To Tell Or Not To Tell Essays - Deontological Ethics,

To Tell Or Not To Tell Baracker, Gabe 2-16-98 Phil 102 GTF: Tim Rohrer essay exam #2 1. You are at a party and you see your best friend's girl/boyfriend making out rather intensely with someone (someone other than your friend). After a while they get up, walking right by you without noticing you, they disappear into a room together. Do you have a duty to tell your friend what you saw? Do you consider the consequences of telling your friend before you decide whether to tell them about what you saw? Does it matter what kind of person you would be if you told/didn't tell them? Discuss this situation with respect to three of the theorists we have studied-one who focuses on duty, another who focuses on the consequences, and a third who thinks it is important to consider what kind of human being we are/want to be. What question(s) do you think to be most important to ask? Give reasons for your answer. (You may supply details and vary the situation as necessary to bring out particular philosophical theories.) To Tell Or Not To Tell? That, Is The Question. Quite a predicament, isn't it? I really do not believe that there is a right or wrong answer for this type of situation. Either way you are going to get burned. It is just that by whom you will be burned, that is in question. I think that everyone has probably been in a situation somewhat like this, right? I sure know that I have. Actually, I think that I have probably been in all four positions, that of boyfriend being cheated on, on-looking best friend of boyfriend, cheating boyfriend, and of the boy making out with the girlfriend of the boyfriend who happens to be the on-looking friend's best friend. Therefore, I must have firsthand and pretty excellent knowledge to clearly assess and resolve the situation at hand, right? Wrong. It is quite a bit more complicated than that. What will your best friend think of you after telling him the horrible news? Will he not like you anymore? Should you just mind your own business and not tell him at all? It can be dealt with by any number of means. The innumerable amount of choices or avenues to be taken, make the final decision hard to determine. Immanuel Kant would argue that we must tell our friend the truth because it is our moral duty, while Bernard Williams would have us consider how we would view ourselves before or after we spilled the beans. Still another, John M. Taurek, would have us consider the consequences to the parties involved if the truth was known. Theorists and philosophers such as these have argued for centuries about what would be the appropriate choice given situations like this. Immanuel Kant would have me tell my friend about his girlfriend fooling around behind his back. He believed that any action (my telling him the truth) must come from a sense of duty and that duty is a moral necessity. Categorical imperatives are moral requirements which are unquestionable in terms of commanding what a person must do. The categorical imperative is thought to be the rational action. Kant believes there is a connection between what is moral and what is rational. This is because he believes that a moral action must be based on good reasoning. For instance, it is the morally correct thing to do to tell the truth because there are negative repercussions that result from lying. Furthermore, Kant believes that a categorical imperative must apply in all situations and for all people; to be universal or have a universal moral law. He thinks that it is the rational thing to have consistency in morals. So in the end I tell my friend what I saw. I do this because it is my duty to do the right thing and to tell the truth. ?There are many people we are not in a position to help at all? (Doing and Being, 51). This is how I feel in answering this question. There is not one brilliant answer to this situation. John M. Taurek offers this solution to the problem of the cheating girlfriend. He focuses on whether or not the number of people affected counts as something to consider when presented with a dilemma. He also states in the life-saving drug example that ?I will save my friend.? and it is not morally wrong to do that. Taurek objects to the utilitarian thought that treats people as

flag desecretation essays

flag desecretation essays Through traditional costing methods there is a high probability that some products will receive more costs than they should. This is because there is no clear distinction between the activities that generate the cost and the products associated with it. Activity Based Costing (ABC) was created to identify key differences in costcreation activities and to more accurately allocate costs to their cost driver (Kinsella, 2002, p. 52). There are major benefits associated with using an ABC system, so why dont more companies use it? Straight-forward in theory, ABC proved more difficult to put into practice. Instead of gaining more ground with companies, ABC fell to the wayside, because most companies viewed it as extremely cumbersome. Once at the top of Bains List for management tools, it has now fallen to the 22nd slot (Easier than ABC, 2003, p. 1). Now with the economy at an all time low, companies are re-examining ABC to see if it can help them to align the activities with the cos t they produce. For a company to succeed with ABC they need to look at the companies who have implemented an ABC system successfully, those who have been unsuccessful with ABC, and try to make a determination if an ABC system is right for their company. Advocates of ABC describe it as one of the greatest tools in management accounting, working wonders for all that ails an organization (Tatikonda, 2003, p. 1). Several companies have implemented an ABC system successfully and reaped many benefits from it. After the 09/11/2001 tragedy most airline companies had losses exceeding $10 Billion. Not Southwest Airlines, they sustained their record of 30 years of annual profits and they attributed much of their success to their ABC system (Sherrat, 2003, p. 60) Many companies expected the heydays of the 90s to end and prepared for it by installing an ABC system deep into their organizations. This helped managers to understand what ...

Cultural Awareness on Iran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Awareness on Iran - Research Paper Example Iran possesses a unique culture that traverses across several elements. Culture is an aspect that achieves definition from different entities. Iranian culture belongs to the larger Persian identity that defines most countries in the same region. Persian culture forms one of the richest compositions in the world. This relates to literature, architecture and live customs that date back to three thousand years ago in the Zoroastrian age. Throughout civilization, this culture transferred to the eastern and western nations. It is notable that many western celebrations achieve their articulation from Persian culture. Art is an imminent feature of Persian culture. Art and culture interweave to form a prominent civilization. This reveals in the form of exquisite carpets, distinct architecture, subtle soulful music, blue mosques and brilliant literary work. Notably, Farsi forms one of the richest languages in the world. ... Bakhtiaris and Lurs speak the Luri dialect. There are semi nomadic people who speak the Baluchi language. They live in the adjacent areas, of Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the southeastern Iran. Twenty eight percent, of the Iranians, speak various Turkish dialects. Arabs and Assyrians mostly speak Semitic languages. Islam defines the core of Iranian culture and life. Islam forms the religion that governs political economic, legal and personal lives of Iran. In this aspect, Prophet Muhammad is the last God emissary that brought revelation to mankind. Islam provides that this message belongs to the whole of mankind. As in the example, of the Bible, Quran is the basic guidance of their religious life. Unlike the provision of the Bible, Quran strongly dictates many aspects of Iranian lives. Muslims have notable obligations such as praying five times a day. Friday forms a holy day in the Muslim worship calendar. Islam is an influential religion that dictates closure of companies on Thursda ys. In the holy month, of Ramadan, all Muslims are mandated to fast. Notably, Iran forms the only Shi’ite state of all the Muslim countries. Sunnis believe that the successive leadership of the Muslims did not have to come from the Prophet Muhammad family. The Shi’ite believes that the Islam leadership should have been monarchial. Iran and Iraq possess the highest population of Shi’ites. In terms of family values, the family forms the core social unit. In an Iranian setting, a family forms a very private unit. This is a distinct aspect whereby female relatives face protection from outside influences. A clear manifestation, of this cultural aspect, pertains to the taboo of asking a question about female relatives and someone’s life.

The Rise of the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Rise of the Internet - Essay Example From seeking knowledge to making friends on the internet and from paying bills online to purchasing groceries from online stores; the internet holds a significant place in my life. And not just in my life, the rise of the internet in the past few years has changed the way of living and thinking of many people all around the globe. Once it was the time when access to any information was limited, however; the advent of the internet has given the true meaning to the word of â€Å"information and its access† to anyone anywhere in the world. For me as a student, it is now much easier to gain access to any kind of e-book, information, and e-library within minutes without buying expensive books to study. With the passage of time, the internet has become an important element of one’s life. The Internet has played a vital role in my life in a positive manner. The rise and use of the internet may have its adverse impacts on the lives of many people. The usage of the internet depends on how a person takes advantage of the facility. Some may use it negatively while others can benefit themselves from the unlimited advantages of the internet (Young, 1996). As far as my life is concerned, the internet plays a very important role in it. It keeps me connected to my family members and friends who are living far away. The Internet has shrunk the distance and the boundaries between the relations. But sometimes I think that because of our too much dependency on the internet has made us more cyber social and less social in real life. Like any other technology, this is a major drawback. I see myself as more actively involved in social media networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter as compare to meeting and interacting with friends in person. Updating statuses and sharing vid eos and photos have become an important part of my life.

The Effect of the Russian Orthodox Religion Essay Example for Free

The Effect of the Russian Orthodox Religion Essay Orthodox Christianity has had an immense effect on the culture of Russia. The adoption of the Orthodox faith from Constantinople by Prince Vladimir in 988 introduced cultural influences that profoundly affected the Russian consciousness. As the people embraced Orthodoxy it developed a uniquely Russian flavor and rooted deep in the fertile Russian soul. Orthodoxy had a major impact on politics, art, and nearly every other aspect of Russias culture. Orthodoxy helped forge Russias world view and defined her place in the world. The church affected the thought patterns and motivations of a whole culture and changed the way Russians thought about themselves and the ways that they lived their lives. The church acted as a unifying factor for the Russian nation. Church holidays and fasts enriched and brought meaning to the cycle of seasons and sowing in the subsistence society. Russians possessed a deep religious faith and from it they derived a sense of purpose in the universe and the promise of salvation. The church nourished and preserved the culture of Russia during centuries of internal strife and foreign intervention. Orthodox people feel a strong sense of community and brotherhood towards one another through a shared bond of faith. As a result of this emphasis on community, the rights of the group tend to take precedence over the rights of the individual in Russian culture. The Orthodox and Catholic faiths had an adversarial relationship for years. As this rift deepened and grew increasingly antagonistic, the rift between the East and the West also grew. The difference in religion between Russia and Europe can largely explain the vast differences that developed in their cul tures. The Tsar of All Russia derived his power and right to rule from his status as Gods chosen representative on earth. As it is God alone who bestowed power on the tsar, it was in the best interest of the monarchy to protect and promote the church. This conception of the tsar possessing a divine right to rule contributed to the political passivity of the Russian people. In the Byzantium tradition the concept of symphonia defined the relationship between the church and the state and acted as a balance on the unlimited power of the tsar. As the head of the church and the head of the state, the metropolitan and the tsar were equals and the metropolitan had the right to  censure the tsar. The dispute between the Possessors and the Non-Possessors challenged the idea of symphonia, or harmony and cooperation between the pillars of society. The Possessors and the Non-Possessors held vastly different ideas about the role the church should play in society and politics. When the philosophy of the Possessors triumphed, the church gained the right to wealth and serfs at the expense of political influence. The tsar became superior to the metropolitan, and the regime could now interfere in secular matters of the church. The release of the tsar from any source of accountability left the tsar with absolute, unlimited power. The abuses of Ivan the Terrible typify the danger of absolute rule left unchecked. The Russian people actually believed that God had sent Ivan to rule Russia as a punishment for her sins. The split between the two factions caused the losers, the Non-Possessors, to be reviled as heretics. This had a negative effect because the church came to be represented by a faction instead of through a consensus. This led to only one set of ideas being developed in the church and the culture and as a result it lost some of its vitality. The Possessors made ritual sacrosanct. Every gesture, word, and movement was significant and to deviate from the service in any way would be heresy. This emphasis in the exterior form of religion over inner exultation paved the way for another conflict that was to seriously undermine the power of the church. The third Rome theory was formulated by the monk Philotheus in the fifteenth century. He asserted that Russia was the heir and protector of the only true faith. Rome and Constantinople had both fallen and Moscow was the third and final seat of Orthodoxy. This theory legitimized the Russian Orthodoxys power and affirmed that she was no longer dependent on Constantinople. A church schism occurred in the seventeenth century due to changes in ritual implemented by the Patriarch Nikon. His attempts to rectify inconsistencies in the rituals of the Greeks and the Russians were merely to establish greater solidarity and continuity between the two faiths. Russia was trying to help the Greeks who were living under Turkish rule since 1439. Russia had a sense of manifest destiny and she felt that she had been chosen to defend the Eastern Orthodox peoples. The belief that ritual must be sacrosanct caused the alteration of ritual to be considered heretical. Those who  refused to change their rhythms of worship were called Old Believers and they were executed and silenced by the authorities. The Old Believers insisted on following the old forms because they feared committing heresy. The way they saw the situation was that Rome had fallen because of heresy. Moscow was the last seat of Orthodoxy and if Russia fell from the grace of God, it would mean the end of the world. The basic issue in the schism was the relationship between the Russian and Orthodox churches. Some felt that since Russia had adopted Orthodoxy from Byzantium she should remain a junior partner. Others felt that it was Russias destiny to be a leader and to free her Eastern brethren. The Orthodox relegion has been essential to the people to bring them a sense of hope and destiny and a glimpse of heaven on earth. The choice of Orthodoxy was as influential as the Mongul Yoke on the formation of the Russian character. Orthodoxy brought the people a lot of joy, created a sense of community, intensified the countries isolation, created beautiful art, started wars, complicated politics, and best of all, reminded the people to love each other.

Reality and Illusion in Shakespeares Hamlet - Appearance vs. Truth :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: Appearance vs. Reality One of the most famous and popular authors and script writers is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has always been able to create interesting characters and one of the reasons they are so interesting might be that they are complex people with their inner selves differing from their outer selves. Are the characters in Hamlet the same on the inside as they appear to be on the outside? The characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet can be studied in a manner relating to appearance versus reality. Some of these characters are Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Hamlet. One character who enables us to examine the theme of appearance versus reality is Claudius, the new King of Denmark. In Act One, Scene Two Claudius acts as though he really cares for his brother and grieves over the elder Hamlet's death. This is shown in his first speech addressed to his court, "and that it us befitted/To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe" (Shakespeare I22-4). It is shown further on in the same speech when he says, "our late dear brother's death" (Shakespeare I219). However, this is not how Claudius truly feels about his brothers death, for Claudius is the one who murders elder Hamlet. We see the proof of this in Claudius' soliloquy when he appears to be praying; "O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven./It hath the primal eldest curse upon't/A brother's murder" (Shakespeare III336-38). Another love which Claudius fakes is the love he has towards his nephew and stepson, Hamlet. In his first speech to his court Claudius tells Hamlet not to leave for school but to remain in Denmark; "It is most retrograde to our desire/And we do beseech you, bend you to remain/Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye" (Shakespeare I2114-117). However, later in the play Claudius develops a plan to send Hamlet away from Denmark with the aid of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; "And he [Hamlet] to England shall along with you [R & G]" (Shakespeare III34). Claudius also refers to himself as "Thy loving father, Hamlet" (Shakespeare IV350) but when Hamlet is out of the room a few moments later Claudius has a complete change of face in which he reveals his plan to have Hamlet executed; "Our sovereign process, which imports at full/By letters congruing to that effect/The present death of Hamlet" (Shakespeare IV363-65). Even the love Claudius showed for Gertrude can be questioned in its validity. Claudius, near the beginning of the play, appears to be happy about

La Grande Odalisque and Olympia: Comparison/Contrast

Two exquisite paintings with a female reclining nude as the focal point are La Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and Olympia by Édouard Manet. The female nude has been a crucial subject for art throughout history.   The angular curves and the sensuality that can be created with just a form has intrigued artist in the past, present, and future.   While the similarities of these two painting are more evident, there are still contrast between the pieces. Ingres was from France and he painted during the Neoclassical Period, while Manet, who was also from France, painted during the Realism and Impressionistic Periods.   Their live overlapped each other for only thirty years, but their styles belonged to different periods.   Ingres lived through the French Revolution and was very much affected by it although Manet was born after it was over. Seeing such a drastic change in the world in which he lived caused Ingres to pay very close attention to the details of the past.   He wanted to preserve it perfectly and he also looked to the techniques of the masters before him.   Manet was not so much concerned for the past, but his eyes were on the present.   His subjects represent the French societal and cultural setting of the time period in which he lived. La Grande Odalisque by Ingres is an oil painting of a lone nude female reclining on her bed.   Her body faces away from the viewer, while the woman looks back over her shoulder.   There is only a glimpse of her breast under one of her arms and the rounded sides of her buttocks are visible. Olympia by Manet has two females in the oil painting.   One is a black servant woman and the reclining female nude.   Manet depicted his nude facing the viewer.   Her breasts are completely exposed and her genitals are covered by her hand. There is a tropical feel in Manet’s painting  Ã‚   Even though she has covered part of herself, this female seems more open with her nudity and the female in Ingres’ painting is more subtle and alluring with her body. Ingres uses muted shades of green jewel tones to create an elegant effect.   Manet also incorporates the color green, but he emphasizes the stark white which allows the female to stand out.   The white also gives a harshness to the painting.   It is as if someone turned on a bright overhead light in the middle of a sensual moment.   The model in Ingres’ painting tends to blend with her surroundings. Both females hold something with her hand, but Ingres’ female’s fan is one of peacock feathers which blends in with the rich tones of the background.   At the barefoot of Ingres’ nude, there is a pipe and green stool, while there is a black cat at the high healed feet of Manet’s.   Manet’s figure wears an orchid in her hair as well as the shoes.   She finds no modesty with the observation of her servant’s stare and is completely open with her sexuality. The female nude is the predominate subject of both paintings but the differences reflect their artist and there artistic periods.   While they are both alluring, they are also starkly contrasted.   Manet and Ingres were definitely masters of their times, and the La Grande Odalisque and Olympia are examples of both of their best work.   Both of these works are alluring and sensual paintings that will mystify viewers as long as the two works exist.