Moral duties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Moral duties - Essay Example Categorical imperative requires reason to dictate the act we are morally obligated to do, one which is motivated by adherence to the consistent principle which could be applied to all and any rational agent. This deontological ethical distinguishes between the moral doctrines of right from that of virtue. Where the first is driven externally to the actor, the other is internal and concerned with ends. Circumscribing what end is - Kant required of a rational human being that he makes the object of his elective will his end. Kant is very much concerned with ends which at the same time are duties and not with ends due to impulses of the senses or subjective/technical ends. The former are for him objective/moral ends and rests on a priori principles. For Kant, a rational human being is a moral person, fully conscious of his moral duty or duties and deriving deliberate decisions using the metaphysical moral framework. The mere possession of capacity for rationality is nothing compared to its exercise and fulfillment in action. All of this is built upon the foundation of good will or universal good or good unqualified/unconditional and autonomous which he laid down in Groundwork. The Kantian moral system emphasize the performance of moral duty motivated by a priori principle recognized by reason and not from desire of expected consequence or emotional attachment or aversion because duty or end based on sensual inclinations is conditional. It is the role of reason to give fruition to a good will.1 Duty and right are the motivations of good will; aspects of good will, if you may. Groundwork portrays the search for the supreme principle of morality. It sets aside matters that are recognizable by the reader from everyday experience and conceives its subject to be a priori and metaphysical. I think Kant expect the reader to do the exercise of applying the test and criteria he laid down. Kant's recognition of will as separate from reason shows his recognition of actions and ends which are derived from will alone or that derived from a conjunction of will and reason. Reason alone cannot achieve the intended result. Obviously, "will" alone can only get conditional results unlike a real concurrence of will and reason or the good will. Groundwork does not really explain the manner and contents Kant conceives an a priori principles system to have. He takes this matter for granted and leaves too much room for the reader to speculate. Nothing in it describes what metaphysical structure duties should have. The universality test as a method of weighing duties is Kant's significant contribution to moral reasoning but Kant barely seemed to use it in his writings. Kant's method is to determine the universal law of morality applicable to all rational beings at all cases.2 He must have conceived of his writings as a workbook with which readers must work and apply as they go along; a veritable inter-active philosophical work for that matter. For Kant, the duties to perfect one's self and to promote the happiness of others are moral motives and ends in themselves, including that to avoid suicide and self-mutilation. The supreme moral index of autonomous good will identified in Groundwork is broken down in MetaMorals into specific moral duties. For Kant, doing one's duty is its own incentive, even for wide obligations such

Art Appreciation Essay Example for Free

Art Appreciation Essay While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. The definition of Art has been a long debated topic I society. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These being the case several people have tried to put a definition of it into words. One definition listed is â€Å"an occupation requiring knowledge or skill†, and goes on to say â€Å"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also: works so produced† (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Also a far more simple worded, yet complex in thought definition is â€Å"Art is form and content† (Shelly Esaak, 2012). While both say two seemingly different things, they are part of the ever evolving definition and essence of Art. There are several types of art; with in this paper I will cover eight types. They include painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, printmaking, conceptual art, installation art, and performance art. While these are a small cross section of art, they are important pieces. The first example is painting. While there are several noticed painters and examples of their work, the example I chose to give is â€Å"The Adoration of the Shepherds†, painted by Andrea Mantegna (1450). This piece is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While this piece does fit the definition of works so produced, what about the rest? While painted in the Middle Ages, Mantegna couldn’t have been able to witness the birth of Christ. He draws from the biblical tale of the birth and his own imagination to paint a portrait of the adoration of the lord, as well as his parents doting over him. He uses his skill to not only paint the adoration in the foreground, but also the landscape for miles. The way Mantegna paints the entire picture, while he could not have been there having happened centuries before, displays he posses the skill and imagination to product a true masterpiece even though he was only in his early twenties. One of the most widely known sculpture pieces is â€Å"The Thinker† by Auguste Rodin (1902). The painting was originally made to be a piece included in his â€Å"Gates of Hell†, a mass door made for the Paris Museum of Art (www. statue. com, 2012). While Rodin completed the sculpture he saw something greater in the form and made it stand alone piece. Rodin applied his skill and creative imagination to craft and see the greater potential within the sculpture. Although not talked about as paintings and sculpture Architecture is a form of art as well. One of the most highly noted Architects is Frank Lloyd Wright. Applying his personal motto of â€Å"Form follows function† (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, 2012), he applied the artist eye to everything he created from building to furniture. One of his most noted pieces, the house at Falling Water. Wright used his skill and experience to craft the large stone house at the family’s request. Although the family originally wanted the home to face the falls; Wright chose to have it located on top of the falls as an integral part of the structure (http://www. fay-west. com/fayette/fallingwater, 2005). Ansel Adams integrated his keen observation and use of skill to capture the rugged land of the western United States during the period of 1916 to his death in 1986 (http://www. anseladams. com/ansel-adams-information/ansel-adams-biography, 2012). He took several photographs of the west, but is most famous for his photos of Sierra Nevada Mountains. Adams took photos of the wildlife and terrain, and using his skill and depth of knowledge of the medium he was a major contributing factor to the conservation of Yosemite National Park and the Serria Nevada Mountains. Although famous for numerous reasons, Andy Warhol was also a highly commended Printmaking Artist. Using his highly creative imagination and skill he took everyday objects such as soup cans and even people and made art of them. He refined a process involving projection photo images to a silk screen thus speeding up his production process (http://arthistory. about. com/cs/namesww/p/warhol. htm, 2012). This gave the public a new outlook on ordinary things. Joseph Kosuth is one of the most famous artists in the realm of Conceptual Art. His piece aptly name â€Å"Three Chairs† is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit has a blank and whit picture of the chair, the actual chair, and lastly the printed definition of the word chair (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81435, 2012). While this may seem strange on the surface the artist is trying point out our lack of observation and is trying to make use want to study and dive deeper into his intended meaning (The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally published 1999, p. 257). Ilya Kabakov’s â€Å"The Man Who Flew into His Picture† Installation Art piece displays a look inside the artist true mindset. He displays true creative imagination and skill. It is a room modeled after a Soviet apartment and has a miniature version of the artist flying thru the fog on the white board. Possibly look for outside validation (http://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php? object_id=81057, 2012). Lastly is Performance Art. This style of art is defined by a piece of performance art must be centered on an action carried out or orchestrated by an artist (Kyle Chayka, 2011). The Mirror that has been created by Iselin Bruff and Torsten Klimmer aka Omananda, Liquid Crystal Vision is a current example of performance art (http://www. omananda. com/movies/performance-art/143-neon-pink-mangas-emerge-from-pyramids-into-qthe-mirrorq, 2012). The performers use light, projectors, film, dance and other mediums to explain the Star of David. While I personally feel this is the strangest of all art forms, it does fulfill the definition of art. While it is and can be said that what art is truly up to the viewer to interprete is true; it is up to the artist to display his definition of art. Thru his skills of observation, imagination, he displays to his thoughts and feelings condensed. Whatever their medium maybe it be painting, sculpture, or any of the many others. The world may or may not agree what art is, but the saying is true. It is with in the eyes of the beholder. References http://www.musee-rodin.fr/

Internet: The Newest Mass Medium Essay -- Essays Papers

Internet: The Newest Mass Medium In order to analyze the Internet as a mass medium, we first have to look at the original intentions of the Internet. Originally the Internet was utilized strictly by the government and educational institutions. Its primary purposes were research and education, although it soon became a form of entertainment for a portion of the population through games, chat, and email. The idea of using the Internet for entertainment and commercial use was outrageous to the current users of the technology, and when listservs began posting advertisements, they did not respond well. These users wanted to keep the focus of this particular media very narrow and two-dimensional, so to speak. However, commercialization of the Internet allowed for exponential growth in for-profit and subsidized sites, which generated a greater demand for a larger user base. Profitability became an issue as soon as the Internet became commercial. In the 1990s, the Internet wielded a significant impact on people and businesses of all types, and there were many organizations and individuals that grew concerned of this impact and new issues arose. From a business aspect, telecommunications companies began to worry that the Internet would take away their customers because people were now able to place phone calls online with no long distance charges. From an individual, or general population aspect, people were concerned with the social implications of the Internet, and the negative impact that certain content could have on individuals or groups, such as children being exposed to pornographic content. There is also the growing concern of security and privacy, because not only can personal information be used for illegal purposes, it can be used without someone’s knowledge, for marketing purposes, which some people find to be an infringement of their privacy. The Internet is a breeding ground for freedom of expression and freedom of speech, which is why certain countries such as China and Germany, have done everything in their power to restrict the content made available to citizens. However, because of the Constitution, American government is finding it rather difficult to set up a ‘gatekeeping’ system, which will restrict content available within the United States. To allow the government to do this would completely defeat the purpose of such ... ...of thought was easily manipulated by the corporate/government cooperative that ran (and still runs) traditional ‘old’ media in the United States. The versatility and multidirectional communication makes the Internet one of the most exciting mediums because content can be very diversified and users are not only able to receive messages, but they are able to respond as well. The Internet is an interactive medium with potential to expand even farther than it already has. The Internet defies the controlled, one-way broadcast model of information distribution and empowers the user with the capability to talk back to the sender. References Beacham, F. (1998, December). Dark Alleys of the Internet Frank Beacham’s Questioning Technology [Online], 20 paragraphs. Available: http:// ****CHECK**** Grant, A., & Meadows, J. (2000). Communication Technology Update (7th ed.). Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann. Public Agenda (2000). Internet Speech and Privacy. Public Agenda [Online], 10 paragraphs. Available: http://www.publicagenda.org/ Schmesier, L. (1996, March 1). Why bring gender online? CMC Magazine [Online], 7 paragraphs. Available: http://www.cmcmagazine.com

Cheating is beneficial for students Essay

Cheating is an easy shortcut in terms of getting homework, tests, assignments and such done in a quick way. Cheating is efficient in a lot of things in life. Cheating should not be a crime for students, especially in high school. This Argumentive Essay is basically going to be focusing on 3 topics on why Cheating is beneficial for students in high school: 1. Why students should be able to share answers and thoughts with other students for homework, tests, assignments, projects, etc. 2. Why teachers shouldn’t be allowed to accuse students of cheating based off of similar answers/thoughts 3. Much less stressful for students in high school that have other important things to do in their life First of all, students should have the right to share answers and thoughts with other classmates to understand why there answer was wrong or why it was right. If they don’t compare answers and understand why one answer is right and one is wrong, they will never learn. Teachers in this generation seem to expect students to do all of their work independently, but little do they know that more than 60% of students cheat while doing homework, tests, projects, etc. If teachers just mark students work wrong or right and don’t tell them why there answer is wrong, or why there answer is right, how you expect them to learn? Teachers assume if two or more students have similar answers/thoughts, they were most likely copying off of each other. It’s very unlikely, but possible to have similar answers/thoughts, so teachers shouldn’t assume and jump to the gun while giving them zero based off of their assumptions. They should find complete proof on how the students were definitely sharing answers with each other. Last but not least, cheating is highly beneficial for students that go through a lot during their teen years. Unfortunately, some teens are more focused on their love life, popularity level, and jobs more than they are on their education. None the less, if that’s there decision to do all of those things instead of getting a education, they should have the right to do so and should cheat to fly through their high school year.

Ethical Issue Essay

As a supporter of the idea, genetically modified babies will n t only improve newborn children's health from diseases, but also have the specifications to c hang certain features of the child. Modifying babies sounds like such a farfetched futuristic idea, when in reality, today is the future. The technology is all here, and if we don't utilize the sees advancements now while we have them, we may never get a chance to do so. With the practice CE of genetically modified babies, life will improve for the future.Genetically Modified Babies will improve human health and prevent many disc eases. With much conducted research and such little testing, the scientific community states that â€Å"genetic screening on embryos has potential to wipe out genetic disease by vi ritually removing the alleles from such disorders. When it is used in correct form[†¦ ] children boo run in the future Amoral 2 have the potentially to be purely ‘healthy† and carry no signs of genetic diseas e With the use of genetic screening, diseases caused by mutated genes or family pas seed genes could be cured.Disorders like Down syndrome, Color blindness, sickles disease, cystic c fibrosis, and Tussahs disease could all be cured and stopped, by using genetic screening. With Designer Babies, families will have a benefit in the family health line from each generate on. Families would also have better reproduction of healthier offspring because of it. With the practice of genetically modified babies, life will improve for the future. With using the technology that comes from Genetically Modified Babies, these newborns will be more improved and advanced over time.Eventually, these babies will be more smarter and intellectually intelligent than naturally babies. It is estimated that the n ewe genetically modified babies will live close to 20 years longer than us. Some crazy phenol eons state that unethically modified babies will lead to a new â€Å"super human† breed Of living 0 organisms. There is nothing wrong † [†¦ ]with the attempt to make our children smarter or kinder,' Steinbeck told Live Science. ‘If we did think that was wrong, we should give up parenting, and put them out on the street. â€Å"(Steinbeck) No parent would ever leave their child out on the street et, especially if they were more smarter and kinder than a regular newborn . With the practice of genetically modified babies, life will improve for the future. How would the future look for Designer Babies? Well, there would be a regime of technological consumer eugenics, that would benefit society as a whole. If the FDA says yes to the practice, it would be the first time a government body has supported Chain gees for humans and Amoral 3 their ascending generations.From my research, I've seen that the FDA commit tee is considering an okay in the scientific issues of the idea, however for such uses of emoticon drill manipulation and â€Å"designer† babies they're still spectacle. With the practice Of genetically m edified babies, life will improve for the future. Genetically Modified Babies, will help prevent genetic diseases and make a gar at future for the world. However, there is a lot of down faults. What if the there is a mall function in the medical process of genetic engineering, also in the designer babies process the e child can come out wrong or not how the parent wanted it.Another detriment to genetically modified babies is that these absurd theories could be true and cause humans to be inferior to t hose babies, once their race grows and develops with time. Lets look at the facts here, Genetically y modified babies, are good for stopping genetic mutations and providing health, the offspring w al improve, and it will create a new future towards life on this planet. Many people disagree, but I support the FDA in that they will decide to use the is practice everywhere and utilize this country technology.Genetically modified babies w ill increase health of the world and also bring new scientific and medical advancements. Diseases that are killing people now, will be wiped out of the human race if we had genetic engine nearing in years to come. As a society, we are forced to do the most best thing for us, and as huh mans we learn that â€Å"new' is better. Once we start advancing and tinkering with technology, we re like that it can help us with survival and the human condition on this planet.