Philosophical Ethics Final Project Research Paper

Philosophical Ethics Final Project - Research Paper Example However, the current society has witnessed high levels of abortion because moral standards have gone down. Additionally, laws that permit abortion have been enacted in several countries especially when the mother’s life is threatened. Abortion in ancient history In the ancient era, abortion practices were tolerable in Greece and Rome. Safeguarding of the unborn life was a matter of consideration only if the father was interested in the child. Children conceived outside wedlock, or bore to prostitutes or with other men other than their husbands were killed pre and post birth. Several western countries held the belief that abortion was acceptable between 18-20 weeks or before embryo movement. As a result, most women who fell in these categories procured abortions to save themselves from anguish and embarrassments. Abortions and contraception were unsafe. In pre-colonial America, there were strict laws regarding pre marital sex. Consequently, abortions were procured and the issue kept secret. Only in cases where the mother’s life was at risk was abortion legal. In 1973, the Supreme Court judgment legalized abortion in America in the case of Roe vs. Wade (BBC journal 23) Philosophical Aspects of Abortion Aristotle In order to understand Aristotle’s view on abortion, one has to understand his nature. He was a kind, hardworking and devoted man. In his quest for knowledge and information, he observed practicality and societal processes using a keen eye. Many people described him as fair and calm. Most Aristotle’s views were rooted in his belief for equality among all people and the need to follow natural law. He said that abortions performed before the onset of life and sensation are permissible. According to him, the onset of sensation and life begins forty days after conception for males and eighty days for females. He iterated that abortions procured before forty days after conception are allowed and those after are illegal and inhuman. Many scientists said that his remarks are pro life because he focused on embryo development at that time. They also argue that had he understood the scientology behind embryo development as the current society does now, he would have been against abortion. He stated that, â€Å"As to the exposure of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live. However, let no child be exposed because of excess population, but when couples have too many children, let abortions be procured before sense and life has begun† (Pangle 5) John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham The two renowned philosophers, Mill and Bentham justified abortion using the idea of utilitarianism. John Stuart Mill came up with the happiness principle. It states that the most desirable things are pleasurable and free from pain. Utilitarianism is based on the consequences of human actions. The philosophers advocated for actions whose consequences are good irrespective of the motive. Bentham was a principled hedonist who thought that pain is quantifiable using calculus calculations. In his calculations, the tendencies of committing an action are measured using seven different factors. For Stuart Mill, the quality of pleasure was the defining factor. He believed that the good can only be defined using the level of pleasure. Utilitarianism supports abortion and concentrates on the outcome and not action. In this approach, a woman who conceives through rape has the choice of terminating the pregnancy or keeping it to term.

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary - Research Paper Example One such mistake, in United States history, that seems to be repeating its self, is the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a twelve year span, lasting from 1929 to 1941, in which the U.S. market was down and unemployment was at an all time high. It is, by far, considered one of the lowest points in U.S. history, but what is really intriguing is it was preceded by the â€Å"roaring twenties† a time of great economic growth and wealth. Many are comparing this with the recent economic boom of the late nineties, early two thousands; followed by the â€Å"recession† the U.S. is currently in. So the question arises, what led to these two periods of growth, followed by a severe recession? By taking a look at what, the value of a dollar is, what fractional reserve banking versus free banking are, and what caused the increase in moral hazard; and by looking at the arguments for and against each of these, we can identify the factors that led to this tragic example of hist ory repeating itself. This first factor we are going to uncover is what determines the value of the U.S. dollar, how it has changed over the years, and we as a nation are now suffering from those changes. The majority of governments use to base their circulation of paper money, or notes, on the amount of gold that backs up the notes; this is known as the gold standard. Toward the end of the great depression many individual still did not trust banks and so they were holding on to a large portion of gold. This led to a deficit of gold to support the dollar, so President Roosevelt ordered the gold confiscation of 1933 in which all individuals were required, with some exceptions, by law, to bring their gold to the U.S. treasury in exchange for a dollar equivalent. Another by product of the great depression was the Bretton Woods System; this is a system that was agreed upon by most of the world’s powers in 1944 which hoped to govern the monetary regulations of the nations. As a re sult they established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which today is part of the World Bank Group. One of the major implications to the U.S., however, was the fact that they agreed maintain exchange rates by tying its currency to the U.S. dollar. Then in 1981, under the presidency of Nixon, the U.S. terminated the convertibility of the dollar to gold. This meant that the dollar is now a fiat currency backed by nothing but the promise of the federal government; this, in essence, did away with the gold standard. Proponents of doing away with the gold standard based their logic on the fact that they assumed the U.S would remain the number one world power. Though this held true for the first fifteen plus years after the gold standard was removed, that reign soon ended. Now with the U.S. owing over fourteen trillion dollars, and rising, to other nations, and our economy in a deep recession, many are left to wonde r if allowing our currency to be backed by only our government’s worth was such a good idea. Other groups against this move away from the gold standard, also argue that these nations which the U.S. government now owes are growing weary of whether or not the will be repaid. This is leading them to do more trading and lending with the still gold based European market, pushing our country deeper into the recession. This leads to where the dollar is distributed and stored by individual Americans and corporations, which is the U.S. banking system. There are two types of

Discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Discussions - Essay Example The Roman Empire was extensive, but eventually in the 3th century ethnic and cultural forces divided the empire with the blessing of the imperial government into two political entities (Bentley, Ziegler, and Streets 67-78). According to Heather and Streets (2003), the Byzantine Empire owns is birth and transformation to Justinian. The empire in his time became different from the Roman political system and was replaced with new bureaucracy having power in royal palace over the ancient senatorial system. In the 7th century, the Greek language became official language of the state (Bradie and Michael 43-44). The Greeks continued to use a title of the Roman Empire for long time, nonetheless. But with the emergence of the Charlemagne who became the emperor of the large Frankish empire, the Greek descendant stopped to be seen as the continuation of the Roman Empire. The â€Å"byzantine term is rather new; nonetheless, since the 800 onward, the non-Greek world following Rome and Pope considered that restoration of the imperial title to the Frankish kings used own term on Greek state†. For example the 9th century writers and historians from Central and Western Europe refer to various monarchs of the Con stantinople as the emperor of the Greek (Sanders, Nelson, Morillo and Ellenberger 33-55). The empires loss of territory was offset to a degree by consolidation and an increased uniformity of rule. The emperor Heraclius fully Hellenized the empire by making Greek the official language, thus ending the last remnants of Latin and ancient Roman tradition within the Empire, Heather and Streets (2003). Islam means submission to Allah (God). Islam was revealed to the â€Å"Prophet Muhammad who lived from 570 CE to 632 CE in Mecca in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was called to prophet-hood when God dictated the Quran to him through the archangel Gabriel† (p. 132). Two years later, in front of the Kaba in Mecca, he declared Islam the religion of the

Write a letter to your first-year roommate at Babson. Tell him or her Essay - 1

Write a letter to your first-year roommate at Babson. Tell him or her what it will be like to live with you, why you chose Babson, and what you are looking forward to the most in college - Essay Example I tend not to get worked up about things, and am fairly relaxed, so I would be surprised if much of what you did bothered me. I’m also fairly direct and honest, so if there is something that I think we need to talk about I’m just going to bring it up instead of letting it simmer or being passive aggressive – you never have to wonder if your pile of dirty gym clothes is bothering me – if it is I’ll come out and tell you right away, so if I say nothing you will know it’s not. I’m not especially neat nor especially messy, but a bit of a mess won’t bother me – if it will bother you ten I can definitely keep cleaner. So those are all the ways I’m pretty easy to live with. One of the reasons I might be a pain is my sleep schedule – I tend to alternately be a very early riser or a night owl, and I tend to work best early in the morning or late at night. So my schedule is pretty erratic and might shift significantly throughout the year. If you’re like me, then this won’t be a problem, but if it is I’m sure we can work something out! I decided to come to Babson for several reasons. One is definitely its spirit of entrepreneurship – I love the idea of starting your own business, of creating ideas and capitalizing on them, and competing with others to try to win market share, and, of course, profits. The school obviously has a very good reputation as one of the best business schools in the country, and this reputation is something that drew me to it as well. Location also played a part in my decision to come to Babson – I love the huge, beautiful campus (especially the globe!) and the small town feel you get there. But I also like that it is close to Boston and other big cities in New England, so you don’t feel like you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere – you can always find something to do. The thing I’m most excited about next year is meeting and making connections with new

Business Management (Forum Post and Reply) Essay

Business Management (Forum Post and Reply) - Essay Example Personal planning involves setting up objectives for personal life. An example would be a plan to lose weight or start exercising. Another example of personal planning is to allocate time for family, friends, and work so that work life balance can be achieved. Planning and organizing are different in the sense that planning involves setting up future goals and actions plans while organizing has more to do with arranging resources in order to achieve those goals. Organizing in management means to assemble resources to implement the action plan that is designed in the planning process. It is, therefore, safe to say that both planning and organizing complement each other. My former boss always kept himself involved in the work of employees. His involvement was appreciated by employees because one can always turn to him for help. My former boss also took responsibility for his subordinates which is why everyone liked him. He also encouraged debate and consulted everyone before taking decisions like setting up night shifts. This is another positive leadership trait because it is essential to keep everyone on board. One negative leadership trait of my former boss was that he was tough on bad performance. This is a negative trait because he used to lose his temper sometimes while talking to employees regarding performance issues. Another good leadership trait was that he was decisive and never got confused in making decisions. This is a must in every leader because this separates a leader with a follower. Being decisive is important to move forward for a leader and this is why it is a positive trait (Schyns & Meindl, 2006, 279). My former company used control tools like traditional feedbacks to inform the subordinates regarding their position and performance in the company. This feedback was given verbally by immediate supervisors and the whole process was not very formal. I would give a grade B to the feedback process of my former company

The Victorian era Essay Example for Free

The Victorian era Essay Magwitchs reaction when Pip shows him where his mother immediately makes the reader feel sorry for him. Now then lookee here! said the man. Wheres your mother? There, sir, Said I. He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder. Due to the fact he is making a short run at the mere mention of someone seeing him, reveals Magwitchs deeper insecurities and fear of being caught. Also the fact he is scared of a woman would create an even greater feeling of sympathy for him, especially amongst those reading in the Victorian era, as it was uncommon to have a man scared of a woman. This reaction also suggests that Magwitch may not be as strong as he originally made out, but is only putting on an act to scare Pip. Magwitch demands Pip bring him file and wittles and as he does so he tilts Pip over the tombstone a little more. You bring em both to me. He tilted me again, Or Ill have your heart and liver torn out. He tilted me again. By recreating the tilting movement again and saying it in the same repetitive manner, represents the mounting fear and unease Pip is experiencing and also stresses the difference in power; with Magwitch at this point, looming over Pip in a menacing manner, thus leading the reader to feel greater sympathy for him in such a situation and much less so for Magwitch. As Pip watches the convict leave, he says glancing about him over the cold wet flat, I wish I was a frog or a eel. Wishing to be a frog or an eel shows us how difficult Magwitch find his surroundings and that in being a frog or an eel means he doesnt not have to suffer in the cold and wet marshes any longer. Also when he says a eel it gives a hint as to the fact the Magwitch is possibly illiterate as he says a eel instead of an eel. This creates sympathy for Magwitch as it not only tells us he is uneducated but also that he may never have had the chance to go to school. Magwitchs departure creates further sympathy for him as he hugged his shuddering body in both arms and limped toward the Low Church wall. The fact he is limping could either indicate he is hurt or that the cold has numbed his body. Either way the reader feels sympathy for Magwitch, as unlike Pip, he does not have the option of going back home. Instead he is forced to pick his way among the nettles, and among brambles. Once again this shows the reader the difficulties he is facing with his surroundings and in turn this makes the reader feel sorry for him as it is clear that he has nowhere else to go. As Pip describes his surroundings once again as the sun is setting, he talks of how he can faintly make out two things on the horizon- a beacon the sailors use to steer and the other, a gibbet, from whose chain a pirate once hung. As Pip describes Magwitch walking towards the latter it gives a sense of foreboding as though something terrible is about to happen and that the gibbet (for Magwitch) might symbolise death. This creates sympathy for Magwitch as it is shown as another reminder to the reader of the punishment he could face if caught. Dickens creates sympathy for his characters, Pip and Magwitch in many ways. By carefully structuring his story; he is able to swing the readers sympathy from Pip to Magwitch as the story progresses. By introducing Pip first, Dickens made the reader feel sympathetic towards his situation. However, he was also able to make the reader empathise with Magwitch as well despite his less than honourable actions. Dickens also uses the characters dialogue and body language to represent how a character feels and what they are thinking.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a series of birth defects such as physical, mental, behavioral and learning problems caused by the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Kenneth Jones and David Smith at the University of Washington in Seattle officially identified Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1973 (Golden 1). The exact reasons certain fetuses are affected and others are not, is not fully understood. CDC reports state that 0.2 to 1.5 per 1000 babies are born each year in the United States with alcohol related birth defects (CDC 1). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be prevented with education. Even small changes in education and behavior can reduce the risk of women giving birth to babies with fetal alcohol syndrome. Women have been drinking for years not knowing or understanding the effects that alcohol had on their babies. Some women that drink do not even know they are pregnant and may unknowingly and unintentionally cause damage to the unborn and developing baby. Then there are the women that are addicted to alcohol. The drive can be stronger for the alcohol than for the health of herself or her unborn baby. Education, behavior modification and detoxification are areas of change needed to help with prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. When alcohol is consumed it is absorbed into the mothers bloodstream and passed through the placenta and into the central nervous system of the fetus. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system of the fetus. Alcohol is a potent teratogen. A teratogen is any substance which has been proven to cause birth defects. It is not fully known if it is the alcohol or acetaldehyde, which is a breakdown product from alcohol, which causes birth defects. How the damage occurs is not completely understood, but alcohol does create a glucose and oxygen deficit for the fetus (Spong 1). There is increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects in women that drink, especially in the first trimester. Also, the amount of alcohol intake can multiply the chances of these effects. The organs of the fetus begin developing between three to ten weeks. Alcohol may affect the developing organs such as the heart, brain and central nervous system. Because of the effect on the brain, alcohol can cause mental retardation. Damage to the brain can happen anytime during the pregnancy since the brain develops for all nine months and beyond birth (Belfort 2006). The effects of the alcohol can vary in range of severity and parts of the anantomy. Some babies are born with growth deficiencies due to the alcohol consumption during pregnancy. They are short in length, under weight, and have small heads (Wong). Facial abnormalities include small eye openings, drooping eyelids, skin folds across the inner corners of the eyes, a flattened or missing bridge of the nose, underdeveloped philtrum, thin upper lip, cleft lip, and cleft palate (Wong). There are major organ defects, especially of the heart such as septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, and patent ductus arteriosus (Wong). They may have problems with their respiratory system such as apnea, pulmonary hypertension and SIDS. Renal abnormalities include aplastic, dysplastic, hypoplastic kidneys, horseshoe kidneys, ureteral duplications, and hydronephrosis (Wong 844). They may have joint and limb abnormalities. Some of the skeletal abnormalities are restriction of movement, altered palmar crease pa tterns, hypoplastic nails, shortened digits, radionulnar synostosis, flexion contractures, pectus excavaum and carinatum, Klippei-Feil syndrome, hemivertebrae, and scoliosis (Fry-Johnson 42) . Malformation of the Eustachian tube, conductive hearing loss and nuerosensory hearing loss are some auditory defects. They tend to have chronic ear infections. They have a tendency to be more susceptible to infections (Wong 844). Malnutrition is a risk factor for women that drink and can lead to birth defects. Malnutrition can cause low birth weight, growth retardation, fetal damage, and is an increased risk for spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. There are several reasons for the malnutrition. First, alcoholics prefer alcohol over food therefore the intake of needed nutrients is poor. Then there is reduce absorption and metabolism of nutrients. Women that drink can be deficient in many vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin K, iron, magnesium and zinc. Deficiency in vitamin B6 can result in a clubfoot, cleft lip and palate. Folate acid deficiencies are related to neural tube defects and orofacial defects. Riboflavin deficiency may affect failure to grow, thrive and develop. Lack of thiamine has been found to cause heart defects. Deformities related to vitamin K deficiency are shortened fingers, cupped ears, flat nasal bridges, and underdeveloped nose, mouth and mid face. Babies that are born iron deficient are often smaller and shorter. Deficiency in zinc has been linked to impaired growth and development. Zinc deficiency has been related to lower immunity in infants and abnormalities of the nervous system that lead to learning difficulties and mental retardation (Anderson 3). According to an article by Mary J. OConnor in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol abuse, children with fetal alcohol syndrome may show cognitive and attention deficits, increased activity levels, problems in inhibition and state regulation, perseverative behavior, and expressive language and motor problems. These problems may last into and throughout adulthood. They may have difficulties such as bonding in infants and depression in 4-6 year olds. There have been reports of depression, anxiety, psychosis, somatic complaints, delinquency, hyperactivity and sleep disorders. OConnor also reports in a study done on 473 people that were prenatally exposed to alcohol 44% were diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 40% had psychotic disorders, and 20% had bipolar disorders(Womens Health1). Studies on prenatal alcohol exposure and relation to IQ show varying severities. It was noted that some children for unknown reasons are more susceptible than others to the effects of alcohol. An a rticle in Journal of School Health by Jennifer H. Green reports on a review of studies done showing an average IQ for people with fetal alcohol syndrome at 65.73 with a range of 20-120 (Green 1). Fetal alcohol syndrome is a preventable problem. The public needs to be educated on the effects alcohol can have on an unborn child and that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. The effects from alcohol ingestion during pregnancy can range in severity and last a lifetime. Healthcare worker must educate and advise all females within childbearing years of the potential harm to the fetus. During pregnancy it is never too late to stop and reduce the risk to the fetus. Ultimately it is up to the mother to follow through with these warnings and advice. Work Citied Anderson, Mark. Historical Perspective Prenatal Nutrition and Birth Defects. Selen River Press, 2008. World Wide Web. July 24, 2008. http://www.seleneriverpress.com/media/pdf_docs/36_BirthDefectsandNutrition. Belfort, Mandy. Department of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Boston, MA. , Healthline Pregnancy Guide, February 2006 World Wide Web : July 26, 2008. http://www.healthline.com/yodocontent/pregnancy/premature-baby-brain-problems.html Center for Diease Control and Prevention.(2006) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. World Wide Web: July 24, 2008.http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm#how Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W. M.D.(2005). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome â€Å"Its a Faith Walk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  World Wide Web: July 25, 2008. http://www.sefasrtc.org/presentations/Its%20a%20Faith%20Walk%2031705Fetal%20Alcohol%20Syndrome.pdf Golden, Janet. 2005. Message in a Bottle The Making of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Green, Jennifer H.  Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: understanding the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and supporting students.Journal of School Health77.3  (March 2007):  103(6).General OneFile.  Gale.  BREVARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM.  24 July 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS. Prenatal alcohol exposure has effects far beyond fetal alcohol syndrome.Womens Health Weekly(Dec 9, 2004):  75.General OneFile.  Gale.  BREVARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM.  24 July 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS. Work Citied Spong CY (2006) Protection against Prenatal Alcohol-Induced Damage. PLoS Med 3(4): e196 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030196 Wong, Donna L., Hockenberry, Marilyn J., Perry, Shannon E., and Lowdermilk, Deitra Leonard. (2006). Maternal Child Nursing Care (3rd edition). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.