Jonathon Swift’s Concern for Ireland Essay Example for Free

Jonathon Swift’s Concern for Ireland Essay In the essay â€Å"A Modest proposal’ Jonathon Swift shows an obvious concern for the conditions of Ireland at that time. He expresses this in a number of ways. Although his proposal may have then and of course in today’s society have seemed completely out of the realm of realistic, he very effectively demonstrated how the proposal would have significantly benefited the overall economy of the country at that time. His concern was expressed first through an obvious concern for the women who were forced to beg for food in order to feed their children, secondly he was concerned about the children growing up and being unable to provide for themselves, and thirdly he showed concern for the lack of sufficient food supply for the country. The proposal he presented was well thought out and designed to solve all three of these problems. First, the proposal would help the women who were unable to care for their children, by providing them with some extra money. He figured how much it would cost to feed a new infant for the first year of life and subtracted that from the amount a woman could be paid for the child when she sold it. This amount would give her enough extra money to buy some food and even clothing for her remaining children. By selling the younger of her children, she is better off not only financially, but she has fewer children to worry about feeding and clothing. This makes her quality of life and that of her remaining children much better. Swift’s second concern for the children, who grow up in poverty remaining in poverty, is easily solved by his proposal. In the proposal, the children would no longer be a drain on the economy and in fact would actually contribute to the overall improvement of society. By being introduced to the food supply of the country, they would benefit a large number of people, which would prove to be a much better way of spending a life than growing up and resorting to begging or stealing in order to continue to survive. The third concern was for the lack of sufficient food supply for the people in the country. His proposal of selling the infants born into poverty as food would greatly increase the amount of available food on the market and thus make it possible for a larger number of people to be sufficiently nourished. In addition to increasing the amount of food available, by eating the poor people’s, or the majority of the population’s children, the population would not grow as quickly and the increased need for food would be greatly lessened. Although most people would find this proposal to be shocking and completely unacceptable, it did reflect his concerns for the condition of the country and proposed a way to solve the problem. If people took the time to look past the shock value of the proposal, it becomes obvious that he was upset with the society and wanted to see change. He goes into great detail on how this proposal would be good for the society and the economy. It would greatly reduce the number of people living in poverty, reduce the amount of people begging on the streets and the crime rate, and help the poor women become more productive members of society. The children would not be forced to grow up and continue the poverty cycle, and the wealthy people in the country would have many more options available for the evening meals and entertaining guests.

Discrimination Disabled People

Discrimination Disabled People Approximately 9 million of the worlds 650 million disabled people live in the UK. According to a recent report of the Department of Works and Pensions, even though 3.6 million of the disabled, (i.e. approximately 40% of the total disabled population) are between 19 and 59, only about a million (i.e. less than 30 % of them) are employed. (Berthoud, 2006) Compared to the existing employment rate of 76% (Berthoud, 2006) among the non disabled population, the figures for the disabled are staggeringly low and pose serious questions about British society. Despite the UK being among the first nations to sign the recent United Nations Human Rights Convention for Disabled People, the number of British adults claiming out of work disability benefits grew from 1 million in the mid 1970s to 2.5 million in the mid 1990s; (Berthoud, 2006) an ironical fact and a telling commentary on the gap between public policy and actual practice. Discrimination in the workplace, as well as outside, continues to unfortunately exist in Britain despite extensive and progressive legislation to combat the phenomenon. Work and pensions minister Anne McGuire recently stated that â€Å"Britains 10 million disabled people have had to endure a legacy of exclusion, inside and outside the workplace.† (Mulholland, 2005) 0733966 The last ten years have seen the progressive implementation of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, and its enlargement in 2005, as well as the enactment of the Human Rights bill in 1998. The fact that these legislations, along with regular public debate and substantial research on the issue, have been accompanied by a significant increase in the number of unemployed disabled in the working age group (Berthoud, 2006) point to the existence of a social problem of significant dimensions, which whilst recognised, is far from resolution. Discrimination arises primarily from prejudice; it is an emotional response to perceived threats and discomforts that cannot be rationally justified. (Lang, 1998) Discrimination against the disabled, at work and outside, social researchers feel, is primarily a social problem. (Lang, 1998) Entrenched in the thought processes and attitudes of society, it owes its origins to historical, social, cultural, and economic causes. (Lang, 1998) Whilst most people appear to agree that discrimination against the disabled is abhorrent and has no place in modern societies, its continuance leads to concerns, both about the sincerity of such adopted positions, as well as about effective measures to reduce and eliminate the problem. Commentary The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), 2005, defines disabled persons thus: â€Å"An adult or a child is disabled if he or she has a physical or mental impairment which has an adverse effect that is: substantial (not just trivial or minor); adverse; and long 0733966 term (lasting or expected to last for at least a year) on his ability to carry out normal day to day activities. People who have a disability within the definition are protected from discrimination even if they have since recovered.† (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) Whilst disability can broadly be described as a condition or function that is felt to be significantly impaired compared to the usual standard of an individual of the concerned group, the term often refers to individual functioning and includes physical, sensory, cognitive, and intellectual impairment, as well as mental ailments and certain types of chronic disease. (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) New provisions in the DDA (2005) have widened the definition of disabled persons to provide protection to people with cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis, and removed the stipulation that mental illness must be clinically well recognised to be judged to be mental impairment. (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) Although discrimination against disabled people has existed since historical times, the phenomenon has impacted pubic consciousness only during the last fifty years. (Barnes, 1991) The enactment of the Disabled Persons Employment bill in 1944, even though it occurred in response to the peace time needs of injured soldiers, marked the beginning of legislation on the issue. (Barnes, 1991) Whilst employment for the disabled, in the past, existed purely in the domain of charitable and voluntary organisations, the 1944 legislation made a concrete effort to tackle the problem by treating disabled persons as one group; it also addressed the question of their employment, provided a range of specialist services designed to find jobs for disabled 0733966 people, established a quota scheme, and institutionalised their legal rights to employment. (Barnes, 1991) Although the quota scheme made it mandatory for employers to fill at least 3% of their staff strength with disabled people, the initiative never really made progress because of lack of governmental commitment and the proclivity of employers to sidestep the provisions of the law. (Barnes, 1991) Confusion in policy making during the next few decades saw the introduction of various fuzzy and ill thought measures like inducements and subsidies to employers to take on disabled employees. (Barnes, 1991) Whilst policy measures for improving employment chances of disabled people, up to the 1990s, focussed more on persuasion and inducement of employers, the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1995 made it (a) illegal for employers to discriminate against disabled people in the course of filling vacancies, and (b) mandatory for them to provide certain conveniences to disabled staff. (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) Key rights of disabled persons under the act include the right to fair employment, the right to access goods, facilities and services provided to the public, the right to have reasonable adjustments made to premises or workstations by employers, the right to let or sell land or property, and the right to education in any school, college, or institute. (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) The enactment made acts of wilful discrimination, as evinced by treating disabled persons less favourably than others, (because of their disabilities), without reasonable justification, or failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons without adequate reasons, illegal and liable for severe penalties. 0733966 The scope of the DDA (1995) was further enlarged by the DDA (2005), which added to the list of people covered under the scope of disabled, and included provisions that (a) made it unlawful for operators of transport vehicles to discriminate against disabled people, (b) made it easier for disabled people to rent property and for tenants to make disability-related adaptations (c) ensured that discrimination law covered all activities of public authorities, (d) protected disabled councillors against discrimination and (e) covered larger private members clubs and bodies that awarded general qualifications (like GCSEs and A Levels). (Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007) The stipulations of DDA enactments reveal a strong shift from previous policies; whereas policy makers previously assumed that disabled people were significantly less effective than others in the workplace, and policies for improving employment prospects for the disabled depended upon persuasion and inducement of employers, current legislation accepts the fact that disabled people are subjected to unfair discrimination and exclusion by employers and service providers. They need to be treated equally, and their special requirements considered and provided for. Whilst the 1995 and 2005 DDA enactments, even though falling short of compulsion, make it obligatory for all employers and service providers to ensure fairer treatment of disabled people, they also confirm the presence of intense and blatant intolerance and discrimination in the British workplace against disabled people. Nothing illustrates the extent of existing discrimination, rather oppression, in the workplace in the UK better than a report prepared by Deborah Cohen and Karen Hebert carried by the 0733966 British Medical Journal (2004) on discrimination against disabled doctors by members of their own fraternity. â€Å"In a small qualitative study, disabled doctorsreported feeling isolated and stigmatised, and that there wasa lack of understanding and flexibility. Despite medicine beinga caring profession, medicine is not supportive or enabling,especially to those who do not conform to the normative perceivedstandard. One doctor with a disability said: ‘[You] would expecttolerance from doctors, but this is the worst group when dealingwith their own most people dont want to know medicinehas a `survival of the fittest style.† (Cohen and Hebert, 2004) If medical professionals, who are under Hippocratic Oath and have made conscious career decisions to work in areas that require compassion and understanding, are apt to have discriminatory attitudes towards the disabled, such attitudes will obviously be much stronger in the common population. Discrimination, as is common knowledge, exhibits itself in a myriad ways, and is felt most sharply by the people who experience it. For many disabled people it starts from before they were born. The Society for Protection of Unborn Children (2007) states that prenatal screening tests that indicate disabling conditions in unborn babies often lead to pressure on mothers to abort the children. Human embryos conceived in test tubes are examined for disabling conditions and thrown away if found to have disabling conditions. Newborn babies, particularly those with conditions such as Downs syndrome and spina bifida, are sometimes sedated and starved to death. Denial of food and water to those in  "Persistent Vegetative State† is common. (Fatal discrimination against disabled people, 2007) 0733966 The discrimination that evidences itself in the workplace is but an extension of various discriminatory practices that disabled people experience at school and in society as they grow up; these practices also often aggravate their condition and increase their discomfort in their working lives. An article in Socialist Review (1995) states that the majority of disabled people are in poorly paid jobs, and are far less likely to be employed compared to people without disabilities. Whilst both disabled men and women earn significantly less than others, their living costs tend to be significantly higher because of needs such as transport, clothing and facilities in the home. (Equal Access, 1995) It is estimated that two thirds of all disabled people live below the poverty line. Most disabled people earn far too little to buy their own houses. (Equal Access, 1995) Even though the article was published 10 years ago, current studies show little change in the situation on the ground. (Berthoud , 2006) The employment rate for disabled people continues to be much lower than that of people without disabilities, they earn less, and are far less likely to hold responsible positions. (Berthoud, 2006) Theories to analyse and explain discriminatory attitudes depend upon different models and thought constructs, most of which have emerged in recent decades. Whilst discrimination against the disabled has existed since historical times, social researchers believe that discriminatory attitudes hardened with the advent of industrialisation and capitalism. (Lang, 1998) The industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism put an end to agrarian societies, created the need for able bodied men to work in factories, promoted the rise of individualism, and marginalised disabled people as ineffective and unprofitable components of society, who needed to be segregated and cared for, rather 0733966 than integrated in the productive working class. (Lang, 1998) Whilst this line of argument, though widely accepted, does not explain the presence of discriminatory attitudes towards disabled people in societies that remained non-industrialised and primarily agrarian until well into the 20th century, the sudden redundancy of people with impairments in the working classes during the industrial revolution led to the participation of the medical profession in the issue. (Lang, 1998) The involvement of medical professionals, who were called in to categorise the type of impairment, led to the medicalisation of society and to the emergence of the Medical Model, the use of which continues even today. (Lang, 1998) The medical model assumes that (a) disability is a diseased state, (b) it is essentially an unfortunate individual problem that occurs on a random basis, (c) it is the responsibility of the medical profession to treat disabled people (d) disabled people are biologically and psycholo gically inferior to those who are able-bodied, (e) disabled people or their families cannot take decisions about their lives, and that (f) the medical profession should play a dominant role in deciding upon their lives. (Lang, 1998) Whilst discrimination against disabled people has existed from historical times and across societies, researchers feel that the issue was possibly aggravated immensely in the UK by the industrial revolution, the growth of capitalism and the dominance of the medical model. Social attitudes towards disabled people hardened during the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th century and developed into deep rooted prejudice, which evinced itself in various ways of discrimination and oppression, and led to the imposition of great difficulties on disabled people. (Lang, 1998) Thompson, in 0733966 2001, provided a PCS model that attempts to explain the complex nature in which inequalities, prejudice and discrimination operate to impact the lives of individuals, groups and communities. (Thompson, 2001) Thompson argues that three interlinked levels reinforce discrimination and oppression within society. These operate at the Personal, Cultural and Structural levels and mutually reinforce each other to create extensive and deep rooted biases against people. (Thompson, 2001) At the personal level this relates to individual views and can evidence itself through patronising behaviour towards the disabled, feelings of physical and intellectual superiority, and dislike for the different physical appearances of people with impairments. At the cultural level, people can share common beliefs, (accentuated by the dominance of the medical model) regarding the physical and psychological inferiority of disabled people, along with related feelings about their incapability in handling their liv es, and the need to institutionalise and treat them separately. Structurally discrimination can evidence itself through a myriad of excluding and disempowering conditions like the preponderance of escalators rather than lifts at tube stations, the low representation of the disabled at the workplace, the lack of textbooks for blind people, the presence of separate schools for disabled children, and the widespread lack of facilities for disabled people at pubs, cinemas, amusement parks, airports, railway stations, and even polling booths. Recent years have seen some change in these attitudes and led to the development of the Social Model, which, in contrast to the Medical Model argues that disabled individuals are as much part of mainstream society as able bodied individuals and social obstacles â€Å"like inaccessible buildings, unusable transport systems as well as 0733966 pejorative social attitudes, prejudice and institutionalised discrimination †¦ are the real concerns of disability.† (Lang, 1998) Disability, in the social model is seen to arise from socio-cultural rather than biological causes; it is imposed on existing physical impairments through isolationist and excluding attitudes, behaviours, and policies and amounts to oppression. (Lang, 1998) Conclusion Whilst discrimination and oppression against disabled people in the workplace continues to occur, recent legislation aims to level the playing field by ensuring that employers and service providers do not adopt discriminatory attitudes towards the disabled, and apart from treating them at par with able bodied people take cognizance of their needs and provide for the same. The DDA enjoins employers and service providers, namely companies and organisations that provide goods, facilities, and services to the public, for example banks, hospitals, local authority services, cinemas, railway and bus stations, shops, hotels, restaurants, football grounds, public parks, and private education to make reasonable adjustments to cater to the needs of disabled people, and service users have the right to approach the legal and official machinery if such needs are not met. Social workers and practitioners, despite their education and profession are vulnerable to PCS factors and need to ensure that they approach the issue on the basis that the disabled, while being different, are part of mainstream society and need help and assimilation, not pity. Current legislation calls for the active involvement of social workers in assessing the needs of disabled people and studies indicate that responses 0733966 of social workers are influenced by a number of variables and often differ in assessing the needs of service users. Understanding the perspectives of service users is essential for assessing their actual needs. (Noe, 2007) â€Å"Social workers will have to be flexible without losing focus, take cognizance of the views of disabled people, be theoretically informed, be ready to challenge and change existing ideas and practices, analyse the oppressive nature of organisational culture and its impact on practice, include continuous reflection and evaluation of practice, have multidimensional change strategies, which incorporate the concepts of networking, user involvement, partnership and participation, and analyse the issues of power, both personal and structural.† (Noe, 2007) The contribution of disabled people to the workplace, especially in the context of an ageing society, can be immense and their inclusion will not just bring in the benefits of diversity but also add to organisational skills and competitive advantage f organisations. Whilst enacted laws will no doubt help in bringing in assimilation and integration, real progress will occur only with the proactive support of employers, service providers and social workers. These include making adjustments to premises, allocating some of the duties of disabled persons to others, altering working hours, acquiring or modifying equipment, providing good quality training and supervision, not refuse to provide services, and change existing policies and procedures to make them disabled-friendly. 0733966 Businesses would be well served by conducting access audits and involving disabled persons in recruitment, selection, training, and assimilation processes. Keeping disabled people out of workplaces, and refusing them to give them their due rights makes bad social and business sense because even as society loses out on their contribution, in exchange for some very small cost and adjustment issues, it denies them the opportunity to live meaningful and dignified lives. Nine out of seventy million Britishers are disabled; the able bodied need to realise that even one road accident or a multiple sclerosis attack could make them disabled, and whether that would be good enough reason for excluding them from the rights and benefits available to other citizens. 0733966 References Barnes, C, 1991, Chapter 4, Disabled people in Britain and Discrimination, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/Barnes/disabled%20people%20and%20discrim%20ch4.pdf Berthoud, R, 2006, The employment rates of disabled people, Department for Work and Pensions, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep298.pdf Cohen, D, and Hebert, K, 2004, Equality and diversity in the workplace, BMJ Career Focus, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from careerfocus.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/329/7467/116.pdf Conaway, J, 1999, September, Enabling the Disabled, Americas (English Edition), 51, 52 Conniff, R, 1996, Banishing the Disabled, The Progressive, 60, 20+ Davis, K, 1996, The social model of disability and its implication for language use, Derbyshire coalition of disabled people, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.saifscotland.org.uk/documents/SocialModelLanguage-newlogo.pdf Disability and Access Issues, 2004, Systems Concepts, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.system-concepts.com/articles/article0054.html Disability Discrimination Act the rights of disabled people, 2007, Shaw Trust, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.shaw-trust.org.uk/page/6/91/ 0733966 Equal Access, 1995, Socialist Review, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/sr183/stack1.htm Exploring anti-oppressive practices, Thompsons PCS Model, 2002, Student Youth Work Online, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from youthworkcentral.tripod.com/aop_pcs.htm Fatal discrimination against disabled people, 2007, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.spuc.org.uk/about/no-less-human/discrimination Hirst, M, Thornton, P, and Dearey, M, 2004, The employment of disabled people in the public sector, University of York, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/Thornton/Employment% Lang, R, 1998, A critique of the disability movement Asia Pacific disability rehabilitation journal, Vol. 9, 1, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/asia/resource/apdrj/z13jo0100/z13jo0103.htm Matsell, G, 2006, Attitude towards disability needs to change, Nottinghamshire County Teaching, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from http://www.nottinghamshirecountyteachingpct.nhs.uk/EasySite/lib/serveDocument.asp?doc=12154pgid=9876. Mulholland, H, 2005, Prejudice still blocking disabled peoples path to work, Society Guardian, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/may/25/disability.equality Noe, S. R, 2007, Discrimination against Individuals with Mental Illness. The Journal of Rehabilitation, 63(1), 20+ 0733966 Russell, M, and Malhotra, R, 2002, The Political Economy of Disablement: Advances And Contradictions, Socialist Register, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.zmag.org/content/Miscellaneous/russell_socreg.cfm Rocco, T, 2001, The invisible people, disability, diversity, and issues of power in adult education, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from https://idea.iupui.edu/dspace/bitstream/1805/414/1/Rocco%20T%20.pdf The Rights Stuff; Can Disabled People Ever Get a Really Good Job? Barney Calman Meets a Tireless Campaigner with a High-Powered Career Who Is Determined to Help Others Overcome Their Disadvantages, 2005, May 31, The Evening Standard (London, England), p. 1 Thompson, N (2001) Anti-Discriminatory Practice, Third Edition, London: Palgrave Tregaskis, C, 2004, Constructions of Disability: Researching the Interface between Disabled and Non-Disabled People. New York: Routledge UK signs up to UN disability rights convention, 2007, Managing Diversity, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.managingdiversity.co.uk/news_article.php Welcome to The United Kingdoms Disabled Peoples Council (UKDPC) 123, 2003, BCODP, Retrieved November 16, 2007 from www.bcodp.org.uk

The Euthyphro Dilemma

The Euthyphro Dilemma Siddhanth Goyal   Does morality stem from God? Or does it exist independently of his presence, not subject to arbitrary decisions? The first discussion over these questions appeared in Platos Euthyphro, in which Plato chronicles the proceedings of a highly repetitive argument between Socrates and Euthyphro, a prophet and holy man, over the nature of piety and holiness. The questions produced in this dialogue have been expanded to remain relevant even in a modern religious context. It has achieved so much fame that the core question presented in this dialogue is now known as the Euthyphro Dilemma. In the dialogue, Socrates presents Euthyphro with a choice, Is what is holy loved by the gods because it is holy, or is it holy because it is loved [by the gods]?(Plato 10). I will defend the first view: the idea that there are independent moral standards, separate of any deity or their commands, and that there is a sovereign framework by which God understands what is moral. A dilemma is the concept of forcing a choice between two options that are either equally unfavorable (or favorable). To understand why each of the options set out above are objectionable for Euthyphro, we need to comprehend the implications of both. In order to make my argument, I will substitute the word `God for Platos gods, and the word moral for holy. These changes will not affect the strength or cogency of the argument, and will make the dilemma more relevant to the modern reader. The dilemma faced by Euthyphro is this: if we maintain that certain actions are moral only because God approves them, then it seems that the distinction between moral and immoral actions is simply arbitrary; for no predominant reason can be given for why God should favor one kind of action over another. The distinction is simply a matter of Gods whims, just as it is up to me to prefer pencils to pens. As there is no reason provided for why God should favor integrity and generosity, he might equally have favored dishonesty and selfishness, and we must accept his commands as moral. This concept is known as the Divine Command Theory of ethics, where moral actions are mandatory simply because God commands people to do them. According to this theory, there are no moral standards that exist without Gods will, and without his commands, nothing would be right or wrong. God is omnipotent, and therefore, morality itself is derived from Gods nature. Without God, there is no basis for our moral structure and under this, what is moral is so because God has decreed it as such. This theory would stress the complete sovereignty of Gods will, and the concept that morality exists based not on reason, or any logical basis, but simply due to the arbitrary nature of Gods commands. This theory proposes that there is no rationale, moral or immoral, behind divine commands, and hence renders both his commands and morality subject to his whims. On this theory, God could have commanded, for example, for one to kill an innocent child, and it would have been mandatory for a person to do it. Abhorrent acts, or ones we would consider as such, are automatically pious, simply because God has decreed it, though many, including those who might be inclined to side with the this theory, would agree that they are abhorrent. The theory also rules out the option of assuming that God is just an agent of morality, not its progenitor, leaving the devotee with a puzzling quandary. On the other hand, rejecting the divine command theory, and accepting that moral principles exist independently of divine interpretation, destroys the idea of Gods omnipotence. Contrary to common belief, divine power would be restricted to actions allowed by ethical principles, and God would not be permitted to act, or offer commands, outside of these restrictions. I reject divine command theory in support of the idea that there is an independent moral framework, and that is what dictates whether or not something can be construed as being ethical. My findings are supported by the words of Socrates himself, when he is engaged in a discussion with Euthyphro: SOCRATES: And what do you say of piety, Euthyphro. Is not piety, according to your definition, loved by all the gods? EUTHYPHRO: Yes. SOCRATES: Because it is pious or holy, or for some other reason? EUTHYPHRO: No, that is the reason. SOCRATES: It is loved because it is holy, not holy because it is loved? EUTHYPHRO: Yes. SOCRATES: And that which is dear to the gods is loved by them, and is in a state to be loved of them because it is loved of them? EUTHYPHRO: Certainly. SOCRATES: Then that which is dear to the gods, Euthyphro, is not holy, nor is that which is holy loved of God, as you affirm; but they are two different things. EUTHYPHRO: How do you mean, Socrates? SOCRATES: I mean to say that the holy has been acknowledged by us to be loved of God because it is holy, not to be holy because it is loved. EUTHYPHRO: Yes. (Plato 13-14) In this excerpt of the dialogue, Socrates leads Euthyphro to the conclusion that something is holy, or in our case, moral, prior to it being loved by God. It does not become such after being acknowledged by God. The Euthyphro concludes that morality cannot be identified by what is loved by God, as that would leave it an empty concept. If we decide to follow the second horn of this dilemma, then we must accept that God is simply a messenger for morality, not the source of it. He understands what is moral, and what is not, but doesnt directly have the power to change it. Another reason I am convinced of this horn is that this form of morality can exist without the presence of a religious deity. If morality exists indecently of God, then if there is no God, we still have a basis for morality, though that basis may be unknown. My argument is not made to discredit the presence of a religious figure, or to offend those who believe that morality stems from God. It may very well be that this is the case, and that God is truly an omnipotent being who decides what is, and is not, moral, in his all-encompassing wisdom. I only attempt to explain my belief that the second branch of this dilemma is the one I find to be more convincing, and to present evidence explaining my interpretation. I would like to argue, as a closing remark, that humanitys morality should be based on rational dialogue and a reasonable understanding of the consequences of ones actions. It can be boiled down to the concept of act utilitarianism, or the idea that morally justifiable actions are ones where net happiness gained outweighs net happiness lost, though concrete standards for measuring such changes in happiness are not at all possible. I pledge my honor that I have neither received nor provided unauthorized assistance during the completion of this work. Works Cited Plato. Euthyphro; Platos: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Trans. Benjamin Jowell; Rev. Albert A. Anderson. Millis, MA: Agora, 2005. 1-18. Print.

Abstinence Only Sex Education Essay -- Sex Education

Where in the first world would one expect the teen pregnancy rate to be the highest? Surprisingly, it is the United States that has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any first world country, more than double the rate of twenty other first world countries and almost ten times greater than that of Switzerland. While some of the disparity can be attributed to factors such as income inequality, the presence of abstinence only education has a major impact on birth and STD rates in the United States in comparison to other countries with more comprehensive programs. It is clear that this difference in approaches has a significant effect, and the United States needs to act to ensure the health of its citizens. Urgent actions are necessary because abstinence only education is becoming more popular in the United States and more and more school districts are adopting it. Despite its popularity it has not been proven in any way to be effective in meeting its goals of reducing teen pregnancies and STDs. In fact, there is strong evidence and reasons for its ineffectiveness that should, when compared to the dearth of evidence showing any benefit, make it clear that this is not an effective approach. Not only is it ineffective however, it also results in harm to American teenagers and society by attempting to discourage sex by saying condoms are not safe, and this results in decreased contraception use and thus more STDs and pregnancies. And finally, when America and other first world countries with abstinence only curricula are compared to countries which have a more comprehensive methodology to teaching health, it is clear what is the more effective approach. Abstinence only curricula targeted at adolescents are both ineffective at meeting th... ...ent Education: Ine." bepress Legal Series . N.p., 2004. Web. 25 Apr 2012. Santelli, John, Mary Ott, et al. "Abstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of U.S. policies and programs." Journal of Adolescent Health. 38 (2008): 72-81. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . Slater, Jon. "Britain: sex education under fire." UNESCO courier. Jul 2000: 18. Web. 25 May. 2012. "The Abstinence-Only Delusion." New York Times 26 Apr 2007, n. pag. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . Valk, Guus. "The Dutch Model." UNESCO courier. Jul 2000: 19. Web. 25 May. 2012.

AfricanAmerican Representation in the Media :: Free Essay Writer

AfricanAmerican Representation in the Media In Jacqueline Bobo's article, The Color Purple : Black Women as Cultural Readers, she discusses the way in which black women create meaning out of the mainstream text of the film The Color Purple. In Leslie B. Innis and Joe R. Feagin's article, The Cosby Show: The View From the Black Middle Class, they are examining black middle-class responses to the portrayal of black family life on The Cosby Show. In their respective articles, Bobo, and Innis and Feagin are investigating the representation of race, particularly African American race, in the mass media. The chief concerns of their investigations lie in how African Americans deal with the way these representations portray them individually and their social group as a whole. In this paper I will compare the issues in each study, analyze the larger sociopolitical implications of the media representations and apply a similar framework of concerns to my own reception analysis project. In Bobo's article, the chief concerns of the author are "the savage and brutal depiction of black men in the film", "black family instability", and the way that black women embrace the film and use their own reconstructed meaning of it to "empower themselves and their social group," (90,92). Film as a medium starts out with many potential limitations and problems when it comes to representing a whole race of people. No two people are exactly alike no matter what race they come from so there is no way one film can represent all peoples. Unfortunately, many people believe that a certain depiction of black people characterizes all black people, which is certainly not the case. This is very dangerous because this perpetuates stereotyping and discrimination. The viewing public pays for movies and therefore movie directors have to tailor their product so that the majority of viewers will enjoy, and agree with the ideas behind the film. The majority almost always means white America so e ven African American based movies are made for white audiences. Because of this, the representations of blacks in the medium of film are almost always white ideas of who black people are, not who they really are. The film The Color Purple has been the center of controversy since it was made in 1985. Many people feel the film is a terrible portrayal of black family life and that it is stereotypical in its depiction of black men as evil and brutal tyrants who imprison and mentally and verbally abuse woman.

Macbeth-How Was the Witches Ported in Polanskis Movies and Shakespeare’s Book

Choose one principal character in the Shakespeare play you have studied compare the presentation of your chosen character in the play with the presentation of the same character in an adaptation of the play . Use examples from both the play and adaptation in your response. The Character I have chosen are the Witches . The witches have a big effect in the play, not only are they evil, but this is emphasized by the hate against witches and witchcraft in Elizabethan times. In the book the witches are first portrayed as scary and dangerous because of the surroundings thunder and lightning on a moor is an evil image: we associate thunder and lightning with scary and dangerous things, also the moor is a very lonely place. One of the witches asks the other witches â€Å"when shall we three meet again, In thunder, lightnig or in rain† By the witch asking this it makes the reader think why would they want to meet in dangerous weather, maybe they witches like the scary weather. The Witches language is also very evil and powerful. â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair; hover through the fog and filthy air† This quote tells me that the Witches have a hatred for anything good, and their love for things good. Shakespeare could have used internal rhyme to emphasise the evilness. When Macbeth meets the witches at first they greet him as â€Å"Thee thane of Cawdor† and even more as †That shalt be king† This shows that the witches are not normal human creatures because they could be suggesting that they can see into the future. In Polanski’s movie the witches are first seen on the beach burying a hand, a rope and a dagger these items could be representing Macbeth’s future. The hand could represent the witches forcing Macbeths hand. A rope because the Thane of Cawdor was hanged. Finally the dagger because Macbeth stabs Banquo and king Duncan. Macbeth also see’s Banquos ghost carrying a dagger. Also in the movie the witches are portrayed as ugly and are dressed poorly, this could mean that they don’t care about they’re appearance. Overall the witches might not be all evil because they never lied to Macbeth, they just gave half truths.

Market Segment

What is the market segments targeted? Market segment targeted that the company create the different marketing campaign that will satisfy to the different customer’s need. Therefore, business should be flexible with their service or product for keeping changing their product to match with the customer’s need. So the market segmentation will be able to build the loyalty relationship that will motivate the customer to buy the product or service again. According to the video case, Marriott Corporation International offers the program called â€Å"Marriott First Choice†.This program will create the service program that match with different customer’s need with the best quality and value value. For example, the business traveler can choose to stay any hotels in Marriott brand . Moreover, the program provides the special offer to the business traveler to change and negotiate some hotel service to satisfy the customer. 2. What marketing research was used? Marketin g research was studied to understand the customer’s need to create the best product or service.According to the video, the marketing research of Marriott will able to match with the Dow chemical’s need which are about focus group, quantitative survey, hotel spending analysis and hotel directory analysis. The marketing research customizes the service program of Marriott. This program can help the seller to find the right program or marketing campaign. This program satisfy the need of business traveler especially the specially service of Marriott to provide for Dow chemical’s employee which are evaluate the result of marketing research. . What product line development initiatives were launched? According to the video case, Marriott developed four-product line that was able to fit into the different business traveler’s need.â€Å"Marriott Quality Hotel† has launched the brand to target the business travelers who consider about the quality of service. The hotel will provide the high quality of service and use the new technology. â€Å"Courtyard† brand has launched to business travelers target who willing to pay moderate market price for their hotel or a price sensitive. Courtyard† product line will have business rooms that provide to the business people for business travelers. The facilities in the room will create the business environment. â€Å"Resident Inn† brand has launched to target the business travelers who really stay in the hotel for many nights.â€Å"Resident Inn† product line will offer many services to satisfy the customer. Finally, â€Å"Fairfield† brand has launched to target the business travelers who don’t really focus on the luxury brand or service but they are willing to stay in the clean hotel and convenience for them. Fairfield† product line also will provide the fast service to customer in the lower price. 4. What role did personal selling play in the go-to-mark et strategy? Personal selling is the important role in the go-to-market strategy because they promote the product or service. Personal selling also creates the long-term relationship between the buyer and seller. Moreover, the company also uses the personal selling to complete with the competitor as the competitive advantage. Moreover, the personal selling should understand the customer’s need and provide the good customer satisfaction.