...Lane Wallace, the author of “Is Survival Selfish?” uses many methods in this excerpt in an attempt to convince the reader that there is a fine line between brave and foolish during times of survival. The author’s choice of diction and techniques have helped Wallace immensely in keeping the reader interested and convinced towards his argument. Wallace uses persuasive approaches, such as providing facts and examples, reasoning to endorse those examples, and stylistic elements to persuade the reader that survival can be considered selfish or smart based on the situation and how a person interprets it. Wallace uses many pieces of evidence and instances to thoroughly and strongly explain his argument. In the text, Wallace brings up the ocean liner...
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...2014 Critical Analysis of Psychological Egoism Psychological egoism, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (2010), entails that each person has but one ultimate aim: her own welfare. This essay will explore the meaning of psychological egoism, how arguments can be justifiably presented and why this theory is commonly appealing to philosophers. Often supporters of psychological egoism will present arguments through theories such as Darwinism and Desire Satisfaction. This essay essentially aims to critically assess the substantiality of these arguments. In order to correctly assess the arguments in favour of psychological egoism, firstly it must be stated what is implied by these arguments. Psychological egoism has many differences to other egoist theories such as ethical egoism, which state we should be selfish. Psychological egoism however states that all human actions are uncontrollably selfish, and that this is part of our human nature. It should be noted before continuing that this essay will be assessing this more radical form of psychological egoism , which identifies that ‘selfishness is’ the only way one can possibly performs actions, disregarding any consideration of others unless this aids their selfish action in some way. Psychological egoism can seem plausible to its supporters for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common include the concept that desires are entirely our own and therefore pursuing any desire or action is selfish, which supports...
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...According to “The Mythology of Selfishness,” by Mary Midgley, the natural function of society is not entirely selfish in nature. Midgley believes that the natural telos of society is the development of intellect based on an individual’s social nature or their inclination toward coexistence and empathy. However, the natural function of an individual is to ensure that individual’s own survival, but instead results in ensuring the survival of society. These ends can combine because one individual is tied to the whole society. Midgley’s telos and Aristotle’s telos of a city-state are very similar. Aristotle asserts that polis is the formation of community for the common good and is based on the social relationship of citizens to one another. Aristotle...
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...Followership is a concept that is vital to the survival to any or all leadership theories. According to Oregon Universities Holden Leadership Center, both are dependent upon the interaction of the other: “Team efforts.. require active followers. Followers set the levels of acceptance for leadership. And in many ways, it is more important for leaders to understand followers than for followers to understand leaders.” The site gave various signs of what makes a follower, namely, cooperating towards a mission in groups, demonstrating teamwork, and building cohesion among the group. It is described as the building blocks to effective leadership. It then laments at the scarcity of research and the recurring taboo surrounding followership. It gives seven signs that exemplify effective followership within a group: volunteering, acceptance of assignments, exhibiting loyalty, voicing opinions (but supporting final decisions), offering suggestions, maintaining a positive attitude especially in “confusing or trying times,” and working effectively as a team member. To most, the signs explain themselves. I think that at its heart, it’s the refusal of selfish tendencies as a worker, which is also at the center of being a good leader—followers have difficulty following selfish and toxic leaders, just as they should hold themselves to that same standard. The article continues to give examples of things followers can do to build up and optimize their group. They should strive to understand...
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...depth of work that hard to say. Not everyone has experienced the brink of life and death so this research is the logical choice 1.2. Purpose and aim of study The purpose of this research was to understand profoundly the meaning of life , Survival battle between man and wolf in the love life is intense, but it appears much simpler than the struggle that find out yourself, just how to get rid of social ties Unfortunately, that was re-created by human. The truth value of the first affordable life is the truth value of each individual life? Go find it, as we seek answers to these questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where will we go ? to uncover the nature world around him, and discovered a conflict can not be overcome, a conflict can not be explained by the management and victory his philosophical theories. Death is the only salvation. There is even a despicable other world to this? Jack London has made me pessimistic, lost faith in that society, open up an opportunity to be optimistic, to believe in ourself. Only believe in ourself - perhaps this is selfish and extremist, but certainly it gives us a significant advantage in our life. 1.3. Research scope This assignment refers only to the struggle for survival battle between the harsh natural environment...
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...human ancestors competed with other species for survival tools such as food and shelter. Today, conflict has developed into numerous forms – from merely debating what to have for lunch to global issues such as climate change. Without conflict, our experiences in life would undoubtedly be less dynamic and vibrant. Conflict is an essential factor to shaping our identity. Our relationship with conflict defines who we are because we learn to formulate our own opinions and values. Conflict is a natural element in the world and although we may not notice each and every single time it presents itself, conflict is a part of our everyday lives. conflict occurs because we have have different believes, morals, values, culture, religion, unmatched expectations, fear and exposure to unknown or unfamiliar. And everyone encounters a range of conflict during their life. It is inevitable. There are different kind of conflict experience from each and everyone of us-either from involvement to conflict or how they respond or settle conflict. The conflict that i encountered was that of News and Personal experience The conflict that i encountered was a kind of news and personal experience conflict which i think is rare to other people of the world. It started some years back (precisely 2009). And as a result serves as an "selfish interest" at play. It all started in the year 2009 and was as a result of man's quest and passion for power, selfish interest and wealth. There has been power tussle...
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...RICHARD DAWKINS-The Selfish Gene. Ebook v1.0. 'Who should read this book? Everyone interested in the universe and their place in it.' Jeffrey R. Baylis, Animal Behaviour Our genes made us. We animals exist for their preservation and are nothing more than their throwaway survival machines. The world of the selfish gene is one of savage competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit. But what of the acts of apparent altruism found in nature-the bees who commit suicide when they sting to protect the hive, or the birds who risk their lives to warn the flock of an approaching hawk? Do they contravene the fundamental law of gene selfishness? By no means: Dawkins shows that the selfish gene is also the subtle gene. And he holds out the hope that our species-alone on earth-has the power to rebel against the designs of the selfish gene. This book is a call to arms. It is both manual and manifesto, and it grips like a thriller. The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins's brilliant first book and still his most famous, is an international bestseller in thirteen languages. For this new edition there are two major new chapters. 'learned, witty, and very well written...exhilaratingly good.' Sir Peter Medawar, Spectator Richard Dawkins is a Lecturer in Zoology at Oxford University and a Fellow of Mew College, and the author of The Blind Watchmaker. Preface to 1976 edition This book should be read almost as though it were science fiction. It is designed to appeal to the imagination. But it is not science...
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...it that way. Dillard’s essay is an exploration of how to live life. She suggests living life in simplicity without any complications or restrictions. She also stated that we can do whatever we want. “We can live any way we want.” (Dillard 101) She is a writer of nature and looks at it for inspiration. She introduced the scenery by the Hollins pond also called Murray’s Pond, as calm and inhibits a portrayal of open mind allowing deep observation and connection to nature. She comes across a weasel with analysis of its characteristics and behavior, she thought of evaluating her own life. “I would like to learn, or remember, how to live.” (Dillard 100) She then suggests what we can learn from a weasel’s nature of living. “But I might learn something of mindlessness, something of the purity of living in the physical senses and the dignity of living without bias or motive.” (Dillard 100) She states that we should focus only on one goal and one goal alone. The goal is basic survival. We need to stop thinking and go by our gut - our instinct. Dillard also mentioned about her regret of...
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...power and a drive for conflict are rooted within human nature and, since humans are the operators of state actors, state behaviour mimics this nature in its approach to international relations. Neo-realists, by contrast, follow Waltz in his belief that the anarchic structure of the international system causes states to seek security and power, and therefore provides the ultimate obstacle to cooperation. While liberals disagree altogether, offering the counterargument that men are rational, and therefore states choose to engage in conflict in order to pursue state preferences, based on a cost-benefit analysis. The primary obstacle to cooperation for liberals, then, is the clash of interests between states. Realist political theory is largely based on the assumption that all states are self-interested and are driven by a desire for power and security. Their main goals are survival and maximizing relative power, therefore they are naturally...
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...However, after studying Christian Socialism in Socialist Theory class it began to be clear to me that Jesus was in fact socialist. The Four Gospels gave me some clues to derive to such conclusion. Although at first sight the Four Gospels seem to only tell us about Jesus’ life, you must analysis a bit further to begin to see similarities. Back in the day when the Four Gospels were written, there was no actual definition for socialism, nor even a term like this. However, Jesus claimed that in addition to asking his followers to respect and trust him, he also talks negatively about the wealthy people, stating that they are greedy and even says that a day will come when the rich and the poor will get what they deserve. The poor ones will travel to Heaven, whilst the rich will be sentenced to life in hell. The main issue with this theory is that it cannot be used to guide socialism. The theory is rather unreasonable especially when stating that the rich will only receive what they deserve once they die and not whilst they are on planet...
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...What Is Politics On hearing the word politics, what usually springs to mind are images of government, politicians and their policies or more negatively the idea of corruption and dirty tricks. The actual definition seems to have been obscured and almost lost by such representations and clichés that tend not to pinpoint the true essence, which defines this thing, called politics. In order to make an attempt at a definition of politics a systematic approach is required. To begin with, a brief historical overview will be considered, to understand the origins of politics. Following this, different core concepts, which are imperative to a definition of politics, will be discussed, in the hope to discover a true and fair interpretation of the word politics. The word politics comes from the Greek word "polis", meaning the state or community as a whole. The concept of the "polis" was an ideal state and came from the writings of great political thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. In his novel "The Republic", Plato describes the ideal state and the means to achieve it. Hence, the word politics originally has connotations in the ways in which to create the ideal society. An ideal society is in practice a rather difficult aim and even an impossible aim to achieve. Politics implies measures which could and should, in the views of their devisor, be implemented in the hope to create a better society, than that which is already present. The very...
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...What Is Politics On hearing the word politics, what usually springs to mind are images of government, politicians and their policies or more negatively the idea of corruption and dirty tricks. The actual definition seems to have been obscured and almost lost by such representations and clichés that tend not to pinpoint the true essence, which defines this thing, called politics. In order to make an attempt at a definition of politics a systematic approach is required. To begin with, a brief historical overview will be considered, to understand the origins of politics. Following this, different core concepts, which are imperative to a definition of politics, will be discussed, in the hope to discover a true and fair interpretation of the word politics. The word politics comes from the Greek word "polis", meaning the state or community as a whole. The concept of the "polis" was an ideal state and came from the writings of great political thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. In his novel "The Republic", Plato describes the ideal state and the means to achieve it. Hence, the word politics originally has connotations in the ways in which to create the ideal society. An ideal society is in practice a rather difficult aim and even an impossible aim to achieve. Politics implies measures which could and should, in the views of their devisor, be implemented in the hope to create a better society, than that which is already present. The very...
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...Assignment 5 Paper Both freedom and equality are political issues that have yet to be fully resolved and understood despite our nation being founded on both. Although we as a society have glamorized our country as being the “Land of the Free” and where “Everyone is created equal,” there are still social issues that give reason to believe that we as citizens of the United States aren’t so equal and not exactly all that free. In the Dialogue readings, I have selected four of which I feel could be strongly applied to the political beliefs of both freedom and equality. In the “Self and Society” book complied of different readings and philosophical authors, I have chosen Albert Camus, B.F. Skinner, Horace Miner, and C. Wright Mills as comparisons to the ideas on freedom and equality. In Camus’ reading entitled “The Guest,” the schoolmaster named Daru is visited by a horseman, Balducci. Alongside Balducci is his captive prisoner, an Arab who remains nameless throughout the reading. Balducci instructs Camus to take the prisoner to police headquarters to face accusations against a supposed crime he had committed. Throughout the story, Daru is seen living well in his furnished and heated home that looks over an impoverished, cold and often corrupt land. This demonstrates quite obviously that not everyone is considered equal, as the rest of the land is cold and freezing while Daru is kept warm. Daru, who goes against Balducci’s orders, and remains true to his own personal freedoms...
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...THE MAIN CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF HOMELESSNESS OUTLINE THESIS: According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ recent survey of homelessness in twenty-three cities, homelessness is one of the most persistent problems that U.S. citizens have faced in recent times. Many factors have been diagnosed as the causes of homelessness. Advanced research done by many students and organizations have however proven that domestic violence, lack of affordable decent housing, and unemployment are the main causes of homelessness among people. These causes and their corresponding effects tend to make people miserable for most parts of their lives. I. Homelessness A. Increased rate in this problem B. Examples of situations of homelessness C. Main causes of this dilemma II. Domestic violence as one of the main causes of homelessness A. Various forms of domestic violence B. Main victims of this demeaning act C. Effects on domestic violence on victims III. Lack of decent, affordable housing as a contributing factor A. Continuous increase in rent as a main reason for this situation B. Eviction of tenants due to inability to afford rent C. The Impact of unaffordable housing on citizens IV. Unemployment as a major cause of homelessness. A. Rate of unemployment in our society B. The contribution of unemployment to the problem of homelessness C. Consequences of natural disasters on victims V. Conclusion A. Consequences of homelessness in the lives of people B. Possible solutions...
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...According to Morris and Maisto (1998), the psychoanalytic theory begins with Freud’s discovery of the unconscious-all the ideas, thoughts and feelings of which an individual is not normally aware of. These ideas of Freud form the basis of psychoanalysis, a term that encompasses both his theory of personality and the form of therapy he invented. Morris and Maisto further explain that according to Freud, human behavior is based on unconscious instincts or drives and that some instinct are aggressive and destructive which he called thanatos and others such as hunger, thirst self preservation and sex which he called libido are necessary to the survival of a species. However, it is important to understand that Freud used the term sexual instincts to refer to not only erotic sexuality but also to the desire for virtually any form of pleasure. Thus in this broad sense Freud regarded the sexual instinct as the most critical fact in the development of personality. Holland (1995) explains further that Freud upon emphasizing the unconscious divided the mind into three parts, the conscious, preconscious and the unconscious. The conscious mind is what an individual is aware of at any particular moment, their present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies and feelings. The second, working closely with the conscious mind is what Freud called the preconscious, what is today called "available memory" that is anything that can easily be made conscious. Consequently, this leaves the unconscious...
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