Has humanity progressed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Has humanity progressed - Essay Example ophical theories which includes the Leviathan theory by Thomas Hobbes, Discourse on Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment by Immanuel Kant, and the German ideology by Karl Marx. Leviathan is a sea monster which has been referred to as the gatekeeper of hell and has been mentioned in the Bible. Hobbes introduced his Leviathan philosophy and this was one of the most important philosophies using the principle of social contract. In his theory, Hobbes discussed that the best way to reach social unity is by the establishment of a social contract where the people combine to form a central power, or government, and give their consent to an agreed set of rules and regulations. He stated that by nature, every man is considered as a competition by another and compared humans to animals with respect to violence. Hobbes stated: With the existence of a social contract, any social unrest is less likely to happen and with all the people having representation in the central authoritative body, there is also less chance of a civil war. (Infidels) When we take this into consideration and analyze whether humanity has actually progressed or not, it can be observed that humanity has not improved at all. People still have the nature of considering everyone as a competitor for them and they have become less tolerant to each other. People, in the form of nations, are fighting with each other to win others’ territory either due to the important strategic location or resources. Groups are fighting with each other on grounds of religion, and the threat factor has increased so much that despite majority of the religions fighting preach peace, yet their believers are displaying the worst form of human rights violation. Although many may argue that the popularity of democracy shows that the social contract may exist, but the truth remains that despite our actions to solve our issues with the help of a central authoritative body, we still have the same mentality and thus it

Arts Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arts Paper 1 - Essay Example â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† had aroused a sense of empathy in me towards Jig. From her eyes, I saw the point of view of a girl who wished to turn into a woman by making her personal choice towards motherhood. As the idea of conception had always been biological, the idea of motherhood in these changing contemporary times had evolved. In times where women find equal right and opportunities in the American society especially in the time when the story was set, I saw that to Jig, to become a mother or not to become a mother should be a woman’s choice as an individual—not imposed by nature, not imposed by society, not imposed by her other half. Whether she wanted it or not, the choice belonged to her. I saw Jig’s first argument to her decision to become a mother as the valley had been described as â€Å"the country being brown and dry.† With this allusion I saw Jig’s view of her life; it did not resemble anything full of life and beauty. It was the stage of her life when she kept on traveling with her lover, the American, enjoying pleasures life can offer—alcohol, sex, travel—but I thought she saw it something â€Å"dry† and empty. Although it occurred to me that Jig wanted to pursue motherhood, there was a counter-argument to her decision. The country indeed looked brown and dry, but her other choice were â€Å"hills like white elephants.† White elephants had connotations about something grand, something pretty but the owner cannot get rid of yet it would be so costly to keep. In other words, her other choice, the baby would be like a white elephant to her. It would cost her a lot to raise the baby—time, effort, her pleasurable life—if it would be her choice. Even though Jig wanted to make that choice, to her, there was a dilemma: her lover, the American’s contention. In order for them to be together, at least for him to stay with her, Jig should have an abortion. The American views their

Long Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Long Paper - Essay Example This implies that the world should not be concerned with reducing consumption but reducing wastage since there are adequate resources for all people. Reduction of wastage can be accomplished through saving and recycling. While wastage can be found in almost all societal aspects, the most common forms include energy wastage and water wastage. Energy wastage can be attributed to lack of efficiency, using gas-guzzlers, and other practices that people may consider irrelevant such as leaving the water running while brushing the teeth. Although people may think that they are using the resources as they should, they may be wasting and still not realize it. According to statistical data, more than half of the energy produced is wasted through inefficiency and the fuel guzzling (Natural Resources Defense Council). The power plants also lead to high levels of power wastage. According to statistical data, power plants convert a mere 30% of the overall energy input into operational electricity. This implies that almost 70% of the fuel energy is wasted during the beginning of the power production process (WWF). These companies can improve the ir efficiency if they were willing to commit more financial resources into the power production process. This process can be improved if these companies could combine both power and heat production. These companies insist on using high heat production methods and situating these plants away from where people live. If this could be improved, there could be more than enough energy for usage in industries and homes and the call for reduction of consumption would not be relevant. The automobile industry is the other high-energy wastage sector in the society. An average automobile emits an approximated three times its weight in carbon dioxide annually. A vehicle with a consumption rate of approximately 7.8 liters in every 100 km travelling 10,000 miles annually would emit an

Arts Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arts Paper 1 - Essay Example â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† had aroused a sense of empathy in me towards Jig. From her eyes, I saw the point of view of a girl who wished to turn into a woman by making her personal choice towards motherhood. As the idea of conception had always been biological, the idea of motherhood in these changing contemporary times had evolved. In times where women find equal right and opportunities in the American society especially in the time when the story was set, I saw that to Jig, to become a mother or not to become a mother should be a woman’s choice as an individual—not imposed by nature, not imposed by society, not imposed by her other half. Whether she wanted it or not, the choice belonged to her. I saw Jig’s first argument to her decision to become a mother as the valley had been described as â€Å"the country being brown and dry.† With this allusion I saw Jig’s view of her life; it did not resemble anything full of life and beauty. It was the stage of her life when she kept on traveling with her lover, the American, enjoying pleasures life can offer—alcohol, sex, travel—but I thought she saw it something â€Å"dry† and empty. Although it occurred to me that Jig wanted to pursue motherhood, there was a counter-argument to her decision. The country indeed looked brown and dry, but her other choice were â€Å"hills like white elephants.† White elephants had connotations about something grand, something pretty but the owner cannot get rid of yet it would be so costly to keep. In other words, her other choice, the baby would be like a white elephant to her. It would cost her a lot to raise the baby—time, effort, her pleasurable life—if it would be her choice. Even though Jig wanted to make that choice, to her, there was a dilemma: her lover, the American’s contention. In order for them to be together, at least for him to stay with her, Jig should have an abortion. The American views their

Negative Affects of Social Media Essay Example for Free

Negative Affects of Social Media Essay Social media is like a game. Once you learn and get along with how to use these websites you get addicted to it. For example, now I am addicted to social media. Before I was introduced to social media I did all of my homework and was one of the top students in the class. From that moment I became engage to websites such as facebook, tweeter, ooVoo and instagram. It affected my life pessimistically. For instance, these days I can’t stop checking my facebook and instagram. Furthermore, theses days I am missing lot homework on most of my classes do to the escalating expose of social media. So due to these entire dilemma, I believe social media has many negative effect on teens life. see more:essay on social media First, students/teens spent too much time on social media. For example, Jazmin said she spent more time on websites like fb and texting than homework. â€Å"One quarter of teens say they log on to their favorite social media websites 10 or more times each day† (Gordan). Next due to the use of social media students gets lower grades on test and are lacking on during homework because they are busy chatting, texting, video chatting, etc. For example, I asked Jazmin agrees with me saying that she use social media rather than studying for testes or during homework. At last, teens are not going outside, spending time with family and are not active due to the social media. That’s why social media has negative affect on teen’s life. Next, many teens get cyber bullied through social media. For example, in a 2010 survey of students age 11 to 18 administer by the Cyberbulling Research Center, 20% said they had been cyber bullied. Also in sum cases teens make fake accounts a nd cyber bully other through the social media. Furthermore, in the article call â€Å"Cyberbulling’’ it says that member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender get bullied more then others. For example in the survey it showed that 36.4% of these members got cyberbullied. At last, another negative effect of the social media is that it impairs students/teens writing skills. For example, sometimes when I am writings important paper I instant to use words like u, wat, c and others words in my writing due to using them numerous times in my texting and chatting. After that, teens become nastiest in spelling and using the proper sentence due to the usage of social media. In the article call â€Å" Grades 9-10 Literacy: The Power of New Media Annotated Student work† it says that student not only become appalling at spellings, grammars but also at literatures. I do know there some optimistic used of social media such as asking for homework they missed. But still, they are incorrect because do to social media teens can’t concentrate on their work. For example, they use social media for violence. Next, teens are constantly checking Facebook to see/get involve in things that are happening. So it distracts them from studying, doing schoolwork and others too. At last, the use social media for negative use like cyberbulling. As a result you can see social media has negative affects on teens life. For example, getting addicted, cyberbulling and it affects students writing skills. Furthermore, due to social media teens are lacking in education and being active. These are the reasons how social media is negative. And also I urge parents to check what your kids are doing and try to get involve in your sons and daughters life little more.

Analysing The Religious Views On Euthanasia Philosophy Essay

Analysing The Religious Views On Euthanasia Philosophy Essay When it comes to religious point of views on issues, euthanasia is one of the most controversial moral topics of all time. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word ÃŽÂ µÃƒ ¡Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± meaning good death. Euthanasia can be defined as the practice of ending a life in a technique that reduces pain and suffering ( Eike-Henner 11). Religions such as the Roman Catholics and Orthodox Judaism oppose euthanasia on the grounds that it invades Gods territory of life and death. Life is considered a gift from God and should only be taken back by God. There are different forms of euthanasia: voluntary/involuntary and active/passive. Active euthanasia is the inducement of death by taking specific steps such overdose of painkillers or sleeping pills. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, is the discontinuation of medical treatment in a terminal case so as to allow the patient have a natural death. Voluntary euthanasia is killing a person for the purpose of relieving pain from terminal or incurable illness or injury with their consent. Finally, involuntary euthanasia is killing a person for the purpose of relieving suffering without first obtaining the persons consent. This paper will examine the ethical views of the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Jews on the act of euthanasia. The Roman Catholic teachings have a precise definition for euthanasia. Pope John Paul II describes it as an act or omission which of itself or by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering (Evangelium vitae [Ev], 1995, n. 65). The Church teaches that it is morally unacceptable and constitutes it as a murderous act, which is contrary to what they call the dignity of a person. Namely that every individual is born with dignity, and they are an estimable value. They value the human life, because a person indeed is priceless, for they are created by God. Euthanasia is an act that denies respect of God, the creator. Even if a person is acting on good faith, nothing changes the nature of what euthanasia is; at the very base euthanasia is an act of murder. When it comes to physicians assisted suicide the Roman Catholics describe it as a grave sin against God, because it suggests that a person is in charge of their body instead of God the creator. Physicians assiste d suicide can be defined as a doctor or medical staff person prescribes a lethal amount of medication with the intent of assisting a person commit suicide (John 151). The patient then takes the dose or turns the switch. Since preserving life is the greatest good for Catholics, they believe that the 5th commandment in the Old Testament of the Bible says it all Thou shall not kill (John 14). They believe this applies to killing oneself or killing someone else who has asked to die such as a terminally ill patient. No human being has the authority to make life and death decisions. Killing denies the victim something that he or she values greatly, continued life or a future. Moreover, since continued life is necessary for pursuing future endeavors, killing brings the suppression of all of these plans. Therefore, Catholics believe that doctor assisted-suicide deprives an individual of a future that they potentially couldve had. In the case of sustaining life, it is said that one is obligated to use ordinary means, but one is not always obligated to use extraordinary means. The term ordinary means refers to all medicines, treatments, and operations, which offer a reasonable hope of benefit for the patient and which can be obtained and used without excessive expense, pain, or other inconvenience. By contrast, extraordinary means refers toall medicines, treatments, and operations which cannot be obtained or used without excessive expense, pain or other inconvenience, or which, if used, would not offer a reasonable hope of benefit. (John 30). These two concepts are derived from the general distinctions between avoiding evil and doing good. Thus, the duty to preserve life is a duty to do good which has reasonable limits, whereas euthanasia or mercy killing is evil and hence must be avoided. The Catholic position is a firm no to active euthanasia, but passive euthanasia could be acceptable in certain limited case s. For example, a therapy which was only prolonging death in a hopeless case and is morally acceptable, since the ultimate purpose is not suicide or euthanasia, but rather, an act whose moral object may be precisely described as allowing the patient to die for legitimate reasons. According to Roman Catholics, everything happens for a reason, by trying to control life or death, we would be interfering with Gods will. The sanctity of life principle, which rests on the human persons unique relationship with God, is the basis of the Churchs honoring of human life as a basic value. Under this principle, direct intervention to end the life of a patient in a terminal condition would not be condoned. This negative position also follows from the religious principle of divine sovereignty, the idea that God has the right over life and death, and the end of human life is not subject to a persons free judgment (Eike-Henner 32). Catholics believe that the end of life is a very spiritual time, and euthanasia happens to interrupt this spiritual moment. As stated in the bible So God made man to his own image, to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27). (Eike-Henner 37). Saying that God made man to his own image, does not mean that human beings look like God, but rather human beings have distinct capacity for rational existence that permits them to see what is good and want what is good. As people flourish these capabilities, they live a life that is equivalent to Gods life of love. The Roman Catholic Church affirms mans basic unity and his living in this world for God and for others. More than simply living in this world, the Church affirms life as a participation in the life of God in such a way that earthly life makes it possible and prepares one for participation in eternal life. Everyone faces death in its inevitability, a reality occurring only once. Catholics however, believe that death, like birth and life, is part of the same hu man condition. One is born in order to live and eventually die, having made the very best one could of all three conditions in one continuing totality. Death comes at the end of life so that one may go forward and meet in fullness having completed that life. Judaism is, in its essence, a life affirming faith. And Thou Shall live by them Gods Commandments, (Leviticus 18:5) is the central imperative of Torah. Orthodox Judaism is one of the modern Jewish movements who believe that both the Written and Oral Torah are divine and represents the word of God. (John 37) When it comes to the topic of euthanasia, Orthodox Jews believe that man is charged with preserving, dignifying and hallowing his life. But he is not given the absolute title over his life and body, only its caretaker, for life is a gift from God, to whom the individual is responsible for its preservation. My God, the soul with which Thou hast endowed me is pure. Thou hast created it. Thou hast formed it. Thou has breathed it into meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦So long as there is soul within me, I give thanks before Thee, Lord my God. (John 99) Man is never called upon to determine whether life is worth living. According to Orthodox Jews life is a gift of infinite value. Since infinity is, by definition indivisible, it clearly makes no moral difference whether one shortens life by many years or by a few minutes, or he was old and physically or mentally disabled. In such cases, suicide is no less culpable than murder. When it comes to physician assisted suicide, one aspect needs to be taken into consideration, The Hippocratic Oath. The physician derives his ethical warrant from the Hippocratic Oath, which on one hand, requires that he desist from supplying deadly medicine to his patients for the purpose of hastening their demise, or even from offering advice which may lead to suicide, and on the other, that he relieves suffering. The discontinuation of artificial life supporting therapy is determined by the halakhic status (Jewish Law) of the terminally ill patient. A person who is regarded as having no chance of survival beyond 12 months, in spite of the application of all unknown therapeutic techniques is called a treifah (Eike-Henner 87). Therefore, regarded as a living being, and its ephemeral life has full halakhic value. However, if one kills a treifah is guilty of murder. However, if death is imminent, in consequence of loss of a vital organ or massive arterial bleeding it is termed a nevei la me-hayyim (Eike-Henner 87) and is not considered as already dead, because recovery is possible in exceptional cases. The final phase for terminally ill patients is called goses, (Eike-Henner 88) which is the inability to swallow own saliva. According to Judaism it is generally held that most patients in this condition cannot recover and that death will come within 3 days. If thats the case, then, the physician may discontinue medication for the existing condition and does not need to initiate treatment of an unrelated and possibly fatal complication. In all cases, nutriments as well as painkillers should be supplied. Among rabbinic ethicists, Rav Moshe Feinstein holds that when a patient is gripped by unbearable pain and suffering, nature should be allowed to take its course. Thus when a patient is on a respirator and the machine is temporarily removed for servicing, if the patient shows no sign of life the machine need not be restored (John 87). However, Orthodox Jews do allow f or the termination of artificial means of the patient if such means does not enhance the patients state and are the only things keeping the patient alive. It is also acceptable to take strong painkillers, even it they hasten death, as long as the drug is not the cause of death and the intention is to alleviate pain and not to cause death. Orthodox Jews do recognize the pain and suffering a patient experiences and the effect it has on the family, however, the Jewish faith has always responded against the termination of a persons life, even in the most severe cases when it may become evident to them that life is meaningless. Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews have similar ethical views when it comes to the termination of ones life. They believe that suffering is used to purify ones soul, and God has the only right over a persons body. Dr. Kavorkian also known as Dr. Death is an American pathologist that performed assisted suicide in 1990s. From an Orthodox Jews perspective, Dr. Kavorkian is known as a murderer, because under the Jewish law, any form of active euthanasia is strictly prohibited and condemned as plain murder. Murder is one of the 3 fundamental sins prohibited by the Torah, and anyone who kills a person is guilty to the death penalty as a common murder. Similarly, the Roman Catholics disapprove physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, on the grounds that it invades Gods property and to assist some in committing suicide is to commit murder, which goes against Gods unequivocal commandment Thou Shall not Kill. Euthanasia is one of the most controversial topics facing religions. The Bible and the Torah both state that human life is the property of God, and as humans we are only caretakers of that property, and have no consent of destroying something that does not belong to us. Every human life is valuable, regardless of their age, sex, or race. Catholics and Orthodox Jews would state that anybody who insists that they have the choice to terminate their life is denying the truth of their intrinsic relationship with God. People should not ask for euthanasia because no one knows the significance of each human being, for every human life is priceless

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome :: essays research papers

Fetal alcohol syndrome The 1990s is witnessing the significant impact alcohol-related birth defects are having on our society. These birth defects are caused by maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy which are irreversible, yet preventable. The most severe outcome, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), to the less easily diagnosed fetal alcohol effects (FAE). The incidence of FAS is estimated at .33 per 1,000 live births. The estimated incidence of FAE is three times that of FAS. With an annual cost of $76.4 million in the United States which only includes FAS, not FAE. The bulk of these costs are associated with mental retardation. It impacts the family, education system, health system and social services in general, as well as individual losses. FAS is considered the most common known cause of mental retardation in the Western World. For a positive diagnosis of FAS, in addition to a history of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, each of the following three categories must be present: 1. slow growth before and after birth including weight, height and/or head circumference, 2. facial dysmorphology such as thin upper lip, flattened philtrum, and/or short openings between eyelids, and 3. damage to the central nervous system. Diagnosis can be difficult because many of the critical diagnostic features change with age. It is most difficult to diagnose in newborns and adults. Reaching an FAE diagnosis is even more difficult because only some of the symptoms are present, and possibly not as visible. This disorder cannot be detected by genetic testing because the damage is done after the baby is born. It is not known how much a pregnant woman can safely drink without damaging the fetus, although heavier drinking increases the likelihood of damage. Also, there does not seem to be any time during pregnancy when it is safe to drink. As a result, it is generally recommended that pregnant women abstain from drinking. Children born later to alcoholic mothers were at greater risk than older siblings. Another variable is the fact that drinking alcohol may not be the only risk-taking behavior of the mother. Poor nutrition, poor health, smoking, and other drug use may also contribute to poorer neonatal outcome. There is still a lot to be learned about how alcohol causes damage to the fetus, as well as the timing of exposure. Alcohol affects many organ systems, including the brain, which develops throughout all trimesters of pregnancy.