History of Education and Field Study Essay

We all know that each of the teachers has their own methods and strategies in delivering their lesson. I observed the class of Teacher Teejie Taruc. She is a MAPEH major teaching at Camba National High School. She uses a combination of methods in her class includes the Socratic Method, inductive method, class discussion, lecturing and recitation. She has her own techniques on how she presents her lesson. Teacher Teejie has a great sense of humour that’s why she can easily get the attention of her students. By  using those methods, she can manage her students and also the learning process. Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process 7 Analysis Explain the methods that the teacher used. Methods| Advantages| Disadvantages| 1. Socratic Method – it is the question and answer part in the lesson presentation. | * Learners can share their own ideas. * Teacher and the learners may absorb knowledge by listening to other ideas. | * Some of the learners may not cooperate. | 2. Inductive Method – a method which presenting the lesson by specific to more general. | * Learners may familiarize the topic * Easily cope up with the topic. * They can improve their critical thinking skills. | * Learning is difficult to gauge. * Some may hardly understand the topic. | 3. Lecture Method – is a teaching procedure for explaining and clarifying a major idea. It makes use of may be a narration or a description. | * Presents factual material in direct, logical manner. * It contains experience which inspires. * Stimulates thinking to open discussion. * Useful for large groups of learner. * It serve as a guide through a great mass of information characteristics of subject areas. | * Some of the learners may not participate. * Time will limit the discussion. * Learning is difficult to gauge. | 4. Class Discussion – a method on presenting a lesson where there is a question involve that may answer by the learners. | * Pools ideas and experiences from other learners. * Effective after a presentation, film or experience that needs to be analyzed. * Allows everyone to participate in an active process. | * Few learners can dominate. * Others may not participate. * It is time consuming. * Can get off the track. | 5. Recitation – an act of enumerating and answering the question of the teacher. | * Learners can boost their confidence by doing recitation. * Both teacher and learners may absorb knowledge from each other. | * Some students may not participate. * Some won’t get a fair answering. | Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process8 Reflection What methods am I going to use? As a would-be educator, I already have ideas of what method am I going use in the near future. I encountered a lot of teachers and I can say that they have their own techniques, strategies and methods in teaching. Each of them is different from anyone and I can say that they are all good teachers. I always taught to myself that someday I am going to be like them and much better than them. In order to have a good learning process in the class, I must have a harmonious relationship with my learners. It is very important for me as a teacher to have a harmonious relationship with my learners so that I can easily impart knowledge to them. I am planning to use a combination of methods includes class discussion, brain storming, lecturing, Socratic, inductive, deductive, recitation, power point and video clip presentation and worksheets. These methods are only guide for us. The effectiveness of these methods is always depending on us, on how we apply it and on how we deliver it. Some of the methods I’m planning to use are generally used by most teachers that’s why I included video clip and power point presentation in order to follow on the new trends of teaching. We all know that these things are very popular today. Power point presentation is software of Microsoft where we can write up the lessons that we want to teach on our students. Video clip presentation is an entertaining way of teaching content and raising issues that keep group’s attention. When we use these two new trends of teaching, learning process may be more successful than the traditional one. It’s so hard to get the attention of the students. We must be a good motivator for us to motivate them. Being a teacher is not easy like they always said but I do believe that it depends on you. As long as you know that you can do it, it will be easy. Just love your profession and the profession will also loves you. Make your passion your profession! Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process9 Documentation†¦ FieField Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process10 Differences Among Approach, Methods, Strategies, and Techniques Many people are having difficulties on distinguishing the differences between approach, methods, strategies, and techniques that’s why in this activity; I am going to define the differences between those words. Approach| Method or Strategy| Technique|. * An enlighten viewpoint of teaching. * Provides sounds philosophy and orientation to the whole process of teaching in which the selection of an instructional method is part and parcel of. | * It refers to an organized, orderly, systematic, well-planned procedure. * It consist of steps which are logically arranged aimed at achieving the specific aims of instruction at enhancing greater teaching and maximizing learning output. * Method directs and guides the teacher in all class activities and involves as well, the organization of materials to get things done. * Strategy in the beginning is a monopoly of other disciplines like military, science, politics, economics, and even psychology. | * It is implementational and that which actually takes place in a classroom. * It is a particular trick, or contrivance, used to accomplish an immediate objective. * It is consistent with a method and approach as well. * It depends on the teacher, his individual artistry, and on the composition of the class. * It is defined as a procedural variation of a given method. | Field Study 2: Experiencing the Teaching and Learning Process6.

American Jewry Order nov 3

In the United States around 1992, American Jewry came into a process of reformation directing toward a consolidation of the Council of Jewish Federations, the United Jewish Appeal, and the United Israel Appeal into the new broad-based organization that could speak in the name of American Jewry in new ways ( Elazar, http://www. jcpa. org/dje/articles3/rwjintro. htm). Travel and communications advances facilitated the increasing solidity of the Jewish race across the world.With the progress noted, more and more of its people have connections throughout the Jewish world, or at least across long distances within in it. Gradually more individual Jews, their families and communities relied upon resources in other communities, in the form of religious guidance from Israel or whether it is just for encouragement from the American Jewish experience as measures of intensifying Jewish identity. Even with the overabundance of organizations and organizational activities, a majority of the Jewry s eem to be oblivious of them.For most Jews, familiarity of their area community involvements is all they know about structured Jewish life, if that. Nevertheless, an institutional structure has developed and a network of connection more or less involving most of the existing organizations and institutions has been progressing. The Jewish people now have a superior prospect to uphold unity than it has had since the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. Up to this day, American Jewry remains the primary pioneer in the advancement of world polity.They are committed to nation-building, the development of Israel, relief and rescue of Jewish communities in need, fighting anti-semitism, representing collective Jewish interests in world affairs, mobilization of leadership and activists to undertake these and other functions, governance functions in the world Jewish polity, assuring that there are appropriate bodies for the carrying on of the functions, raising funds to cover the costs of these functions, oversight of the organizations and institutions handling the functions, developing appropriate inter-organizational relations both among the authorities that comprise the world Jewish polity and the local, countrywide, regional, and worldwide arenas (Bubis). The National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS) 2000-01, a $6 million study carried out by The United Jewish Communities, is said to provide the most all-inclusive, trustworthy picture of American Jewry to date. Records show that there are 5. 2 million American Jews. This is 5 percent less than the 5. 5 million counted in the 1990 population study. There 4. 3 million American Jews attend Passover seders and light Chanukah candles.This figure also takes account of those more Jewishly devoted — families who maintain kosher homes, regularly join synagogue meetings, enrolled Jewish schools and go to at least one Jewish society. The percentage of intermarriage is growing, but at a stable rate, with 47 percent of today's Jewish newlyweds marrying non-Jews. The mean Jewish age is 42, in contrast to 35 for Americans in general, and the birthrate was 1. 8, lower than the 1. 9 rate for American women generally. The picture of American Jewry highlighted by the study is multifaceted. On the one hand, the American Jewish population is aging and shrinking, as the birthrate is falling and intermarriage is rising, and most Jews do not take on communal or religious pursuits.On the other hand, a vast majority of American Jews attend a Passover seder and celebrate Chanukah and Jewish education is booming. Jews are more affluent than Americans generally. More 33 percent of Jewish households report an annual income of $75,000 or higher, compared to just 18 percent of U. S. households. The median Jewish household income is $54,000, compared to $42,000 for Americans generally. Speaking about affluence, the world’s richest Jew is Steve Ballmer, a Detroit-born son of a Jewish mother, 43 years old, wh ose worth is an estimated $25 billion. Steve Ballmer was selected president and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp.on January 13, 2000. In his position as president and CEO, Ballmer is oversees the entire management of Microsoft. It has been said that the outside terrorization, such as pogroms, coped with by Jews over the centuries act as unifying power. Jews needed each other in order to survive in a Jew-hating world. In line with this idea, the elimination of those external threats has become a factor to assimilation. The more accepting the non-Jewish world has become of Jews, the less Jews have felt they need other Jews and the Jewish community for support and the more Jews have become open to giving up their Jewish ways in an effort to blend with the world around them.Thus, the cost of Jewish living exceeded the value of Jewish living for many 20th century American Jews. While Jewish community efforts to lower costs and increase value have attempted to tip the scales in t he other direction, combating the integration of Jews in America, the â€Å"Land of Opportunty†, has been a harsh struggle to win. In an effort to assimilate and minimize threat, the American Jewry of late has developed a system of beliefs wherein it has become a community characterized with an exclusive and normalized behavior that is attributable to a specific people and that is expressed through certain images, symbols, rituals, myths, and other kinds of stories.There developed a sense of pluralism which is defined in their context: having the conviction that more than one religion can instruct truths. To put it strongly, religious pluralism maintains that no specific religion can assert total certainty to teach absolute truth. Within the Jewish population, there is a collective history, a shared expression of prayer and study, a shared Bible and a shared set of rabbinic literature, consequently often providing for Jews of considerably diverse worldviews to nevertheless id entify some level of common ideals and purposes. Reference: 1. Bubis,Gerald B. The Costs of Jewish Involvements and barriers. http. //Judaism. about. com. 2. Elazar, Daniel E. Jerusalem Center for Public AffairsI. http://www. jcpa. org/dje/articles2/futureamerjewry. htm.

Chapter 10 Flashcards Example for Free (#10)

Chapter 10 T/F Discussion boards are an earlier form of social networks. T/F Ryze was the first social network. T/F Orkut is the leading social network in Brazil. T/F Social networks blur the line between business and personal life. T/F A white label social network can also be called a corporate social network. T/F It is considered a best practice for companies to set up a profile on Facebook. T/F Large social networks are being threatened by niche social networks that cater to specific interests An online service where members can establish relationships Which social network made the mistake of alienating its early adopters by deleting suspicious accounts? Why is the Coca-Cola Facebook page different from other brand pages? The company shares the page administration with fans. What social network did not succeed in the U.S. but has been successful in other countries? Which of the following statements is false? People on social networks seek out brand relationships. Why are social networks so useful for businesses that sell to consumers? They are a great way to find and reach potential customers. According to the text, which is not considered a mistake on a LinkedIn profile? Completing a profile with as much detail as possible. One advantage of a white label social network is that It can be customized to suit the needs of a particular audience. What is the appeal of a private social network for a nonprofit? It provides a means for them to organize a cause without the distractions of a general social network. Why should firms consider investing in a presence on larger social networks? They set social media trends and have the largest audiences. What did Quantivo learn about targeting groups on LinkedIn? A group’s activity level is more important than its size. How does brand intelligence relate to social networks? It is a way to assess a company’s transparency online. Explain why marketers looking to reach a global audience must consider social networks beyond Facebook. Different social networks are popular in different countries, and a marketer needs to be aware of this when looking to reach and connect with specific international audiences. building relationships using discussion boards to converse about topics of shared interest An online meeting place for consumers and influencers to: to create, share and interact with content. Gangs 2 marketing ch. 15 yipyip HEP 3000 chapter 11 MGT exam 3 Marketing Chapter 7 quiz ch 8-9 Fountain Intro to Drugs and Behavior, Chapter 11: Caffeine (Practice questions) Marketing Test 2 company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy We will write a custom sample essay on

Should Homosexual Couples be Allowed to Adopt Research Paper

Should Homosexual Couples be Allowed to Adopt - Research Paper Example So, therefore if the same sex couples are in a  monogamous relationship, financially stable and most importantly a loving relationship, they  should be allowed to adopt a child if they decide to do so. Homosexual couples are capable of  raising healthy children, their life style will not be transcended to them and they will not be  psychologically damage as suggested by the traditional family. Being a heterosexual  does not guarantee you being a better parent. This paper will explore why homosexual couples  are fit parents and children that are abandoned can be given a chance at better life with these  parents.  Homosexual couples who are given the right to adopt children can have the same  advantages. The anticipation for health alteration and development as children is same whose parentages  are heterosexual. This is absolutely ridiculously and nonsensical. Our society imposes prejudices and biases  against people who are different and not considered â€Å"no rmal.†Ã‚  The legal procedures and structures throughout the world leave the same sex couples desiring to be parents with two options. Firstly, the couples can always adopt the children of their partners. This is termed as second adoption option which is somewhat an extension of what we call as adoption by step parents. Another has been the traditional options allowing homosexual couples to become foster parents. Already mentioned this law has enforced by the government of Florida. Under this law homosexual couples are devoid of the rights to become legal parents. There is no basis on which to assume that a parental homosexual orientation will  increase the likelihood of or induce homosexual tendencies in the child. The most important  role of any parent, same-sex or heterosexual, is to provide the basic needs, such as food, shelter,  clothing, health-care and love (Patterson, 1025-30).  Public controversies do not stop chasing case of same sex adoption even though the re are enough evidences to suggest that homosexual couples strive to fulfill all the necessities of their children. Homosexual couples are capable of raising healthy children, their life style will not be transcended to them and they will not be  psychologically damaging as suggested by the â€Å"so call traditional family†. Our findings have proved that gay couples are more interested in adoption compared to the heterosexual couples. This point is proven with the help of the statistics from The National Survey of Family Growth which shows that 46.2% homosexual couples are interested in adoption compared to 32.3% in heterosexual couples. 5.7% homosexual couples are even ready to take concrete steps for adoption compared to 3.3% heterosexual couples (Brodzindsky and Pertman, 64). Such a data shows that future of many more children could be secured if eligible homosexual couples are allowed to adopt. In most of the cases it has also been found that such same sex couples are b etter educated and more financially stable. But out of such 3.1 million couples only 1.6 million have been given the right for adoption (Brodzindsky and Pertman, 64). This shows pure discrimination on basis of abnormal sex orientation. When heterosexual couples can still have children with medical assistance, homosexual parents will naturally have more urge towards adoption and this will ascertain security for many orphans. With proper monitoring of their activities for at least a couple of years after the adoption the safety of the

James Joyces Portrayal of Dublin as a Paralyzed Country Term Paper

James Joyces Portrayal of Dublin as a Paralyzed Country - Term Paper Example As Parrinder also states, â€Å"Dubliners betrays fewer illusions about Ireland and Joyce’s manner is rigorously detached and impartial. He is a naturalist to the extent that he allows the paralysis of the Dublin society to betray itself rather than analyzing it or denouncing it openly† (43-44). Moreover Joyce himself claims that, â€Å"My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis† (Leonard 320). Such a projection of paralysis is also observed in the stories, The Sisters, Eveline and The Dead. 1.1. The Sisters The story is depicted in first person narration illustrating a tale of a Priest’s death named Father Flynn. The narrator was a friend of the priest who depicts the tale of the incidents that take place after his death and struggles to collect clues about the sins of the Father for which the Father had wanted forgiveness. 1.2. Eveline Evel ine reiterates a story of a young woman. Since she was born she had lived an unhappy and a tough life. She had always desired for an escape from her life in Dublin although when fate presents her with that golden chance she does not have the courage to avail it because she is unable to ignore her other responsibilities and leave her past for a new future. 1.3. The Dead The Dead is one of the master pieces of James Joyce because in this story the author has incorporated the concentrate of all the themes that Joyce is observed to be developing in his other short stories. It has a variety of characters from various age groups who have gathered for a musicale. However the basic focus of the story is on Gabriel and the manner in which he deals with the people around him. 2. Projection of Paralysis In the story The Sisters it is stated, â€Å"I softly said the word paralysis†¦it sounded to me like the name of some maleficent and sinful being† (2) this comment can be interprete d as Joyce’s style of establishing his dislike for the condition of his countrymen in the first short story of his collection. The major thematic concerns that reflect this paralysis include religion and criticism of the Church, isolation, decay and escapism. C. A. Malcolm and D. Malcolm state that, â€Å"through his representative characters and carefully crafted environment, Joyce illuminates the forces that determine, but in such a way that we can see those forces as imprisoning, binding, paralyzing† (166). 2.1. Religion Religion is a recurring theme in most of Joyce’s short stories as he condemns the stifling strictures of catholic believes and hence he is observed to be criticizing and questioning the holy sacrament of the Catholic Church. However the characters symbolize the paralytic state of his countrymen who never questioned the actions of Church and wasted away their lives according to the stifling and confining bounds set by the Catholic Church. The manner in which the character of the priest is depicted in the story and the hint of his sins reiterates that although church is holy institution yet even the pious people commit sins although no one would ever voice out such an opinion. As the narrator says that he saw the priest in his dream as mentioned in the tex

Cooperative system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cooperative system - Assignment Example Unless employees are satisfied, they can not display competence in their work, and this in turn, hinders their performance. Hence, they can not play their respective roles in achieving organizational objectives, thus lowering the effectiveness. Therefore, the two terms are relational. The statement of Bernard is extremely relevant to the contemporary business scenario. In the modern age of increased competition, business entrepreneurs are looking for ways to gain competitive advantage over their parallels in the market. In these circumstances, it is imperative that they understand the relation between effectiveness and efficiency, because unless they improve their efficiency, they can be outshined by more efficient competitors. The statement of Bernard is also, quite useful for a manager given it is fundamentally a manager’s responsibility to take measures to improve the efficiency of workers in an organization. In order to achieve the ultimate organizational goals, managers n eed to address the problem at the grass root level and improve the employees’ efficiency by addressing their individualistic concerns.

English assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assignment - Essay Example rious sorts can take place in the lives of every man; a man who â€Å"is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along† is not free from the clutches of misfortune or suffering (Schakel & Ridl 737). The old people hope for a â€Å"miraculous birth†; however, the new generation or rather children do not â€Å"specially want it to happen† (Schakel & Ridl 738). The lines echo the indifference of the new generation towards the sufferings of the old people and show how the old people are being disrespected, uncared, looked down and are marginalised in the contemporary society. The poem effectively combines the tragedy of Icarus with similar portraits from the readers’ own world. Just as the ploughman neglected the ‘forsaken cry’ of Icarus, the modern man fails to value the martyrdom and loses hold of his human innocence. The poem, in a way, propagates the Christian values of showing empathetic feelings towards the sufferings of the fellow human beings. The poem brings to light man’s lack of concern for his fellow beings and exhorts the readers to look into their life introspectively to amend their ways and absorb the Christian values of love and empathy towards everyone. Even though the primary purpose of dramas is performance on the stage, an effective reader can give shapes and lives to the characters in a play in the mind of his imagination which can act as a theatre. Reading a play necessitates an awareness of the names, nature and the relationship of the characters to each other. Similarly, an effective reader should have the imaginative capability to visualize the scenery on the stage as well as the costumes and the appearance of various characters. The effectiveness of a play depends on the character formation and the building of the dramatic conflict in the play and this paper tries to bring out how character and conflict affects the drama The New New by Kelly Stuart. Unlike other plays the script of The New New â€Å"does not start with a list of

Brahms and Liszt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brahms and Liszt - Essay Example Both these great composers had graciously accepted to lend their support for a charity concert in aid of the starving millions around the world. Brahms was an accomplished pianist whose compositions consisted of Chamber ensembles for different symphony orchestras and also for solo voice and chorus. Most of his compositions were complex and his innovative compositional techniques were deeply rooted in the Baroque and Classical style. Liszt too belonged to the Romantic era and was a thorough virtuoso at the piano and one of the most serious composers of his time. The venue was the grand (please fill in the venue you like) which was teeming with excited and enthusiastic crowds waiting to enter the hall. The people were ushered in by 7.45 because the concert was to begin at 8pm. Silence descended on the audience as the lights dimmed and the curtains began to go up. The opening number for the evening was by Liszt the great composer and his orchestra. The audience cheered and clapped as the orchestra was introduced and stood standing as composer took the stage at the piano. Silence descended as the music filled the concert hall. The opening piece was the very well known ‘Hungarian Rhapsodies’ which had formerly been written only for piano but later had been arranged for orchestra. The composer exploited the piano to such an extent while playing the arpeggios that it gave the audience the impression, that three hands were used for playing instead of two and at times he made the piano sound as if it was a huge Gypsy Band with its lavish rapid octaves in addition to the daring runs and leaps. Liszt’s originality and range of dynamics enthralled the audience no end as they gave him a standing ovation at the end of the piece. Brahms Violin Concerto followed after formal introductions of the orchestra were done and the concert hall resounded with applause from the audience as Brahms was welcomed. As the hall fell silent again,

Charles Jencks and Postmodernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Charles Jencks and Postmodernism - Essay Example For Jencks, Postmodernism hybridizes modernism by reweaving the recent modern past and local culture in to a single entity. He defines Postmodernism as the reaction against the monolithic architectural principles of Modernism. Postmodern architecture is a return to the sense of meaningful or referential function of architecture. It is a renewed awareness of the suppressed linguistic or connotative dimension in architecture and is expressed with contextualism and with a collaborative use of modern as well local or historical or referential elements in design. In spite of its opposition to modernism, Postmodernism has its roots in modernism which as we know rejected all old Victorian ideals of how art should be made, interpreted and what it should mean. Architects tried to get away from the philosophical, ethical and formal dictation of the rationalism by a playful and ironical association with construction forms, architectural historical quotations and stylistically contamination and this eventually lead to Postmodernism. The movement largely has been a reaction to the orthodoxy, austerity, and formal absolutism of the International Style. Postmodernism describes the returning tendency of assembling organic narration and historical references in architectural designs by a process of assimilation and re-interpretation; the assimilation of the essence of historical works and reinterpreting the same in combination with the modernist style, thus creating a hybridized form of art. Hence Postmodern architecture is characterized by the incorporation of historical details in a hybrid rather than a pure style, by the use of decorative elements, by a more personal and exaggerated style, and by references to popular modes of building. This ty pe of architecture where reference and ornament have returned to the facade, replacing the aggressively unornamented modern styles, has also been described as "neo-eclectic". This Post modernity in architecture is generally thought to be heralded by the return of "wit, ornament and reference" to architecture in response to the formalism of the International Style of modernism. It is a rejection of strict rules set by the early modernists and seeks exuberance in the use of building techniques, angles, and stylistic references. Postmodern architecture is a return to the sense of meaningful or referential function of architecture, a renewed awareness of the suppressed linguistic or connotative dimension in architecture. Jencks was on of the first to transfer the term 'Post Modern' from literary expression, where it was first used in 1975 to architecture. And in this manner he is the first to theorize postmodernism from the perspective of architecture. Jencks and some other post-modernists believe that post-modernism really began to emerge in the counter-culture of the 1960s. In the West it was a period of questioning and challenging rules and norms, and of embracing spiritual and artistic modes from other cultures that had previously been ignored. According to Jencks's earlier definition, postmodernism describes anything that was build after 1972, the year in which the Pruitt-Igoe project in St Louis for low-income housing was eventually destroyed with dynamite. Jencks's Concept of Modernism and its Shortcomings Jencks claims that modern architecture developed from the interests of large corporations on account of the progress in

Sports in canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports in canada - Essay Example The most common sporting events are ice hockey, soccer, basketball, Canadian football and lacrosse. Sporting activities in Canada serve as a unifying factor for its people who come from different backgrounds of diverse cultures and traditions. This diversity sometimes acts as grounds for disunity and discord amongst the citizenry, and it has been found out that Sport breaks through all these invisible barriers erected by people between each other. Canadian sports are characterized by having a rich history and strong national values are attached to some sports activities. This is a discussion about the significance of Canadian sports and the different roles and purposes it plays in Canadian society. Canada was home to Native Americans who are referred to as Indians, and they are the aboriginal inhabitants of Canada. The aboriginals used sporting activities to strength and foster strong inter-clan relations that were vital for their survival and general wellbeing. Sporting activities i nitially developed from people’s daily chores, and as new ways of doing things developed, older ways of doing things was done just for leisure and amusement. Just like other people from different civilizations, Canadian aboriginals used sports to practice their survival skills. ... porting activities that can accredited to the Native Americans are lacrosse, archery, toboggan, canoe races and spear throwing which was later converted to javelin throwing (Morrow & Wamsley 98). In the early development of sports, in the ‘First Nation’ as some people call Canada was faced with a couple of challenges like exploitation, ethnocentric distortion and racism (Canadian Encyclopedia ). This was especially rampart in the minority groups including black and Native Americans. These minority groups were initially not allowed to participate in the same events as white Europeans by virtue of their skin color and racial background (Canadian Encyclopedia). This has been overcome through various legislative and policy changes in the laws and regulations governing sporting activities in the country. Over time, this has contributed to significant changes in the way sport is perceived by members of the Canadian society. The sporting tradition in Canada helped encourage and foster national cohesion amongst its people especially between the Native Americans and the occupying Europeans. Sports enabled these two groups to interact on an equal platform where there were no restrictions or boundaries separating them. In modern times, sports in Canada have evolved to become a way of life for some of the more than a million Canadians who play games like ice hockey as part of their a lifestyle. Canadian sport is characterized having two seasons for sport because of the climate in the region. Canada experiences snowfall for the better part of the year thus necessitating the development and adaptation of sporting activities that are suitable to these conditions. A good example of such a sport is ice hockey which is synonymous with Canada all over the world (Morrow & Wamsley

Moon Palace by Paul Auster Essay Example for Free

Moon Palace by Paul Auster Essay This is the story of Marco Stanley Fogg, an orphan searching for love, his father and the key to the riddle of his origin and fate. Marcos mother was killed in a car accident when he was eleven years old, and he never knew who was his father. Since then he had lived with his Uncle Victor in a small apartment on 112th Street in N.Y. His Uncle was a part of a band who was named Wally Moon and preformed at the Moon Palace diner. When Stanley grew up he went to the University; Uncle Victor gave him for this occasion a present, one thousand books. Afterwards, his Uncle had suddenly died. Then Stanleys situation became worse; He saw his money dwindle to zero, he lost the apartment and wound up living in the streets (He slept for three weeks in Central Park without food and with little money). His friends David Zimmer and Kitty Wu had found him and took care of him til he recover from his illness. Staley lived in Zimmers house until he had moved away to another apartment, then Stanley searched for a new place to live and found a job as a live-in companion for an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair. He lived with him for about half year until the gentleman died. His name was Effing Thomas but his real name was Julian Barber. In the past he was a famous painter but he stopped painting after the death of his brother and he changed his name after being considered dead by mistake. Stanley and Effing were very bonded since Effing was like the father Stanley never had. Dear Diary June, 1967 Today I was again in Broadway Street where was Chandlers Bookstore. I had sold him another box of Uncle Victors book. Sure, I had already read them. I know that they were the only memory, which was left from my uncle, buy I need the money to pay the rent and to buy some food and eat. August, 1968 Today I woke up early in the morning and got out to the street. As I was walking I saw that the drugstore had been opened already, I entered and I dropped a penny into the drugstore Exacto scale to see what was happening to me. From 154 in June, I fell to 139 in July and then to 123 in august. For someone who measured slightly over six feet, this began to be dangerously little. August, 1969 Today Fernandez, the owner of the building, threw me out my apartment. I took my knapsack with a few odds and ends, tucked the clarinet case, that Uncle Victor had left to me, and walked out the door I dont know what Ill do, or where do Ill go October, 1970 Now I have just finished to type down the life story of Effing on the typewriter that he had gave me. I have copied it from the notes I had taken in those nights when we sat down after supper. Me on the sofa and him in his wheelchair. He had told everything; Why had he changed his name and why did he choose this name (Effing), why did he stop painting, what happened to his wife and to his son. And eventually he told me that when he will die he wants his body to be cremated.

State of the Union Address Essay Example for Free

State of the Union Address Essay State Of the Union Address 2013 While President Obama will primarily focus on discussing the economy and jobs for Americans, here are five hot topics you can expect President Obama to address in his annual State of the Union address. 1. Immigration: With immigration reform picking up major traction, Obama will likely encourage continued bipartisan action to move towards comprehensive immigration reform. Current proposals by the Gang of Eight would bring about tough and fair reform for over 11 million undocumented immigrants to move towards citizenship. In 2007, the Congressional Budget Office rated the plan as generating $48 billion in additional revenue over 10 years, while costing about $23 billion in additional welfare and health care payments. 2. Foreign policy: From the security of U.S. diplomatic posts to the U.S. policy towards Syria, Obama should have lot to say about the countrys foreign policy agenda. It will be interesting to see if Obamaa speechwriters will address the recent breaking news out of North Korea, where a successful third nuclear test was reported. President Obama called the action a highly provocative act that demands swift and credible action by the international community against North Korea. Of note are quick condemnations from Russia, Britain, South Korea and the United Nations. Will Obama use primetime to address the recent actions? Is the Iranian nuclear program of greater concern than North Korea? 3. Drones: Obamas drone program came under fire since last weeks Senate hearing regarding counterterrorism adviser John Brennans nomination to become director of the CIA. Will Obama use tme to justify the administrations policy of deploying unmanned drones to kill Americans suspected of being Al-Qaeda allies? 4. Gun violence: Background checks have picked up significant momentum across party lines and Obama is well on his way to pushing for comprehensive gun control and gun violence prevention. The NRA has been very vocal about Second Amendment rights, and recent events have pushed gun violence into national spotlight. Is this issue big enough to address in his primetime address? Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, mother of slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton, and a young girl from Newtown, Connecticut will be present inside the Chamber when Obama delivers his address. 5. Climate Change: Obama came out strong during his January inaugural speech on addresssing climate change. He expressed the need to deal with the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. However, his address tonight will likely cover climate change as it relates to energy technology, new industries, and economic growth. With all these issues that need to be addressed, you can expect some mention of the above. Count his words and see how many times Obama addresses the above topics. But expect it all to be overshadowed by the big issue that has carried through Obamas tenure as president the economy, jobs and economic recovery.

The Development Of Mass Tourism Mallorca Tourism Essay

The Development Of Mass Tourism Mallorca Tourism Essay Balearic Islands with total area of 5,014 km consist of four islands which are 2 by Formentera, 11 by Eivissa, 14 by Menorca and 73 by Mallorca (Bull 1997, 140). Mallorca is the largest island of the Balearic archipelago with 555km of the total coast length of the island (Garcia and Servera 2003, 288) which covered for nearly three quarters of the land with approximately 3640 km ² in Balearic Island. The climate of Mallorca is typically Mediterranean with moderate average temperatures. During the summer, the dry and warm season takes place. The average annual rainfalls are 625 mm, with average temperature 16 °C and 17 °C except in the high mountain (Guijarro 1986). With its favorable climate, extensive coastline and beautiful beaches it have lured visitors coming over for many centuries. In 1950s the development of tourism increasingly creates an opportunity to the local in generating additional jobs and income. On the other side it has resulted in a large flux of immigrants from Iberian Peninsula to Mallorca. At the same time when the tourism industry developed, the local economy became dependent on this source of revenue. Consequently, in 1955 there is 30 of the population was working for the sector however in 1996 it was almost 76 (Garcia and Servera 2003, 288). The development of Mass Tourism (Mallorca) Definition of Mass tourism Burkart and Medlik (1974, 42) states Mass tourism is essentially a quantitative notion, based on the proportion of the population participating in tourism or on the volume of tourist activity. However, in the context of Bramwell (2004) relate it to tourism industrys large-scale replication of standardized holiday packages combining accommodation and transport to cater large numbers of people from diverse social groups. Basically both definitions have pointed out the key element of mass tourism that is all about large volume and large scale of replication production with local participation involvement to cater vast numbers of visitors. Since 1950s tourism in Mallorca has closely aligned with a standard mass holiday package aimed at a very price-sensitive of European tourist (Aguilo et al. 2005, 221). Having such characteristic of the climate, sun and beach is perfectly match with the mass tourist who in search of hot weather and suntan within the framework of a rigidly packaged holiday. Butlers life cycle of Mallorca Exploration involvement stage-1930s The butlers lifecycle model (1980), describes a tourist destination from the exploration to development up to stagnation and decline phases can be best apply in the destination of Mallorca from the growth stage to post-stagnation stage. In the period of exploration and involvement stages tourism takes place in Mallorca act merely as an instrument for stimulating cultural and intellectual activity (Bull 1997, 141). Early development stage 1955s When it comes to 1955 Mallorca Island is in development stage where mass tourism started to grow during that period. There was a re-establishment of the tourist board that have significantly change the tourism on the island whereby the tourism become more very much linked with the development of package holidays and mass tourism from the growing markets in western and northern Europe (Pearce 1991 and Williams 1997). However in 1959, Spanish government took the initiate to simplify the procedure of visiting the country in order to modernize the economy by gaining overseas revenue through (Stabilisation Act of 1959). The numbers of visitors started to growth constantly in early 1960s, majority of the visitors were dominated from UK and Germany in large volumes concentrated especially during summer season (Clark 1988) (Figure 1). Consolidation stage-1980s-1990s Between 1960s-1980s the consequences from the boom of international tourism to Mallorca, it led to an increasing resort development along the coastline. Most of the island began from the rapid growth of inexpensive package holidays in the 1960s. However in the late of 1970s, many buildings, resorts and apartments were built in order to cater large numbers of visitors and growing number of the populations. Majority of these early resorts were portrayed by standard apartment building architecture, short of appropriate infrastructure and lack of planning, which lead to the consolidation stages. Buswell (1996, 321) described the growth of tourist resolution on Mallorca as unplanned and piecemeal, even chaotic. Later, stricter planning laws was set up in 1980s and 1990s against the problem that arisen. Subsequently Mallorca managed to maintain its good reputation with tourists, particularly from UK and Germany moreover constantly attracts about 10 m visitors per year (Buswell 1996 and Gov ernment Balear 2003) Stagnation and Decline stage-1990s-2000s In late 1990s, environmental pressures begin to emerge in Mallorca regarding to the issue such as water shortages, climate change, overcrowding, and over commercialization as well as anti-social behavior by its visitors. This eventually causes an overall of decline in number of visitors arrive to its destination. In provisions of destination life cycle dynamics, the tourism product of Mallorca was beginning to stagnate and decline and required management planning and policy intervention to bring about its rejuvenation (Butler, 1980). Development of Mass tourism in Calvia, Mallorca Calvià ¡ is a municipality of Mallorca which is also one of the largest tourism receiving areas. It accounted about one third of the total flow of tourists to Balearic Islands. It covers 145 km ² and has a coastal strip of 56 Km of beaches and cliffs which caused it absolutely suitable destination for mass tourism. It offers accommodation for 120,000 bedspaces and with approximately up to 1.6 million visitors a year (Aguilo, Algere and Sard, 2005). Furthermore, with its location in tiny distance from the airport of Palma creates an easily accessible to the visitors. The population of the resident increased from 3000 in habitants during 1960 up to 30,000 in the late nineties (Dodds 2007). Since 19th century, tourism began to be as main economic activity of its island (Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda, 2005). Tourism development in Calvià ¡ boomed in the 1960s and has been based on short-term economic gain. As Aguilo et al. (2005) states, it was one of the first municipalities to experience negative effects of mass tourism. Lack of planning regulations resulted in urban sprawl and lack of environmental regard, similar to many Mediterranean resorts. The model of tourism development in Mallorca has been based on short-term interest, unlimited building out of tune with local conditions, and an unsustainable exploitation of exceptional natural resources. Tourist development took place in 1960s to 1980s and was hasty and unplanned. Economy In economic point of view, tourism is important as it create job opportunities, infrastructure development as well as foreign exchange. The unemployment rate is much lower than national average (Ministerio de Trabajo 2005) as there are about 31,793 people employed in restaurant-bars, 2057 involved in transportation rental, 483 in supermarkets, 398 people employed in souvenir shops and with 1,684 works in other tourist facilities. Meanwhile 1,402 involved in beach business and 18,003 are involved in providing tourist activities. In Calvià ¡ it was estimated about 61749 vacancies in terms of providing tourist activities (Molz 2004). It has 30 higher income per capital of national and 5 higher of E.U. levels (Ministerio de Economia y Hacienda 2005). Looking at these figures it becomes absolutely obvious 85 of Balearic Islands GNP is from tourist industry, and tourism is the main source of income for the city of Calvià ¡ whereby economy is completely reliant upon it. From the statistics numbers given, it can be conclude that there is high number of labour force joining the labour market, the tourist monoculture especially during the peak seasonal pattern, labour with a low salary system, and pressure of work during high season (Local Agenda 21 2001). Socio culture impact While tourism provides certain economic benefits to a region in any case in the short term, however it does causes annoyance to the local way of life. To the locals the concerns may derive due to the unfulfilled promises, disruption of a traditional way of life, insufficiency of employment opportunities or frustration with the economic changes which came with mass tourism development. Before tourism takes place, Calvià ¡ was fundamentally a poor and rural area with little outside contact and general history of emigration with its own language and culture of Catalan roots (Ruzza 2004). However tourism has wholly altered these features; a vast number of immigration from the Spanish peninsula arrived to fulfill the demand for labour created by the growth of mass tourism, particularly in the building industry and the hotel business. Consequent to that the temporary immigrant population, has gradually turn into resident, eventually this causes the loss of cultural identity, conflict over language issues, and lack of social integration within local and immigrant population and tiny participation in local social life. Although Calvià ¡ is Spains richest municipality and one of the richest in Europe, it has the lowest level of education in Spain which itself the lowest in Europe (Ayuntament de Calvià ¡ 1995). Besides, most of employments given for waiters and house cleaner which did not trained by a professional skilled. Consequences of too many visitors Reason tourist choose Calvià ¡ as holiday destination The persistence of the sun and sand model (2005, 222), describes that the reason induces tourists to choose the particular sun and sand destination include the climate of 76.2, the beaches (51.2), the price (36.4), and the quality of the hotels (22.2). Among all, climate is the fundamental reason followed by the beaches which induces tourists for choosing such destination. As a result Calvià ¡ received a growing number of visitors who travel to a mass tourism holiday destination attracted by the climate, sun and beaches. Calvià ¡ were seen as a model based on value, in terms of price competition it has lure many visitors especially from UK and German with it standardization of the holiday experience (CIITIB, 2002). Social impact For the local point of view, visitors seem to utilize the physical environment from the local however the profit that generated from the visitors are not share with the local community. Thus it creates undesirable impacts on livelihoods without sharing benefits with the local people who bear the cost of both human and natural environment. Eventually conflicts arise among local populations with vast number of visitors as they need to compete for limited use of resources such as water, sanitation, energy and land uses. In point of tourist view it is frequently recapitulate with the statements with this used to be a paradise but now it is ruined because of overcrowding, over commercialization or overdevelopment. The mass tourism tackiness and the variety of problems experienced in Calvià ¡ have too often formed blemish alongside beautiful natural scenery; crowded with vast numbers of tourists as if they were many cattle; ruined traditional cultures and occupational patterns by creating a insidious tourism industry portrayed as low paying jobs service and manipulative values; without concerning the needs of local citizens and the community values that were inconsistent with pragmatic economic requirements of the tourism industry. Environmental impact The risen numbers of visitors and residents have immense environmental pressure in Calvià ¡. As mentioned in butlers life cycle, Mallorca was in the period of stagnation in 1990s may lay on the line by rising of environmental pressure mainly due to water shortages and climatic change. Inadequate water supply The issue of inadequate water supply especially during peak period and summer season, water supplies is aggravated by visitors flows for use in hotels, swimming pools and golf course. According to the statistic documented in 1995, the water consumption by visitors amounted of 160 liters per day whereby resident is only 130 liters. High demand in energy consumption The annual consumption of primary energy in Calvià ¡ amount to 72,000 TEP per year of which only 2 is renewable. However, the consumption per day was 6.47 kwh and visitors stay one night in hotel the consumption amounted to 2.14 kwh (Dodds 2007). Pollution by Transports Of 1,400,000 tones emission of carbon dioxide, 58 is due to transporting tourist in and out of Mallorca. In Calvià ¡ 1995 statistic, visitors are the major causes of traffic congestion where of 70 million journeys 50 million were from visitors. Urban waste In 1995 Calvià ¡ produced 41000 tons of urban waste with roughly 1.25 kg per day by the resident however 1kg per visitors a day. Moreover there is a limited option for disposal. The production of wastewater and solid waste in visitor areas often surpass the carrying capacity of local infrastructure due the high seasonal demand. Deterioration of the Land use Building development in Calvià ¡ has been excessive with mass occupation of sandy beaches and important enclaves along the rocky coastline (Pappas 2007). With over 60 of Calvià ¡ region was caused by soil erosion. However land area was reducing drastically because of urbanization. Furthermore, as a result of urbanization, quarries and waste dumps were increasing. Forest fires also sparked further destruction of the land. According to an accounting of the distribution of the entire area of Calvià ¡ made by Schmitt (Molz 2004) in 1991 the build-up-area has quadrupled in the years from 1968 to 1991 (+311.6). However 57 of archaeological heritage were at high risk of deterioration. Overcrowded beach Almost 80 of the analyzed cases show overcrowding despite an urban beach or natural beach. There is a strong seasonal concentration of visitors between June and September because of the demand for sun and beaches. Subsequently this led to overcrowded beach with less than 6 m ² of beach surface per person with increasing anthropogenic pressure over the coastal zone (Garcia and Jaume 2003, 287). Solution Calvià ¡ is an example of a mass tourism destination which, from a result of tourism pressure in the late 1980s, faced significant economic, social and environmental decline. As mentioned by Butler (1993) tourism is an activity because of its reliance upon the maintenance of natural environment and natural processes, should lent itself toward sustainable development. Therefore, sustainable development must always be tourisms main objective. Without natural environment and natural processes there would not be any tourism activity at all. In the case of Calvià ¡ the decrease of tourism numbers and Balearic Island as a whole driven regulations and efforts to move towards addressing the problems of the degradation of the environment, deterioration of social systems and facilities and the threat of further tourism decline. Definition of Planning and Policy Mass tourism is a key issue in the global tourism industry, may it be in Mallorca or Brazil or Iceland. The word MASS alone brings about one fear: mass-destruction. Without careful tourism planning, it brings about unseen consequences that can make tourism destroying tourism become a reality and nightmare. By looking at the definition of planning is extremely ambiguous and difficult to define. Chadwick (1971, 24) states that planning is a process of human thought with an action based upon the thought in point of fact, forethought, thought for the future, nothing more or less than this is planning. Meanwhile Hall (2008, 90) supported Chadwicks ideas to conclude that most important aspect of planning is that it is directed towards the future. However, planning cannot be accomplished without policy because it is closely related terms. Wilkinson (1997) linked planning and policy by stating planning is a course of action, whereas policy is the implementation of the planned course of action. Planning and policy in the case of Calvià ¡ Calvià ¡ Plan for tourist Excellent 1990 The plan was developed in 1990 as to target the threat of decline. It comes along with the Balearic Autonomous community in cooperation with the municipalities as to modernize, improve and diversify the tourism. This plan included building clearance to regain open space, try to counterbalance the seasonal nature of tourism and training and employment. However this plan is mainly focused on the industry supply side instead of sustainability of the destination and host community did not involve at all. As a result, it did not attempt to overcome the growing issues that have arisen. Calvià ¡ Local Agenda 21 (LA21) 1995 At the end of 1994, the Town council of Calvià ¡, together with a range of working groups, drew up the Local Agenda 21 for Calvià ¡ as a long term strategies integrated with economic, social, territorial and environment actions. In formulating LA21 in 1995 and Action Plan in 1997, the Municipality of Calvià ¡ actively involved the support of local community, all the stakeholders, NGO as well as national and EU governments. The key objectives for LA21 Calvià ¡ concentrating on entering a new way of life based on sustainable and participatory urban and tourism planning; emphasize environmental management of the destination, look for for agreement and consensus with social representatives, control development and act for more stable employment in the area. (Calvià ¡ Agenda Local 21, Mallorca, Spain 2004). In 1998 New Balearic Law in Calvià ¡ was set out as to limit accommodation growth, restore existing hotels and to protect 40 of natural areas. The objectives of the LA21 comprises of 10 strategic lines of action and 40 initiatives. Key results that have been achieved since the implementation of Calvià ¡s 1997 plan The LA21 Action Plan which were set out in 1997 were seems to have improvement in a general movement toward sustainability within the region and as Calvià ¡ is fairly autonomous, it was able to adopt and implement many initiatives without the need for collaboration from higher government. Among those key results that have been achieved since the implementation of the LA21 action plan are stated below: Planning and Regeneration Decline of 200 bed without raise in number of hotels and apartments 1993-2002-about 30 building clearance plan actions including actual building demolition and purchase of urban plots as to prevent further construction were carried out Demolished buildings on more than 13,500m ² of the total surface area Upgraded area in Magaluf Palma Nova tourist area with pedestrian zones and planting tree as to improve quality of the area. In Paseo de Calvià ¡ 32 km cycling and walking path was built Environmental instruments Tax was imposing on water consumption for conservation with awareness campaigns on promoting its use. The recycling urban waste reduction plans successfully separated 70 of the urban waste at origin, assisting by reducing cost of recycling effort, minimizing land fill. Sea dredging which used to generate beaches has been terminated while measures on environmental friendly were put in place to minimize erosion. New regulation for limiting anchor damage harbor congestion cause by boats Protect wild life ecosystems with the establishment of Marine Park terrestrial protected areas. Economic instruments Impose an eco-tax in 2002 by Balearic Government as to carry out Calvià ¡ council rehabilitation and regenerative projects. Voluntary instruments Renovation programmes for hotels, tourist accommodation and tourist facilities established to upgrade quality and attract a higher yield tourist Socio cultural instruments Programmes to combat crime, housing and other social issues Multi-cultural and social programmes such as dance, underwater photography and language classes established to help integrate immigrants into Mallorquin culture. Calvià ¡ has been recognized internationally for its efforts conclusion Calvià ¡ 2.0 The development of mass tourism in Calvia, Mallorca. 2.1 Definition of Mass Tourism

Poes Fall of The House of Usher Essays: Suspense :: Fall House Usher Essays

The Fall of the house of Usher  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Suspense In "The Fall of the house of Usher," Edgar Allen Poe creates suspense and fear in the reader. He also tries to convince the reader not to let fear overcome him. Poe tries to evoke suspence in the reader's mind by using several diffenent scenes. These elements include setting, characters, plot, and theme.   Poe uses setting primarily in this work to create atmosphere. The crack in the house and the dead trees imply that the house and its surroundings are not sturdy or promising. These elements indicate that a positive outcome is not expected. The thunder, strange light, and mist create a spooky feeling for the reader. The use of character provides action and suspense in the story through the characters' dialogue and actions. Roderick, who is hypochondriac, is very depressed. He has a fearful apperance and his senses are acute. This adds curiosity and anxiety. The narrator was fairly normal until he began to imagine things and become afraid himself. Because of this, the audience gets a sense that evil is lurking. Madeline is in a cataleptic state. She appears to be very weak and pail. Finally, when she dies, she is buried in a vault inside of the mansion. In this story, the plot consists of rising events, conflict, climax, and resolution. The rising events include the parts in the story when the narrator first arrives at the house, meets Roderick, and hears about Roderick's and Madeline's problems. Madeline's death and burial are part of the conflict. At this point, Roderick and the narrator begin to hear sounds throughout the house. The sounds are an omen that an evil action is about to occur. The climax is reached when Madeline comes back from the dead and she and her twin brother both die. Finally, the resolution comes when the narrator escapes from the house and turns around to watch it fall to the ground. The theme that Edgar Allen Poe is trying to convey is do not let fear take over your life because it could eventually destory you.

Romeo is More to Blame in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Essay

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, forbidden to be together because of feuding families. Countless people contribute to Romeo and Juliet’s predestined fate and misadventures. This ultimately leads to Romeo and Juliet’s suicide. Who is more to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death? Although Juliet acts rashly, Romeo is more to blame. Furthermore, Romeo starts the whole tragedy. True, Juliet acts naà ¯ve, nonetheless Romeo acts hastily by encouraging the relationship. Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s encounter, Romeo is in an infatuation with Rosaline. In Act 1.1, Romeo depicts Rosaline's beauty and says, "She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair." Romeo’s love for Rosaline is only skin deep and faces heart break when she chooses to be celibate. Yet when Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, he forgets all about Rosaline and instantly falls for Juliet. In Act 1.5, Romeo is the first to spot Juliet and immediately feels an attraction to her. In addition, Romeo thinks Juliet is very beautiful and convinces her to kiss him without knowing each other. Then in Act 2.1, Romeo pursues Juliet and goes to her balcony and begins to profess his love for her. When Romeo is swearing that he is in love with Juliet, she stops him and says everything is happening so quickly. However, Romeo reassures Juliet and they pl an for their marriage. Moreover after knowing Juliet for less than twenty-four hours, Romeo goes to his companion Friar Lawrence and asks him to marry them. True, Juliet is the one who sets up the marriage. However, Romeo is the one who pushed the relationship too far and too soon. In Act 2.3, Friar Lawrence is in shock with the sudden change from Rosaline to Juliet and comments on the ind... ...nd grieving for Juliet. Thinking Romeo’s is defiling Juliet’s grave, Paris and Romeo begin sword fighting. Romeo is extreme with anguish and kills Paris. Consequently, Romeo poisons himself and Juliet wakes up in confusion and heartbreak. Juliet alone and in shock feels her only alternative left is to kill herself and commits suicide. In the end Romeo is responsible for five deaths, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Juliet and himself. Juliet kills herself because she is under different circumstances and does what she feels is the only option left. Juliet is courageous and strong for seeking advice and not being overly sensitive. Romeo is not only weak and foolish but is responsible for the tragic death of his own and Juliet’s. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet.† Literature and Language. Illinois: McDougal, Littell and Company, 1992. 722-842

College Admissions Essay: Seeking Wisdom :: College Admissions Essays

Seeking Wisdom My neighbors aren't too surprised to see me in my front yard at midnight frantically scraping off the back window of my car. A couple of months ago, I began to write messages there, on the smooth glass. This week's is "A candle loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle." Project Wisdom inspired me to transform the back of my car into my billboard to the world. At my high school the "Words of Wisdom" are read every day. Several of the daily readings ask the question "What are you waiting for?" As Student Council President, I am always encouraging students in my school to participate in community service projects and school pride activities, but I didn't think I could have any impact outside of school. With Project Wisdom's reassurance, I have opened my arms to the rest of the community. My favorite "Words of Wisdom" inspired me the most: "We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences." Besides volunteering at the city court and the hospital, I am exploring other avenues to help my fellow man. I started a school tradition that is sure to last: "Bowie Community Service Month." At work, I initiated and coordinated a community activity involving about 40 kids ages 5-10. But greater still, I have inspired. My little sister and her group of friends are now volunteering in the city. Project Wisdom has given me the confidence, by speaking directly to me, to venture into the community. I know the words of wisdom reach other students and teachers at school as well. It is difficult to exactly measure the effectiveness of Project Wisdom, except by careful observation of the students' facial expressions while they listen to the daily "Words of Wisdom," and to attribute the general improvement in

Egoism and Altruism

1. Metaethics The term â€Å"meta† means after or beyond, and, consequently, the notion of metaethics involves a removed, or bird’s eye view of the entire project of ethics. We may define metaethics as the study of the origin and meaning of ethical concepts. When compared to normative ethics and applied ethics, the field of metaethics is the least precisely defined area of moral philosophy. It covers issues from moral semantics to moral epistemology[->0].Two issues, though, are prominent: (1) metaphysical issues concerning whether morality exists independently of humans, and (2) psychological issues concerning the underlying mental basis of our moral judgments and conduct. a. Metaphysical Issues: Objectivism and Relativism Metaphysics is the study of the kinds of things that exist in the universe. Some things in the universe are made of physical stuff, such as rocks; and perhaps other things are nonphysical in nature, such as thoughts, spirits, and gods.The metaphysical component of metaethics involves discovering specifically whether moral values are eternal truths that exist in a spirit-like realm, or simply human conventions. There are two general directions that discussions of this topic take, one other-worldly and one this-worldly. Proponents of the other-worldly view typically hold that moral values are objective[->1] in the sense that they exist in a spirit-like realm beyond subjective human conventions.They also hold that they are absolute, or eternal, in that they never change, and also that they are universal insofar as they apply to all rational creatures around the world and throughout time[->2]. The most dramatic example of this view is Plato[->3], who was inspired by the field of mathematics. When we look at numbers and mathematical relations, such as 1+1=2, they seem to be timeless concepts that never change, and apply everywhere in the universe. Humans do not invent numbers, and humans cannot alter them.Plato explained the eternal character of mathematics by stating that they are abstract entities that exist in a spirit-like realm. He noted that moral values also are absolute truths and thus are also abstract, spirit-like entities. In this sense, for Plato, moral values are spiritual objects. Medieval philosophers commonly grouped all moral principles together under the heading of â€Å"eternal law† which were also frequently seen as spirit-like objects. 17th century British philosopher Samuel Clarke described them as spirit-like relationships rather than spirit-like objects.In either case, though, they exist in a sprit-like realm. A different other-worldly approach to the metaphysical status of morality is divine commands issuing from God’s will. Sometimes called voluntarism (or divine command theory[->4]), this view was inspired by the notion of an all-powerful God[->5] who is in control of everything. God simply wills things, and they become reality. He wills the physical world into existence , he wills human life into existence and, similarly, he wills all moral values into existence.Proponents of this view, such as medieval philosopher William of Ockham[->6], believe that God wills moral principles, such as â€Å"murder is wrong,† and these exist in God’s mind as commands. God informs humans of these commands by implanting us with moral intuitions or revealing these commands in scripture. The second and more this-worldly approach to the metaphysical status of morality follows in the skeptical philosophical tradition, such as that articulated by Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus, and denies the objective status of moral values.Technically, skeptics did not reject moral values themselves, but only denied that values exist as spirit-like objects, or as divine commands in the mind of God. Moral values, they argued, are strictly human inventions, a position that has since been called moral relativism[->7]. There are two distinct forms of moral relativism. The first is individual relativism, which holds that individual people create their own moral standards. Friedrich Nietzsche, for example, argued that the superhuman creates his or her morality distinct from and in reaction to the slave-like value system of the masses.The second is cultural relativism which maintains that morality is grounded in the approval of one’s society – and not simply in the preferences of individual people. This view was advocated by Sextus, and in more recent centuries by Michel Montaigne and William Graham Sumner. In addition to espousing skepticism and relativism, this-worldly approaches to the metaphysical status of morality deny the absolute and universal nature of morality and hold instead that moral values in fact change from society to society throughout time and throughout the world.They frequently attempt to defend their position by citing examples of values that differ dramatically from one culture to another, such as attitudes about po lygamy, homosexuality and human sacrifice. b. Psychological Issues in Metaethics A second area of metaethics involves the psychological basis of our moral judgments and conduct, particularly understanding what motivates us to be moral. We might explore this subject by asking the simple question, â€Å"Why be moral? † Even if I am aware of basic moral standards, such as don’t kill and don’t steal, this does not necessarily mean that I will be psychologically compelled to act on them.Some answers to the question â€Å"Why be moral? † are to avoid punishment, to gain praise[->8], to attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society. i. Egoism and Altruism One important area of moral psychology concerns the inherent selfishness of humans. 17th century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes[->9] held that many, if not all, of our actions are prompted by selfish desires. Even if an action seems selfless, such as donating to charity, there are still selfis h causes for this, such as experiencing power over other people.This view is called psychological egoism[->10] and maintains that self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions. Closely related to psychological egoism is a view called psychological hedonism which is the view that pleasure is the specific driving force behind all of our actions. 18th century British philosopher Joseph Butler[->11] agreed that instinctive selfishness and pleasure prompt much of our conduct. However, Butler argued that we also have an inherent psychological capacity to show benevolence to others.This view is called psychological altruism and maintains that at least some of our actions are motivated by instinctive benevolence. ii. Emotion and Reason A second area of moral psychology involves a dispute concerning the role of reason in motivating moral actions. If, for example, I make the statement â€Å"abortion is morally wrong,† am I making a rational assessment or only expressing my feelings? On the one side of the dispute, 18th century British philosopher David Hume[->12] argued that moral assessments involve our emotions, and not our reason.We can amass all the reasons we want, but that alone will not constitute a moral assessment. We need a distinctly emotional reaction in order to make a moral pronouncement. Reason might be of service in giving us the relevant data, but, in Hume’s words, â€Å"reason is, and ought to be, the slave of the passions. † Inspired by Hume’s anti-rationalist views, some 20th century philosophers, most notably A. J. Ayer, similarly denied that moral assessments are factual descriptions. For example, although the statement â€Å"it is good to donate to charity† may on the surface look as though it is a factual description about charity, it is not.Instead, a moral utterance like this involves two things. First, I (the speaker) I am expressing my personal feelings of approval about charitable donations and I am in essence saying â€Å"Hooray for charity! † This is called the emotive element insofar as I am expressing my emotions about some specific behavior. Second, I (the speaker) am trying to get you to donate to charity and am essentially giving the command, â€Å"Donate to charity! † This is called the prescriptive element in the sense that I am prescribing some specific behavior.From Hume’s day forward, more rationally-minded philosophers have opposed these emotive theories of ethics (see non-cognitivism in ethics[->13]) and instead argued that moral assessments are indeed acts of reason. 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant[->14] is a case in point. Although emotional factors often do influence our conduct, he argued, we should nevertheless resist that kind of sway. Instead, true moral action is motivated only by reason when it is free from emotions and desires.A recent rationalist approach, offered by Kurt Baier (1958), was proposed in direct o pposition to the emotivist and prescriptivist theories of Ayer and others. Baier focuses more broadly on the reasoning and argumentation process that takes place when making moral choices. All of our moral choices are, or at least can be, backed by some reason or justification. If I claim that it is wrong to steal someone’s car, then I should be able to justify my claim with some kind of argument. For example, I could argue that stealing Smith’s car is wrong since this would upset her, violate her ownership rights, or put the thief at risk of getting caught.According to Baier, then, proper moral decision making involves giving the best reasons in support of one course of action versus another. iii. Male and Female Morality A third area of moral psychology focuses on whether there is a distinctly female approach to ethics that is grounded in the psychological differences between men and women. Discussions of this issue focus on two claims: (1) traditional morality is ma le-centered, and (2) there is a unique female perspective of the world which can be shaped into a value theory.According to many feminist philosophers, traditional morality is male-centered since it is modeled after practices that have been traditionally male-dominated, such as acquiring property, engaging in business contracts, and governing societies. The rigid systems of rules required for trade and government were then taken as models for the creation of equally rigid systems of moral rules, such as lists of rights and duties. Women, by contrast, have traditionally had a nurturing role by raising children and overseeing domestic life. These tasks require less rule following, and more spontaneous and creative action.Using the woman’s experience as a model for moral theory, then, the basis of morality would be spontaneously caring for others as would be appropriate in each unique circumstance. On this model, the agent becomes part of the situation and acts caringly within t hat context. This stands in contrast with male-modeled morality where the agent is a mechanical actor who performs his required duty, but can remain distanced from and unaffected by the situation. A care-based approach to morality, as it is sometimes called, is offered by feminist ethicists as either a replacement for or a supplement to traditional male-modeled moral systems. . Normative Ethics Normative ethics involves arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. In a sense, it is a search for an ideal litmus test of proper behavior. The Golden Rule is a classic example of a normative principle: We should do to others what we would want others to do to us. Since I do not want my neighbor to steal my car, then it is wrong for me to steal her car. Since I would want people to feed me if I was starving, then I should help feed starving people. Using this same reasoning, I can theoretically determine whether any possible action is right or wrong.So, based on the G olden Rule, it would also be wrong for me to lie to, harass, victimize, assault, or kill others. The Golden Rule is an example of a normative theory that establishes a single principle against which we judge all actions. Other normative theories focus on a set of foundational principles, or a set of good character traits. The key assumption in normative ethics is that there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles. Three strategies will be noted here: (1) virtue theories, (2) duty theories, and (3) consequentialist theories. . Virtue Theories Many philosophers believe that morality consists of following precisely defined rules of conduct, such as â€Å"don’t kill,† or â€Å"don’t steal. † Presumably, I must learn these rules, and then make sure each of my actions live up to the rules. Virtue ethics[->15], however, places less emphasis on learning rules, and instead stresses the importance of devel oping good habits of character, such as benevolence (see moral character[->16]). Once I’ve acquired benevolence, for example, I will then habitually act in a benevolent manner.Historically, virtue theory is one of the oldest normative traditions in Western philosophy, having its roots in ancient Greek civilization. Plato emphasized four virtues in particular, which were later called cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Other important virtues are fortitude, generosity, self-respect, good temper, and sincerity. In addition to advocating good habits of character, virtue theorists hold that we should avoid acquiring bad character traits, or vices, such as cowardice, insensibility, injustice, and vanity.Virtue theory emphasizes moral education since virtuous character traits are developed in one’s youth. Adults, therefore, are responsible for instilling virtues in the young. Aristotle[->17] argued that virtues are good habits that we acquire, which re gulate our emotions. For example, in response to my natural feelings of fear, I should develop the virtue of courage which allows me to be firm when facing danger. Analyzing 11 specific virtues, Aristotle argued that most virtues fall at a mean between more extreme character traits.With courage, for example, if I do not have enough courage, I develop the disposition of cowardice, which is a vice. If I have too much courage I develop the disposition of rashness which is also a vice. According to Aristotle, it is not an easy task to find the perfect mean between extreme character traits. In fact, we need assistance from our reason to do this. After Aristotle, medieval theologians supplemented Greek lists of virtues with three Christian ones, or theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity.Interest in virtue theory continued through the middle ages and declined in the 19th century with the rise of alternative moral theories below. In the mid 20th century virtue theory received special attention from philosophers who believed that more recent approaches ethical theories were misguided for focusing too heavily on rules and actions, rather than on virtuous character traits. Alasdaire MacIntyre (1984) defended the central role of virtues in moral theory and argued that virtues are grounded in and emerge from within social traditions. . Duty Theories Many of us feel that there are clear obligations we have as human beings, such as to care for our children, and to not commit murder. Duty theories base morality on specific, foundational principles of obligation. These theories are sometimes called deontological, from the Greek word deon, or duty, in view of the foundational nature of our duty or obligation. They are also sometimes called nonconsequentialist since these principles are obligatory, irrespective of the consequences that might follow from our actions.For example, it is wrong to not care for our children even if it results in some great benefit, such as fina ncial savings. There are four central duty theories. The first is that championed by 17th century German philosopher Samuel Pufendorf, who classified dozens of duties under three headings: duties to God, duties to oneself, and duties to others. Concerning our duties towards God, he argued that there are two kinds: a theoretical duty to know the existence and nature of God, and a practical duty to both inwardly and outwardly worship God.Concerning our duties towards oneself, these are also of two sorts: duties of the soul, which involve developing one’s skills and talents, and duties of the body, which involve not harming our bodies, as we might through gluttony or drunkenness, and not killing oneself. Concerning our duties towards others, Pufendorf divides these between absolute duties, which are universally binding on people, and conditional duties, which are the result of contracts between people. Absolute duties are of three sorts: avoid wronging others, treat people as eq uals, and romote the good of others. Conditional duties involve various types of agreements, the principal one of which is the duty is to keep one’s promises. A second duty-based approach to ethics is rights theory. Most generally, a â€Å"right† is a justified claim against another person’s behavior – such as my right to not be harmed by you (see also human rights[->18]). Rights and duties are related in such a way that the rights of one person implies the duties of another person. For example, if I have a right to payment of $10 by Smith, then Smith has a duty to pay me $10.This is called the correlativity of rights and duties. The most influential early account of rights theory is that of 17th century British philosopher John Locke[->19], who argued that the laws of nature mandate that we should not harm anyone’s life, health, liberty or possessions. For Locke, these are our natural rights, given to us by God. Following Locke, the United States Declaration of Independence authored by Thomas Jefferson recognizes three foundational rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Jefferson and others rights theorists maintained that we deduce other more specific rights from these, including the rights of property, movement, speech, and religious expression. There are four features traditionally associated with moral rights. First, rights are natural insofar as they are not invented or created by governments. Second, they are universal insofar as they do not change from country to country. Third, they are equal in the sense that rights are the same for all people, irrespective of gender, race, or handicap.Fourth, they are inalienable which means that I ca not hand over my rights to another person, such as by selling myself into slavery. A third duty-based theory is that by Kant, which emphasizes a single principle of duty. Influenced by Pufendorf, Kant agreed that we have moral duties to oneself and others, such as develop ing one’s talents, and keeping our promises to others. However, Kant argued that there is a more foundational principle of duty that encompasses our particular duties. It is a single, self-evident principle of reason that he calls the â€Å"categorical imperative. A categorical imperative, he argued, is fundamentally different from hypothetical imperatives that hinge on some personal desire that we have, for example, â€Å"If you want to get a good job, then you ought to go to college. † By contrast, a categorical imperative simply mandates an action, irrespective of one’s personal desires, such as â€Å"You ought to do X. † Kant gives at least four versions of the categorical imperative, but one is especially direct: Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end. That is, we should always treat people with dignity, nd never use them as mere instruments. For Kant, we treat people as an end whenever our actions toward someone reflect the inherent value of that person. Donating to charity, for example, is morally correct since this acknowledges the inherent value of the recipient. By contrast, we treat someone as a means to an end whenever we treat that person as a tool to achieve something else. It is wrong, for example, to steal my neighbor’s car since I would be treating her as a means to my own happiness. The categorical imperative also regulates the morality of actions that affect us individually.Suicide, for example, would be wrong since I would be treating my life as a means to the alleviation of my misery. Kant believes that the morality of all actions can be determined by appealing to this single principle of duty. A fourth and more recent duty-based theory is that by British philosopher W. D. Ross, which emphasizes prima facie duties. Like his 17th and 18th century counterparts, Ross argues that our duties are â€Å"part of the fundamental nature of the universe. † However, Ross’s list of dutie s is much shorter, which he believes reflects our actual moral convictions:  ·Fidelity: the duty to keep promises Reparation: the duty to compensate others when we harm them  ·Gratitude: the duty to thank those who help us  ·Justice: the duty to recognize merit  ·Beneficence: the duty to improve the conditions of others  ·Self-improvement: the duty to improve our virtue and intelligence  ·Nonmaleficence: the duty to not injure others Ross recognizes that situations will arise when we must choose between two conflicting duties. In a classic example, suppose I borrow my neighbor’s gun and promise to return it when he asks for it. One day, in a fit of rage, my neighbor pounds on my door and asks for the gun so that he can take vengeance on someone.On the one hand, the duty of fidelity obligates me to return the gun; on the other hand, the duty of nonmaleficence obligates me to avoid injuring others and thus not return the gun. According to Ross, I will intuitively kn ow which of these duties is my actual duty, and which is my apparent or prima facie duty. In this case, my duty of nonmaleficence emerges as my actual duty and I should not return the gun. c. Consequentialist Theories It is common for us to determine our moral responsibility by weighing the consequences of our actions.According to consequentialism[->20], correct moral conduct is determined solely by a cost-benefit analysis of an action’s consequences: Consequentialism: An action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable. Consequentialist normative principles require that we first tally both the good and bad consequences of an action. Second, we then determine whether the total good consequences outweigh the total bad consequences. If the good consequences are greater, then the action is morally proper. If the bad consequences are greater, then the action is morally improper.Consequentialist theories are sometimes called teleologic al theories, from the Greek word telos, or end, since the end result of the action is the sole determining factor of its morality. Consequentialist theories became popular in the 18th century by philosophers who wanted a quick way to morally assess an action by appealing to experience, rather than by appealing to gut intuitions or long lists of questionable duties. In fact, the most attractive feature of consequentialism is that it appeals to publicly observable consequences of actions.Most versions of consequentialism are more precisely formulated than the general principle above. In particular, competing consequentialist theories specify which consequences for affected groups of people are relevant. Three subdivisions of consequentialism emerge:  ·Ethical Egoism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action.  ·Ethical Altruism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that act ion are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone except the agent. Utilitarianism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. All three of these theories focus on the consequences of actions for different groups of people. But, like all normative theories, the above three theories are rivals of each other. They also yield different conclusions. Consider the following example. A woman was traveling through a developing country when she witnessed a car in front of her run off the road and roll over several times.She asked the hired driver to pull over to assist, but, to her surprise, the driver accelerated nervously past the scene. A few miles down the road the driver explained that in his country if someone assists an accident victim, then the police often hold the assisting person responsible for the accident itself. If the victim dies, then the assisting person could be held responsible for the death. The driver continued explaining that road accident victims are therefore usually left unattended and often die from exposure to the country’s harsh desert conditions.On the principle of ethical egoism[->21], the woman in this illustration would only be concerned with the consequences of her attempted assistance as she would be affected. Clearly, the decision to drive on would be the morally proper choice. On the principle of ethical altruism, she would be concerned only with the consequences of her action as others are affected, particularly the accident victim. Tallying only those consequences reveals that assisting the victim would be the morally correct choice, irrespective of the negative consequences that result for her.On the principle of utilitarianism, she must consider the consequences for both herself and the victim. The outcome here is less clear, and the woman would need to precisely calculate the overall benefit versus disbenefit of her action. i. Types of Utilitarianism J eremy Bentham[->22] presented one of the earliest fully developed systems of utilitarianism. Two features of his theory are noteworty. First, Bentham proposed that we tally the consequences of each action we perform and thereby determine on a case by case basis whether an action is morally right or wrong. This aspect of Bentham’s theory is known as act-utilitiarianism.Second, Bentham also proposed that we tally the pleasure and pain which results from our actions. For Bentham, pleasure and pain are the only consequences that matter in determining whether our conduct is moral. This aspect of Bentham’s theory is known as hedonistic utilitarianism. Critics point out limitations in both of these aspects. First, according to act-utilitarianism, it would be morally wrong to waste time on leisure activities such as watching television, since our time could be spent in ways that produced a greater social benefit, such as charity work. But prohibiting leisure activities doesnâ €™t seem reasonable.More significantly, according to act-utilitarianism, specific acts of torture or slavery would be morally permissible if the social benefit of these actions outweighed the disbenefit. A revised version of utilitarianism called rule-utilitarianism addresses these problems. According to rule-utilitarianism, a behavioral code or rule is morally right if the consequences of adopting that rule are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. Unlike act utilitarianism, which weighs the consequences of each particular action, rule-utilitarianism offers a litmus test only for the morality of moral rules, such as â€Å"stealing is wrong. Adopting a rule against theft clearly has more favorable consequences than unfavorable consequences for everyone. The same is true for moral rules against lying or murdering. Rule-utilitarianism, then, offers a three-tiered method for judging conduct. A particular action, such as stealing my neighbor’s car, is judged wrong sin ce it violates a moral rule against theft. In turn, the rule against theft is morally binding because adopting this rule produces favorable consequences for everyone. John Stuart Mill’s version of utilitarianism is rule-oriented.Second, according to hedonistic utilitarianism, pleasurable consequences are the only factors that matter, morally speaking. This, though, seems too restrictive since it ignores other morally significant consequences that are not necessarily pleasing or painful. For example, acts which foster loyalty and friendship are valued, yet they are not always pleasing. In response to this problem, G. E. Moore [->23]proposed ideal utilitarianism, which involves tallying any consequence that we intuitively recognize as good or bad (and not simply as pleasurable or painful). Also, R. M.Hare proposed preference utilitarianism, which involves tallying any consequence that fulfills our preferences. ii. Ethical Egoism and Social Contract Theory We have seen (in Secti on 1. b. i) that Hobbes was an advocate of the methaethical theory of psychological egoism—the view that all of our actions are selfishly motivated. Upon that foundation, Hobbes developed a normative theory known as social contract theory[->24], which is a type of rule-ethical-egoism. According to Hobbes, for purely selfish reasons, the agent is better off living in a world with moral rules than one without moral rules.For without moral rules, we are subject to the whims of other people’s selfish interests. Our property, our families, and even our lives are at continual risk. Selfishness alone will therefore motivate each agent to adopt a basic set of rules which will allow for a civilized community. Not surprisingly, these rules would include prohibitions against lying, stealing and killing. However, these rules will ensure safety for each agent only if the rules are enforced. As selfish creatures, each of us would plunder our neighbors’ property once their gua rds were down.Each agent would then be at risk from his neighbor. Therefore, for selfish reasons alone, we devise a means of enforcing these rules: we create a policing agency which punishes us if we violate these rules. 3. Applied Ethics Applied ethics is the branch of ethics which consists of the analysis of specific, controversial moral issues such as abortion, animal rights, or euthanasia. In recent years applied ethical issues have been subdivided into convenient groups such as medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics[->25], and sexual ethics[->26].Generally speaking, two features are necessary for an issue to be considered an â€Å"applied ethical issue. † First, the issue needs to be controversial in the sense that there are significant groups of people both for and against the issue at hand. The issue of drive-by shooting, for example, is not an applied ethical issue, since everyone agrees that this practice is grossly immoral. By contrast, the issue of g un control would be an applied ethical issue since there are significant groups of people both for and against gun control.The second requirement for an issue to be an applied ethical issue is that it must be a distinctly moral issue. On any given day, the media presents us with an array of sensitive issues such as affirmative action policies, gays in the military, involuntary commitment of the mentally impaired, capitalistic versus socialistic business practices, public versus private health care systems, or energy conservation. Although all of these issues are controversial and have an important impact on society, they are not all moral issues. Some are only issues of social policy.The aim of social policy is to help make a given society run efficiently by devising conventions, such as traffic laws, tax laws, and zoning codes. Moral issues, by contrast, concern more universally obligatory practices, such as our duty to avoid lying, and are not confined to individual societies. Fre quently, issues of social policy and morality overlap, as with murder which is both socially prohibited and immoral. However, the two groups of issues are often distinct. For example, many people would argue that sexual promiscuity is mmoral, but may not feel that there should be social policies regulating sexual conduct, or laws punishing us for promiscuity. Similarly, some social policies forbid residents in certain neighborhoods from having yard sales. But, so long as the neighbors are not offended, there is nothing immoral in itself about a resident having a yard sale in one of these neighborhoods. Thus, to qualify as an applied ethical issue, the issue must be more than one of mere social policy: it must be morally relevant as well. In theory, resolving particular applied ethical issues should be easy.With the issue of abortion, for example, we would simply determine its morality by consulting our normative principle of choice, such as act-utilitarianism. If a given abortion pr oduces greater benefit than disbenefit, then, according to act-utilitarianism, it would be morally acceptable to have the abortion. Unfortunately, there are perhaps hundreds of rival normative principles from which to choose, many of which yield opposite conclusions. Thus, the stalemate in normative ethics between conflicting theories prevents us from using a single decisive procedure for determining the morality of a specific issue.The usual solution today to this stalemate is to consult several representative normative principles on a given issue and see where the weight of the evidence lies. a. Normative Principles in Applied Ethics Arriving at a short list of representative normative principles is itself a challenging task. The principles selected must not be too narrowly focused, such as a version of act-egoism that might focus only on an action’s short-term benefit. The principles must also be seen as having merit by people on both sides of an applied ethical issue.For this reason, principles that appeal to duty to God are not usually cited since this would have no impact on a nonbeliever engaged in the debate. The following principles are the ones most commonly appealed to in applied ethical discussions:  ·Personal benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for the individual in question.  ·Social benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for society.  ·Principle of benevolence: help those in need. Principle of paternalism: assist others in pursuing their best interests when they cannot do so themselves.  ·Principle of harm: do not harm others.  ·Principle of honesty: do not deceive others.  ·Principle of lawfulness: do not violate the law.  ·Principle of autonomy: acknowledge a person’s freedom over his/her actions or physical body.  ·Principle of justice: acknowledge a person’s right to due process, fair compensation for harm done, a nd fair distribution of benefits.  ·Rights: acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free expression, and safety.The above principles represent a spectrum of traditional normative principles and are derived from both consequentialist and duty-based approaches. The first two principles, personal benefit and social benefit, are consequentialist since they appeal to the consequences of an action as it affects the individual or society. The remaining principles are duty-based. The principles of benevolence, paternalism, harm, honesty, and lawfulness are based on duties we have toward others. The principles of autonomy, justice, and the various rights are based on moral rights.An example will help illustrate the function of these principles in an applied ethical discussion. In 1982, a couple from Bloomington, Indiana gave birth to a baby with severe mental and physical disabilities. Among other complications, the infant, known as Baby Doe, had its stomach dis connected from its throat and was thus unable to receive nourishment. Although this stomach deformity was correctable through surgery, the couple did not want to raise a severely disabled child and therefore chose to deny surgery, food, and water for the infant.Local courts supported the parents’ decision, and six days later Baby Doe died. Should corrective surgery have been performed for Baby Doe? Arguments in favor of corrective surgery derive from the infant’s right to life and the principle of paternalism which stipulates that we should pursue the best interests of others when they are incapable of doing so themselves. Arguments against corrective surgery derive from the personal and social disbenefit which would result from such surgery. If Baby Doe survived, its quality of life would have been poor and in any case it probably would have died at an early age.Also, from the parent’s perspective, Baby Doe’s survival would have been a significant emotio nal and financial burden. When examining both sides of the issue, the parents and the courts concluded that the arguments against surgery were stronger than the arguments for surgery. First, foregoing surgery appeared to be in the best interests of the infant, given the poor quality of life it would endure. Second, the status of Baby Doe’s right to life was not clear given the severity of the infant’s mental impairment. For, to possess moral rights, it takes more than merely having a human body: certain cognitive functions must also be present.The issue here involves what is often referred to as moral personhood, and is central to many applied ethical discussions. b. Issues in Applied Ethics As noted, there are many controversial issues discussed by ethicists today, some of which will be briefly mentioned here. Biomedical ethics focuses on a range of issues which arise in clinical settings. Health care workers are in an unusual position of continually dealing with life and death situations. It is not surprising, then, that medical ethics issues are more extreme and diverse than other areas of applied ethics.Prenatal issues arise about the morality of surrogate mothering, genetic manipulation of fetuses, the status of unused frozen embryos, and abortion. Other issues arise about patient rights and physician’s responsibilities, such as the confidentiality of the patient’s records and the physician’s responsibility to tell the truth to dying patients. The AIDS crisis has raised the specific issues of the mandatory screening of all patients for AIDS, and whether physicians can refuse to treat AIDS patients. Additional issues concern medical experimentation on humans, the morality of involuntary commitment, and the rights of the mentally disabled.Finally, end of life issues arise about the morality of suicide, the justifiability of suicide intervention, physician assisted suicide, and euthanasia. The field of business ethics exami nes moral controversies relating to the social responsibilities of capitalist business practices, the moral status of corporate entities, deceptive advertising, insider trading, basic employee rights, job discrimination, affirmative action, drug testing, and whistle blowing. Issues in environmental ethics often overlaps with business and medical issues.These include the rights of animals, the morality of animal experimentation, preserving endangered species, pollution control, management of environmental resources, whether eco-systems are entitled to direct moral consideration, and our obligation to future generations. Controversial issues of sexual morality include monogamy versus polygamy, sexual relations without love, homosexual relations, and extramarital affairs. Finally, there are issues of social morality which examine capital punishment, nuclear war, gun control, the recreational use of drugs, welfare rights, and racism. 4. References and Further Reading Anscombe,Elizabeth â€Å"Modern Moral Philosophy,† Philosophy, 1958, Vol. 33, reprinted in her Ethics, Religion and Politics (Oxford: Blackwell, 1981).  ·Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, in Barnes, Jonathan, ed. , The Complete Works of Aristotle (Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press, 1984).  ·Ayer, A. J. , Language, Truth and Logic (New York: Dover Publications, 1946).  ·Baier, Kurt, The Moral Point of View: A Rational Basis of Ethics (Cornell University Press, 1958).  ·Bentham, Jeremy, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), in The Works of Jeremy Bentham, edited by John Bowring (London: 1838-1843). Hare, R. M. , Moral Thinking, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981).  ·Hare, R. M. , The Language of Morals (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952).  ·Hobbes, Thomas, Leviathan, ed. , E. Curley, (Chicago, IL: Hackett Publishing Company, 1994).  ·Hume, David, A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-1740), eds. David Fate Norton, Mary J. Norton (Oxford; New York: Oxf ord University Press, 2000).  ·Kant, Immanuel, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, tr, James W. Ellington (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1985).  ·Locke, John, Two Treatises, ed. Peter Laslett (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1963).  ·MacIntyre, Alasdair, After Virtue, second edition, (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1984).  ·Mackie, John L. , Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, (New York: Penguin Books, 1977).  ·Mill, John Stuart, â€Å"Utilitarianism,† in Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, ed. , J. M. Robson (London: Routledge and Toronto, Ont. : University of Toronto Press, 1991).  ·Moore, G. E. , Principia Ethica, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1903).  ·Noddings, Nel, â€Å"Ethics from the Stand Point Of Women,† in Deborah L.Rhode, ed. , Theoretical Perspectives on Sexual Difference (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1990).  ·Ockham, William of, Fourth Book of the Sentences, tr. Lucan Freppert, The Basis of Morality According to William Ockham (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1988).  ·Plato, Republic, 6:510-511, in Cooper, John M. , ed. , Plato: Complete Works (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1997).  ·Samuel Pufendorf, De Jure Naturae et Gentium (1762), tr. Of the Law of Nature and Nations  ·Samuel Pufendorf, De officio hominis et civis juxta legem naturalem (1673), tr. The Whole Duty of Man according to the Law of Nature (London, 1691).  ·Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, trs. J. Annas and J. Barnes, Outlines of Scepticism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).  ·Stevenson, Charles L. , The Ethics of Language, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1944).  ·Sumner, William Graham, Folkways (Boston: Guinn, 1906). 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