...University of Sharjah International Relations Political Theory Ideas on States and Justice in the thought of Augustine and Rousseau Essay Assignment By: May Ramez Mahrat Supervised by: Dr. Jeremy Kleidosty Arguments and philosophical explanations for what justifies power and states, inspired by the European Enlightenment thought, has headed closer toward reasoning and further from faith. The thought of Rousseau and Saint Augustine is a clear representation of the two poles of reason and faith in political thought. Rousseau, outlining the basis of his social contract on the natural goodness of human beings and putting sovereignty in the hand s of people, differs widely from Augustine who addresses the state as an “essential evil” put to discipline men who are sinners by nature. The political arguments of these two philosophers, who lived in two different ages, represent a different kind of Enlightenment for the both ages that they lived in. This essay will discuss Rousseau’s and Augustine’s regards to state, justice and property and will examine the effects of their thoughts on modern politics. Augustine and Rousseau in Comparison Wrapping his political and social beliefs with virtuous, deist and theological Christian discourse, Augustine, the Christian bishop, presents a leap in the Western thought at a time close to the beginning of the middle ages. His political views in his writings are interpreted differently by various scholars as he rarely expresses direct...
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...Volume 6 Number 2 (2012): 73-84 http://www.infactispax.org/journal/ Editorial Essay The Importance of Philosophy for Education in a Democratic Society Dale T. Snauwaert The University of Toledo Dale.snauwaert@utoledo.edu This essay explores the importance of philosophy for the study and practice of education in a democratic society. It will be argued that at its core education is a normative enterprise, in that it is driven by fundamental social values as well as the imperatives of social justice. These values and imperatives powerfully shape every dimension of educational theory, policy, and practice. From this perspective, education requires a normative frame of reference. Democracy, understood as not only a political system but more fundamentally as a way of life grounded in specific values and principles, provides a powerful point of reference. At the heart of democracy is the value of liberty, understood as self-determination. Self-determination requires that there should be careful reflection upon and rational deliberation concerning social values and, in turn, the imperatives of justice that inform the purposes and practices of education. It will be argued that philosophy constitutes a mode of inquiry and a discipline that enriches the capacity for reflection and rational deliberation, and hence it is essential for both democracy and the study and practice of education in a democratic society. Education as a Normative Enterprise There are a number...
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...and prepares the reports for its financial information is part of its financial practices that it adheres too in order to accomplish the goals for its ethical standards. Today’s health care plans play a very important role in financial management. A company would be unable to operate without proper financial planning. The importance of storing and tracking all accounting records while being up to date will be the main factor as to whether the guidelines are being followed. This also allows the outer management to determine how the company is doing as a whole and also be aware as to where most of the funding is going. With new procedures coming out with new equipment the overhead cost need to be turning a profit in order for it to be an economical situation. Four Elements To understand the four elements of financial management you must first understand this management covers an overview of finances for the organization. The goals for financial management are to achieve objectives that can be broken down into four...
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...HSM 230 Week 7 Appendix D What are some potential legal and ethical issues present in this case study? There many things wrong in this case. The first is fraud. Taking money from possibly government and private funds and not using them for intended purposes. Embezzlement is another because obviously they are using the money saved for private reasons. The total disregard of the people that they are supposed to be helping. He has opened the entire origination to law suits and public scrutiny. How would you characterize the director’s behavior? Criminal, immoral and unethical. Is the director an ethical role model? Why or why not He is not ethical. He went against the subordinates thoughts. He used another employees input that had never been to the facility. He did not care about the residents’ fears or concerns. He did not take the law into concern. Were the director’s messages congruent with the organization’s stated mission? Explain your answer. No. In this mission statement it states to improve the quality of life. He injured people although they were not serious he did not improve it. He went as far as not to take the advice from Ms. Armstrong. What impact did the director’s actions and attitudes have on the Acre Woods culture? There are a few. He could be considered to be a sexist because he overlooked the advice from a female employee and he promoted a male that had no regard for the residents. His actions make Acre Woods appear as though there...
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...P LA T O and a P LAT Y P U S WA L K I N TO A B A R . . . Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes < T H O M A S C AT H C A RT & D A N I E L K L E I N * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * P l at o a n d a P l at y p u s Wa l k i n t o a B a r . . . PLATO and a PLAT Y PUS WA L K I N T O A B A R . . . < Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes Th o m as Cat h c a rt & Dan i e l K l e i n A B R A M S I M AG E , N E W YO R K e d i to r : Ann Treistman d e s i g n e r : Brady McNamara pro d u c t i on m anag e r : Jacquie Poirier Cataloging-in-publication data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress. ISBN 13: 978-0-8109-1493-3 ISBN 10: 0-8109-1493-x Text copyright © 2007 Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein Illlustration credits: ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/Bruce Eric Kaplan/ cartoonbank.com: pg 18; ©Andy McKay/www.CartoonStock.com: pg 32; ©Mike Baldwin/www.CartoonStock.com: pgs 89, 103; ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/ Matthew Diffee/cartoonbank.com: pg 122; ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/ Leo Cullum/cartoonbank.com: pg 136; ©Merrily Harpur/Punch ltd: 159; ©Andy McKay/www.CartoonStock.com: pg 174. Published in...
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...iEhics There are a lot of famous person influencing the world just because they created something extraordinary which we utilize it every day. Steve Jobs was one of the greatest people who affect our lives not only because his amazing products, but his creativity has enhanced the current products to follow its style and design. For example, the iPhone have led the chief of cellphone industry; the iPad is leading the android tablet and windows tablets to follow its shape and design. That is only the positive side of him. What about his negative side about the ethics of a successful businessman and inventor can be barely seen? Not everyone is perfect. Steve Jobs was one of the kind. The categorical imperative is the best term that depicts Steve Jobs’ behavior because he broke the contract with the shipper. As the categorical imperative telling us, we should not adopt a principle if we cannot make a promise to others. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple as a CEO, he complained that their shipping company did not do their work fast enough and did not even ship Apple’s spare parts on time (AUSTEN). However, the shipping company said they could not do better anymore and they didn’t want to do. Because the shipper has signed a contract with Apple, Apple would involve lawsuit if they break the contract with the shipper. Without any consideration, Jobs did not want to play game with the shipper any more, then fired the shipper. Then of course the shipper did sue Apple. Consequently,...
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...Explain Plato’s analogy of the cave. (25 marks) The analogy of the cave is written in Plato’s famous book known as Republic. It is one of the three similes he uses to illustrate his theory of Forms. Plato uses analogy to help describe philosophical difference between physical world and the difference of the world of forms. In short the analogy explains to others about the physical world as nothing but full of illusion. He describes the true reality is to be found in the eternal unchanging world of forms. The analogy begins in the cave. The cave represents the visible world or the world of sense experience, where the shadows seem more real than truth itself. It indirectly represents the human body, which imprisons the soul preventing it from seeking the true knowledge. People are chained up in the cave such a way that all prisoners are facing the wall. They are chained up in a way that they can only look ahead of them at the wall of the cave. The only light in the cave comes from the fire. There is a wall behind the prisoners and fire is located behind the wall. Behind the wall other people are walking up and down carrying statues on their heads. The prisoners observe the shadows that flicker before them. The prisoners believe the shadows are reality as that is all they are able to see. If they hear the people behind the wall they associate the sounds made by individuals with the shadows. They think of the shadows as the true reality. Plato represents our condition as human...
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...Every person claims that he knows something. Our whole live is the great source of gaining knowledge: a person reads books, listens to other people’s opinions and his own intuition and looks at his own experience in life. For centuries great philosophers such as Phaedo, Socrates. Plato, and others argued on questions concerning knowledge. Is it possible to have knowledge at all? Does our knowledge represent reality as it really is? For every person including myself, gaining knowledge begins with birth. Though some philosophers such as Phaedo say that we had knowledge before that, but we forget it when we are born. And then we just recollect it. Phaedo also discusses perfect justice, beauty, goodness and equality and states that we have never seen these things yet we know they exist. From his point of view knowledge of perfect things must be innate. I cannot agree with this statement. For me your parents, then your teachers and people in your society give you understanding of what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad. Later you start analyzing everything from your own perspective, deciding what to believe relying on your previous knowledge. This is why I agree to the Socrates point of view. He says that we can distinguish true from false and the standards for that are based on our soul. At the same time Plato was correct when he said that difference between knowledge and opinion must be rationally justified. For years we are chained in our caves interpreting shadows on...
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...Sample Guidelines for Writing Ethical Arguments Your essay should be a position paper, not a report. The paper must make an ethical argument in defense of a thesis. It doesn’t matter what thesis you defend, but the argument must be clear and coherent. Depending on the topic, some outside research may be appropriate, but do not let that obscure the main purpose, which is to make an ethical argument. There are several possible ways to structure the paper, including one (or more) or the following: • Articulating and applying principles (such as love, respect for autonomy, respect for persons, the principle of utility, etc.) to the issue or to cases. • Investigating how one or more ethical sources work to support a particular view: for instance, how biblical principles or a religious tradition or a particular philosopher/philosophical school can be used to support your position on a focused issue. Such an approach should be critical, that is, with an awareness of where the philosophical or religious tradition is unclear or problematic and how others could use the tradition in a different manner. • Contrasting the arguments of two or more authors on an issue. • Developing and contrasting the pro and con arguments for a particular position. • Developing and answering a series of questions from general to particular, or particular to general. • Analyzing a case study. The reader of an ethical argument is looking for three main things in your essay: 1. a clear and interesting...
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...The theory of knowledge, or Epistemology, is an important area in philosophy. Many great philosophical debates have developed because of the different views and principle issues dealing with epistemology. Although there are several principle issues in epistemology, my areas of focus are, empiricism, rationalism, Skepticism, and Justification. Empiricism is the theory that experience is the main focus in giving us knowledge of the world. Empiricists believe that knowledge without personal experience is impossible. Some empiricist believe that a new born baby come into the world knowing nothing and everything that they learn is only by experience. The mind is furnished with information from experience. The concept that all knowledge is arrived from the senses, leads me to believe that empiricist think that it is unreasonable to talk about things we have not experienced. Most radical empiricists believe that religions have no concrete evidence and consequently religious beliefs are insignificant. In essence, empiricism requires solid physical evidence to be considered knowledge. In contrast to empiricism, rationalism is the belief that reasoning is the most important aspect of acquiring knowledge. Rationalists believe that we have some instinctive knowledge. Certain things we just know with having personal experience directly disputes the theory that empiricists believe about newborn babies. Rationalists also believe that some truths can be worked out without having...
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...Addressing International Legal and Ethical Issues LAW421 June 25, 2012 Kurt Lofland Addressing International Legal and Ethical Issues The simulation of addressing international legal and ethical issues showed me there are many tough choices a business has to make. International law is very different than every day United States law. There are legal disputes that need to be resolved in the best way possible so you can still keep relations with the country you are doing business with. The issues involved with resolving legal disputes are making sure not to violate the contract. If the business violates the contract then the business can be sued by their partner in the foreign country. In my simulation with CadMax, I decided to use arbitration (Melvin, 2011 pg. 637) to resolve conflicts. This worked out very well in the simulation and made my business work well with my partner. Another option a business could use to resolve a conflict would be international mediation (Melvin, 2011 pg. 639). If mediation or arbitration does not work to solve the issue and the contract is breached then legal action may be needed. If legal action is needed the business can go to the International Court of Justice (Melvin 2011, pg. 635). The International Courts of Justice is used to settle legal disputes among countries. When taking legal action against a business partner based in another country, the business would most likely be unable to work with them in the future. This could also void...
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...Business codes of ethics Jesus Cervantes PHL/323 10/18/11 Dr. James Moffett Write a general information paragraph on the company, including its mission statement. I’m currently employed at In and Out burger. In and Out has been open since 1948 and was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder. The Snyder’s philosophy was simple “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” These principles are words we as associates still work for. * * * Why might the organization need to modify their existing code of ethics? Consider how you might modify the code if you were the new CEO and how you would implement the changes. * * * * In and out has been very successful since their first store open in 1948. There are now 258 locations since March of 2011, all in the south western of the Unites States, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Texas. In and Out is privately own, and all associates are treated like family. These relationships, traditions, and commitment to the company’s philosophies continue to make In and Out a very special place to work. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What possible reactions to the code are to be expected from employees and managers? What effects does the organizational culture have on the acceptance of the code...
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...ARGUMENTS AGAINST DETERMINISM: MAN IS FREE, NO MORE, NO LESS INTRODUCTION The issues of Freedom and Determinism have been sensitive issues that have sparked off heated debates throughout history. The question whether man is really free has been a hard nut to crack and as a result of this, many attempts have been made by different individuals from both philosophical and theological point of view in their effort to explain and understand this concept ‘Freedom’. The line of thought that supports the notion of free will is also called libertarianism. DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS Before delving into the argument, it is worthy of note that the terms under discussion be given a definition for a better understanding of the terms. According to Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, determinism is the belief that people are not free to choose what they are like or how they behave because these things are decided by their background, surroundings and other things over which they have no control. It is simply the view that man is not free, that his actions are determined by certain causes. On another note, libertarianism according to the same source is the belief that people should have the freedom to do and think as they like. Freedom is simply man’s capacity to take hand in his own development. Concentrating more on the major object of my argument which is against determinism, the concept freedom was supported by both philosophers and theologians throughout history. On the part of the philosophers...
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...What is your philosophy? First let us define and understand what philosophy means. Philosophy is a basic concept examined through using specific spheres of knowledge. The concepts as examined are reality, existence, truth, freedom, and causality. Philosophy is broken down into many areas of interest. We will explore them with defining each, providing a description for approaches to philosophical questions as well as explaining how philosophy and culture interaction in terms of development and thought. Also I will describe and explain my philosophical area of interest as well as how or why cultural factors influenced my choice. In knowing this there are many areas of philosophy, here are the major areas: a) Epistemology: Studying of knowledge and justified beliefs. This is how to understand concepts of justification or what makes justified beliefs justified. There are several approaches to forming or understanding the meaning. It has to be broken down in conditions. Truth what is reasonable or rational in your own point of view, belief is possession of evidence, and justification is the high objective probability of truth that if determined to be true, it is not because of any luck. b) Metaphysics: Is studying or examine the nature of reality. Science gives insight to the unanswered questions. However, when seeking the reality it is the transformation of natural philosophy derived through observation and experiment. c) Moral: One’s behavior in relations to...
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...ACCRA, NOVEMBER, 2011 Table of content pages Introduction 1 1. Philosophy of history 1 2. Philosophy of religion 4 3. Logic 6 4. Ethics 8 5. Cosmology 10 6. Philosophy of mind 12 7. Metaphysics 14 8. Philosophy of beauty 16 9. Philosophy of language 18 10. Philosophy of science 20 11. Epistemology 21 Conclusion 23 Bibliography 24 Introduction Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom. Philosophy at this contemporary world has gone through a lot of changes before getting to this stage. It can be seen in the historical perspective and also the topical perspective. The historical or chronological is when we look at the ideas of some philosophers in the past how they influence society with their way of thinking and the motive behind them. In these chronological system is the ancient era, the medieval era, the modern era and presently the contemporary era. In the beginning all systematic search for knowledge was philosophy. This is clearly seen in the modern university where the highest degree granted in all of the science and humanities is the Ph. D. the doctor of philosophy. But the children began to leave home. The first to leave was physics and astronomy. As they begun to develop experimental techniques of their own. This exodus, led by Galileo and Isaac Newton and Johannes...
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