...Gender Equality in the United States PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor: August 26 , 2015 The topic I chose to discuss is gender equality, one of the greatest controversy’s debated across the ages. I believe the Utilitarianism has influenced American society in regards to gender equality. I believe that women in society have benefited greatly from utilitarianism way of thinking. This theory as I feel it has been applied in American society, has clouded the judgement of our society and it has become a norm. In our strides to make the genders equal we have failed to step back and see the reasoning behind or look at the effects it will have. It’s had adverse effects on many parts of our society especially the work force and in our court systems. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that says “given a choice one should make the choice that will bring the most happiness to the greatest amount of people. With the utilitarianism theory it is believed that humans will seek pleasure meaning happiness, such as having a family have that dream job, or even having that dream job. The theory also implies that humans in seeking happiness we also try to avoid pain, losing our families, going to jail or not having the money you want. The theory suggests that our pursuit of happiness and our avoidance of pain go hand in hand with our daily decisions throughout our lives. (http://vizedhtmlcontent...
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...“Famine, Affluence, and Morality” Kala Butts PHI208 Megan McLaughlin July 22, 2013 “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” by Peter Singer talks about over in Bengal, they are having some issues with the food, shelter and medical care for the people. He says that “a civil war have turned at least nine million people into destitute refuges”. He is upset that other nations have enough money and is just sitting back watching this happen to Bengal instead of giving money to help out with the food, shelter and medical expenses for these people. He states “the decisions and actions of human begins can prevent this kind of suffering”. What he is saying is that there is no reason that people should be going hungry or be without shelter or medicine when there are other wealthy nations that can help out in a time of need. To me, this would be the right thing to do, help out someone in need. The Bible talks about how we should love the neighbor as we love our self which, to me, means if I see someone who is in need then I should be my best to try to help that person as I would help myself. There are a lot of people out there that would say “I have to have food and a place to stay for my family too” and this is every true but you have to turn the table and see how you would feel if you were in the same boat. There are many organizations that have a fund set aside just for helping others in need. I know that I may self don’t have enough money to give a donation...
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...“Famine, Affluence, and Morality” PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning (GSP1309J) Instructor: Kathleen Andrews November 10, 2013 In Peter Singer's "Famine, Affluence, and Morality", he argues that the way people in relative affluent countries react to a situation like that in Bengal cannot be justified. His reason for saying this is due to his belief in his principle "if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally to do it". I disagree with his point of view and I will provide explanations as well as bring in my own arguments to show why I refuse to accept his said conclusion. Singer begins with the assumption that suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad. Therefore, according to his principle, we must to our best prevent situations such as that in Bengal where people die from lack of food, shelter and medical care, from happening without sacrificing anything comparably important. We could deny this assumption but in doing so, we would not be honest to ourselves. Assuming the Principle of Universalizability, he claims that it makes no moral difference whether the person I can help is a neighbor’s child ten yards away or a Bengali stranger who is ten thousand yards away. I will challenge this assumption by modifying his example: There are two people drowning in a pool, one is your cousin and...
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...Deontology & Slavery PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Deontological ethics is a moral theory that is somewhat agreeable and sympathetic to human rights. Deontology focuses not on the consequences of actions but on the duties we have; and one man’s rights are another man’s duties. Deontology is based on the idea that good consequences do not override our duties. Doing the right thing is more important than increasing the good in society. The idea is that if you do the right thing versus what is good for society ultimately it will become what is good for society. Deontology does not accept slavery. Humans should be treated as objects of intrinsic moral value; that is, as ends in themselves and never as a mere means to some other end. We are not to enslave torture or murder one person even if that would increase total welfare. Respecting people’s right to be free is not simply good to do because you will be condemned if you don’t. It’s also more than the proper thing to do. It’s not just something that is strongly logical or something that you should do. Deontology is based on duties. A duty is specific and is something you must do. In all of my research I find that deontological ethics is widely against slavery in every way. Whether is against slavery because of the action or the consequence you will find that no form of deontology supports slavery. Based on Immanuel Kant’s ideal justice would always be safeguarded for individuals who are always “ends in themselves”...
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...Euthyphro Lisa White PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Instructor: Ian McDougall May 27, 2013 Euthyphro 1- Explain how the concept of holiness emerges in the dialogue and why it takes a prominent position in the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro. In the Euthyphro, the concept of holiness emerges as Socrates and Euthypho are discussing how Euthypho’s father is accused of murder. They start off my discussing if the murder was just or not. If the murder was just then Euthypho has a duty to let the matter be. If the murder was unjust then action should be taken against him. Euthypho then states that “A son is impious who prosecutes a father. Which shows, Socrates, how little they know what the gods think about piety and impiety.” (Plato, ND) After which Socrates questions what piety and impiety means. This then spurs the conversation towards their concepts of holiness. 2- Present the three definitions that Euthyphro uses in his response to Socrates, and then explain how Socrates refutes each of Euthyphro’s definitions. The first definition that Euthyphro uses is that piety is doing as he is doing, by persecuting any one that is guilty, whether it is of murder, sacrilege or anything that is similar to that. He states that impiety is not punishing those that are guilty of murder or sacrilege. Socrates feels that this is not a definition and isn’t dealt with properly. Socrates refutes this by stating those who prosecute are an example of a holy act and not a...
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...Applying an Ethical Theory PHI208 Kristy Villone March 30, 2014 Should assisted death, or euthanasia be an option for the terminally ill? In 1994, the Oregon Death With Dignity Act was formed, making Oregon the first state to legalize physician assisted deaths with restrictions. As of today, Washington, Vermont, New Mexico, along with Oregon are all legalized in euthanasia. The individuals wanting to end their life must be at least 18 years of age with a terminal illness, be a state resident, and have less than six months to live (Procon.org 2014). The question is, is euthanasia ethical? In this paper, I will be focusing on euthanasia and how it relates to the Deontology Theory. The Deontology Theory relates to the rights and wrongs of actions themselves. It is defined as "the focus on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actions rather than on the consequences of those actions” (Mosser, 2013). Meaning, the act is right or wrong, depending upon the action in which it was brought upon. In general, Deontologist tend to focus on the the will of the person and their intentions. Euthanasia is a very debatable topic. It is a heated topic because it relates to death. Some may say euthanasia is allowing people to die, which is the same as killing. Whereas others may see it as the right to die, especially when one is suffering with a terminal illness …."life is a precious gift from God. To end it prematurely is to reject that gift; only God should determine when...
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...Terrorism and Ethics PHI208 Rebecca Wilson January 24, 2015 Terrorism and Ethics Since the beginning of time, humans have fought one another to establish power. More specifically, Americans have been involved in many wars over the years. Some of these wars have been about nothing more than a power trip, but more recently there has been an ongoing war against terrorism. When thinking of a war and the violence that comes along with it, it seems as though all measures should be taken to prevent such a tragic resolution. When those measures are not successful, or an attack is made on an opposing country, war is usually inevitable, especially when there is terrorism involved. The question arises: Is war on terrorism ethical and just? Using the utilitarian and deontologist theories, I will demonstrate how war on terrorism is in fact justified. Utilitarianism is the theory that the consequences of an action determine the morality of the act; it is also focused on an outcome that appeases the majority (Mosser, 2013). For example, if my children both like pepperoni only on their pizza, and we are a family of three, it would make the most sense to order a pepperoni pizza rather than a deluxe since the pepperoni appeases both children. Since utility is based on consequences, this scenario works because while I enjoy deluxe pizza and it would please me, my children are the majority and pepperoni isn’t bad at all. When applying this ethical theory to the topic of war on terrorism...
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...Euthyphro by Plato Essay Porsha Jones PHI208 February 03,2014 Megan McLaughlin Socrates is accused for corrupting the young Athenians and not believing in the Gods and is facing trial. Socrates requests that Euthyphro teach him the meaning of piety, when he finds out that Euthyphro is persecuting his father for being impious. Euthyphro gives off attributes instead of the nature of piety. Socrates refutes Euthyphro's responses and persuades him to agree on what Socrates believes. They both agree eventually on piety having to do with justice The concept of holiness emerges into the dialogue from the moment it was known that Socrates was accused for lacking holiness and misrepresenting religious doctrine, and this is why he was facing trial. Socrates ask Euthyphro for the definition of piety and it is when Euthyphro responds the second time telling Socrates that holiness is what is pleasant to the gods, that it comes into notion. Holiness is important in the dialogue not only to prove that Euthyphro was not as wise as he thought but also so Socrates could know the nature of piety and use it to justify himself and his lifestyle. With Euthyphro being a believer of the gods and Socrates not believing in the gods, Socrates criticized Euthyphro's thoughts. Socrates uses elenchos approach with Euthyphro by asking questions of others to try and lead them indirectly to the truth. He is facing trial for this reason, he was accused of...
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...Euthyphro – Plato Shadd Campbell PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning (ABP1322G) Instructor: Megan McLaughlin June 16, 2013 Euthyphro is Socrates' most primitive dialogues as scripted by Plato. In this specific dialogue Socrates is debating alongside Euthyphro, a spiritual expert in Athens at the time. The subject of converse is considering Piety or the trusted of holiness. The trusted emerges as such - Socrates meets Euthyphro beyond the Athenian courthouse and flatters Euthyphro because the last was in the courts to prosecute his own father who is blamed of unintentionally killing a pugnacious and murderous retained hand of the family. He flatted Euthyphro by saying the Euthyphro have to comprehend all that their eyes to comprehend considering faith if he was given such a task and if he is indeed such an expert, Socrates wishes to notice from him. This begins the converse alongside regards to piety or holiness in the dialogue as instantly, Euthyphro falls into the Socratic trap. Piety or Holiness is the persecution of the convicts and sinners and spiritual offenders. The opposite subsequently of not persecuting or disciplining them, in spite of their offense is unholy. This is Euthyphro's main definition. Socrates nevertheless trusted that this is flawed because as Eutyphro endowed good examples, he merely conversations considering deeds that are divine and does not itself delineate holiness. This grasped Euthyphro to give a meaning by that holiness can...
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...Ethics Vivian Legarde PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Michele Clearman-Warner 6/6/13 Ethics The most convincing ethical system is religion. While ethics and religion are sometimes distinct fields, they are also brought together by the ways in which both determine what is right and what is wrong. For example, there are laws in society that state that rape, murder, assault and so forth are ethically wrong. A person's religion can give them deeper meaning behind these types of laws. Furthermore, they can cause a person to question if certain laws, abortion laws for example, should really fall under the category of ethics. It is necessary to have universal ethical principles. There are several ethical standards that seem to apply across cultures. The idea of a parent's duty to his/her child, a prohibition against killing useful members of society, and prohibition against incest are all examples of these universal morals. Most cultures also have some version of the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A practicable Code of Universal Ethics was proposed by Enno Winkler. Many organizations and professions have come up with their own "universal code of ethics." For example, the scientists' professional code of ethics includes the following moral standards * Act with skill and care in all scientific work. Maintain up to date skills and assist their development in others. * Take steps to prevent corrupt practices and professional misconduct...
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...Famine, Affluence, and Morality PHI208 Daniel Beteta March 25, 2013 Famine, Affluence, and Morality Giving to charity usually is viewed as a generous act, most people who give to charitable causes are held in high regard and thought of as good people, the question peter singer is asking us to consider in the article “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” is where is the moral grey area between charity and obligation when it comes to giving up what we have for others. Who in society decides what is good but not wrong to not do as charity is considered. I can achieve this by looking at Singers arguments, counterarguments and concept of marginal utility while comparing how duty and charity change in the article. The article opens by detailing the famine East Bengal is experiencing in 1971 in details and lists the causes of the Famine, and the number of refugees that amounts to roughly 9 million. Then he lists the affluent nations who are doing basically nothing to help these people, the citizens are not donating or protesting and the governments even if giving to the relief are not doing enough. “Generally speaking, people have not given large sums to relief funds; they have not written to their parliamentary representatives demanding increased government assistance; they have not demonstrated in the streets, held symbolic fasts, or done anything else directed toward providing there refugees with the means to satisfy their essential needs.”(Singer, 1972) From the start his...
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...“Famine, Affluence, & Mortality” – Peter Singer Shelly Fowler PHI208 – Ethics & Moral Reasoning Instructor Robert Vaughan May 13, 2013 “Famine, Affluence, & Mortality” – Peter Singer Singer spoke about how this South Asian territory of Bengal was suffering from starvation. He sheds light on the devastating state of the Bengali people who were then known as refugees. The pressure is put on the reader to acknowledge not only the people who around you who needs help, but to assist people who you may not ever come in contact with as well. If the reader had not ever heard of the Bengal Relief Fund, they definitely left with the mindset of making a change to help these people whom they may never see in their lives. There were a few counter arguments that Singer faced within the reading. One was how wealthy countries should change their point of view in helping cripple and famine third world countries. He wanted to create a sense of urgency and loyalty to these people by shedding light on their lack of food, shelter, and medical supplies. Rich countries should take some form of accountability in helping these people even if it means they have to cut back on some of their own fibulas spending habits. Taking care of our own neighbor and forgetting about people whom we cannot see nor touch should be a thought process of the past. Our societies focus on the luxuries in life while we should be focusing on saving a life. Another counter argument Singer spoke upon was...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Shirley Whitley PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Rebecca Wilson October 27, 2013 When you think about legalizing marijuana, what comes to your mind first? The benefits it would have on legalizing marijuana. Everywhere you go someone is debating whether we should or should not legalize marijuana. There’s a lot of good in this plant. Having an open mind, there is advantages and disadvantages that it can have for this country. There is medicinal marijuana. Now what comes to question now, what is the relationship between the scientific knowledge and other types of knowledge? I will attempt to express how marijuana can benefit everybody if it was to be legalized. This is a universal plant. Marijuana can be used to treat different illnesses. This universal plant can treat constipation, female weakness, gout, malaria, rheumatism and absent mindedness, this is just a few names according to Bloomquist. Different countries used it to treat hydrophobia, delirium, and skin disease, protracted labor during child birth, asthma, hay fever, and cholera. (Bloomquist, 1968) Ten percent of patients who has fibromyalgia syndrome use marijuana for medicinal relief from FMS symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, and insomnia, according to research published in arthritis care and research. A pain levels were measured using the visual analog scale functional ability was thought to be with fibromyalgia questions: A psychologist evaluated all patients for previous...
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...Utilitarian Approach to Non-Human Life Randi A. Teel PHI208 Ethic and Moral Reasoning Instructor Galen Johnson June 23, 2014 \ Animals: Deserving of Utilitarianism? 1 Utilitarianism is best defined as given a choice between two acts, the one that creates greater happiness for the greatest number of people should be chosen. This should be applied to non-human beings as well. Animals are essential in our everyday lives. They provide companionship, nourishment for our bodies and can provide amazement to our eyes when seen in their natural habitat. They are important in human life. They deserve respect. We as the superior being should make decisions for non-humans based on the utilitarianism approach creating greater happiness or good for the greater numbers. Our decisions based on this approach when making choices where non-humans are concerned will be a beneficial choice for both humans and animals. So what do humans and animals have in common? René Descartes, for instance, regarded animals as simply “physical bodies that lacked minds or souls; thus, animals were similar to organic machines.” (Mosser, 2013) This type of thought is also coincides with Western and Christian thinking. That is, all is ranked from highest to lowest. God and Angels are the highest...
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...Christal Anderson PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Julie Pedersen Peter Singer September 30, 2013 Singer’s overall goal was to inform us about things that we can help contribute to. He was trying to explain the morality of the world. For example he stated, “The decisions and actions of human beings can prevent this kind of suffering. Unfortunately, human beings have not made the necessary decisions. At the individual level, people have, with very few exceptions, not responded to the situation in any significant way.” This is saying that we as humans need to make better situations when it comes to affluence and morality. If something tragic was to happen to us we would want others to come to our aid. Three the counter arguments are, having lacked food, shelter, and medical attention, if 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, and It is the government’s responsibility to provide for famine relief, and giving to privately organized famine-relief agencies will only encourage the government to shirk its responsibility. Having being lacked in essential things we need to survive is very bad. Lacking in these things can cause suffering and death. Now, if we can prevent something bad from happening we should. As long as we are not causing harm, danger, or any wrong doing to the situation. Singer’s example was, “if I am walking past a shallow pond and see...
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