Monday, January 27, 2020

My Personal Code Of Ethics Philosophy Essay

My Personal Code Of Ethics Philosophy Essay After taking this class I sit here and wonder. Am I the only one who has never realized how much ethics plays such a large part of the world today? I have always known that most businesses that I have worked in have a code of ethics but I did not realize why they have it. Until now after being in this class I have been looking at how ethics not only needs to be a part of a business but how it is such a large part of society in itself. For me I did not know how many different parts of ethics there are but how they play make me look at whats going on in the world today in an ethical way. Society today is full of chaos because it seems those that are younger than me have a whole different outlook on the world or is it that they dont know about how ethics plays a part in their lives. For example: During this quarter when at dinner I would sit with my teenage son and ask what does he knows about ethics and he looked at me like I was crazy. So I said to him do you think that you follow a code of ethics at school and he said yes. What do you think they are I ask? Well we have to follow rules, and have to respect the teachers by listening to them and doing the work they give us. By having this conversation with him at dinner we would talk about how there are ethical meanings that relate to his answers. I proceed to tell him how he basically has a social contract. David Gauthier contract theory is to show self- interested individuals should favor a minimally cooperative moral system (Waller, 2005, p. 68). He still did not understand so I used an example that I think I remem bered from school and that was Audi does not through his book bag at Mr. Lucabaugh and Mr. Lucabaugh listens completely to his response. Then I said basically the code of ethics at your school uses a contract theory because you agree to respect and listen to your teacher and your teacher agrees to respect and listen to you. He finally got it. With what is going on in the world today from the economy, the war, and what is happening in Libya if we as a society did not have any ethical beliefs there would be so much chaos that society would self destruct. A perfect example of this would be Libya and their leader Omar Gaddafi. This is similar to the second reflection paper that I wrote for this class. When I wrote that paper Egypt was in chaos and now it is Libya who is in a war of all against all (Waller, 2005, p. 64). In Libya the people are not only protesting against their leader Moammar Gaddafi and want him to step down. Gaddafi to me is defiantly using Dostoyevskys challenge which is using the utilitarian calculation by getting much pleasure at the cost of his people (Waller, 2005, p. 55). Could it be that Gaddafi needs to have a social contract with himself and that according to Thomas Hobbes our natural tendencies are toward murder and mayhem (Waller, 2005, p. 66) and he is out for himself. Gaddafi is an individual an d universal egoist. On one hand he wants for his country what will benefit him. He has been quoted as saying I will die a martyr (Metro, 2011) and on the other hand he says that he does not need help from any other countries and that they should stay out of Libya and the happenings with his country and people. Many countries have different outlook on this issue and most of it is because of cultural relativism this is how one culture has different value from another. This could be an example of America and Libya. For American culture we value people and the fact that we have free speech and that everyone should be free compared to Libya where the people their do not have the same rights of free speech and really are not free because if they go against their government they could die. Having ethical beliefs or morals in society is a positive thing because it helps control the chaos that would be if there were none. Ethical beliefs should also fall into individuals as well. If the individual person does not have ethics then how would they be able to socialize in an acceptable manner? Everyone has different ethical beliefs whether it is based upon religion or their culture or it could be based upon gender. Many people follow the Ten Commandments and that is their moral and ethical belief system and believes they were created to help control chaos and keep some order of peace in the world or within themselves. As a society we also have the Constitution of America which many people follow that as their code of ethics. And then many people will tell you that ethics and morals are passed down from generation to generation within the family. It does not matter what you believe or were they came from but that we may not be aware of the importance of them and how they rela te to our lives. In the Bible one of the Ten Commandments is You shall not steal now imagine if no one in the world has any morals or ethical beliefs. Everyone would be stealing from one another and no one would have anything that they could call their own. But by people having some type of ethical beliefs a majority of people do not steal because it would be against their code of ethics or moral beliefs. Immanuel Kant basic principle of ethics is Categorical Imperatitive says always act in such a way that you could and will act (Waller, 2005, p. 22) which is basically saying do unto others as you would have them do to you . So if you want to be treated well then you should treat others well. If people did not have this ethical belief to follow then there would be more people in the world that only look out for them and have no consideration for others. This could also be related to virtue ethicist Aristotle who says that virtuous person is not one that does the right act but one who consistently does the right act and for the right reason (Waller, 2005, p. 98). You might ask what does this have to do with individual ethical belief well if you think about it. Because people who do not steal have made it a habit not too and for that they consistently do the right thing. Another example could be as babies most of us were taught not to hit someone because that is not right and it could be against the morals of your family not too. So we eventually grow up that the right reason not to hit someone is because you would not like that to happen to you. When it comes to ethics many people do not relate it to critical thinking. Critical thinking can play a large role when it comes to ethics because when people start having conversations about anything that can be ethical it can turn into a heated argument or if they do not like what they are hearing they will use the red herring fallacy. Red herring fallacy is what they call a common argument trick (Waller, 2005, p. 2). For example: You and I are having a discussion about the war and I do not agree or like what you are saying so I change the conversation by saying I see, did you know that the Red Sox won the game yesterday. If more people take on the charity fallacy which is to be charitable or generous toward the positions and argument we oppose (Waller, 2005, p. 4). The perfect example of would be you are having a conversation about the war and how they agree with it and you listen to them and calmly respond yes but. As people get older and our minds get more developed we realize that men and women are not only physically different but emotionally different as well. Women become more act utilitarian because we want to increase pleasure and decrease suffering for everyone compared to men who become more rule utilitarians look at the act. It is known that women are more emotional and think differently from men. For many women care ethics plays a large role in morals. Care ethics emphasizes on the importance of affection, friendships and relationships (Waller, 2005, p. 119) which is for most women the core of their feelings. A good example of this could be a couple goes out to dinner and while walking to the restaurant the wife wants the husband to hold her hand and the husband does not want too. This is the women wants to feel some type of affection and the guy does not. Another example would be a guy usually does not care if he doesnt talk to some of his friends were it would really bother a women because her friendships are important in her life. I decided to go into this class with an open mind and by doing so I can actually say that I look at ethics in a much different perspective. I dont think I have ever really thought about ethics other than my own beliefs or corporate ethics. I realized how I never really looked at my ethical beliefs and how they may not be the way I think that I live my life. By this I mean the teacher used a scenario about a little girl and someone was going to kill her if I did not lie. For me I do not believe in telling a lie or getting lied to. As the teacher continued with the different scenarios and I kept saying I would not lie, he finally said over the brake really look at yourself and what you say or respond to things even the smallest of things and see if you lie. So I did just that and low and behold he was right. . I am finding that it is hard to live 100 percent ethically on my beliefs. As I was writing this I am trying to think about myself and what how the different parts of ethics fit into my life and can say that I am an act utilitarian because I do go through life wanting to not only have maximize pleasure but the people involved in my life and try to minimize the suffering of people involved in my life which is a hard thing to do. For someone whom I may be in a relationship whether a friend or on a more intimate level I can understand the social contracts that we share that we try to be as honest as possible to each other agree to not to cheat on each other even though tendencies may take us elsewhere. I also believe that we all must do what is in the best interest for each so that could make me follow the universal ethical egoism theory. When I think of virtue ethics, I think about myself and what or how I think of individual character. Many people say that I am kind, caring and very considerate person. That always think about other people and how I can help them. This would be because my moral belief is that I treat others as I like to be treated. So if you want respect then you have to give respect. But I also think about how I feel when I help someone which would be the care ethics part of my beliefs. . I myself know that I am consistently kind to people and care very much for people in my life but also for the elderly, kids and pets and I do this for the right reasons and that would be because it makes me feel good about myself. Without ethics whether personal or for society in a whole the world would not be able to function in order and there would be chaos beyond control. Everyone has ethics whether they are taught them in the home, from the bible or from government itself makes everyone a better person or country. For me taking this class has defiantly made me look at myself and what I honestly think and how I much of an ethical individual person I am. I also know that as we get older me ethical beliefs can change. I have also learned that even though we may not agree with other peoples beliefs we should be open about them and are able to have conversations with bringing anger or disagreements in them. Reference Page Metro. (2011, February 22). Gaddafi: I will die a martyr. Retrieved March 3, 2011, from Metro: http://www.metro.us/newyork/international/article/781278gaddafi-i-will-die-a-martyr Waller, B. N. (2005). Consider Ethics Theory, Readings and Contemporary Issues. New York: Longman.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Benedick and Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing” Essay

One of the most important aspects in â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing† is the story of love. It is often the basis for what transpires throughout the play and can most easily be seen through the relationships between Hero and Claudio, and Benedick and Beatrice. During the play the reader learns a lot about these couples as well as how they possess some of the same relationship traits whilst still seeing the obvious disparities between them. Benedick and Beatrice represent a â€Å"love/hate† relationship. They share many things in common and both are cynical of love and marriage. They are witty intellectual and not at all shy, which leads to many wars of words between them. In the beginning of the novel, the hate between this eventual couple is evident. Beatrice says to Benedict, â€Å"I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor / Benedict. Nobody marks you†. Benedict comes back with, â€Å"What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet / living?†. Although Beatrice and Benedict may have no idea; the fact that they love each other must be evident to the rest of the characters. Otherwise, their friends and family would not have tricked them into admitting their love. Claudio and Hero represent a more romantic relationship. Claudio finds himself in love with Hero upon coming back from battle and he is not ashamed to admit his love for her. â€Å"I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife†. This leads to Don Pedro assisting in Claudio’s proposal and gaining Leonato’s acceptance. Claudio and Hero’s love is mostly based on looks, since they did not know one another very well before Hero accepts Don Pedro’s proposal to marry Claudio. The fact that they don’t know each other means that there is little trust between them and this is exploited when Hero is accused of being unfaithful. Claudio is also extremely gullible and jealous and that is why he shames Hero at their first wedding. Although there are many differences between the two couples there are also some similarities. Both couples had to deal with obstacles that they would not have overcome without the help of others. Beatrice and Benedict would still be arguing if their friends did not trick them into thinking that they were in love with each other. They would not have realized that their  constant bickering with each other translated into loving emotions. Claudio and Hero’s relationship is broken when Hero is accused of being unfaithful but with the help of Dogberry and Verges, it is revealed that the accusations are not true. This allows Claudio to clear Hero’s name and marry her in the end. An obvious similarity between the relationships is that they both accomplish love.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Morals and Values: To Kill A MockingBird Essay

Have you ever faced a difficult decision? Every day, we have to make decisions. Some of these decisions can be simple, but others can raise moral or ethical dilemmas. How does one go about making these moral or ethical decisions? People have value systems that can influence the moral or ethical decisions they make. This is clearly illustrated in the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, through the main character, George Milton and his interaction with his companion, Lennie. Steinbeck shows how George’s value system influences his moral and ethical decisions when George shows his care for Lennie, when he helps Lennie resolve his conflicts with other people, and when Lennie kills Curley’s wife. Steinbeck shows that George values companionship. It is shown throughout the story that George values companionship but at the same time, he wants his freedom. However, he cannot have his freedom because he has Lennie to take care of, but George doesn’t mind having Lennie and wants Lennie to stay with him no matter how much trouble Lennie gets into because Lennie gives him companionship. An example is when George gets mad at Lennie and tells Lennie the â€Å"swell time† he can have without him and Lennie responds, â€Å"George, you want I should go away and leave ya alone †¦ I could go off in the hills there. Some place I’d find a cave† (pg. 13). Ethically, since Lennie is an adult, George could have let Lennie leave so that George would his freedom to â€Å"stay in a cathouse, eat any place [he] wants, get a gallon of whisky, or set in a pool room and play cards or shoot pool† (pg. 12). However, George feels that he is morally responsible for Lennie, and says, â€Å"Yeah? How’d you eat? You ain’t got sense enough to find nothing to eat †¦ No-look! I was jus’ foolin’ Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me †¦ Tell you what I’ll do, Lennie. First chance I get, I’ll give you a pup (pg. 14)†. Steinbeck also shows that George has the values of being responsible and loyal to Lennie. The story is set at a ranch where the boss’s son, Curley and Curley’s wife reside. Curley is a short man who likes trying to pick up fights with other people that are bigger and stronger than him and is extremely protective of his wife. Curley’s wife is a lon ely woman who tries to seek company by talking to the farm workers. An example of George being responsible is when Curley is looking for his wife and the other men working on the ranch make fun of him because they despise him. However, when Curley sees that Lennie is smiling, because he is dreaming about rabbits, he thinks that Lennie is making fun of him, so he gets angry. Curley shouts to Lennie, â€Å"Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I’ll show ya who’s yella. †¦ Lennie looked helplessly at George†¦ George was on his feet yelling, Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it. Get ’im, Lennie† (pg. 61-62). George here is being responsible as a person to Lennie because he is telling Lennie how to protect himself and make sure that Lennie doesn’t get injured too much. Also, George is, in a way, obligated to take care of Lennie because of George’s promise. George made a promise to Lennie’s Aunt Clara before she died that he would take care of Lennie and George, who is loyal, does just that. George’s ethical decision is to protect Lennie from harm and tell him what to do because he knows that that the right thing to do. Towards the end of the book, Steinbeck shows that George has the value ofcaring when it comes to doing the right thing for Lennie. George knows that the task of killing Lennie is difficult and has to find inner strength to do it. There are many similarities between Candy, a friend of George and Lennie, and his dog and George and Lennie. Candy’s dog has stiff joints, very old, and because he stinks so bad, he is troublesome to others. Candy said that, â€Å"I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks.† Candy has been around his dog so much that he is used to the smell so therefore, he doesn’t notice it and because he is used to his dog being around he won’t be able to kill his dog. Similarly, Lennie can be a nuisance to George because he is constantly getting into trouble. And when Slim asks why George still has him, George says, â€Å"†¦you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him†. Like Candy and his dog, George has been with George for too long that now simply they are used to each other. Candy had to let his dog go because it was best for the dog. However, he let someone else kill his dog and Candy later tells George, â€Å"I ought to of shot that dog myself George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.†George on the other hand, didn’t want anyone to hurt Lennie and knew that he must kill Lennie himself. The ethical decision here is that it is wrong to kill someone and technically, George is breaking the law. The moral part in George’s decision is that if George doesn’t kill him, then Lennie will be tortured and man-slaughtered by Curley. Also, George makes sure that Lennie dies in happiness by having him first think about the plan of getting a farm and tending to rabbits before George kills Lennie. Steinbeck portrays George as a person who has values defines who he is. Steinbeck had shown that George values companionship, responsibility, and loyalty while he fosters Lennie. Steinbeck shows how George’s value system influences George’s moral and ethical decisions when George shows his care for Lennie, when Lennie faces or gets into conflict with other people, and when Lennie kills Curley’s wife.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Discrimination Against Women s Rights - 1410 Words

However, discrimination against women is something that many people have learned to overcome, but accepting and forgiving discrimination is another story. This will continue throughout the future years until males learn to share. There is so much more work to be done, most women don’t have the privilege to do anything still. But all these struggles and suffering has led to the women who are in power today. Unlike the women in the Western countries, women in Sudan have a whole different issue and fewer opportunities. Women are challenging the discrimination prescribed in the legal code. Islamic laws are very strict on their women and give all the power to men. In addition, women have the rights to make their dreams come true and accomplish their goals. They have the rights to be positive, smart and an intelligent; to become successful in anything they want. It’s an unfair decision for only boys to go to school and girls to stay at home. Parents in Sudan consider this a waste of time and money, but what they think about is only found them a good rich husband to give their daughters a life of fortune and happiness, but if only the parents knew how much this affect young girls personally and physically. (Samia) Equal treatment should be given to any young girl like the Western Countries do, where a girl can fall in love, date a man and get to know them. But in Sudan they can be married by their parents or legal guardian without the young girl or woman’s consent in Sudan; thisShow MoreRelatedDiscrimination Against Women s Rights1543 Words   |  7 PagesContemp Perspectives Raju Parrakkal 13 October 2015 Women’s Rights Discrimination against women has been a phenomenon for centuries, lack of women’s rights and equality is a long overdue issue that needs to be abolished. The need to make a concrete connection between human rights and women’s rights is ironic considering that one half of the global population is female (Hawkins 1). Gender inequality is the pressing current human rights issue, including disparities in education, employment, healthcareRead MoreDiscrimination Against Women s Rights Essay2443 Words   |  10 PagesDISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN KENYA DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE PLIGHT OF THE GIRL-CHILD CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Discrimination against women is; any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, culturalRead MoreDiscrimination Against Women s Human Rights1005 Words   |  5 PagesOne’s Human Rights Prompt: Why has it been difficult for indigenous peoples to claim human rights? Was it equally hard to establish women’s human rights to freedom from violence? Consider a series of factors such as the nature of their rights claims and the political context within which these claims were made in discussing the similarities and differences between these two cases and the process through which they became defined as human rights. The idea that indigenous people have rights is relativelyRead MoreGender Based Pay And Promotion Discrimination1104 Words   |  5 Pagesand Moser explore the claims of gender-based pay and promotion discrimination that is fast emerging as the latest challenge for employers seeking to reduce litigation risks. These claims are from recent jury verdicts, pending legislation in Congress, and headline-grabbing court decisions. These court decisions and legislative initiatives raise the specter of a flood of class claims against employers for pay and promotion discrimination. I will use this source for ground for my argument. It shows 500Read MoreSexual Discrimination And Gender Discrimination1384 Words   |  6 PagesSexual discrimination, sex based discrimination, gender discrimination or sexism is a type of prejudice or discrimination based on a person s sex or gender usually by the opposite gender. Thus, it generally refers to discrimination against a male by a female or a female b y a male. Feminism can therefore be considered a form of sexism. More often than not however, sexism is commonly applied to the unfair treatment of women, the denial of opportunity to women or an injustice towards women, whichRead MoreFeminism Is An Effective Ideology Within Politics1104 Words   |  5 Pagesthe feminist movement, women were pretty much considered second class citizens. Feminism is more than just angry, male hating women protesting. Feminism is about change, equality and opportunity for women of all races and age. There are many reasons as to why feminism has been an effective ideology within politics. Because of feminism and the women s work movement, more women than ever before have been given the opportunity to make a difference in government. Whether it s running for president,Read MoreDiscrimination In The Kite Runner1698 Words   |  7 PagesFor centuries, society has been plagued with the sickness that is discrimination. People have taken it upon themselve s to have the right to discriminate against others, basing their prejudice on parts of others that they themselves cannot control such as age, race or gender. From past to present, many have faced segregation and the damaging ripple effect it has on their lives. This is especially true for minorities in the world who are singled out and treated as inferiors based on physical traitsRead MoreDiscrimination And Prejudice And Discrimination Essay1672 Words   |  7 Pagesany reason. Prejudice and discrimination are two very different things, prejudice is the unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of their race, sex religion, etc. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. It can occur anywhere, in the workplace, shops, restaurants, schools or just walking down the street. One of the most common forms of discrimination of gender. Gender is the behavioralRead MoreRacia l Inequality And Gender Inequality889 Words   |  4 PagesIn today s world discrimination is a racial inequality when it come to different races in the United states. Discrimination has been around for years and have created a social inequality , economic crises and have lowered individuals into a group known as the â€Å" racial minorities â€Å".Racial minorities can be classified as older people , women , immigrants and young men and women. Women from the early 1600’s to today s women have been discriminated against for years. Women have never had the sameRead MoreGender Issues in the Workplace1537 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Gender Issues in the Workplace Introduction Believe it or not women have had rights in the work force for over two hundred years. Women should be treated as equals with men in the work place, but that is not always the case. Companies need to be careful with gender issues; they could lead to law suits and cost millions of dollars. People whether it is men or women should be hired, promoted, or given raises based on their experience not their gender. Dealing with gender issues in the work place