...Biocentric Ethics Analysis SCI/362 June 29, 2015 Mark Leeper Biocentric Ethics Analysis The term biocentric ethics means any theory that views all life as possessing intrinsic value (DesJardins, 2013). Genetically modified organisms are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially changed in a laboratory through genetic engineering ("Non-Gmo Project", 2015). In recent news, there has been controversy over the use of GMOs. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Flavr Savr tomato for sale on grocery store shelves in 1994, more GMOs has since came on the market (GMOinside, n.d.). Does GMOs have inherent value? INHERENT VALUE Inherent value is a quality attributes to every creature that has a life that matters to it (Regan, 2004). According to DesJardins (2013), inherent value is to have value in and of oneself. Objects with inherent value are ends in themselves, not merely means to some other end (DesJardins, 2013). CONTROVERSY REGARDING GMOs There are two main problems that concern GMOs. GMOs have no boundaries and do not have labels. Once a genetically modified organism is planted they are in risk of contaminating any regular crops planted nearby (The Non-GMO Report, 2005). A survey reports that in the Midwest, where there are millions of acres of GM corn and soybean crops, up to 80% of organic farmers reported direct costs or damages resulting from genetic trespass (The Non-GMO Report, 2005). Unlike the organic...
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...Ethical Analysis of News Issue: Animal Rights Clearly define the ethical issue and provide a brief explanation as to why it is important. (4 marks) To many people, the concept of animal rights is absurd and long drawn. However, animal activism has increased in the recent past with formation of such organizations as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that seek to incorporate ethics when addressing issues related to animals (Joyce 2014, par. 1). Apparently, animal rights activists argue that animals too have rights as is with human beings. Their arguments are anchored in the premise that there should ethical rules that guide our treatment of animals. This implies that human beings have no permission to do some of the things on an animal notwithstanding the situation (Bekoff 2009, p. 14). In fact, the animal rights advocacy groups agitate for legislation of non-negotiable prohibition of animal mistreatment. However, there is a growing concern about the specific rights that animals given the fact that majority of definitions have not actually outlined the rights. The issue of animal rights is important especially in the wake of public policies that are informed by the arguments of animal ethics. Just recently, Australia and New Zealand had to cut their exports of animals to Pakistan given the brutality and cruelty that the animals suffered when being slaughtered (Joyce 2014, par. 6). For majority of the activists, animals have intrinsic value and should...
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...Animal Rights Introduction Ethics and morality have consistently been topics of concern in our society. Concerns about ethics and morality also extend to matters associated with the treatment of animals. The purpose of this discussion is to summarize and critique several different theories associated with the ethical treatment of animals. The discussion will focus on the treatment of animals as it relates to hunting and trapping animals, eating animals, using animals for research, and the manner in which domestic and wild animals are treated. The research will summarize and critique several theories including anthropocentrism, Animal liberation, Strong Animal Rights Theory, Weak(er) animal rights theory, Two-factor egalitarianism, biocentric egalitarianism, ecocentric views. Anthropocentrism Anthropocentrism views human being as the center of the universe and regards the world from the point of view of human values and experiences (Dictionary). According to the western philosopher Immanuel Kant human beings alone are rational beings and as such have intrinsic moral worth. Kant asserts that human beings do not owe animals anything because they are not rational beings. However, he does assert that people should be kind to animals but only because kindness to animals assists in developing character in human beings. In other words kindness to animals should not take place for the sake of the animal but for the betterment of the human being. In addition to Kant...
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...Ethical Challenges in Marketing Communication Ethics play an integral role in the development and sustenance of any personal or business relationship. Ethics determine the acceptable behaviors within a society and the overall behaviors of a business. Marketers must understand the impact ethics have on marketing communications and develop Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategies accordingly. This paper will discuss various ethical challenges facing marketers today, identify internal and external factors on IMC, and formulate two ethical questions based upon the analysis. Ethics in Marketing The practice of ethics within an organization is an important but difficult concept to understand and practice. The reason ethics are difficult to manage is that the concept is so subjective (Duncan 2002, pp. 671). Ethical values differ between societies and individual relationships, therefore a company must decide on an ethical communication strategy and portray it as consistently as possible. Duncan (2002) describes three ethical considerations companies must understand when developing marketing communications and relationships with customers. Stereotyping Stereotyping plays a significant role in developing marketing strategies that are both effective and ethical. "The challenge for brands is to develop messages that strike a chord with targeted audiences without reinforcing negative stereotypes" (pp. 672). Companies must ensure that their marketing tactics...
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...Biocentric Ethics Analysis Katherine Nagle SCI 362 Environmental Issues and Ethics Juliet Knowles December 23, 2013 Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are mankind’s solution to how the world supplies food. The effects are controversial, to all species. This paper will discuss inherent value, GMO’s the controversy, and insight into the difference between natural and GMO’s life, and how they are different. Inherent Value is the value that an entity has on itself, for what it is, or as an end. Many people value what they consume, some might say genetically modified organisms have made it harder for mankind to cure itself form deceases, as repercussion are unknown. GMO’s have been an ongoing debate for decades. While farmers fight to keep going they have been given an option to plant genetically modified seeds that might grow longer and more ample crops. World hunger and the pressure to produce a more ample harvest can not only cost farmers more, but can lead to lawsuits and accusations of mistrust between the producer of these seeds and the consumers. In 1986 genetically engineered tomatoes reduced many of the normal methods of preparation needed in preparing the growth of crops and made the tomatoes more resilient to many herbicides. The Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency did not seem too concerned over this new innovative technology. Eventually Bacillus thuringiensis was used in plants, an insect killer. This prevented...
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...Administrative Ethics: Advances in Lung Cancer Care HCS/335 Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 Administrative Ethics: Advances in Lung Cancer Care In this paper, there will be a description of what the newspaper article covers about Lung Cancer treatment plus the population this issue affects the most. Examples the article uses to argue or present facts supporting the treatment research of Lung Cancer Patients, explanation of ethical and legal issues do to the involvement this article is talking about, explanation of the managerial responsibilities related to administrative ethic issues, and identification of proposals to create solutions. Description of Newspaper Article and Those It Affects “More Americans die from lung cancer each year than from breast, colon and prostate cancers combined, according to the National Institutes of Health. But it has long suffered from a stigma because of its association with smoking, receiving far less research funding than other forms of cancer.” (Thoms, 2012, para. 5-6) In reading the above quote it should inspire some to promote more research completion in the area of Lung Cancer. Factual information such as this is what makes the medical professionals working in the area of Lung Cancer Treatment want to bring this awareness to the general public. Each day these professionals go to their careers and have to witness his or her patients suffering from this horrible disease. Their hands are tied on providing more...
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...Ethics The field of ethics (or moral philosophy) involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Metaethics investigates where our ethical principles come from, and what they mean. Are they merely social inventions? Do they involve more than expressions of our individual emotions? Metaethical answers to these questions focus on the issues of universal truths, the will of God, the role of reason in ethical judgments, and the meaning of ethical terms themselves. Normative ethics takes on a more practical task, which is to arrive at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. This may involve articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the duties that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on others. Finally, applied ethics involves examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion, infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homosexuality, capital punishment, or nuclear war. By using the conceptual tools of metaethics and normative ethics, discussions in applied ethics try to resolve these controversial issues. The lines of distinction between metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics are often blurry. For example, the issue of abortion is an applied ethical topic since it involves a specific type of controversial behavior. But it also depends...
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...society. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral customs are formed. Immanuel Kant presented one perspective in The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his skill to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another belief as presented in the book, Utilitarianism, which is seemingly conflicting with the thoughts of Kant. What is most unique about the ethics of morality is the idea of responsibilities to particular individuals. According to both Mill and Kant, moral obligations are not fundamentally particularistic because they are rooted in universal moral principles. Both philosophers have made great impacts in their niche areas in the field. An analysis of their theories may help develop a better understanding of them and their theories. Mill holds an empiricist theory while Kant holds a rationalist theory. Kant explains morality through forms that he believes are essential to free and sensible judgment. Mill’s utilitarian approach is a form of consequential theory because the rightness or wrongness of an act is determined by the outcomes. Kant’s ethics of duty is the foundation for his categorical imperative, which gives the basis for his universal duty based theory. Mill’s theory of utilitarianism is the main structure of consequentialism. John Stuart Mill, who made utilitarianism the subject of one of...
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...The Ethics and Attitudes towards Ecotourism in the Philippines - Mary Ann Chen Ng, MSc. Eubios Ethics Institute, Philippines Email: maryannchenng@yahoo.com The Philippines, a developing country in South East Asia, is faced with the challenges of an increasing population, poverty, inequality, and corruption. With more than a quarter of the Filipino population falling below the poverty threshold, the pressure for productivity and growth has led to practices that have resulted in environmental stress and degradation. In response, the Philippine government has adopted the rhetoric of sustainable development as defined by the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development. Government policies on economic development have reflected this vision of sustainability and poverty reduction. A major part of the government's economic development plan is ecotourism. In preparation for 2003: Visit the Philippines Year, the Department of Tourism has been actively marketing the country as a safe tropical holiday destination (DOTa, 2002). The aggressive sales missions and advertising campaigns, along with the various activities in 2002 commemorating the International Year of Ecotourism, aim to increase visitor arrivals, and consequently bring in more foreign currency to the country. How much is actually at stake? In 2000 alone, the total annual revenue directly attributed from tourism amounted to about US$ 2.5 billion. There were 1.8 million...
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...Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice Prepared by the Committee on Professional Ethics Approved by the Board of Directors, August 7, 1999 Executive Summary This document contains two parts: I. Preamble and II. Ethical Guidelines. The Preamble addresses A. Purpose of the Guidelines, B. Statistics and Society, and C. Shared Values. The purpose of the document is to encourage ethical and effective statistical work in morally conducive working environments. It is also intended to assist students in learning to perform statistical work responsibly. Statistics plays a vital role in many aspects of science, the economy, governance, and even entertainment. It is important that all statistical practitioners recognize their potential impact on the broader society and the attendant ethical obligations to perform their work responsibly. Furthermore, practitioners are encouraged to exercise "good professional citizenship" in order to improve the public climate for, understanding of, and respect for the use of statistics throughout its range of applications. The Ethical Guidelines address eight general topic areas and specify important ethical considerations under each topic. A. Professionalism points out the need for competence, judgment, diligence, self-respect, and worthiness of the respect of other people. B. Responsibilities to Funders, Clients, and Employers discusses the practitioner's responsibility for assuring that statistical work is suitable to the needs...
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...Metaethics Metaethics is a branch of analytic philosophy that explores the status, foundations, and scope of moral values, properties, and words. Whereas the fields of applied ethics and normative theoryfocus on what is moral, metaethics focuses on what morality itself is. Just as two people may disagree about the ethics of, for example, physician-assisted suicide, while nonetheless agreeing at the more abstract level of a general normative theory such as Utilitarianism, so too may people who disagree at the level of a general normative theory nonetheless agree about the fundamental existence and status of morality itself, or vice versa. In this way, metaethics may be thought of as a highly abstract way of thinking philosophically about morality. For this reason, metaethics is also occasionally referred to as “second-order” moral theorizing, to distinguish it from the “first-order” level of normative theory. Metaethical positions may be divided according to how they respond to questions such as the following: * Ÿ What exactly are people doing when they use moral words such as “good” and “right”? * Ÿ What precisely is a moral value in the first place, and are such values similar to other familiar sorts of entities, such as objects and properties? * Ÿ Where do moral values come from—what is their source and foundation? * Ÿ Are some things morally right or wrong for all people at all times, or does morality instead vary from person to person, context to context...
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...As I read its history, economic theory has nearly completed its last great detour away from sanity, and is rapidly running out of alternatives to a renewal of “natural-law economics.” If such a renewal occurs, it won’t be because economists have decided to sit down and learn from philosophers (or, God forbid, theologians)—nothing could be farther from their minds—but for the same reason as the last seismic shift in economics, which began in the 1870s: a growing number of economists are finding the current state of economic theory a professional embarrassment. Of course, I may be underestimating the average economist’s threshold of embarrassment. But let me explain the nature of that * John D. Mueller is Associate Scholar of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and president of LBMC LLC, a financial-markets forecasting firm. For most of the 1980s he was Economic Counsel to the House Republican Conference (caucus) under chairman Jack Kemp. The research on which this article is based was made possible by The Lehrman Institute and the James Madison Program at Princeton University. 2 embarrassment, why only a renewed “natural law economics” will relieve it, and why non-economists should care. A Brief History of Economics. The most emblematic moment for economic theory since the Second...
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...RIGHTS THEORY (BONUS THEORY ) • TENTATIVE COMPARISON (TABLE & GRAPH) • CRITICISM AGAINST DEONTOLOGY: “ “ UTILITARIANISM “ “ RIGHTS “ “ CASUIST “ “ VIRTUE • CONCLUSION • REFERENCES CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL THEORIES INTRODUCTION The art of critiquing is basically to appraise a work i.e articles, write-ups, novels etc. Critiquing does not aim to condemn or castigate a paper but to seek the flaws, identify the various meanings, put up better explanations on the subject, seek the weaknesses and strengths and give opinions to enhance the quality of the discourse. The topic of this discourse is ETHICAL THEORIES CRITICISM. We shall examine the definition of ethics, the meaning of ethical theories, types of ethnical theories and the various submissions of famous scholars, its relevance to the society interactivity and criticize them in comparison with what obtains in the modern day. DEFINITION Ethical theories and principles are the...
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...the rise in the earth’s temperature (ACU, 2013b). For the purpose of this essay it is assumed that global warming results from human production of excess green house gases including carbon dioxide emissions (Gore, 2006). These gases form a layer in the earth’s atmosphere causing the sun’s rays to be reflected back down to earth and this called the Green House Effect further exacerbated by burning fossil fuels, deforestation and altering natural landscapes (ACU, 2013b). The effects of Global Warming are projected to rise over the next 50-100 years causing droughts, crop failures and imbalances in the ecosystem thus creating the polar icecaps to melt and sea levels to rise, changes in food productivity and the extinction of many plants and animals jeopardising future generations (Fournier, 2011). Evidence suggests our world’s poorest countries, contribute little to climate change. They are least able to afford mitigation; actions taken...
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...Ecologism: Core themes | Ecology | * Ecology developed as a distinct branch of biology through a growing recognition that plants and animals are sustained by self-regulating natural systems (i.e. ecosystem) composed of both living and non-living elements. All ecosystems tend towards a state of harmony or equilibrium through a system of state regulation. Biologists refer to this as homeostasis: Process where food and other resources are recycled and the population size of animals; insects and plants naturally adjust to the available food supply.Eco systems interact with other ecosystems.E.g. A lake may constitute an ecosystem, but it also needs to be fed fresh water from tributaries and receive warmth and energy from the sun. In turn, lakes provide water and food for species living along its shores. The natural world is therefore made up of a complex web of ecosystems – the largest of which is the global ecosystem: the “ecosphere” or “biosphere”.Ecologists argue that humankind currently faces the prospect of environmental disaster because of material wealth.Material wealth and consumption upsets the ‘balance of nature’ and endangered the ecosystems that make human life possible. * This is all a result of the growth in human population * The depletion of finite and irreplaceable resources such as: Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas * The eradication of tropical rain forests * The pollution of rivers, lakes and forests and air itselfEcologism presents a radically different...
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