Monday, January 27, 2020

The Kantian Theory Of Ethics And Morality Essay

The Kantian Theory Of Ethics And Morality Essay Kants theory of morality seems to function as the most feasible in determining ones duty in a moral situation. The basis for his theory is perhaps the most noble of any acting morally because doing so is morally right. His ideas, no matter how occasionally vague or overly rigid, work easily and efficiently in most situations. Some exceptions do exist, but the strength of those exceptions may be somewhat diminished by looking at the way the actual situations are presented and the way in which they are handled. But despite these exceptions, the process Kant describes of converting maxims to universal laws to test their moral permissibility serves, in general, as a useful guide to and system of ethics and morality. The Kantian Theory of Ethics hinges upon the concept of the Categorical Imperative, or the process of universalization. Kant describes taking a possible action, a maxim, and testing whether it is morally permissible for a person to act in that manner by seeing if it would be morally permissible for all people in all times to act in that same manner. Thus, Kant says that an action is morally permissible in one instance if the action is universally permissible in all instances. As human beings, we are forced to accept the inevitability of being unwillingly confronted with situations that test the strength of our morality and character. In the midst of deep moral conflict we become immensely introspective and we follow our intuition with the hopes of it guiding us towards the morally correct decision. However, how can we be sure that we have acted morally in a situation that is so morbid and perverse that our intuition is completely torn? This is the dilemma that is faced by Kant believed that the only thing of intrinsic moral worth is a good will. Kant says in his work Morality and Rationality The good will is not good because of what it affects or accomplishes or because of its adequacy to achieve someproposed end; it is good only because of its willing, i.e., it is good of itself. A maxim is the generalized rule that characterizes the motives for a persons actions. For Kant, a will that is good is one that is acting by the maxim of doing the right thing because it is right thing to do. The moral worth of an action is determined by whether or not it was acted upon out of respect for the moral law, or the Categorical Imperative. Imperatives in general imply something we ought to do however there is a distinction between categorical imperatives and hypothetical imperatives. Hypothetical imperatives are obligatory so long as we desire X. If we desire X we ought to do Y. However, categorical imperatives are not subject to conditions. The Categorical Impera tive is universally binding to all rational creatures because they are rational. Kant proposes three formulations the Categorical Imperative in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Moral, the Universal Law form *** Kantian ethics is a method of interpreting what one ought to do, which was devised by Immanuel Kant it is a duty-based theory and therefore, duty has a huge part to play within it. Kantian Ethics is an absolutist theory therefore suppresses any chance of exception through circumstances or outcome, but believes solely that the maxim of duty is the most important factor, if not the only factor in making a moral decision. For Kant, a moral action is not based upon feelings, inclination, or on the possibility of reward or positive outcome. Instead, a moral action is one based on a sense of this is what I ought to do. To use an example, helping an old woman across the street because you pity her is NOT a moral act, neither is it moral if you do it purely because you want to impress someone, the only way that it is a moral thing to do is if you do it out of a sense of duty because you can say to yourself I ought to help the elderly. According to Kant this is the only thing that matters when deciding whether or not to do something, because motive is the most important factor in Kantian ethics, it is possible for an action to have negative consequences while still being a moral act: mmanuelle Kant more focused on concept of moral duty and responsibility as main key characteristics of moral conscious that served as the foundation for deontological approach. He emphasized that there not separation between duty and consequences, but nevertheless there exist gap between duty and purely deontological theory. Morality is supposed to guide our actions, which it can only do if it motivates us, and that practical reasoning starts with what is good, and that the right response to what is good is to choose in accordance with it. To intend to do something bad, such as lie or kill, (even in order to bring about some good consequence) is not to order ones will in accordance with what is good. Is morality something we discover? Perhaps, if, one chooses to accept the integrity with ones personal experiences we all would share the same views. Thus, I believe that Kant argues morality and decision making must be a priori. Yet, I am still trying to wrap my head around what I am arguing. If one chooses moral actions via experience, it, neglects, the concept of consequences. I know that it was not mentioned via Kantian ethics; however, I argue that consequences should be included. Why? Because, one, I argue, looks into the consequences of their actions beforehand. That is not to say that it will stop them, yet it still crosses their minds. Again, I think that Kantian ethics brings a modern approach to the way we hold ethical principles today. However, it still seems that there are flaws and that one will still look into the consequences when thinking morally and ethically. Kants categorical imperatives are too rigid in my opinion. His view assumes that morality rests upon absolute directives, but the world is not so black and white. Many times situations do not have a well defined right and wrong and to say they do is over simplified. I do not agree with the principle of Kants categorical imperatives. The guideline states that performing a bad action to bring about a good effect is never morally acceptable but that performing a good action may be considered acceptable even if it causes a bad effect. What is considered good or bad is open to interpretation. An example on page 60 of the text says euthanasia is immoral because it essentially equates it with murder. I do not consider this murder if it is upon request of the ill patient and has the intention of relieving unbearable pain. Kants ethical theory at face value seems as though it could be effective. However it seems irresponsible to make a moral decision without factoring the outcome of your choice. It also seems bold of Kant to expect all decisions to be moral or immoral universally. The world is simply not that black and white. There are always exceptions. If the world did function as good vs. evil than Kants ideological theory in essence would work. Unfortunately the world has many more facets than that. The Kantian ethics differs from the utilitarianism theory in that it focuses more on the actions and the morality of those actions as opposed to the consequences. Kant is basically saying that the consequences dont matter as long as we act in a moral way. I dont agree with his statement that right actions depend on the least of consequences because actions, whether right or wrong usually depend on consequences because most of the times, consequences are what we associate with morals. Personally speaking, before going forward with any actions, I usually think about the consequences before anything else. I dont think about whether or not my actions are morally right. Isnt it possible to have actions that are morally right but consequences that are not? While I like the idea of applying maxims to actions, I dont think that it is very realistic because if it means that when you choose rules to live by, you have to make certain these are rules you would want the rest of the world to live by, then what would the consequences be? Or better yet, what would the need for consequences be? While I do like idea that we should treat people the way we would like to be treated or better yet as the human being we are, it could never work in todays society because even though everything would be on the same playing field, people would eventually take advantage of the rules or those who happen to live by those rules. One of the major cornerstones of Kantian ethics is the idea that it is the will of the person, not necessarily the consequences, that makes an action moral or not. If a person does something out of a sense of duty to moral law, then his actions have moral value. According to Kant, this means that if a person cares for his or her child out of the belief that caring for children is an important duty, he or she is acting ethically. If, however, a person cares for a child simply because he or she loves the child, this action is out of inclination rather than duty and not actually of moral value. Actions have consequences. We all know that. Sometimes when it comes time to face those consequences though, we do everything we can to avoid it or to hide our guilt. One of the hardest realities for some of us to learn is that our actions have consequences. Whatever we do either affects us or others, and usually both. We begin teaching our children at an early age Do not hit! and Do not bite! and a host of other Do nots! because our actions can hurt other people. We are teaching them that there are consequences to others because of our actions. We teach them to avoid fires and hot surfaces and playing in the street, because the consequences of these can be extremely hurtful to ourselves. Some, however, are slow to learn those lessons. Many, it seems, have to learn the hard way through suffering the consequences of their actions. Consider: There is a terrorist with a gun pointed at a group of innocent hostages being held by the terrorists. There is the declaration that he will kill them. Someone nearby has a gun and points it at the terrorist and shots. The would-be hero misses the target and kills one of the innocent hostages. Now is the act of the would-be hero good or bad. Is it the intention behind the act or the result of the act that makes it good or bad? If something is good is it good because of what it is or because of what it results in? This question sets out a basic question in ethical inquiry and concerning which there are two major braches or schools of thought. There are a number of ethical theories that can be categorized according to how they address this question.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Germination of Seeds

A seed consists essentially of a seed coat, stored food and a young plant, the embryo. The seed coat may be made of inner tegmen and outer testa. On the seed coat a scar (hilum) is present which shows the place of attachment of a seed in the fruit is present. At one end of the hilum is the micropyle. Through micropyle the seed absorbs water during the process of germination. The embryo consists of epicotyl,one or two seed leaves called cotyledons, and a hypocotyle. The portion of the embryo above the point of attachment of cotyledons to embryo axis, and below the plumule is called epicotyl. The plumule forms shoot. the portion of the embryo below the point of attachment of cotyledons to embryo axis but above the radicle, is called hypocotyls. The radicle forms root. The seed also contain the food, derived from the endosperm tissue. The food may remain as such or may be digested and stored in the cotyledons. Thus the cotyledons become thick due to the presence of stored food. This food is supplied to the developing plant during the process of germination of seeds. In the grain of maize, the cotyledon is modified into an organ called scutellum a term that comes from the Latin word meaning â€Å"Shield†. The food stored in scutellum is used first during germination of seed. Later on scutellum absorbs the food of endosperm and supply it to the developing embryo. â€Å"The maize grain is infact a single seeded fruit in which seed coat fruit wall is fused. † Practical Work: investigating structure of seed of gram and maize With the help of hand lens locate micropyle and hilum of the two seeds. With the help of scalpel cut the seeds longitudinally and observe different parts of the embryo along with endosperm with the help of (fig 16. 1) 1. What is the function of micropyle? 2. Why can’t you find endosperm in gram seed? Fig. 16. 11 Structure of seed of gram (a) and maize grain (b) 16. 5. 1 Seed germination During germination (growth and development) of a seed the water is absorbed through micropyle, and the formerly dormant embryo resumes growth and emerges from the seed. The root is normally the first structure emerging the seed, growing rapidly and absorbing water and min erals from the soil. Much of the water is transported to the cells in embryo. As its cells elongate the stem pushes out of the soil. There are two types of germination, epigeal and hypogeal. When the cotyledons appear above Fig 16. 12 (a) Hypogeal germination in gram seed the ground by the elongation of hypocotyl, the type of seed germination is called epigeal, e. g. seeds of melons, cucumber and beans[Fig 16. 12(b)]. 16. 12 (b) Epigeal germination in bean seed When the cotyledons remain below the soil, and epicotyl elongates bringing only plumule above the soil surface, it is described as hypogeal germination, e. g. eed of gram and maize grain[Fig 16. 12(a)] Germination is the onset of growth of a seed, often lollowing a period of dormancy, in response to suitable environmental conditions. 16. 5. 2 Conditions For germination to take place the seed must be viable (living) and should have sufficient food for its germination. The following environmental conditions must exist. In some seeds such as of tobacco plant light is also necessary to trigger germination o f seeds (i) Moisture or water (ii) Air(O2) (iii) Suitable temperature (i) Moisture or water Through micropyle, the seed absorbs water, which swells it causing the seed coat to burst. This helps the root to emerge out of seed. Water absorbed by the germination seed helps to activate the enzymes to digest the food of seed, which is made available to the growing embryo. It also helps to elongate hypocotyls and epicotyl, to grow out. (ii) Air Because oxidative metabolism usually takes over soon after a plant embryo starts to grow, most seeds require oxygen for germination. So air is very important for germination as it contains about 21% of oxygen, which is used during respiration. iii)Suitable temperature Germination of seeds occur over a wide temperatue range between 5-30 C. the optimum temperature for the germination of seeds of most plants ranges between 25-30 C. optimum or suitable temperature is necessary for the enzymes to function. During early germination of seeds, the vital mobilization of food reserves stored in the embryo cotyledons or the endosperm is mediated by h ormones, which in some cases are gibberellins. Practical work: investigating the conditions necessary for germination Set up four test tybes each with ten seeds labeled A, B, C and D as shown in Fig. 16. 13. Put tubes A, C and Din a warm place, in laboratory, Put tube B in a refrigerator. The test tube will have the following environmental conditions: Water, suitable temperature and air Water and the air (low temperature) Suitable temperature and air Water and suitable temperature (no air) Observe the test tubes regularly for about one week. 1. In which tubes the seeds germinate? 2. Did all the seeds in these tubes germinate, if not, why? Name the conditions necessary for the germination of seeds?

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Techniques of Comedy

Alex Moreno Theater 208 Comedy: Techniques behind the Laughter Comedy is the genre of film that makes even the saddest times bearable and gained a lot of popularity in a time when people needed a boost. Comedy is a unique form of film in its wide range of methods, and in all of these methods there is at least some of a select group of approaches. The true magic that comedy has arises from these select few techniques, that, when used properly, will never fail to generate a laugh.Comedy comes in a wide range of forms, all of which bring a laugh in different ways. There are however, a few specific categories of comedy which become classics. The most effective of these include; screwball, running gags, wit, set-up and punch line, and slap stick. While these are separate categories of comedy, they are very often used together or in other types, to successfully generate a laugh. The question is, what makes them work over and over, and the answer lies in common factors of each technique.An important factor in comedy is the script and use of dialogue. While dialogue is not equally important in all types of comedy, it is still a very effective tool in producing a great comedy. The dialogue must tie in fast pacing, wit, and comedy in order to keep an audience entertained, all while following the script in order to draw the audience in to the film, and keep them hooked. Great comedies always have exceptional dialogue that can make even the most ordinary scene, absolutely hilarious.When dialogue is used properly, it can be comedy in itself, or add to another joke. An example of this is when a main character makes a funny comment about the antagonist or another character. The actions of the other character may not be funny alone, but add some commentary and it becomes extremely funny. Overall, dialogue is not the main drive behind all comedic forms, as seen in silent films, but it is still important to modern comedy in its ability to make ordinary things funny. The next imp ortant factor of a successful comedy is the pacing.Fast pacing is the only successful way of making a comedy; the audience must always have something to generate a laugh. Audiences are fickle, and making them wait for something to happen will only cause them to lose interest. The pace must be fast enough to keep people interested, but it must also be at a pace where the audience can keep up with the action. A comedy will not be funny if the next joke starts before the audience even laughs at the last one. A great comedy must find just the right balance that will not lose the audience to boredom, or in a rush.Give the audience enough time to laugh, but don’t let them stop laughing. Another critical factor in generating a successful comedy is in the use of montage. Cutting shots between different angles helps to keep the audience interested by adding fresh perspective, the film must always be moving, and so must the camera. This is used in addition to close-ups and establishmen t shots during important sequences. A very effective method of doing this is switching shots between characters during important comedic sequences.An example of this would be a main character meant to be funny talking to one of the stagnant characters, anti-comic relief, and showing their lack of reaction to something funny done by the main character. Another method is changing the camera angles while a character has difficulty performing a task. A character struggling to carry a box through a door is funny, but gets old unless you constantly montage in order to keep the scene fresh, adding to the pace. Montage is an important factor in successful comedy because a joke needs to stay fresh in order to be funny, as does a comedy.The casting in a film is of the utmost importance, as not all people are funny in the same situations. Actors all have certain comedic roles, which they best fit into. A serious looking actor with a stern voice would not make a good goofball character. If that same actor is placed into the role of a gangster with the attitude of a child, he becomes a great comic figure. Casting is of the utmost importance as actors must fit their roles, while they have more range in comedy, they still must be believable to some degree.This can be seen by the great number of comedies where people walk out saying; it would have been funny or funnier with someone else. Casting must be done carefully in order also insure that the characters play well against each other. While a grown man acting like a child is funny at times, it becomes extremely effective when there is another character provoking them to behave that way. In the end, casting determines how the audience will react to the story, and whether jokes will be funny when coming from the selected cast. In the end all of these things tie in to make a comedic film funny.If the techniques are used properly you will create a high energy comedy that will keep the audience entertained. True classics have e verything that a comedy could need, great dialogue, fast pacing, montage, and great casting. When these techniques are used together properly, a comedy cannot fail. The basic goal of a comedy is to stay fresh, and by utilizing these techniques, even the most played out scenario can become funny all over again. Comedy has made us laugh for nearly a century, and it will continue to so long as it is kept new, fresh, and exciting.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Should Consuming Alcohol Under the Age of 21 Be Legalized...

Should consuming alcohol under the age of 21 be legalized in the United States? It is one of the many questions in contemporary America that raises a great deal of opposition on both sides of the issue. Whenever this issue comes up in a classroom or group setting I hear the same statement almost every single time. â€Å"If a kid can enlist in the military and fight for his country at 18, then he sure as hell should be able to have a beer at 18†. I actually did feel this way at one point in my life not too long ago. However, like many other views of mine, the more responsible and educated I become, the more I tend to disagree with an original stance I have taken. While I understand the argument, I simply do not agree with it. Having served in the military myself, I do not think it would be the greatest idea to allow junior enlisted teenagers to openly drink. Are they still going to drink? Of course they are. However, concealing alcoholic consumption when you are underage is muc h different than openly drinking whenever you choose when you are underage. As a society we simply need to be more responsible when we weigh our options in regards to issues like underage drinking, an issue that will have an impact on society as a whole. I will not take a look at other countries and their policy on underage drinking in this paper because that is an entirely different issue in itself. The intention of this paper is to solidify why I think you must be 21 years of age to drink in the UnitedShow MoreRelatedLowering the Drinking Age1576 Words   |  7 PagesI April 6, 2014 Why the Drinking Age Should Stay at Twenty-One The United States drinking age throughout all 50 states has been the same since 1984 when a law was put in place by the U.S. Congress punishing all states who did not abide by the legal age limit of 21. 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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, information storage and retrieval systems, or in any other manner—without the written permission of the publisher. Thomson Higher Education 10 Davis Drive Belmont, CA 94002-3098 USA For more information about our products, contact us at: ThomsonRead MoreVarian Solution153645 Words   |  615 Pagesreservation price the consumer will demand one apartment, at any price above the reservation price the consumer will demand zero apartments, and exactly at the reservation price the consumer will be indiï ¬â‚¬erent between having zero or one apartment. You should also observe that when demand curves have the â€Å"staircase† shape used here, there will typically be a range of prices where supply equals demand. 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