Saturday, September 7, 2019
Ethical Theories Essay Example for Free
Ethical Theories Essay A virtue is a trait of a certain person that is valued as being good from a particular point of view and answers the question of what actions are moral and what are not. Also, morality is the basis of being ethically correct and good. There had been several different ethical theories that exist in the society and each having different standards or basis for morality. One of the well known theories in the contemporary time in the field is virtue ethics which is one of the 3 major normative ethics approaches.            Virtue ethics originated in the ancient Greek times that takes inspiration from the works of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle while other theories in virtue ethics also incorporate elements from the works of Hume, Plato, Aquinas and as well as Nietzsche. Basically, virtue ethics gives importance on the character of a person. Thus, it is the character of a person that is the key element and the basis of being good or morally correct rather than laws/rules or even the consequences or outcome brought about by a particular action.            According to virtue ethics, we should look at the character of a person rather than his or her duties and actions. It is how one can be better person that is given emphasis rather than the right thing to do. It is easy to live a virtuous life according to Aristotle and that the main reason for those who do so is to be happy. Thus, a virtuous life gives happiness which is the main or ultimate goal of every human being according to virtue ethics.            In order to become a better person, virtue ethics suggest that one must practice virtuous acts on a regular basis. These acts will eventually become habitual and thus, making the habit of doing such acts as a natural day to day activity which in the long run, will make the person a better being. Thus, the ultimate aim of the particular person is to make people happy. Virtue ethics suggests that a person living a virtuous life will eventually do virtuous things not only to be happy but as well as to make people happy which in turn will be their main objective and goal in life of a virtues person.            Virtue ethics also assumes that all humans have capacities that are inherited and that, as stated earlier, actions that could improve these capacities are considered as ethical and those that hinder the improvement of these capacities are not, that is, if an action is able to develop the potential of the particular person, it is the morally right thing to do and otherwise, morally wrong. These, inherited potentials, according to ethical theories are wisdom and intelligence and so, in order to live a virtues life, we must be able to develop our wisdom and intelligence. Thus, rather than trying to define goodness or righteousness, improving one’s character is given the importance and is the basis of ethically good actions and is virtue ethics’ central theme.             By giving emphasis on the person’s being rather than actions, virtue ethics aims to achieve something that is genuinely wanted by the person rather than focusing on the incoherent ideas about the after-life which are found to be arguable. It is said that virtue ethics is applicable to all, can easily be understood and fits into both dos and don’ts of philosophies and as well as religion. Therefore, it is like a combination of both religion and philosophy.            Every ethical theory suggests standards of morality and according to virtue ethics, right actions are the results of being a moral person. It is by becoming a moral person that we will eventually know what actions are righteous from what are wrong and thus, we flourished as human beings. Virtue ethics also suggests that virtue is an important and admirable human characteristic just as courage and kindness. Virtue ethics also suggests that a good society is a result and accomplishments of virtuous people in that particular community. Thus, it can be said the virtue ethics is far more different than other ethical theories present such as Consequentialism that focuses on the results of a certain actions or Deontology that focuses on certain rules and duties of every individual as set by the society. Consequentialism would ask what actions will bring the most benefit and the least harm to the persons that are involved and will be affected by the action. On the other hand, Deontology will ask what actions are approved by the society and that are accordance to the moral rules or laws as dictated by the society or culture. Still, as mentioned earlier, virtue ethics does not focus on the action itself or on the result of that action or even in the set of rules that are present in the society but rather, on the character of the person involved in making the decision. By evaluating the points of these ethical theories, it can be said that all have their own strength and as well as weak points when it comes to decision making and one cannot be considered as superior to the other. Still, taking either side will also be dependent on the points of view of the person making the decision.            One problem with virtue ethics is that it is mostly not applicable or of little help to persons who are facing dilemma. The same thing also goes for Consequentialism and Deontology.  If for example, you can save a friend by lying to a certain person or group, would lying be the action by a virtuous man or is it considered as a simple lie that a virtuous man should avoid? In this case, it can be said that virtue ethics cannot be applied and does not help the person in making a decision.            Another problem faced by virtue ethics is that it cannot justify a certain problem for doing so would require a basis of what is moral. In this case, the decision on which virtues are considered morally correct and which are not are has to be made which is definitely a hard thing to do. Thus justifying certain actions based on what virtues are moral and what are not are still a big question.            On the other hand, it can also be said that the one of the distinct strength of virtue ethics is that it gives emphasis on the connection between our characters and our acts. It also views our character as whole and unified rather than treating each as isolated when it comes to making ethical decisions. Thus, a person’s virtue is considered as a totality and not as fragment of different aspects and that one character/trait is not isolated from the other. Thus, virtue ethics looks at the individual, something that most ethical theories fail to do.            There is no absolute theory that exists in which all will agree that it is definitely the right standard of living a virtuous life. Thus, every theory has its own critique and opponents. This is because of the difference in the experiences, knowledge and points of view of every individual, being unique in different ways. Thus, an ultimate theory can never really exist. The actions that must be taken by every individual defends on both his or her experiences and values together with the situation at hand and no theory will be able to solely suggest what ought to be and not be done. Therefore, decision making is not just a matter of theories and principles but of experiences, knowledge of the situation and of the people involved and the complete being of a person making the decision. Reference Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2000). Virtue Ethics. Retrieved April 28, 2008            from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/#3
Friday, September 6, 2019
Hunting Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Example for Free
Hunting Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Hunting should not be outlawed. It is still a source of food for people who still live off the land . Hunting can be a very effective method of population control. Hunting is a sport of tradition it offers recreation from everyday life. Hunting animals for food is better for people because it does not have all the hormones that farm raised animals have. There aren’t very many diseases that affect humans in wild animals. Majority of the animals that have seasons are edible. Hunting is a very effective method of population control. If too many animals of one species or several related species live in one area they could possible wipe out there entire food source or sources. Then many of them would starve to death which unknown to the tree huggers that want to stop this is a very painful death, being shot is a very quick painless death. Hunting can save an ecosystem and entire species, by killing some of the animals in the ecosystem you can save the food source for the animals still left living. Hunting is a tradition in most of the world. People have been hunting for tens of thousands of years. Many people still use hunting as their many food source throughout the world. It is also a recreational activity. Tradition’s should not be outlawed. Hunting can help save the environment in which they live in by population control. It is a source of food. It’s an activity that people have been using to get away from society as we know it for several years. In conclusion Hunting should not be outlawed.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Morals and Intelligence :: essays research papers fc
MORALS AND INTELLIGENCE The United States must maintain the highest standard of morals during intelligence missions. There are many ways that information from intelligence missions can be compromised, and far to many ways that the members of the mission teams can be exploited. Due to the risk of allowing one’s self or the mission to be compromised, a high moral professional and personal standard should be ever present when accomplishing intelligence missions. The first issue dealing with morals and intelligence is finding the right person(s) to conduct a mission. There must be a level of unquestionable integrity present if a person is to successfully complete missions without jeopardizing the information collected. The Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) has made a practice of finding and exploiting personnel that work around classified information as well as those in the position to observe the behavior of said personnel (Thomas 33). Intelligence agencies around the world look for behavioral patterns in an individual’s character. For instance, if a person drinks too much, desires expensive things, or is a sexual deviant there is a possibility that, with the proper motivation, the information they have been entrusted with could be revealed. Another problem when dealing with intelligence operations is that during an operation the agent is not allowed to collect, analyze, or disseminate any information that may be incidentally collected on a United States citizen. When the United States Marine Corps collects intelligence for operations on military bases with aerial photography, there must be expressed written permission by neighboring communities that may be photographed in conjunction with the collection methods (OpsO VMU-1). There are times when intelligence is collected while in training areas that bordering communities may be depicted as well. These individual families or businesses must each approve of being possibly viewed during surveillance, as long as they are not the actual target of the intelligence gathering operation. The same rules of engagement apply while in combat situations. The morality of secret operations has been questioned since intelligence first began. The President of the United States must decide at the highest level which secret operations should be conducted and which are not ethical. The problem that has happened in the past is that the President has looked at the Director of Central Intelligence as his â€Å"personal advisor†when it comes to advising on intelligence affairs (Johnson 292). President Kennedy looked to his brother Bobby when making decisions of national security, and President Reagan set up his personal friend, Walter Clark, as his National Security Advisor.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
THE ART OF DELEGATION Essay -- essays research papers
There is a limit to the amount of work that you can do on your own. There is only so much value that you can deliver to your company or organization without the help of other people. If you are successful in your career, at some stage the demands on you will become greater than you are able to cope with on your own. When this happens, you are forced to rely on the help of others, you are forced to delegate. Delegation is a process by which a manager examines the various responsibilities and tasks at hand, and rather than assuming and completing those tasks and responsibilities on his or her own, that manager decides to assign the work to other employees. Effective managers must be willing to entrust a task, power or responsibility to another person. Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as having said, "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." Delegation is a skill that incorporates analysis, planning, awareness and self-confidence. It requires a manager that is able to incorporate the four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Planning involves formulating a systematic process for delegating tasks to other employees. Organizing involves arranging the resources your employees may need in order to accomplish the delegated task. Leading involves the guiding, leading, and overseeing of employees in order to achieve the task. Controlling involves verifying that the employee’s performance matches the action plan. Delegation involves passing responsibility for completion of work to other people. The ideal position to reach as a manager is one where your staff carries out all the routine activities of your organization. This leaves time for planning, thinking, and improving the efficiency of what you are doing as a manager. Ultimately, delegation involves getting the help you need, when you need it by the staff member most qualified to assist with the task at hand. In the Arkansas Governor’s office, where I currently work, delegation is a colossal part of each work day. The Governor cannot possibly address all the problems and issues relating to the state of Arkansas personally; therefore, he has a chief of staff who is responsible for the proper delegation of tasks to other staff members. The chief ... ...gradually. Each task delegated should have enough complexity to stretch that member of staff - but only a little. When you delegate a job, it does not have to be done as well as you could do it (given time), but only as well as necessary: never judge the outcome by what you expect you would do (it is difficult to be objective about that), but rather by fitness for purpose. You want to delegate as much as possible to develop your staff to be as good as you are now. Tasks in which you have experience are the easiest for you to explain to others and so to train them to take over. You thus use your experience to ensure that the task is done well, rather than to actually perform the task yourself. In this way you gain time for your other duties and someone else becomes as good as your once were (increasing the strength of the group). By delegating, a manager exhibits trust in his or her employees by giving other people's ideas a chance. A subordinate's decision doesn't have to be exac tly what yours might have been. So welcome and reward ingenuity. Reference Roosevelt, Theodore. Leadership Quotes. Retrieved October 6, 2004 from http://www.pittencrieff-glen.com/leadership_quotes.htm
Monday, September 2, 2019
Racial Tensions in South Africa Essay -- Racial Relations, Racism
History of South Africa South Africa has large varieties ethnic backgrounds; unfortunately for them none of them are allowed their chance to shine because of the cloud of racism that has over shadowed their history. Like the United States, South African countries are built for the success of whites before any other ethnicity. This can be found in the countries politics and economics alike. For over 300 years this racism has occurred. Around the 1940’s South Africans have coined a policy for this racism, â€Å"apartheid†. In English apartheid can be translated to â€Å"Apart-hood†. (2) This will be touched about in more detail later. Like the United States, South Africa has had to deal with centuries of racism, the problem being that South Africans racism doesn’t seem to be depleting as fast as other countries in the same situation. The first sign of â€Å"civilization†to take place in South Africa began in the mid 1600’s when the Dutch East India Company formed a cape colony. (3) It wasn’t long before the colonists were in need of workers to help farm their rapidly expanding settlement. So like many countries of their time, they went with the route of slavery. Naturally the best candidates for this position were natives to South Africa. Slaves weren’t a necessity, but they were very convenient for the newly settled Dutch (2). The Dutch continued to govern South Africa until the English took over in the 18th century. Fast-forward to the 20th century where racism is just as relevant as ever, and in 1910 new laws have been passed regarding segregation. These laws in 1910 â€Å"expanded racial segregation†(2). A big part of the new law was that whites were now able to seize land owned by black farmers. Also around this time the gov... ...dignity’ required adhering to a code of social and gender behavior appropriate to a ruling race. There was a moral base for antagonism towards blacks: 'It is Nature's deep-seated provision for racial integrity. It is the voice of evolutionary experience speaking within US Similarly, John L. Weston of Brandfort, wrote approvingly of vigilante justice in the US South. He wrote of white Southerners he had known who were highly intelligent, respectable, sympathetic and reasonable, yet who became demented when a "Black Peril" (Plaatje, 1982) case occurred within their reach. This, he argued, was a healthy and virtuous reaction; it is the very capacity of the white man's mind for good that causes this uncontrollable indignation'. He predicted that lynch law will sooner or later be introduced here as it has been in the USA unless heroic steps are taken without much delay.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Essay on Plants on Earth
Plants and humans are perhaps the most important organisms, however, us humans, have caused the death of thousands of plants by starting fires and by cutting down trees for things such as paper and furniture. Plants make oxygen which is very important for our survival; we can't live without it. In the year 2003 alone, 774500 acres of land, that contained not only threes but animals too, were burned in California (Jane Strong, 2003). Some of this land was burned due to natural fires but some of it was probably cause by humans that weren't careful enough.These fires do only kill threes and animals sometimes even other people are harmed. People also cut down threes to make furniture and other things needed for construction. As I look around my house I can see that a lot of the things I have, are made of wood. The chair I'm sitting on, the pencils I use to write, the dining table, and even the house is made of wood. It was then that I thought about how many threes had to be cut down just to make my house. How many threes had to be cut down to make all of the houses in Arlington.People also waste a lot of paper without thinking that they are killing threes; people should recycle and think twice when they waste paper. As the number of people in the world increases, the need for wood increases too. Food companies as well as the companies who cut down threes need to look for ways to make plants grown faster in order to satisfy the need for wood. People have to grow a higher number of plants than the number they cut down. This is necessary because if they number of plants in the world is too low there would be too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; this would be harmful to us because they air would be contaminated.Many food companies use chemicals to make their plants grow faster; they also use chemicals to make their plants stronger against insects and some diseases. Some people do not want to buy these products because they think that they do not have as many nutr ients and vitamins as they would have if they would have been water with normal water. Plants have to be watered with water that has no chemicals. This is good because it ensures that the water doesn't have any chemicals that could harm the consumers and that they would be natural.These chemicals sometimes change the taste of the vegetables or fruits. Plants need water so they can grow. It's very possible that the type of water that is used to water the plant may affect the growth rate of the plants. Finding the appropriate type of water would be a great help for farmers who want their plants to grow as fast as possible. The type of water that is used to water a plant is an important factor. This may be what the companies that make vegetables and the companies that cut down threes might want to change, in order to make all of the plants grow faster.This would be a great help for them because it would give them the opportunity to produce more threes without harming the environment. F inding a way to make plants grow faster without using chemicals is something people should be concerned about, because its plants that give us the air we breathe. Plants are also a very important source of food. If the right type of water is be found the plant growth would be increased, therefore the number of plants would increase and the food as well as the wood companies wouldn't have to worry bout the number of threes.
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