Democratization Of The United States - 936 Words

Does people with criminal records should have the right to vote? My answer is NO. However, with the development of industrial society and modern technology, the continuous improvement of the degree of rationalization, democratization becomes a non-stop inverse trend. In developed countries democratization process, they always emerge situation repeatedly, along with the democratization of instability and recession. How to achieve democratization, and how to grasp the path of democratization, have became an unavoidable problem. Take a look at the process of democratization of the United States, we found that the democratization of experience that can help our political development. The most important aspect of democratization that electoral rights of citizens, the paper intends to investigate American citizens the right to vote of the development process. Evolution of American citizens the right to vote, can be divided into three stages: the strict restrictions on colonial suffrage, un iversal suffrage established in the 19th century period, extension of the suffrage of the 20th century. The first stage is Restricted colonial suffrage. During the early state of the colonial, the population was small, and needed the revitalization of the colony, they established a new authority. So the early colonies did not to restrict the right to vote. However, with the expansion of the size of the colony, and gradually qualify for the right to vote, parliamentary elections were requiredShow MoreRelatedThe First Wave Of Democratization1177 Words   |  5 Pagesduring Week 7: Democratization 1. The two articles are 1) Huntington, Samuel. 1991. The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late 20th century. Norman: University Oklahoma Press. Selected pages and 2) Lipset, Seymour M.   1994.†Ã‚  The Social Requisites of Democracy Revisited.†Ã‚   American Sociological Review, 59,1: 1-22. Samuel P. Huntington scrutinizes the Third Wave of Democratization in four parts: 1) The Start of the Third Wave, The Meaning of Democracy, The Waves of Democratization, and The IssuesRead MoreRelationship Between Foreign Aid And Migration1414 Words   |  6 Pageslimit immigration based on social concerns within their own countries; as a result, these nations give more in aid to provide incentives to potential migrants to stay in their home countries. This policy choice relies on the Mercantilist theory of state protection. By limiting immigration to these countries, they are restraining the number of low skilled workers allowed into the country, and are therefore following protectionist policies to defend their domestic workers. However, the other argumentRead MoreThe Cultural Conflicts Existing Within The Discipline Of Political Science834 Words   |  4 PagesConfederacy was governed by one-party system in which local southern Democratic parties exercised hegemony over politica l life. He criticizes the theory used to analyze the dynamics of southern political development, proving that the southern states were not sovereign states but rather â€Å"they were subnational jurisdictions integrated into a national political system and subject to its regular interventions.† Gibson thinks that American scholars are among other political scientists who have failed in theorizingRead MoreThe Effects Of Economics And Civic Culture On A Modern Economy899 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Democratic or Republican parties can feel an intimate connection with their peers. Although money can often feel personal and groups impersonal, most political scientists separate the effects of economics and civic culture when explaining democratization. Putnam, for instance, analyzes the effects of socioeconomic modernity and civic community in distinctly defined sections. Researching the two effects individually has advantages – for one, theories with only one explanatory variable become noticeablyRead MoreDemocracy Promotion By The Eu And Democratization Via Eastern European Partnership1246 Words   |  5 Pages Exporting democracy? Democracy Promotion by the EU and Democratization via Eastern European Partnership With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and many other developed countries have begun to pay more attention to their policy of democracy promotion in the countries of the former communist bloc. As ex-President Clinton declared in his second State of the Union address in 1995, â€Å"Ultimately, the best strategy to ensure our security and to build aRead MoreThe Rise Of The Jacksonian Era1540 Words   |  7 PagesThe Jacksonian Era was often described as a time of â€Å"democratization of politics† in the United States. However, democracy, at this time, was only defined as equality and justice for white males. There were improvements that benefited the common people, such as universal male suffrage, but these excluded women, Africans, Indians, and the rest of the population in the country. In addition, Andrew Jackson was not very democratic as he violated the Constitution and used the authority of the governmentRead MoreThe Eff ects Of Socioeconomic Modernity And Civic Community864 Words   |  4 PagesAfter all, even members of groups as large as the ACLU can feel a connection with their peers. Although money can feel personal and groups impersonal, most political scientists separate the effects of economic and civic culture when explaining democratization. In his book, for example, Putnam analyzes the effects of socioeconomic modernity and civic community in distinct sections. Researching the two effects separately has advantages – for one, theories with only one explanatory variable become simplerRead MoreThe Second Wave Of Democracy1682 Words   |  7 Pagesre-evaluate the leading theories on democratization in an attempt to correlate and understand this newest wave of democracy. Many of the countries that didn’t fit in this established wealthy, mostly â€Å"Western† mold, could be classified and explained by the voluntarist theory. In order for democracy to survive nations that didn’t fit this mold they had to overcome the structural obstacles, as highlighted by those scholars who proposed alternate theories of democratization. Nations were dependent upon theRead MoreRe-Interpreting Internet Activism: A Study of Its Relationship with the Nature of State Introduction1130 Words   |  5 Pagesstrengthening participatory processes. The digital media has played a crucial role in planning and executing protests, spreading information about the protests, creating a sense of shared community, forming a â€Å"virtual space† beyond the regulation of the state and inspiring viewers with ideas of democracy and liberalism. Therefore, this paper works on the premise that both political will and effective use of media are important in the context of these revolts. However, these virtual networks have not alwaysRead MoreHistory 2611473 Words   |  6 Pagesshape the course of future events. At the vanguard of the group of up-and coming leaders is Hu Jintao, who joined the Communist Party’s most senior body, the seven-man politburo Standing Committee, at the age of 49 in 1992. ​These new leaders are united in their commitment to ensuring the primacy of the Communist Party and to implementing market-oriented economic reform. Trained as engineers (or, in one case, a geologist), they had reputations as good managers and operated primarily as party bureaucrats

Obedience And Authority Will People Do Anything If...

Obedience to Authority: Will people do anything if ordered? Abbygale Javier [IT 150G, 14111; On-line; Elizabeth Rasnick; November 7, 2016] Introduction There are little facts about the role of obedience up until now. Psychologists have been debating on factors that constitute obedience within an individual. For example, certain theories suggest that people do horrible actions only if they are ordered to do so. Research has shown that most people obey all orders given to them by the authority-figure. The idea for this topic came to me while flipping through channels. I came across a show called 20/20, on the Investigative Discovery Channel. The show goes through a series of crimes and murders and provides insight on how the crime came to be and why. On a particular episode, a successful businessman orders a new intern to â€Å"take care† of someone to gain favor from him. The intern is noted to be kind and helpful by his friends and family, fresh out of college and very hopeful. So it shocked them to hear that he had murdered someone. Would he have committed this crime if he wasn’t told to? That is what I seek to know m ore about. As children, we are taught to listen to our elders or any authority figure and obey their instructions. This was what determined how â€Å"good† we were. Obedience I can be described as â€Å"willingness to agree with the directions of an individual with authority†. As children, obedience can help with their development, socially and behaviorally. It helps anShow MoreRelatedA Cumpolsory Action in the Movie A Few Good Men Essays840 Words   |  4 Pages Even as people call themselves individuals and claim to do as they please, it is in their encoding to follow a simple command from a superior even if it objects their own judgement. In a simple experiment, such as that performed by Stanley Milgram, one command can make or break your own sense of self. Even if the command isnt compulsory, as seen by the marines in the movie A Few Good Men, orders can be extremely hard not to follow. A Few Good Men depicts the court case of two marines, PrivateRead MoreThe Perils of Obedience, by Stanley Milgram1499 Words   |  6 PagesIf a person of authority ordered you inflict a 15 to 400 volt electrical shock on another innocent human being, would you follow your direct orders? That is the question that Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University tested in the 1960’s. Most people would answer â€Å"no,† to imposing pain on innocent human beings but Milgram wanted to go further with his study. Writing and Reading across the Curriculum holds a shortened edition of Stanley Milgram’s â€Å"The Perils of Obedience,† where he displaysRead MoreDr Milgram s Experiment On Obedience And Authority Figures1394 Words   |  6 PagesPioneering Psychologist Stanley Milgram once said, â€Å"Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process.† Obedience is like a narcotic; under its influence, even a strong willed person can do horrible things to others without a second thought. The only way a member of society submitting to powerful authority can escape being obedient is to live completely isolated. Subjects usually follow the orders givenRead MoreThe Perils Of Obedience By Stanley Milgram950 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Perils of Obedience, Stanley Milgram introduces us to his experimental studies on the conflict between one’s own conscience and obedience to authority. From these experiments, Milgram discovered that a lot of people will obey a figure in authority; irrespective of the task given - even if it goes against their own moral belief and values. Milgram’s decision to conduct these experiments was to investigate the role of Adolf Eichmann (who played a major part in the Holocaust) and ascertain ifRead MoreKe’Asjah Spencer. Milgram Study.Stanley Milgram, A Psychologist1725 Words   |  7 Pages Stanl ey Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, conducted a 1963 experiment that originated from the idea of Germans being highly obedient to authority figures, and whether that played a role in the Nazi killings during World War II. The purpose of the experiment was to see if ordinary people, under an immense amount of pressure by an authority figure, would still be obedient regardless of whether something detrimental would happen because of a person’s submissiveness. The researchersRead MoreEssay about Disobedience1306 Words   |  6 PagesThis is a critique of Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem by Eric Fromm, written in 1963. Fromm states in his article that disobedience is what originally set the human race on the path to thinking on their own, but obedience to authority in the end will be what kills us all. Overall his article has several compelling reasons to believe his theory, but it is also not completely believable for several reasons. There are several points that are debatable and hisRead MoreThe Blind Obedience And Authority1237 Words   |  5 PagesBlind Obedience to Authority Millions of people were killed in Nazi Germany in concentration camps however, Hitler wouldn’t have been able to kill them all, nor could just a handful of people. Obedience is when society influences where/ when an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually the authority figure. It is assumed that without such an order the person would not have acted in this way. In order to obey authority, the obeying person has to acceptRead MoreThe Effect Of Obedience During The Holocaust1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effects of Obedience Often, researchers wonder why obedience has such a strong effect. Some researchers say that obedience is a conscious thing; however, some researchers also say that obedience comes from the fear of authority figures. What exactly does obedience and authority mean? Obedience is â€Å"compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control.† (Obedience, 2003) Authority is â€Å"a legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; powerRead MoreSophocles Antigone Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pagesplay becomes the priority of unwritten law. The question is whether duties to the gods are more essential then obedience of the state and law. Creon calls the rotting of Polyneices’ body an â€Å"obscenity† because he believes that burial of the dead is a necessity of human law and not of a citizen. . There is no compromise between the two – both believe in the absolute truth of their obedience. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Antigone believes that the unwritten and natural law supercedes any form of humanRead MoreThe Trials Of The Nazis During The Holocaust1913 Words   |  8 PagesCan the average person, when confronted by authority and ordered to hurt another human being, be able to do so? According to the results of Stanley Milgram’s famous experiments on Obedience to Authority and the numerous testimonies from Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials, the answer is yes, provided that the individual committing the act was ordered to do so by an authority figure and/or believes that responsibility will be deferred to said higher authority. There is therefore potential that the actions

Pros and Cons of Fast Food Free Essays

string(35) " may think why even eat it at all\." The Good and Bad of Fast Food The Good and Bad That Fast Food Brings To Our Society Shawn Guzman E. C. P. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Fast Food or any similar topic only for you Order Now I. English 110 The Good and Bad That Fast Food Brings To Our Society In this day and age everyone has had some form of fast food. There are many options to choose from all around the world. If one was to travel down any main city block, he or she may be overwhelmed with the many options to choose from. The most popular options may be McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Subway just to name a few. The choices are almost endless. The availability to eat fast food is everywhere. It is very hard not to notice when there are advertisements on television, magazines, and all over the internet. The advertisements offer great deals, large quantities, great gifts and more. It can become very hard to avoid the temptation. That is what these franchise’s marketing groups are targeting. There are many questions asked about how unhealthy fast food is. There are constant debates that fast food is bad for you. I believe if you eat too much of anything it may be unhealthy. Fast food has been around for a long time and seems like it will be around in the future as well. There are good and bad things about fast food that many people are aware of. That’s why there are always debates about the pros and cons of fast food. The way that fast food is portrayed to be unhealthy is understandable and there are many reasons to support that, but there are also many reasons why people think fast food is great and is not getting any less popular. A very good thing about fast food is the availability. There are many locations to eat fast food. At any spare moment driving down the street people can pull over to one of many chains of fast food restaurants to eat. There are different varieties to choose from such as Chinese food, pizza, Mexican, and maybe the most popular hamburgers and fries. Every year there are more and more locations popping up that offer different varieties to choose from. Franchises like Wendy’s and McDonalds seems like there are locations everywhere. McDonalds operated their first location back in 1955 and now McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 32,000 local restaurants serving more than  60 million people in 117 countries each day (Our history, n. d. ). Fast food is very convenient for a lot of people that are on the go. Many households may not have the time to cook a well home cooked meal. A single parent that that gets up in the morning and has to get ready for work, while taking care of a child, may not have the time to cook breakfast. This is a time when the parent may elect to get a breakfast on the way to work. After a long day of working a fulltime job, that person may not have the time or energy to cook a meal at home. That is when fast food may be very convenient. Many households may not have the time to sit down as a family, and eat breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is a perfect time when fast food may come in handy. Many fast food locations have very affordable prices. If you can go to a specific location and eat a full course meal for under five dollars, that may be very affordable. With the state of economy being the way it is today in the U. S many people might not be able to afford the cost of grocery shopping. People may prefer to purchase an inexpensive meal to feed each other. Imagine a single parent has a child that is hungry and the parent only has five dollars. There are locations now such as McDonalds that have what they call, â€Å"The Dollar Menu. Based on McDonald’s website, people can order variety of breakfast sandwiches, hamburgers for lunch, and even soft drinks, for just $1 dollar a piece (Dollar menu, n. d. ). The average person can purchase 5 different items with 5 dollars. That can feed a couple of people in a household. Some may say this can turn out to be very costly if done on a regular basis, although ther e can be many reasons why this can be perceived as an affordable and viable option. There may be many that believe fast food is completely unhealthy, when that is not necessarily true. If fast food is eaten at moderate rates it is not necessarily an unhealthy issue. Currently based on the U. S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) they state: FDA regulations require nutrition information to appear on most foods, and any claims on food products must be truthful and not misleading. In addition, low sodium, reduced fat, and high fiber must meet strict government definitions. FDA has defined other terms used to describe the content of a nutrient, such as low, reduced, high, free, lean, extra lean, good source, less, light, and more. So a consumer who wants to reduce sodium intake can be assured that the manufacturer of a product claiming to be â€Å"low sodium† or â€Å"reduced in sodium† has met these definitions. (Food label, 2008) The label for the food has nutritional facts on it. The labels are suppose to state how much calories an item has in it, or how much salt and sugar the item contains. These facts are helpful to determine if the item is healthy or not. Even though most of these fast foods can contain a high volume of cholesterol or fats, if taken in moderation it may not be unhealthy. It may seem that fast food is the most unhealthy food in the world, and rightfully so. There are so many negatives about fast food, that some people may think why even eat it at all. You read "Pros and Cons of Fast Food" in category "Essay examples" The effects of eating too much fast food can be very costly. Even though it may seem like fast food is so delicious and there are so many different options, is it really worth it in the end? One of the unhealthy ingredients in most fast food is Trans fat. Trans fat is â€Å"fat produced from the industrial process of hydrogenation, in which molecular hydrogen (H2) is added to vegetable oil, thereby converting liquid fat to semisolid fat. (Trans, 2011) Some of the specific fast foods that contain Trans fat are items such as pizza dough, French fries, and fried chicken just to name a few (Trans, 2011). There are so many different types of fast food that uses some form of Trans fat. There are many health risks that can start from eating too much fast food that contains Trans fat. There have been many studies to determine if Trans fats or saturated fats cause heart disease. At one point in the late 1980’s some test confirmed that saturated fats lead to heart disease, this caused many to believe there was no harm in eating fast food that contain Trans fat. The consumption of Trans fat rose drastically during that time. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that test confirmed that Trans fat was actually a higher risk to cause heart disease than saturated fats (Trans, 2011). Either way it seems that both types of fat can cause some form of heart disease if too much is consumed. The best thing is to have a healthy diet. Fast food can be the start of an unhealthy diet. There are plenty of unhealthy ingredients in most fast food meals. Many people may say that there is a gain of weight when eating fast food. People who eat a lot of fast food probably have a better chance of being overweight. If someone eats more than a couple of fast food meals a week most likely they are not in proper shape. Eating too much of any fast food is not healthy for any one. When eating foods that are unhealthy they mostly contain fats, salts, or some type of sweetening. These types of ingredients may be addictive. People who’ve been eating fast food for a while may believe that it is too hard to just stop eating. Some people may say just stop eating fast food, but is it really that easy? Certain ingredients may be addictive or have some type of mental power. A former director of the FDA Dr Kessler states: When it comes to stimulating our brains, Dr. Kessler noted, individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent. But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full. (Parker-Pope, 2009) In this article Dr Kessler continues to make valid points on how it seems that fast food restaurants use this to they’re advantage. Some of these restaurants have scientist that try to figure out the perfect combinations of sweets and fats that seem overwhelming to the human taste buds (Parker-Pope, 2009). With the food scientist making food irresistible, it makes it that much harder to put down the hamburger or French fries that taste so good. So just think that if these scientists, that work for these fast food restaurants, make it that much harder to stop eating fast food, people are going to continue eating fast food. That is when people start to gain weight. When people keep eating even though they are no longer hungry, that can lead to being overweight and obesity. Those are big problems in our society and why fast food is a contributor to that problem. The negative perception about fast food being unhealthy is true because of the tactics that are sometimes taken. Some of the tactics used by fast food restaurants are their marketing campaigns. For example the McDonalds Happy Meal that is marketed toward children. These Happy Meals can be purchased at a reasonable price and also come with a toy. It is very hard to tell hildren no when they see that a toy comes with the fast food they are about to eat. Most of the time a child doesn’t even care about the meal itself. Imagine trying to feed your child a healthy meal, but they frequently see their most popular cartoon character or super hero toy being given away free with an unhealthy McDonalds Happy Meal. This is what many parents have to deal with. Finally someone is trying to chan ge this from being a problem. Currently San Francisco city officials are trying to ban Happy Meals from being sold with toys if they don’t meet certain nutritional standards. The San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar, who started the proposal, said: I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat, and calories are a major reason for the alarming rise for childhood obesity in this country, Mar said. This is a very modest ordinance that is an incentive for the industry to take responsibility for healthier choices for children and parents. (Martinez, 2010) Hopefully if one city or state stands up for our children others may follow. This can be the start of what our nation needs to start getting back to eating healthier. Fast food companies need to be controlled somewhat on how they are marketing their unhealthy food to little children. There are a lot of arguments about if fast food is healthy or unhealthy. Some people believe fast food is very affordable and convenient, with plenty of options to choose from around every corner. The way our nation is always on the go, it is hard to argue with a person wanting to just grab a bite while on their way to work, or when taking their children to school. Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day to cook, and fast food is a perfect option at the end of the day. As for fast food being unhealthy, is not a real debate. There are current test that clearly show that as being the case, but quantity and regularity seems to be more of a problem. If a person eats too much fast food on a regular basis than that can prove to be deadly. We are in the land of the free, where we believe in freedom of choice. If someone wants to eat fast food that is a choice they can make for themselves, whether it is healthy or not. References Dollar Menu. (n. d). McDonalds. com. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2011, from: http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/dollar_menu. html Food Label Helps Consumers Make Healthier Choices. (2008). Retrieved Dec. 27, 2010, from the world wide web: http://www. fda. gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm094536. htm#moreinfo Martinez, Michael. (2010, Nov. 8). Ban on low-nutrition Kid-toy meals draws nearer in San Francisco. CNN. com. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2010, from http://www. cnn. com/2010/US/11/04/california. fast. ood/index. html? iref=allsearch Our History. (n. d). McDonalds. com. Retrieved Jan. 2, 2011, from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/our_story. html Parker-Pope, T. (2009, June 22). How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains. The New York Times on the Web. Retrieved Jan. 4, 2011, from the world wide web: http://www. nytimes. com/2009/06/23/health/23well. html? _r=1=health Trans fat. (2011). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2011 from http://www. britannica. com/E Bchecked/topic/1085248/trans-fat How to cite Pros and Cons of Fast Food, Essay examples

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet free essay sample

Material Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Write brief 250-to 300-word answers to each of the following: |Questions |Answers | |What were the major developments in the |There were major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century. It | |evolution of mass media during the 20th |first started in the 19th century with Swedish soprano singer Jenny Lind in 1850. She had | |century? Fans crazed over her music with what was called â€Å"Lindomania† that was spread through | | |showbiz by showman P. T. Barnum. Then, about a century later, there was â€Å"Beatlemania†. I | | |wish I was around for that, I love the Beatles. Anyhow, television was the main source of| | |this frenzy of Beatlemania. They were on the Ed Sullivan Show and it was estimated 40% of | | |the U. S. watched that night. That is an amazing number of people in the country watching | | |such a show back in the 1960s. With all that being said, I would say that that | | |television would be the main source that had developed and made a huge change in the way | | |that media was sent and received. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Mass Media Worksheet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the late 20th century, the internet started to evolve| | |as well. That was a whole new level of media that no one was used to in the past years. Newspapers, magazines, and television were and are still popular but since the end of the | | |20th century computers and that sort of technology has taken over. Just about all cell | | |phones have internet on them so you can include cell phones along with video games, CDs, | | |and DVDs, to be included with that mass media of the 20th century. It now being the 21st | | |century I can only imagine what other types of media wee will be seeing in our future. How did each development influence |As the developments of media in the 20th century evolved, so had the influence it had on | |American culture? |American culture. It brought both advantages and disadvantages to American culture. The | | |types of media like CDs, DVDs, television and the internet have changed peoples lives. | | |Some people depend on the internet as their number one source of media, while others still | | |may stick to the most traditional ways like, newspapers, television, and magazines.

Utilitarianism Essays (1113 words) - Utilitarianism,

Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill suggests that a person's ethical decision-making process should be based solely upon the amount of happiness that the person can receive. Although Mill fully justifies himself, his approach lacks certain criteria for which happiness can be considered. Happiness should be judged, not only by pleasure, but by pain as well. This paper will examine Mill's position on happiness, and the reasoning behind it. Showing where there are agreements and where there are disagreements will critique the theory of Utilitarianism. By showing the problems that the theory have will reveal what should make up ethical decision-making. John Stuart Mill supports and explains his reasoning in his book, Utilitarianism. Mill illustrates the guidelines of his theory. Mill defines utilitarianism as the quest for happiness. His main point is that one should guide his or her judgements by what will give pleasure. Mill believes that a person should always seek to gain pleasure and reject pain. Utilitarianism also states that the actions of a person should be based upon the"greatest happiness principle". This principle states that ethical actions command the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Mill further explores the need for pleasure by noting "a being of higher faculties requires more to make him happy." . He acknowledges that some pleasures are more alluring than others are. He adds to this by making known that when placing value in things to calculate pleasure, not only quantity important but quality as well. Mill's criteria for happiness is easily understood, some statements that he gives are questionable. John Stuart Mill plainly laid out what he believes that the basis for ethical decision-making. First, the pursuit of pleasure is directly related to happiness. This idea can be easily accepted. It is natural for a person to focus his goals on things that will bring him pleasure. It would be absurd if someone's goal in life was to be poor and starving. This being said, it does not mean that people are only happy due wealth but that no one's goals are focused on poverty. Although there are many issues that can be agreeable with Mill, there are problems that exist with his theory of utilitarianism. First, Mill says that all ethical decisions should be based on pleasure. This statement becomes questionable when Mill states that pleasure is the sole requirement for happiness. Pain indirectly effects happiness. Pain is an indirect factor because is not the object of one's happiness, but is an obstacle which one must overcome to gain it. If one is to avoid all pain in his or her life, then how will that person truly know what true pleasure feels like? True pleasure comes only after experiencing pain. If a person always wins a race, does he or she feel true pleasure each time they win or does it turn into a feeling that they come to expect? If there is a person who loses races constantly, will his happiness be greater when he finally wins? The rewards and pleasures of the second person would greatly outweigh the feelings of happiness the first had because he or she knows how it feels to be defeated. The second person knows the pain that is received because of failure so when he when he will recognize the joy and pleasure that comes with winning. Using this same setting, would it be better for the second person to run in races filled with people who are not matched in skill just so he may always win or should he or she race individuals who are equally matched? Although the first would produce pleasure, the second example would yield the greater amount of pleasure due to the understanding that the competition was evenly matched. Both of these examples show that pain can ultimately cause pleasure, and in some cases the presence of pain will increase the feeling of happiness. Another point were there is disagreement is when Mill justifies the pursuit of pleasure by saying "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness." This statement is not universally true. People have different perspectives, what is pleasure for one could be pain for another. Who is right and is wrong? A problem evolves because there is no set definition pertaining to what is pleasurable therefore right and painful therefore wrong. The final disagreement with Utilitarian states that if someone saves a person who is drowning, the rescuer did what is morally right even if his

What Are Human Rights

What Are Human Rights One of the most peculiar aspects of a post-industrial living is that, as of today, just about every socially prominent politician in the West considers itself an ‘expert on human rights’ and refers the concept of human rights, as such that represents an objective truth-value.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What Are Human Rights? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Partially, this can be explained by the fact that the classical definitions of human rights suggest the concept’s perceptual and implicational universality, which in turn implies that one’s endowment with a particular ‘human right’ should not be substantiated rationally, but rather ‘felt’ emotionally. As Cranston (1973, p. 36) pointed out, â€Å"A human right by definition is a universal moral right†¦ something of which no one may be deprived without a grave affront to justice, something which is owin g to every human being simply because he is human†. In fact, the belief that all humans are equally entitled to certain rights, within the society, served as a discursive foundation for the introduction of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the U.N., according to which, â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood† (UDHR 1948, Article 1). Nevertheless, even though that nowadays the concept of ‘human rights’ is being commonly discussed, as such that applies to all people, regardless of what happened to be the specifics of their ethno-cultural affiliation and their varying ability to act as the agents of progress, this is far from being the actual case. After all, it is not only that throughout the course of history, the concept of human rights has been referred to, as such that applies to only certain groups of individuals, but that the objective socio-political realities create dialectical prerequisites for this concept to be used by Western countries to justify their continual geopolitical domination in the world.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is exactly the reason why, as of today, we usually get to hear of people’s ‘human rights’ being abused, within the context of how Western countries (particularly the U.S.) go about rationalizing their decisions to resort to a military intervention, as the mean of ‘defending democracy’ in the de facto sovereign states. Therefore, there is nothing too surprising about the fact that, even though that the universality of people’s ‘human rights’ has been officially declared by the international community members, as far back as in 1948, there is very little uniformity to ho w this concept is being applied in practice. The reason for this is apparent – whereas, there is indeed a good rationale in thinking that the idea of ‘human rights’ does appeal to people on an unconscious level, not all of these people can be regarded humans, in the societal sense of this word. Let us explore the validity of this statement at length. When it comes to elaborating on what should be considered a discursively legitimate definition of ‘human rights’, it is important to understand that the concept in question cannot be referred to in terms of a ‘thing in itself’. That is, at first people evolved to the point of being able to recognize their basic humanity, and only then they realized themselves being in a position to coin the term ‘human rights’. What does make one human? It is the same that allowed the representatives of Homo Sapiens species to attain an undisputed dominance in their environmental niche, which no w accounts for the whole planet Earth – their ability to operate with highly abstract subject matters (intellect). Being endowed with intellect, people are able to act as the agents of civilization/progress, which in turn allows them to create societies and to ensure these societies’ effective functioning. Thus, in order for just about anyone to be considered eligible of taking a practical advantage of ‘human rights, he or she must be able to prove its humanness socially.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What Are Human Rights? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its turn, this would require the concerned individual to attest his or her endowment with, â€Å"1. Capacity to reason; 2. capacity to act for normative reasons, including moral reasons; 3. capacity to act autonomously; 4. capacity to engage in complex social relationships† (Bernat 2008, p. 8). In other words, it is specifically the individuals capable of pushing forward a socio-cultural progress, which may be considered human, in the full sense of this word. Hence, the first discursive provision to how I think the concept of ‘human rights’ should be defined – the notion of a ‘right’ derives out of the notion of a ‘power’, rather out of the notion of a ‘morality/ethics’. This is why it is wrong to believe that one can simply be assigned with certain rights, without qualifying to possess these rights, in the first place. Rights are not given but taken (Pagden 2003). This is the reason why it is methodologically fallacious to assume that animals or unborn human fetuses can have ‘rights’ – it is not only the above-mentioned may have no understanding, as to what the concept of a ‘right’ stands for, but they would never be able to defend any of their hypothetical ‘rights’, even in theory. The second provision is that the notion of a ‘right’ must be discussed in conjunction with the notion of an intellectual advancement. After all, it is specifically people’s ability to indulge in abstract philosophizing, which allowed them to coin up the term ‘humanity’, in the first place. This once again suggests that it is conceptually inappropriate advocating the universality of human rights, without taking into consideration the qualitative psychological characteristics of those individuals, to which the concept of ‘human rights’ supposedly applies. The third provision is that, contrary to what nowadays is being commonly assumed, the earlier mentioned concept (in its contemporary sounding) did not come about because of the humanity’s ways having been turned thoroughly ethical/moral.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rather, it emerged because the concept’s advocates, which overwhelmingly consist of Westerners (Whites), came to realize that, on order for them to be able to continue exploiting the world’s natural and human resources, they need to have a legally legitimate excuse to meddle in the internal affairs of non-Western countries. In other words, the objective laws of history naturally predetermined the concept of ‘human rights’ to serve realist rather than constructivist purposes. What has been said earlier allows us to formulate a discursively sound definition of human rights. Human rights are the legally enforced civil liberties, to which the members of most evolutionary advanced societies happened to be entitled by the very fact that, due to their socio-economic and technological advancement, they can enjoy the luxury of not having to participate in the tribal ‘war of everybody against everybody’, as the mean of ensuring their physical survival. This definition, of course, implies that there is indeed a good reason in limiting the ‘universality’ of humans rights to encompass only those, which due to the genetically predetermined specifics of their ‘mental wiring’, are able to comprehend the concept, in general, and its discursive implications, in particular. Qualifying people for the entitlement to human rights will not represent much of a challenge. Since one’s ability to function as the society’s productive member (and consequently, the extent of his or her ‘humanness’) reflects the concerned person’s rate of IQ, it will be logical to assume that it is only the individuals with the IQ rate higher than 70, to which the concept of ‘human rights’ applies. Given the fact that, as sociologists are being well aware of, in some world’s countries the average rate of citizens’ IQ is measured to be as low as 50 (Lynn Vanhanen 2002), people that reside in these countries cannot be considered the de facto part of humanity. Consequently, the concept of ‘human rights’ cannot apply to these people, by definition. Even though that the earlier suggestion may be deemed ‘racist’, it nevertheless correlates perfectly well with the actual state of affairs in the arena of international politics. For example, during the course of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in the deaths of at least one million people, Western countries adopted a ‘neutral’ stance the violation of Rwandans’ ‘human rights’ did not concern these countries at all. Had Rwanda been rich in natural resources, this would have been an entirely different matter (Kimpimaki 2011). Thus, it would only be appropriate to conclude this paper by reinstating once again that the presumed ‘universality’ of human rights is nothing but a myth, just as it is being the case with the theoretical paradigm, ou t of which this myth originated – the assumption of people’s universal equality. This is the reason why, if not adjusted to the earlier mentioned provisions, the concept of ‘human rights’ will continue to emanate a strong spirit of hypocrisy. References Bernat, E 2008, ‘Which Beings Should Be Entitled to Human Rights?’, Medical Law International, vol. 9 no. 1, pp. 1-12. Cranston, M 1973, What are human rights?, Bodley Head, London. Kimpimaki, M 2011, ‘Genocide in Rwanda is it really Finlands concern?’, International Criminal Law Review, vol. 11 no. 1, pp. 155-176. Lynn, R Vanhanen, T 2002, IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, Greenwood Publishing Group. Pagden, A 2003, ‘Human rights, natural rights, and Europes imperial legacy’, Political Theory, vol. 31 no. 2, pp. 171-199. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html

Occupational Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example Consequently, this may lead to injuries caused by human error. Once a person is exhausted, he or she requires time to rest in order for the mind to focus on the tasks at hand. The fatigue is often as a result of an employee overworking in order to get the favor of the management which pushes them to work beyond their limits (CCH Australia Limited., 2009). This results to overworking and hence getting tired. The other reason for occupational accidents is a tight working schedule which may force employees to work beyond their capacities just because the management has established tight deadlines. An overworking employee has often end up getting fatigued because their bodies work under tight pressure. A perfect example is whereby an employee working at a steel company is given a time duration of more than eight hours for the completion of a task. This is like using humans like robots. This will reduce his attention at his or her duties in the end he may accidentally place his hand in th e smelted steel thus causing body harm. The other cause of injuries at work place is stress which comes as a result of a poor working environment or problems at home (Burke, Clarke & Cooper, 2012). Stress at the workplace may be as a result of lack of payment or even delayed payment. For instance, a worker who was supposed to be paid within a week has had her payment delayed and has been anticipating it for over two weeks when management decides to make a lower amount of pay or even fails to do so without placing reasons. Obviously, the employee will experience stress because there are bills to be covered with little or no money. Stress may lead to less concentration during working hours and this may lead to workplace injuries in form of accidents from improper use of machines or even missed quality issues. Collision is the other cause of accidents in workplaces. The collision between people and machines or objects at the workplace may result in injuries. Such accidents may result f rom poor set up within the working environment which limits movement of people as well as machines. Equipment may be placed in positions that may cause collisions during movement. For instance, someone carrying a box while ascending the stairs may hit the roof because it is very low resulting in a fall (Burke, Clarke & Cooper, 2012). Statistics show that conflicts do occur at work place in that employee may fight at the long run this may lead to body arm to the affected parties. This makes work related fights as the other cause of injury in workplaces. If they are not stopped in the right manner it may attract more groups hence people getting involve. The other cause of injuries in is slips due to slippery ground they may result due to the companies’ structures. The other cause is the most famous ignorance; this may be as a result to ignorance of safety rules. The workers may find themselves being injured due to their ignorance. Measures should be taken in order to deal with the accidents (Burke, Clarke & Cooper, 2012). First the setting up the workplace in away that collusions and slips are minimized. The high of the roof should be high to avoid knocks. Second safety measures should be but in place in that protective clothing and gloves are worn to prevent spillage of chemicals that may corrode ones body. Also counseling should be done to deal with stress and depression by the employees. Lastly the company should adopt a culture

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Business law - Essay Example Stanford Engineering, Inc. is engaging Cornell Code Corporation in an unhealthy and unfair competition through advertising. Stanford Engineering, Inc. makes a false claim against Cornell Code Corporation through an advertising campaign that seeks to market competitive software products. As a result, Cornell is losing its sales to Stanford based on the false claim against it. Stanford can be held liable in a number of ways for injuring Cornell’s reputation in business. To start with, Cornell clearly understands that Stanford’s claim is untrue, but this has actually affected its sales negatively. Cornell is justified to file a lawsuit against the advertiser, which in this case is Stanford Engineering, Inc. This lawsuit would be set to forbid and restrict Stanford from using Cornell in its advertising activities. Stanford is likely to be asked to refrain from involving Cornell Company in its advertising strategies. On the same note, Stanford would be required to desist from making any reference to Cornell in its line of business and operations. In other words, Cornell can seek to have Stanford prohibited to make any reference to it. This can actually take the notion that Stanford cannot refer to Cornell as its competitor in form of advertising until the underlying dispute is resolved. Another ground upon which Cornell can sue Stanford is demanding of reimbursement of sales lost due to false advertising. Cornell has lost significant sales due to Cornell’s false claims. Cornell can sue Stanford for damages. Stanford’s false advertising has led to loss of sales to Cornell. Fair competition is governed and controlled by provisions of law. Through these laws, Stanford could be made to reimburse Cornell’s losses in sales. Cornell is losing sales to Stanford due to the ruined reputation in the market. Stanford could be sued for defamation. Stanford is tarnishing Cornell’s reputation in a

An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company Essay

An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company - Essay Example The paper "An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company" talks about Australian Fashion Accessories Company. The report starts by outlining the historical background of the company which will be followed by an analysis of the company’s micro and macro environments in a bit to establish the degree to which these have an impact on the operations of the organisation. The main body of the report will focus on a critical analysis of the marketing strategy used particularly the current marketing mix in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. The last part of the report will look at the recommendations section where suggestions are given in order to improve the marketing offering of the chosen product or brand. â€Å"OrotonGroup Limited is a retailer, wholesaler and brand manager operating in Australia and the principal activities of the Company include retailing and wholesaling of leather goods, fashion apparel and related accessories under the OROTON and POLO RAL PH LAUREN labels, and licensing of the OROTON brand name.† Details about the historical background of the company can be viewed from its official website. This organisation is wholly owned subsidiary that includes OrotonGroup (Australia) Pty Limited, Polo Ralph Lauren Australia Pty Limited, OrotonGroup (New Zealand) Pty Limited, Macbray Pty Ltd, Marcs Wholesale Pty Ltd and Oroton Share Plan Company Pty Limited. The company operates approximately 60 retail stores and is listed on the Australian stock exchange. Critical analysis of Oroton’s Micro Environment According to Kotler & Armstrong (2004), the micro environment is comprised of actors close to the company such as suppliers, marketing intermediaries as well competitors while the macro environment consists of demographic, economic, technological as well as cultural factors. The first section of this analysis of the microenvironment is mainly going to look at the company’s competitive environment, its financial s as well as the structure of the business. According to Ibisworld (2010), the major competitors in the luxury brands industry include Luis Vuitton Australia Pty Ltd and Proud Jewellers Pty Ltd. Competition in the market is always a threat to the other actors operating in the industry given that they will be competing for market share. Oroton does not operate in a vacuum since it can be seen that the luxury brands industry is a bit different from other conventional industries. The company’s financials show an upward trend since 2007 according to Au Stocks (2011). This can be attributed to the management strategy that was adopted after the company had witnessed a decline in the revenue generated owing to decline in business. This is a major strength for the company. The company embarked on a drive to cut costs through laying some of the workers while at the same time offering affordable luxury brands. Another important factor about Oroton’s micro environment is that its structure is a typical brick and mortar model. This model mainly relies on linking the organisation directly to the customers through personal interaction but it can be noted that the organisation has also adopted e-commerce in its marketing strategy. However, a critical analysis of the factors characterising the micro economic environment of this organisation shows that the company is better positioned to operate viably in the market given that these factors do not pose serious challenges to it. The other advantage of this

Impact Of Cyclone Nargis In Myanmar Environmental Sciences Essay

Impact Of Cyclone Nargis In Myanmar Environmental Sciences Essay In May 2008, a very severe cyclonic storm1 named Nargis caused the worst national natural disaster in the history of Myanmar. It killed almost 80,000 people and thousands of people are still missing in this catastrophic event1. The devastating cyclone was initiated in the area of deep convection, which was established in the Bay of Bengal, in late May and then intensified rapidly into a severe cyclone with the action of warm water and upper-level tough1. This strong cyclone hit the coastal areas of Myanmar on May 2nd and brought serious damage to these areas. In this essay, the major factor that contributed to such a tremendous loss of life during the storm will be first discussed and then followed by the factors accounted for the great damage after the storm. The essay will be concluded with some issues regarding the choice of human being on the cyclones attack. High surge wave First and foremost, the high surge wave brought by the cyclone Nargis was the most significant cause for the great damage during storm. The massive surge which was triggered by cyclone swept away everything like houses, roads and other infrastructure on its way in the inland area1. The 12 feet high wave swept away and inundated 50 % of house in the low-lying area. At least 10,000 people in Bogalay had died because of the storm surge1, it is a town 50 miles southwest of Yangon. Flooding with several serious consequences The secondary effect was the flooding caused by surge in the low-lying area. Flooded sea water ruined the agriculture area and other residential places. The high salinity of sea water damaged the vegetations growth there as well. More importantly, the soil then became saltier which makes it unfavorable for the planting of vegetation and thus affected the food supply in affected area evermore. In addition, flooding caused the blockage of road and this further broke down the public transport network. People could hardly get through the flooded area and this caused inconvenience to people especially the elderly. Moreover, the electricity power lines were damaged and this led to electricity shortage in the low-lying area for about six to seven days. Furthermore, the wells used to be providing clean water were submerged by the sea water. As a result, the clean water systems were polluted. To conclude, the food, electricity and clean water could not be found in the coastal area of Myanmar and this lack of resources further deteriorated the situation. Due to the absence of these three basic survival elements for over four days, the number of the death kept on increasing to an unimaginable level. Satellite images of flooding In addition, the satellite image of Myanmar could demonstrate the destructive damage brought by flooding. In figure 2, it can be seen that rivers and lakes are sharply observed as there was a sharp boundary between them and both the vegetation and fallow agricultural area on April 15. The Irrawaddy River flows in the south direction and the Mouths of the Irrawaddy are formed by numerous distributaries 2. The deep blue green area near the shore was wetlands. Cyclone Nargis attacked directly the Mouths of the Irrawaddy and then moved to the northeast of coastline2. After 20 days, the coastal plain was flooded shown in figure 3. The agricultural areas had been totally destroyed and most of the coastal areas were covered by sea water. For instance, Yangon with population over 4 million was almost completely submerged by sea water whereas several large cities with population from 100,000 to 500,000 experienced large magnitude of flooding2. The flooding turned the coastal areas of Yangon i nto muddy places. Figure 2 NASAs Terra satellite- Burma coast on April 15, 2008, before the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Nargis Credit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/nargis_floods.html Figure 3 NASAs Terra satellite- Burma coast on May 5, 2008, Tropical Cyclone Nargis causes the devastation of flooding. Credit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/nargis_floods.html Strong wind Furthermore, the strong wind brought lots of damages to the Myanmar area. Cyclone Nargis was a strong Category 3 or minimal Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 150-160 mph3. The strong wind resulted in devastating damages to the environment. Since the area of Myanmar is very poor4, the houses were usually made only by thin woods instead of concrete. As the storm brought the strong wind to the coastal area, most of the houses were destroyed; it was because they could not withstand the high speed wind. More importantly, the wind would bring all the debris and broken woods especially those from the houses along its track. This particularly endangered human lives in that area, as the high speed flowing woods could possibly destroy any lives or properties along its way within a few seconds. Therefore, human lives as well as properties were destroyed in large scale under the influence of strong wind. Aya, near the Ayeyarwady estuary in Myanmar. Cyclone Nargis caused significant land loss and coastal erosion. (Credit: Hermann Fritz) Mudflow effect Last but not least, the mudflow was one of the factors causing large amount of death in Myanmar5. The heavy rainfall brought by the cyclones saturated the muddy area with water and thus pressure would be built up on the mud surface. When the combination of water pressure and gravity of the mud is larger than the resisting force, the high speed mudflow will occur. The mudflow which contained large amount of suspended particles and silt rushed into the coastal area, hence many residents of low-lying rice fields were simply swept away in Maynmar4. It was estimated the death has been to 140,000 cases or more. People were crashed with the broken woods in mudflow, swept away or suffered from suffocation4. Even worse, the mud flew on the coastal area prohibited the excavation of the buried people, making it more difficult. The mud blocked the transport network which presented a difficult challenge to disaster management; and would result in serious damages. Poor management of international relief From above, we have screened through the factors causing significant destruction during the passage of strong cyclone. Then, the discussion should move on to the factors of great damages after the storm. The blockage of international relief by the military government was a major reason for the great destruction of lives and properties6 after the storm. Many disaster assessment officials had to wait for few days in order to get the visa and enter area of Myanmar6. This further hindered the relief work as the international relief teams and private charity groups were not allowed to fully assess the situation. As the disaster could not be fully assessed, teams could not estimate the amount of relief materials and other supplies required promptly. Moreover, as mentioned before, Myanmar is a poor country which does not have enough relief technology and equipment to help rescue the buried people out of the mud flow. Due to the initial blockage from the military government, the internationa l relief team cannot enter the affected areas promptly. This delayed the time of the arrival of foreign relief teams and as a result, most of them arrived there after three days of the event. However, the survival time limit of human being buried in debris or even mud was only forty-eight hours and this increased the number of death. In fact, when the teams finally arrived, they could only do little as the golden period had passed through6. The International Federation is stepping up its efforts to get food and water to those most affected by cyclone Nargis. Credits: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/08/08051202/index.asp Blockage of assess In addition, access was a challenge for the rescue teams to face. The United Nation estimated that there are 1.4 million of survived victims who need resources like food, clean water, medicine and shelter7. However, most of the flooded area could not be entered by trucks. Instead, the helicopters were required to transport the relief materials. The situation worsened because the Myanmar government was too poor to have enough helicopters. Moreover, it took time in sending extra helicopters from other countries. Eventually, the officers allowed the first of ten helicopters from the World Food Program to carry food and water supplies from Yangon into the delta after a 10-day delay. The other nine were en route to Myanmar7. Some people died out of starvation as the supplies reached the impact area only after the ten days delay. Secondary damages of flooding Besides, the tidal surge drove inland from the sea caused secondary damage to the cities of Myanmar8. Three quarters of livestock were killed and almost half the fishing fleets were sunk. Moreover, a million acres of rice paddies were salted by the seawater surges8. This flooding of seawater cut the local food supply and inundated the low-lying area. Water pipes and electricity power lines were destroyed that people had to survive through four days without electricity and clean water. Even worse, the flooded areas remained flooded for a week and the water was contaminated by the dead bodies. There was a clear lack of sanitation facilities for the 500 people. said by an officer from red cross9. People had no choices but needed to drink the polluted water in order to survive. This led to the spread of water-borne diseases like cHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclosporiasisyclosporiasis and aHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoebiasismoebiasis. Reports of digestive tract d isorders and malaria were heard and one in five people was reported sick9. In addition, the lack of transport resulted in a shortage of medicine. When people got sick because of drinking unclean water, their situations would probably worsen and they may die eventually. This caused a viscous cycle. Cyclonic storm1 named Nargis was the worst national natural disaster on the history of Myanmar. Both the natural and human factors greatly worsen the impact brought by cyclone which caused lots of death and damages. Natural factors like high surge wave, mudflow and flooding reconstructed the low-lying area of Myanmar; whereas human factors like poor preparation for the cyclone and delay of the relief teams further worsened the situation and increased the number of the death and damages of properties. The coastal low-lying area of Myanmar originally had fertile soil and favors agriculture10. However, after the storm, all the agriculture areas were inundated by flood water; and the farmers lost all their farming products in three hours10. The power of nature cannot be modified by human being and this can be well demonstrated by the example that cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar. Unfortunately, people had to earn money so they chose to stay there. On the other hand, Hong Kong, as an Asian c ity also, is always sheltered. Hong Kong people probably never give a serious thought on what will happen if this typhoon hit our city instead. Some of us might even hope that the typhoons could attack Hong Kong directly so that there will be no working or school days. Hong Kong is a safe place that no one can remember the destructive typhoon and it leads to our neglect of unfortunate disaster elsewhere in the world. Should we change our attitude and understand more about how people suffer in the other part of world; and ultimately show more care to the unfortunate ones?

God Exists :: Descartes Philosophy Religion Essays

God Exists The existence of God has been a question since the idea of God was conceived Descartes tries to prove God's existence, and to show that there is without a doubt something external to ones own existence. He is looking for a definite certainty, a foundation for which he can base all of his beliefs and know that they are true. Descartes' overall project is to find a definite certainty on which he can base all his knowledge and beliefs. Descartes attacks the principles that support everything he believes with his Method of Doubt. The Method of Doubt is Descartes' method of fundamental questioning in which he doubts everything that there is the slightest reason to doubt. Think about it like this. Almost everything you believe to be true comes from the senses or through the senses. However, the senses are sometimes deceptive. Since the senses are not completely trustworthy, it is irrational to place complete trust in them. However, it is no small leap of faith to presume that everything our senses tell us is false. In fact, it seems almost absurd to say such a thing. Nevertheless, as Descartes points out, we have dreams regularly and in these dreams, everything we experience is a figment of our imagination, or at least not real in the physical sense. So, it is reasonable to doubt everything our senses tell us, for the time being. Now, using similar logic, we can say that everything we have learned from physics, astron omy, medicine, and other such fields are all doubtful. Descartes even believed we could say that such simple, logical statements as 2+3 = 5 or a square has 4 sides could be conceived to be false. "Since I judge that others sometimes make mistakes in matters that they believe they know most perfectly, may I not, in like fashion, be deceived every time I add two and three or count the sides of a square†¦" We are now at the point where we are doubting everything - the world around us, that we have a body, and anything else that we could possibly believe. Perhaps I even doubt that I exist myself. In doing this, I am in the act of doubting. How can I doubt something if I do not exist? Similarly, maybe I am deceived into thinking I do not exist by some other entity. Then I must exist for it is I who is being deceived.