...Kantian Morals, Utilitarianism, and Basic Human Rights As we continue to study the origin of moral theory, we come across two very influential philosophers; Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Both have very opposing ideologies concerning morality and basic human rights, but they have certainly contributed much to the way we work as a society today. In this paper, we will look at both theories more in depth. First we will look at Kant. According to Kantian Ethics, what gives an action it’s moral value is the agent’s respect for moral duty; In other words, the agent must be completely selfless in his action in order for it to be considered moral. Consequences do not matter, the “good will” of a person is the only thing with intrinsic value. A person must act out of only intention to do good; not for personal gain, but because they know it is the right thing to do.(Kant Slides). This theory is impartial to all, there are no exceptions. In order to establish whether an action is moral, the act must follow two categorical imperatives (universal commands): -Categorical Imperative I states: “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become universal law...”(Kant, 414). In accordance with this imperative, you must first state your maxim (the rule which states your action) and decide whether or not the rule can become a universal law. If it can, in fact, be a universal law by which all of humanity abides, then it is a moral act. For...
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...Moral Rights and God Many people often question what particular action is morally right and what makes a morally right action morally just. The Divine Command Theory states that an action is right because God commands it, and an action is wrong because God forbids it. Following this theory, one could conclude that ethics are subjective and derive from a questionable set of groundless moral laws. If god has to power to create morality, he could have made killing morally right or morally wrong. When God commands man to perform an action, he either has a reason for commanding man to do what he wants or he does not have any reason at all for that command. If the former reason is true, then it is not the fact that God commands man to perform an action, but rather, the reason behind the command is truly what makes that action morally just. The commands, themselves, do not set a standard code for morality. They only serve to support in what God believes to be morally right. Therefore, if the former reason is true, the Divine Command Theory proves to be false. Examining the latter reasoning, if God does not have reasons for his commands, he could have woken up one day and decide to give man different commands such as stealing or killing the innocent. According to the Divine Command Theory, God’s commands are morally right, so stealing and killing would be just. However, as humans, we believe those actions are wrong and wicked. Under no circumstances would killing and stealing...
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...Kaamashri Latcha Every year, the United States studies and presents reports on hu- man rights practices in more than 190 countries around the world. In the 2010 Human Rights report, China was chastised by the U.S. for its poor human rights record. The Chinese government has been accused of imprisoning citizens for practicing their religious faith and op- pressing freedom of expression and information. The one child per family policy has been attacked continuously by the U.S. and they have also con- demned the arrest, detention and disappearance of Chinese citizens. This latest human rights report issued by the U.S. has highlighted many human rights transgressions in China. Yet the U.S. criticism on China’s human rights has been contradicted by China. As the fastest developing economy in the world, China is intent on defending its position where human rights are concerned. The two countries have had dialogues on human rights issues, the latest being held on April 27-28, 2011 in Beijing. The discourse came after prolonged foot- dragging on the part of both nations; talks were suspended for a few years. Both countries have not been able to publicly accept their human rights errors, but each has been focusing on violations committed by the other. Against the backdrop of military buildup by both countries, the con- troversy over whether the U.S. is morally justified in criticizing China’s hu- man rights can have far reaching and devastating effects for the entire world. The two “powers”...
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...history. I believe that Starbucks has a moral obligation to operate a retail store in the “Forbidden City.” The first objection from some Chinese citizens is that Starbucks is highly considered an American brand, and that American commerce is destroying Chinese culture that they claim goes back 5000 years. In some cases, people may believe that the Chinese have the cultural right to maintain their culture in places of great history, which would definitely apply to the Forbidden city Museum. This claim against Starbucks contradicts this statement somewhat since there are already thousands of stores in the museum. If the Chinese would have wanted to keep the Forbidden City sacred, you would think that they would have not allowed any stores in the area to keep it original so everyone could see the real history behind the place. Some may counter by saying that Chinese stores should only be allowed simply because it is already part of the Chinese Culture. In the case, it states that there are shops that sell American products, such as coke, cookies, and other merchandise. Wouldn’t this be considered American products and upset some Chinese citizens since it is considered American and not part of their culture? I would sure think so. Another observation I made is that Chinese culture has drastically changed over the years, and is very different from the way it was in ancient China. Many other multi-national corporations are now right in the center of China’s major cities and...
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...Helping Others Travis Heasley Ethics and Moral Reasoning: PHI 208 Craig Thompson 12/9/2013 Helping Others There are many places in the world that are not as fortunate as we are in this country and face issues that we cannot even comprehend as American citizens. “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” by Peter Singer is an article that talks about one of these issues that was affecting the East Bengal region of India in the early 1970’s. Singer was writing about how countries that have money can give relief money without affecting any projects that are of moral importance. Singer makes the point that “it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it (Sing, 1972).” Which means as I said above that if we have a road project, that if not built, would not affect any moral issue in the country. Singer says if something is morally right then as a human-being we should do what is morally right and not worry about something that is not morally important. Singer is very passionate in this article and wants help for his cause. His goal is to have countries to give relief funds to refugees of East Bengal region in India. He says in the article that “Britain has given £ 14,750,000 to the relief effort but in comparison to the £ 440,000,000 they have used to fund the Anglo-French Concorde Project, which is for supersonic transport, means they value transportation over lives...
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...We all know when we have a good supervisor, but it can be quite difficult to actually state what makes a good supervisor good. Does it have to do with their personality, their insight, intelligence, or their personal beliefs, morals and values? Is it a mix of all these things, and do certain characteristics apply more than others? The first thing we should appreciate is that there are a huge amount of traits that need to be considered. Over the duration of the paper I will be focusing on a few select traits which I believe to be the most important in regards to being a good supervisor. Firstly, a good supervisor must be a good coach. For a supervisor to be successful, it is imperative that they have the qualities that we attribute to any normal coach. This is because a coach knows how important it is to coach their team, or in this case, employees. Successful coaching means working together with your employees to create and modify action plans and objectives. Supervisors must know how to delegate tasks between individuals, and give all the support and guidance that may be needed. On the topic of individuals, a good supervisor must understand that everybody is different, and to be mindful of this fact when dealing with his or her team members. Secondly, a good supervisor must have a positive outlook and be a positive thinker. He or she will think how problems can be solved, while maintaining an air of friendliness, so that they remain approachable, and their employees aren’t...
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...a diverse moral code. The modern idea is that the individual man can change and adapt to integrate the world of today. Personally, my outlook is that morals codes are pointless if they are susceptible to adaptability. My strongest moral codes center on modesty, independence, and loyalty. The Oneida Community, founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848, taught that he and his followers had undergone sanctification and it was impossible for them to sin, because of that sanctified marriage was abolished as an expression of jealousy and exclusiveness. The Oneida commune lived together as a single large group and allowed any given male-female combination in the group to have sex. Not only does the idea of this repulse me but it is completely against everything I believe about marriage and devotion. When (and if) I get married, my morals dictate that I will remain loyal to my husband never cheating physically or emotionally. In the Islamic culture women are treated as subordinate to men in everyway. Women are only allowed to show their face and hands and their clothing must hang so loose that no shape of the body is visible. Women may also not wear clothing that is distracting or is considered bold. They are required to dress this way similar to the way that children cannot disobey the dress requirements of their parents. My morality is based on freedom and independence and I cannot see myself cooperating with this culture because it requires me to give up rights that I strongly...
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...the man who molested Johnny. Obviously, you cannot kill someone who raises both of their arms. However, morally, he did what he wanted to. Morally, he thought that he deserved to die. And finally, the most “grey” of all situations was when Lieutenant Doyle and Remmy Bressant teamed up together. Doyle kidnapped a child. It is against the law to kidnap a child. Just because morally, it may have been the best for Amanda, it does not make it legal. I think that there is a very fine line between always adhering to the rules and going with our morals. The thing is that, our moral are somewhat based on the rules set by society. We form our morals based off societal norms thus, most of the time, by adhering to your morals, you are also adhering to the laws. However, we can see that in some cases this is not true. Therefore, I believe that you should adhere to the rules. Everyone’s morals are different. So, if everyone were to follow their morals over the law, it would all become too chaotic. People would do whatever they want despite the laws. Breaking the law can be morally justified. For example, even though Lieutenant Doyle broke a law by kidnapping Amanda and keeping her away from her biological mother, morally it is somewhat justified. He did not keep amanda away to hurt her. He wanted to protect Amanda from going down the wrong road. He had good intentions so, in certain cases,...
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...2.) Liberty is defined as a contested moral and political principle that seeks to identify the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves. Liberty is interpreted by roles of individuals in society; therefore, liberty has different descriptions depending on the society you are considering. Paternalism is the complete opposite of liberty. It is defined as the fatherly way of running a government, where society has no rights or responsibilities given to them. It is a form of policy that practices authoritative and controlling ways within a government. Unfortunately, the use of non-therapeutic drugs, alcohol, guns, prostitution and pornography are very much available in our day and age. Drugs are available amongst children and within middle school. Alcohol and guns are not as accessible to get to because there are laws that make it more difficult for minors to actually get their hands on them. Pornography is becoming less accessible for minors as well throughout the internet. These things are reoccurring every day and hour of the day and making it illegal will not stop it. In fact, illegalizing the availability of these things will increase the crime rate. Minimizing the requirements to use or have access to them would be a more productive solution. For example, under the Constitution of the United States of America, citizens of this country have the right to bear arm, but this does not mean minors should have the opportunity to buy and use a gun....
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...Principles of Morale • Entomology The origin of the word morale comes from the French word "moral" which refers to good conduct. French has two different version of the word--"le moral," which relates to temperament, and "la morale," which refers to morality. The word was first used in 1831 in reference to "confidence" in military matters. • Definition of Morale Morale or esprit de corps is an intangible that refers to the ability of a group of people to maintain confidence in an institution, goal or practice. If a specific group---which can be as large as a nation or the employees of a company, to as small as a neighborhood or family---has faith it is moving in the right direction, then morale is said to be high or good. If the group begins to losing faith, that is when morale becomes low or bad. Morale is not related to "morality" or knowing the difference between right and wrong. Morale is the spirit of active devotion to the persons working together for a common purpose. It is also called (Esprit de corps). It refers to sense of belonging. This fosters the team spirit, i.e. the spirit of working together to achieve objectives effectively. It is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower, obedience, and self-discipline of a group tasked with performing duties assigned by...
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...If Anthony chose the individualism approach he would likely do what he thought was in his personal best interests. Anthony’s internal morals and values would determine his decision in this approach. I cannot say what the result would be as the article did not give a clear indication of Anthony’s personal morals or values. When Determining what his obligation are to his subordinate, Kevin Pfeiffer, what decision would Antonio Melendez most likely reach if he employed the individualism approach? Q2: Put yourself in Antonio’s position and decide realistically what you would do. Is your response at a preconventional, conventional, or postconventional level of moral development? How do you feel about your response? A: I would NOT likely choose a preconventional response. I would also NOT likely choose the conventional response. I am VERY postconventional in my actions and reactions in almost every situation. I have definitely suffered some consequences for it, however they have obviously not been significant enough to change my ways. Q3: If Antonio or Kevin were fired because they reported Empress’s fraud, would they be justified in removing all traces of their employment at the cruise line from their resumes so they don’t have to explain to a prospective employer why they were fired? Why or why not? A: No, there is always a way to paint the picture in a beneficial light whether you chose the ethical or immoral response. Ultimately...
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..." TER 1 Wat Is Morality. I \\·e are discussing nd-sm~ll matter, but how we ought to live. SOCRATES, AS REPORTED BY PLATO IN THE REPUBliC (CA. 390 B.C.) 1.1. The Problem of Definition Moral philosophy is the attempt to achieve a systematic under standing of the nature of morality and what it requires of us in Socrates's words, of "how we ought to live,r and why. :It would be helpful, therefore, if we could begin with a simple, uncon !roversial defiuition of what lIJ,Qrality is. But that tums out to be impossible. There are many rival theories, each expounding a different conception of what it means to live morally, and any definition that goes beyoud Socrates's simple formulation is bound to offend one or another of them. This should make us cautious, but it need not paralyze us. In this chapter I will describe what I call the "minimum con ception" of morality. As the name suggests, the minimum con ception is a core that every moral theory should accept, at least as a starting point. We will begin by examining some recent moral controversies. The features of the minimum conception will emerge from our consideration of these examples. 1.2. An Infant with No Prospects: Baby Theresa Theresa Ann Campo Pearson, an anencephalic infant known to the public as "Baby Theresa," was bom in Florida in 1992. Anen cephaly is amoll'g the worst cong~nital disorders. Anencephalic infants are sometimes referred to as "babies without brains," and . dlls gives...
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...moral (n.) morale (n.) morals (n.): principles for what’s right and wrong | Children should be taught morals in school. | moral (adj.): someone or something with morals | A moral person has morals. | moral (n.): a lesson taught by a story | The moral of the story is that you shouldn’t lie. | morale (n.): the spirit/attitude of a group; the spirit/attitude of an individual in the group; the spirit/attutide of an individual toward an activity | Morale rose / soared.Morale fell / declined / collapsed / plunged. | Ch. 4 agenda (n.) | a list of things to do1. the agenda for a meeting2. a political agenda3. a daily planner | itemon | Do you have any items that you’d like to put on the agenda for Friday’s meeting?When Obama was first elected, the first item on his agenda was to improve the economy. | antidote (n.) | 1. a cure (especially for a poison)2. a solution to a problem | to / for | Huy got bitten by a poisonous snake. He went to the hospital, and they gave him the antidote. | apathy (n.)apathetic (adj.) | lack of interest, lack of concern | | Older people complain about the apathy of twenty somethings toward the big problems.Are you concerned or apathetic about global warming? | bland | 1. (food) lacking flavor2. boring, dull, not interesting | | bland fooda bland personality | propaganda | publicity, especially harmful, misleading publicity | | Nazi propagandathe propaganda of cigarette companies | prospects | chances of success in the future...
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...about the loan and hides her own strength, even lying to him about trivial matters such as eating sweets, because she intuits that he cannot tolerate the truth about their marriage. Torvald in return deceives Nora and himself when he claims, with apparent sincerity, that if he would take upon himself any burden that fell upon Nora. His claim appears to arise from his poor self-knowledge and tendency to fantasize about his and Nora's life together. Dr Rank pretends to Torvald that nothing is amiss with his health because Torvald cannot deal with anything disagreeable, such as death. The theme of morality relates closely to that of the individual and society, in that society defines the suffocating moral climate that A Doll's House satirizes. Nora begins to question society's morals when she realizes how it would criminalize her for forging her father's signature,...
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...The Dangers of Technology Major advancements in technology, specifically dealing with health, are a dangerous thing. Whether it be augmentations, medicine, or reanimation there are serious consequences for advancing technology both on an individual, moral level and for society as a whole. When someone decides to make advancements in science it typically comes at the cost of human relationships. New technology drives people away from each other. New technology is always hotly debated in the news. In the end a society has to decide whether or not a new technology is moral or not. Advancing technology also advances power, which is the most dangerous thing of all. The novel Frankenstein and the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution explore these dangers. Technology is a dangerous tool to society because it has the ability to destroy human relationships, it can be morally wrong, and it can allow certain groups and individuals to gain scary amounts of power. In the beginning of Frankenstein, Victor was social and communicated with his friends and family often. After Victor created the Creature, he ran into Henry who took notice of the effects of the creation on Victor. Henry said, “I did not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and pale; you look as though you have been watching for several nights.” (Shelley 45). Victor worked tirelessly on making advancements to science and it made him sick. He did not talk or see his friends or family for a long time. The Creature is...
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