle and George Wilson, Jordan Baker, Mr. Wolshiem and Nick Carraway. Each character interacts with others, establishing either confusions or complexities within their social relationship.    A complex social relationship explored in this novel is between Wolshiem and Gatsby. The two are business colleagues who work together, however the nature of their business is rarely discussed. During lunch between Gatsby, Wolshiem and Nick, Wolshiem mistakes Nick's reason of invitation, which Gatsby quickly states, 'I told you we'd talk about that some other time.' (p69) This suggests to the audience that their business is not above board, as Gatsby does not wish to discuss their business dealing in front of company. Throughout the novel, their business relationship is kept very vague. On the surface it appears to be a normal business relationship, however due to the uncertainty of their dealings, it is established to the audience that there is a complex relationship existing between the two characters. Thus showing how complexities can be explores through the social relationship of business colleagues.    Another example of a social relationship explored in the novel, containing complexities, is between Wolshiem and Gatsby from Wolshiem's point of view. In the final chapter, Wolshiem sends Nick a letter in regards to Gatsby's death. He states that he is, '...tied up in... very important business... cannot get mixed up in this thing now.' (p157)    This reinforces that their relationship was strictly business and there was not a very strong friendship existing between the two characters. It appears that Wolshiem has very little respect for Gatsby, as he doesn't have the courtesy to attend his funeral. It is portrayed that all Gatsby was to Wolshiem was a business colleague, nothing more. Wolshiem doe not want to further their relationship as friends. Within the letter, Wolshiem refers to Gatsby as a 'thing.' This represents Gatsby's death as an inconvenience on Wolshiem's behalf. As Wolshiem was involved in some 'very important business,' this once again reinforces the idea that their business relationship was below board.

Race and the Community Essay

What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Information about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand and relate to others in ways that I have not in the past. By learning that there is two sides to every story and that prejudice and discrimination does not lead to any good. It hurts society and myself. It can cloud my judgment about a situation and cause me to make the wrong decision. Also the more information I learned about the hardships that many women and men faced in this country I gained more of an appreciation for the hardships that they went through. From the first immigrants coming to the United States and feeling like they needed to change their own names in order to become respected here in the United States. To the hardships that woman faced in order to get a voice in this country. Having the ability to speak for themselves and have a say in their own lives and how their own country is run. Learning all this gave me a new perspective on how discrimination and prejudice is still prevalent in our country and what I can do personally to combat it. Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? I have learned something new about my own cultural history. In taking this course I began to ask questions about my own heritage and background. When it came to the discussion of immigration during week three I began to ask questions about where I came from and my families lineage. I decided that the best person to ask would be my Grandma on my dad’s side, not only because she is the oldest in the family but also I new she had done some genealogy research in the past. I knew that the majority of my family came from England and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reside here in the United States. In talking with my Grandma I learned more information about my families past. I found out that the Moncur family line originates in France. They were French Aristocrats and fled to England during the French Revolution. Though my last name is not pronounced with a French accent, many people want to do that. Further more â€Å"mon couer† in French translates to â€Å"my heart† so essentially my last name translates to â€Å"my heart† in French. Trends in immigration will continue to shape the demographics of the United States. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? Because of trends in immigration the United States demographics will continue to change. In the year 2050 the US population will be different than what it is today. I believe we will see a rise in the Mexican American population. As more people from Mexico will immigrate to the United States to better their way of life. Also because the current generation of Mexican Americans will begin to have their own kids and a second generation of Mexican Americans will be born here in the United States. I also think there will be more of an influx of the African American population as they begin to populate more of the urban areas of the United States. As of right now the majority of African Americans seem to be heavy in the South and in city areas. As time goes on more will move to other areas of the country as more urban areas are built and established. What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? Some of the challenges that the United States faces due to the diversity of its people is finding its â€Å"one voice†. Because the United States is such a melting pot of a country there are many people with many different beliefs and cultures. Because of so much variety and diversity it may prove difficult to establish a majority, especially on hot topic issues such as religion and how it should affect government. A small example of this is going on in my own home state of Utah. Right now there are a variety of people with a variety of different religions. But the state is being run by one dominant religion though there should be a separation between church and state. The current topic in the news has to do with Utah State Legislators asking their church officials about hot topic issues. Because not everyone in the State of Utah is a Ladder Day Saint it makes if difficult to understand that one religion is deciding what I can and cannot do with my life. On a larger scale such as the country we face the same issues. As we become more diverse and have many separate voices it will be hard to find that majority and speak as one as a country. Right now we are having a hard time as it is. Politics have become a attack on each candidate and are no longer focused on what is actually best for the country. What are the benefits of such a diverse society? Some of the benefits of having such a diverse society is we do get a variety and a mix of opinions. The more people you have that come from a different background and have a different perspective on things allows for more of a stronger dialogue between people. It allows for a new input on problems that we might face as a country. It also allows for us to see our differences and what we have in common and join forces together allowing us to become stronger as a nation. In times of war we have been able to set aside our differences and band together to become victorious. An example of this was using Native American service man and their native language as code, which was never broken and was said to be the reason that we were able to win the war. We are able to see our differences and use those differences to our advantage for the greater good. How can we foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States? As a society we can foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States in a couple of ways. The first way is to ensure and instill in our societies young children that it is because of our differences we are a stronger nation. Education is key when it comes to help foster a climate of acceptance. Most prejudice starts with fear and so by teaching our young that there is nothing to fear we are able to move on and form more of a utopia society. Part of educating has to do with learning from our countries and society’s mistakes to make for a better future. An example of this is our own countries civil rights movement that went on in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It is from our mistakes in that time that we have learned that social problems such as equal rights only divides our country and makes us weaker. In what ways does the media perpetuate stereotyping and prejudice? Mass media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the United States by having unbalanced reporting. A couple examples have to do with Fox News Channel, they claim they are fair and balanced but they are far from being fair or balanced. Fox news is particularly unbalanced towards the Democratic Party and especially towards our current President Barack Obama who is African American. There have been times where he has been portrayed as a Muslim because of his heritage and therefore a terrorist. He has been portrayed â€Å"ape† like in a couple political cartoons featured on their programming. Fox news is essentially telling its viewers, who are primarily white, that a African American man is unable to run this country. Another way how the media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the United States is by reporting on certain people’s actions for shock value and commercial gain. An example of this is a Pastor is Florida who was burning the Quran. The media outlets posted this story everywhere, which infuriated the Muslim people. However by doing so a stereotype was formed that the United States is after all people of the Muslim faith. So in a way the media perpetuated a negative stereotype about their own American people. In what ways does the media help foster appreciation for diversity? There are many ways the media helps foster appreciation for diversity. The media does this by reporting on events and situations that effect minorities. There are many situations out there that are often overlooked by the media because they only affect a small amount of people. But by reporting on these diverse topics it is giving a voice to minorities and they are able to tell their story. An example of the media helping fostering an appreciation for diversity happens here in the city that I live at. There is a whole paper that is dedicated to the Hispanic population and the events that are going on in the community. By doing so the paper allows all others to see what is going on and be included in the community. How might individuals and the United States work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity? Individuals and the United States can work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity. This can be done in a couple ways. The first would be through proper education. Coming together as a society and declaring that prejudice is wrong and should not happen. Another is by not giving into the tendencies that start prejudice for example telling jokes about a particular race. How might you change your own behaviors to be more inclusive and pluralistic? I can change my own behaviors to promote a more inclusive environment that I live in. I can do this by not contributing to prejudices and racial profiling. I can also help by sticking up for others when they do not have a voice and are unable to speak up when an injustice has occurred. I can also help by supporting businesses and communities that foster the same ideals as I do.

Nectar in a Sieve Discussion Questions

Nectar in a Sieve Inner/Outer Questions Emily Murphy 1st period 8/30/11 1) What is the main character’s name in the book? A: Rukmani 2) What do you think could have happened if Ira was given the medicine the Rukmani had to bear children for her first husband? A: She would have been severely neglected and abused, for he seems to be not a trustworthy man. 3) What is the underlying theme of the importance of fertility? A: In Hindu society, fertility and the ability to take care of children decides how successful a woman will be in a marriage and whether the marriage will last. So, the central idea of fertility is nothing new to books about Hinduism. 4) Can you provide a definition of the title? A: Nectar is the drink of the gods according to the Hindus because it’s savory and sweet. But when you put it in a sieve, the sweetness is lost and it’s no longer a good drink. 5) What is the symbolic meaning for the tannery? A: The tannery is a symbol of urbanization and the outside world coming into their cultural bubble. The whole village is kind of a town luck in time. 6) Identify the problem with the caste system in the setting of the novel. A: Especially in Rukmani’s case, sometimes a girl of a middle or low caste is forced to marry below her caste simply because her family is not financially ready. 7) What evidence is there to support that Rukmani’s parents are not financially stable? A: Rukmani was the fourth daughter born to her parents, so her oldest sister had a lavish wedding lasting for days, which was very expensive. Consequentially, by the time Ruku got married, her wedding was short and plain. 8) What was the turning point in the novel? A: The turning point was definitely when Nathan and Rukmani had to leave their land because the tannery bought it. This is so because everything important to Nathan was in that land, and everything goes downhill from there. 9) What was the author’s purpose for not specifying the exact time and place? A: Markandaya prevents a lot of work and attention on the subject of location. The reader spends more time focused on the story, and the author does not have to worry about correct facts about the location and time period. 10) How are Nectar in a Sieve and Ishmael alike? A: They both point out some of the flaws in humans and their society.

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Response to Literature Essay

Society is a judgmental and rejecting place. It only allows uniform individuals to be in this society which discards anyone’s individuality and pride. In the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, Nurse Ratched alienates the patients’ individualities which only allows them to never progress in their mental health. The society rejects the people who are not normal. In this case, the people are the ones with mental disorders. Kesey’s anti-establishment point of view against society portrays that the government misuses power to manipulate society which leads to the suppression of individuality through the literary devices analogy, metaphor, and symbolism. Ken Kesey conveys his theme by vividly explaining the â€Å"pecking party†. As one of the treatments, Nurse Ratched holds group therapy for the patients. During the group therapy session, McMurphy notices that the Nurse ignites all the conflict at first so he explains, â€Å"The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin’ at it† (Kesey 57). McMurphy is trying to explain the abusiveness of Nurse Ratched’s power. This analogy supports Kesey’s message of how society rejects and leads to the suppression of individuals. Kesey uses the chickens to represent the patients and the â€Å"first peck† would represent Nurse Ratched because she manipulates an individual which causes uneasiness to the patient which will never be the cure for one who is mental to get better. After McMurphy goes on about the pecking party, he says one more thing to Harding about the pecking party, â€Å"You want to know who pecks that first peck? † (58). McMurphy’s rhetorical question signifies his opinion even more. This allows not only Harding, but the rest of the patients to see how Nurse Ratched is just another person and how they should not let her take complete control over them. Kesey furthers his analogy after the pecking party image because it reveals and justifies who really does â€Å"peck that first peck†. This relates to the theme because Nurse Ratched represents the government while the patients represent society; concluding that the government continuously pecks at the individuals who feel that they are not a part of society. Overall, the pecking party is an analogy of how society suppresses one’s individuality because to be an individual one must â€Å"get better† like the patients attempt to do; but all they are doing are taking steps back due to Nurse Ratched. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey demonstrates his use of metaphors through machinery comparisons to portray the theme of suppression of an individual. When Bromden characterizes Nurse Ratched he says, â€Å"So she really lets herself go and her painted smile twists, stretches to an open snarl, and she blows up bigger and bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load. † (5). Bromden sees Nurse Ratched as machinery and not as a human being. This supports the fact that the ward is like a factory, just waiting to make patients into â€Å"products†. Kesey uses metaphor to compare Nurse Ratched to machinery because this describes her persona perfectly. Like a machine, Nurse Ratched is very smooth and calm about things at first but like every machine there are flaws. When Nurse Ratched meets her flaws, that is when things begin to go haywire like a machine. It can either breakdown or malfunction but it is always repairable. When Bromden has the dream about Blastic, he thinks â€Å"†¦I was looking to see – just a shower of rust and ashes, and now and again a piece of wire or glass† (88). The significance of Bromden’s dream is that it represents how the ward is inhumane because â€Å"a shower of rust and ashes† fell out of Blastic’s body instead of human organs. Kesey exemplifies metaphor through Bromden’s dream by explaining how society’s standards of being â€Å"accepted† can transform one to be inhumane and to lose their individuality. Overall, these comparisons relate to the theme having the machines represent a form of government, standing in the way, or suppressing, the individual, or society. This can support the main theme that society abuses their power to manipulate and suppress the individuality of others. Fog is used by Kesey to demonstrate them and to symbolize the aloneness and individuality of a patient. Bromden describes the effects of fog when he thinks, â€Å"I don’t have to end up at that door if I stay still when the fog comes over me and just keep quiet† (132). This explains how much control Nurse Ratched had over the patients. It demonstrates how something like fog takes away their individuality be they â€Å"just keep quiet†. The fog symbolizes a safe zone and aloneness for the patients because Nurse Ratched had so much authority over the patients that it was like a crib holding them while she was out. Kesey’s theme is supported in this because society takes away individuality as well as fog does. One characteristic they both share is the way they manipulate and abuse their power. Bromden also thinks about fog when he said, â€Å"You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself† (131). Bromden describes how the patients were almost forced to be in the fog because â€Å"you could relax and lose yourself† and that the time that is all the patients really want. The fog also symbolizes a scapegoat for the patients so they don’t have to face all the challenges ahead because â€Å"you had a choice†. A simple break from everything, especially Nurse Ratched. This furthers Kesey’s message of how the fog is another form of control from Nurse Ratched, in which she abuses her power by manipulating her patients so they cannot get better. Ken Kesey uses analogy, metaphor, and symbolism to demonstrate how society uses their power to manipulate others which leads to a suppressed individual. He uses examples from the ward to compare the real outside world with a mental asylum. This world and society focus too much on how to fit in and it has become more of a moral thing to fit in than to be one’s self. Kesey blames it on the establishment that people are suppressed of their individuality, but is that really true? It has become a custom rather than a rule and that needs to change; and it starts from being a leader and an individual rather than a follower. The real story of individuals is not within the establishment, but it is within a person. To express that is to depending on the person and that is the problem in our society, no one likes to be that person to step up and be the first to go. But if someone were to do it, our society would change instantly.

Corporate Responsibility and Society Essay

While commuting home from work, you take a detour through a residential area to avoid a congested main artery. Because only a few drivers take the detour, it removes several minutes from your commuting time due to the light traffic. Is your action generalizable? I do believe that my actions would be generalizable; therefore it would not pass the generalization test. According to Hooker, the meaning of generalization test is that the reason for your action should be consistent with the assumption that if everyone who has the same reason as you would act in the same manner (Business Ethics, 2011). The detour is not an area that is not allowed to be taken; it is there for anyone to take despite of the reason for taking it. Anyone that wanted to cut down their commute time in order to pick up a child from daycare, to get to school on time, to prepare dinner, or just because they no longer wanted to sit in traffic is irrelevant to the fact that they are able to take this route. In order to further put this generalization to the test we should see if it meets and passes all four Corollaries’. Corollary one states that an action is unethical if its general adoption would undermine a practice it presupposes. So everyone is free to take this detour through a residential neighborhood. Suppose everyone decided to take this detour, it would congest this neighborhood, children that normally ride their bikes on the side of the rode or play outdoors are more apt to being either hit by a car or injured by a vehicle in some way. This may pass the corollary test but it fails the generalization test. Corollary two states one shouldn’t be a free rider on the efforts of others. This corollary really doesn’t affect this example because every driver is free to make up his or her mind whether or not to take the detour. So this would pass corollary two. Corollary three states an action is unethical if generalizing the action is inconsistent with achieving its purpose. This actions is telling me that I take the detour when is best suites me, i.e. traffic is at its heaviest and I can achieve a shorter time commute by taking the detour. This action is then generalized when everyone who takes the regular congested route takes the detour when it best suites them. Thus my action of taking the detour is generalized, it would be impossible for those who take the detour when it best suites them to achieve the purpose of the action because the new detour would become congested and we are back to where we started. This action fails corollary three and the generalization test. Last but not least Corollary four states that an action is unethical if generalizing the action is inconsistent with the possibility that everyone who performs the action achieves its purpose. If this action is true then me taking the detour is ungeneralizable because it is impossible for everyone to enjoy the same avoidance of traffic congestion by taking the same detour. After completing all four Corollary test I have come to the conclusion that my action to avoid traffic by detouring through a residential area is ungeneralizable. Although my action may have passed a corollary test or two my action ultimately did not justify the action.