A Critique Of Hedonism And Utilitarianism - 1418 Words

Ethics and Morality Ethics ties together philosophy and human morality, it explores the techniques and principles used to evaluate human actions on their goodness, badness, rightness, and wrongness. In this paper, I am going to give a critique of hedonism and utilitarianism. (and answer the question of what makes something good or bad) Humans cannot be truly objective when it comes to morality. In theory, morality is supposed to be unbiased, but when it is put into the hands of humans, there is always going to be errors. Naturally, people pursue their self-interest without thinking much about if it is morally right or wrong. However, I do believe that God has given us a set of laws as to what is right or wrong without being bias over it, but we can even interpret that in the wrong ways. Some points that may be argued for certain things that are always truly wrong include: rape, child abuse, or murder, but there are still times when murder may not be considered wrong. For instance, we have a whole army to go out and kill in order to support our country and keep us safe. Who would say that was wrong? Another example of humans altering the definition of morality is there are things about today that are considered right or wrong that were not that way in the past, such as slavery or woman’s rights. How can we call something wrong today and know it will still be that way tomorrow? In today’s society, people are constantly using their thoughts and feelings to justify morality,Show MoreRelatedRobert Nozicks Experiment, The Experience Machine and the Inclusion of Meta-Pleasure722 Words   |  3 Pagesdisprove the utilitarian notion of hedonism through a thought experiment that he has entitles â€Å"The Experience Machine† (Nozick 646). I will first explain the concept of utilitarianism and hedonism, then the experience machine before I give a reply about the inclusion of a third category of pleasure which I have called â€Å"meta-pleasure† . Finally, I will show how technology may be disproving the entire experience machine thought experiment altogether. Utilitarianism is a moral theory that seeks to defineRead MoreUtilitarianism : A Workable Moral Theory? Why Or Why Not?958 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism: A Workable Moral Theory? Why or Why Not? Utilitarianism is one of the most commonly used ethical theories from the time it was formulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill in the nineteenth century. In his work, Utilitarianism, Bentham â€Å"sought to dispel misconceptions that morality has nothing to do with usefulness or utility or that morality is opposed to pleasure† (MacKinnon, 2012, p. 53). To simplify the utilitarian principle, which is one of utilityRead MorePerfectionism About Happiness And Higher Pleasures789 Words   |  4 Pages(Summary) In Chapter 3, â€Å"Perfectionism about happiness and higher pleasures,† Mill attempts to reassure readers that the utilitarian can and will defend the superiority of higher pleasures, such as poetry. He notes that hedonism can still defend higher pursuits as extrinsically and instrumentally. To see Mill’s point, Brink states that all other things have only, or at most, extrinsic value: they have value in relation to or for t he sake of something else that has intrinsic value. Mill claims thatRead MoreUtilitarianism, And The Moral Imperative1575 Words   |  7 Pages In this essay I intend on arguing the legitimacy of utilitarianism, and if its principles can be subjected effectively to society today. Utilitarianism, which is a common term in normative ethics, is a moral doctrine that coordinates and specifies evaluation and moral actions through three recommendations. These recommendations are the criterion of good and evil, a moral imperative, and a measured evaluation. A criterion of good and evil emphasizes on the happiness and stakeholdersRead MoreUtilitarianism And The Moral Imperative1575 Words   |  7 Pages In this essay I intend on arguing the legitimacy of utilitarianism, and if its principles can be subjected effectively to society today. Utilitarianism, which is a common term in normative ethics, is a moral doctrine that coordinates and specifies evaluation and moral actions through three recommendations. These recommendations are the criterion of good and evil, a moral imperative, and a measured evaluation. A criterion of good and evil emphasizes on the happiness and stakeholdersRead MoreUtilitarian Arguments1681 Words   |  7 Pagesbest arguments against Utilitarianism, and show in my own opinion, why I think they are wrong. The strongest counterargument against Utilitarianism would have to be Sterling Harwood’s eleven objections to the theory. Sterling Harwood states that even he does not accept all eleven of his objections, but he merely wants to survey a large number of objections and provoke further discussion. (p. 186) Harwood’s objections are applied to all twelve versions of Utilitarianism, which are motive, actRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesMetaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism that is seemingly in contention with the thoughtsRead MoreMoral Philosophy Is An Area Shrouded By Debate Essay1934 Words   |  8 PagesThe prevalence given to pleasure in moral philosophy is an area shrouded by debate. Fundamentally the argument becomes one of utilitarianism opposed by deontological ethics. Other theories such as egoism and virtue ethics provide examples of how one should live a moral life which, depending on the defined notion of pleasure, could have the value prescribed to their theoretical guides for how to lead the moral life. Often when we consider what is pleasurable our th oughts delve towards the emotionsRead MoreMoral Judgements Are Morally Wrong?2025 Words   |  9 Pagesconsequentialism is the view that actions should be deemed morally right or wrong based on the outcomes an action has. A consequentialist would compare the end results of two different actions and their interest is in the conclusion of the action. Utilitarianism is a branch of consequentialism that believes that the best action is the one that promotes the most utility. This also means that actions need to present the most overall good for all and not just a single person. John Stuart Mill, a nineteenthRead MoreThe Principle Of Utility Explicit That Actions Or Behaviors Are Right1810 Words   |  8 Pagesin so far because they motivate contentment or pleasure, wrong as they tend to develop unhappiness or sadness. Therefore, usefulness is a teleological principle. This once again gives rise to some of the similar fundamental issues concerned with hedonism, as discussed in the earl ier section on Teleological Hypothesis. Recall a memory that a pleasure-seeker believes that the good life constitutes only in the pursuit and experience of pleasure or contentment. The feelings of contentment and sadness

Autism †General Overview of Autism Free Essays

General Overview of Autism What is Autism? Autism is defined as a disorder of early development that causes severe problems in thinking, communicating with others, and feeling a part of the outside world (Autism 2009). A person diagnosed with autism has a brain abnormality that affects normal brain function (Nordquist 2009). Most diagnoses of autism are usually never the same, even though, the symptoms are generally similar. We will write a custom essay sample on Autism – General Overview of Autism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Autism must not be confused with childhood schizophrenia or mental retardation, though the actions of children with these circumstances are sometimes related to that of autistic children (Autism 2009). Autism prevents children from developing normal social relationships, even with their parents (Autism 2009). Infants and Autism Autism is generally not diagnosed until two or three years old, but there is an extremely controversial argument on whether or not it could be diagnosed in infants. According to Canadian researchers, they could already see signs and symptoms of autism in infants at approximately six months old (Boyles 2005). The researchers believe that the infant is already predisposed with abnormal brain development inside their mother’s womb. The infants that Canadian researchers experimented were only limited to families that already had an older child born with autism (Boyles 2005). According to research conducted in an article of Developmental Psychology, it is not possible to diagnose and infant with autism (Charman et al. ,1997). The researchers conducted a study on thirty eight boys, separated into three different groups: Autism Risk Group, Developmental Delay Group, and Normal Group. The studies were based upon four different criteria: Empathy, Pretend Play, Joint Attention, and Imitation (Charman et al. 1997). Based on their results, it was not evident t to say whether or not a child could be diagnosed with Autism. This based upon the findings that children in the autism group and children in the developmental delay group were indistinguishable and the scorings were far too similar (Charman et al. , 1997) In another study conducted by Dalery et al. , they compared young children and infants who were clinically dia gnosed with autism or developmental delay (DD). The researchers were trying to differentiate whether the existence of symptoms of autism making it possible to be a different developmental disorder and whether or not the symptoms increase with age (Dalery et al. 2006). In the results from children under 26 months, the findings were insignificant and eerily similar to the experiment conducted by Chairman et al. They were unable to determine if the clear signs of developmental delay or autism were definite (Dalery et al. 2006). Symptoms of Autism Children diagnosed with Autism act differently from one another and no two autistic children have the same symptoms or act the same (CDC 2007). Children with Autism have severe impairments with social, emotional, and communication skills. Some have difficulty accomplishing everyday tasks and have to maintain a consistent day to day routine (CDC 2007). A symptom of autism that affects many autistic children is they have an intricate time holding a conversation. Thus, they tend to have a hard time making friends because of this impairment (CDC 2007). Another symptom of autism is repetitive behavior. This causes a stimulating effect on the child (CDC 2007). For example, a child may consistently rock back and forth, or flip the pages of a book over and over again. Autistic children have a difficult time managing in an everyday life. Once a child is diagnosed with autism, (usually between the ages of 2-4), it stays with them for the remainder of their lives (CDC 2007). With the various symptoms of autism, repetitive behavior seems to be the most consistent symptom that is distinguishable in almost all autistic patients (Gray et al. 1995). To determine whether or not this is true, research was conducted in Australia. The researchers wanted to determine if repetitive behavior was a distinguishable sign of autism in children less than 51 months. Since there are many different types of repetitive behavior, the different types were classified into two categories: higher and lower levels of repetitive behavior (Gray et al. 1995). According to Gray et al. , higher level repetitive behavior is highly consistent with autistic children under the age of 51 months. Low level repetitive behavior was not a direct diagnosis with autism. A significant number of children with other developmental delay disorders often demonstrated aspects of lower level repetitive behavior (Gray et al. 1995). Autism and Public Schooling When a parents makes the decision to enroll their autistic child into public school, it is often a difficult decision. Sometimes the decision is made because the parent does not have the means to send their child to a school specialized for autistic children. Other times it is because many autistic designed schools only accept unique or extreme cases and their child do not meet the requirements (Rudy 2009). Even though a public school is required to give adequate education to a child with a learning disability, how does the parent know what is adequate to the teacher (Rudy 2009)? A positive aspect of public schools is that children with autism can interact with normal developing peers. Researchers argue that this type of interaction may â€Å"provide opportunities for building relationships and developing social and communicative behaviors, in response both to the demands made by mainstream peers and the modeling their behavior provides (Whitaker 2004). † In a study conducted by Whitaker, the mainstream peers developed a routine with the autistic children. The mainstream peers seemed to understand and learn the routines of the autistic peer. Whether or not the autistic child received any awareness or pleasure from this type of interaction was harder to detect, even though they appeared to be enjoying themselves (Whitaker 2004). Parents of Children with Autism It is devastating for a parent to learn that their child has a severe health problem or developmental disability (Parenting a Child with Autism 2007). The first question that arises is, â€Å"How can we cure it? †, but autism is not â€Å"curable†. In the beginning, parents often find some kind of support to help them cope with the discovery or having an autistic child. They also need to educate themselves as much as possible and decide what is best for the child (Parenting a Child with Autism 2007). D. E. Gray conducts a study to see how parents of autistic children cope with their child’s illness over time. Between 1988 and 1990, he begins his study and the sample included 28 parents of autistic children. In the beginning, parents used 51 different methods to cope with the discovery of their child’s illness. D. E. Gray followed-up with these parents 8-12 years later and the methods parents used decreased dramatically to 27. Parents learned to cope with their child’s autism throughout time. Maybe this was due to the fact that the child had become less disruptive and was more orderly in their habits (D. E. Gray 2006). It also may have been due to the fact that their children were enrolled in special schools (only one was enrolled in public schools). In the beginning, parents still had to adapt to the changes in their environment and with their child. As their emotional distress decreased, so did their need for emotional support (D. E. Gray 2006). Conclusion While the causes of autism remain a great mystery, one fact is certain: Autism affects every area of learning throughout the child‘s life. Until research on autism provides more information about how autism affects the human brain, children and their parents who are affected will be unable to understand and fully deal with this disability. It is only with more information that we will learn the best approach to teach autistic children and tackle this disability head on. How to cite Autism – General Overview of Autism, Papers

Higgins Essay Example For Students

Higgins Essay Higgins is a strong-minded individual, a man who takes charge and givesorder. He is just like my principal at school. She is a doctor and knowswhat she is doing and how to do it. The both know how to minuplate somebodyelse into believing them. They also know how to get people to do what theywant to do because they are smart and strong. That was they both are likethe same because they want respect and one way to get that is to giverespect and after they get respect they get the power and encouragementfrom their peers to listen to what they have to say. One way Higgins is a strong minded individual is because he practicesand reads a lot. He also writes stuff down and make sure he has someunderstanding in what he is getting hisself into. Also he is demanding heknows what he wants and he likes to get right down to the point. He doesntlike to beat around the bush and that what makes him an strong mindedindividual. On the other hand my principal is some what they same. Shelikes to look at stuff and examine what is going on before she reacts onsomething. If she believe something is going on she doesnt go histaracalbut she actually wants to go look for her self before she judges anything. That what makes her an strong minded individual. They both are people who are good and knows what they wants out oflife. That is why I compared both of them together because Higgins is anold time figure and my principal is my modern figure of someone that takescharge and leads people into doing good. The both are well respected anddoesnt like a lot of problems going on and likes to deal with things in anhead to head manner.

Market Revolution free essay sample

History The impact of the Market Revolution was the dawn of new markets in land, labor and produce. It ultimately changed American society and reflected a turn away from agrarian ideals through various changes in business, transportation, and society. Overall, the Market Revolution impacted the nation through different regions; the northeast became industrial, while the south relied on farming. The Northeast was booming in industrial growth from the Market Revolution. With the new textile mills, there were many jobs and the economy was on the rise. However, two of the biggest ways the Northeast was able to improve was with its improvements on transportation and various innovations. For example, in 1825 the Eerie Canal was created by Dewitt Clinton and set the stage for faster and easier transportation for goods and people. Also, with New York growing into one of the nation’s largest cities, there were various railroad networks that linked major cities. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lastly, the Northeast region was also improving with the creation of companies. For example, in 1813 Francis Cabot Lowell created the Boston Manufacturing company created the first large scale manufacturing cities in the United States of America (Lowell, Massachusetts). With this company, Lowell was also able to create 6,000 jobs by 1836. Because of these important improvements, the Market Revolution industrialized the Northeast and definitely set it apart in comparison to the Southwest region. While the Northeast was improving vastly on industrialization, the South was concentrated on their growth of farming. Even though, the South lagged in the growth of industrialization and urbanization, they had just as fast growth in their economy. It was Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin that made slaves last longer and the production of cotton much faster. For example, cotton growth went from around 75,000 bales in 1800 to over 2 million bales in 1850 with the improvements on producing cotton. Because of the faster production of cotton, the South was able to export to Europe and the Northeast for an advantageous profit. Even though the South obviously had most of their growth due to cotton, they were still able to improve technologically wise. They did have factories and large ports and harbors. For example, the Mississippi transportation helped businesses export across the country with the advances of the steamboat. Thus, having a similar growth in transportation in comparison to the north. From 1815-1860, the Market Revolution was able to have growth in both the Northeast and the South regions and even though they had many differences, the regions were brought together with their booming economies. The large improvements in farming and industrialization were able to shape America into a powerful and wealthy country.

Tic tac toe Essay Example

Tic tac toe Essay Example Tic tac toe Paper Tic tac toe Paper Tln01nga goal weak methods: depth-first search (DFS), breadth-first search (BFS), constraint satisfaction (CSP) strong methods: use heuristics, A* search s goal nodes Tic Tac Toe Playing Strategies Two players human computer. The objective is to write a computer program in such a way that computer wins most of the time. Three approaches are presented to play this game which increase in Complexity Use of generalization Clarity of their knowledge Extensibility of their approach These approaches will move towards being representations of what we will call A1 techniques. Tic Tac Toe Board- (or Noughts and crosses, Xs and Os) It is two players, X and O, game who take turns marking the spaces in a 33 grid. The player who succeeds in placing three respective marks in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row wins the game. 2 4 5 6 8 9 7 positions Zero-Sum Games Focus primarily on adversarial games Two-player, zero-sum games As Player 1 gains strength Player 2 loses strength and vice versa The sum of the two strengths is always O. Search Applied to Adversarial Games Initial state Current board position (description of current game state) Operators Legal moves a player can make Terminal nodes Leaf nodes in the tree Indicate the game is over Utility function Payoff function Value of the outcome of a game Example: tic tac toe, utility is -1, O, or 1 Game Trees Tic tac toe Two players, MAX and MIN Moves (ana levels) alternate Detween two players Minimax Algorithm Search the tree to the end Assign utility values to terminal nodes Find the best move for MAX (on MAXS turn), assuming: MAX will make the move that maximizes MAXS utility MIN will make the move that minimizes MAXs utility Here, MAX should make the leftmost move Minimax applet Minimax Properties Complete if tree is finite Optimal if play against opponent with same strategy (utility function) Time complexity is O(bm) Space complexity is O(bm) (depth-first exploration) If we have 100 seconds to make a move Can explore 104 nodes/seco nd Can consider 106 nodes / move Standard approach is Apply a cutoff test (depth limit, quiescence) Evaluate nodes at cutoff (evaluation function estimates desirability of position) Alpha-Beta Pruning Typically can only look 3-4 ply in allowable chess time Alpha-beta pruning simplifies search space without eliminating optimality By applying common sense If one route allows queen to be captured and a better move is available Then dont search further down bad path If one route would be bad for opponent, ignore that route also Max 71 No need to look here! Maintain [alpha, beta] window at each node during depth-first search alpha bound, change at max levels beta = upper bound, change at min levels = lower Alpha Beta Properties Pruning does not affect final result Good move ordering improves effectiveness of pruning With perfect ordering, time complexity is Goals To reduce the space complexity Game can be played one or two players Builds High-Level Game Contain Levels

A Business analysis of Sony Ericsson

A Business analysis of Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson is a joint venture owned equally by the telecommunications leader Ericsson and Sony corporation- the consumer electronics powerhouse. It was established in the year 2001 with a capital of 100,000,000 Euro and released its first product in the year March 2002.The management team of Sony Ericsson is based in Hammersmith in London. It is the fourth largest manufacturer of phones in the world as of 2009. It has around 8450 employees with over 2500 contractors worldwide. It has a 6.788 billion revenue and the profit of 836 million in last year. Globally, its market share dropped from 9.4% to 7.9% in Q1 2008.(Wikipedia.com,2010) Sony Ericsson is a global provider of multimedia devices such as phones, PC cards and accessories. The products with its powerful technology and innovative applications result in mobile imaging, entertainment, communications and music. In areas of music, design and applications the products from Sony Ericsson have a universal appeal. It uses communic ation technologies such as 2G and 3G platforms in its products, increasing the offerings to the market. In this assignment our focus will be on the following arguments: Sony Ericsson’s phone, model number W910i, which is in a declining stage Reasons for declining of W910i Situational analysis of Sony Ericsson and W910i mobile phone A marketing plan for the rejuvenation of Sony Ericsson W910i The Argument Structure Sony Ericsson W910i was one of its kinds. It is a slider phone and was branded as the Walkman phone. It had features such as shake control which enable music track change by just shaking the phone, it also had video games based on Java ME and JP-8. It is available in six different colours and included a 1GB or 2GB memory card. It can also play FM radio using the RDS and TrackID service. On the 14 Feb 2008, this phone was awarded the Best Handset 2008 award by the GSM. Despite all these features the phone had stability issue which led to its decline. The ph one used to crash and switch off intermittently and as of November 2009, to fully resolve these issues the company is yet to release a version of software. The other instability issue which it has includes screen complaints and system freezing, button input failures and restarting. Due to these issues, the phone has received a lot of criticism in many forums and reviews and eventually leading to its decline in the market. Situational Analysis of Sony Ericsson and its Mobile Phone W910i Strengths Sony Ericsson has diversity in its products. The other major strength is Sony as a brand name. Sony Ericsson W910i was branded as Walkman phone. It was the first phone which replace the File manager which is seen in older models to the present Sony Ericsson Media Manager. It had a large number of features such as Java based video games and applications, shake control feature, was available in six different colors. On account of all these features it was awarded the Best Handset Award in 2008 Weakness Lack in customer preferences understanding, uuser-centereddesigns and brand awareness globally. It had less technology advancement. Sony Ericsson W910i had many stability issues such as crash and intermittent switching off. Other issues included system freezing and button input failures.

Financial impact on universal healthcare in the U.S Essay

Financial impact on universal healthcare in the U.S - Essay Example An interdisciplinary perspective is advocated in the modern healthcare provision, which encompasses more responsibilities. With the recent developments in the interactions that healthcare providers have with drug suppliers, financial and accounting regulations have been given emphasis than ever before. In what has evolved to be commonly known as Physicians-Industry Relations, it is clear that there are a number of risks that the healthcare practitioners might be exposed to regarding dealing with the pharmacy industry. In terms of the two industries interactions, it has been observed that several financial flaws have been happening in several healthcare settings. As a result, serious accounting and audit flaws that consequently emanate from the malpractice compromise the integrity of the healthcare professionals. Generally, the procurement of drugs for use in the healthcare facilities is conducted depending on the availability of the drugs as offered by pharmaceutical companies. Competition among drugs supplying companies has led to an environment where drugs salespeople and medical representatives for other pharmaceutical products are deployed to woo clients from the healthcare environment. In a competitive market, unfair business deals always find their way into the market in an attempt to keep off competitors. Among the major unprofessional practices that such deals apply is the bargaining element that forces salesmen to supply products at the expense of business fairness regulations. Supply of substandard healthcare products is often embarked on in order to win sales, which compromises the level of healthcare service delivered by healthcare professionals. It therefore implies that colluding is almost impossible to be avoided by healthcare facility management in order to benefit in certai n ways. Due to certain conflicts of interests between the suppliers and the healthcare professionals, loopholes in internal control standards