Ethical Systems Essay Example for Free

Ethical Systems Essay Ethical systems form the basis of moral beliefs; they are the moral philosophies that order moral principles systematically. (Thomson and WardSworth, 2005) Ethical systems can be broadly classified into deontological and teleological ethical systems. A deontological system concerns itself with the nature of an act that is under judgment, if an act is good but results in bad consequences than if it still considered a good act. Teleological systems judge consequences of an act, if an act is bad but results in beneficial consequences then it is considered moral. Ethical formulism judges the intent of the author thus, it is a deontological system. If a person performs an action from goodwill and it results in bad consequences, it is a moral action. This system also uses predetermined principles to judge goodness: that people should not be used as a means to an end, that behavior is moral when it is freely chosen and autonomous (someone worked to do a good thing is not really moral. ) and that actions should be based on behavior being universal. Utilitarianism is a teleological system whose goal is judged by consequences of an action. In this case when an action contributes much to the good of majority it is moral, regardless of the individual or minority who may have suffered because of the action. Following this system, Winston Churchill by allowing Coventry to be bombed in World War II so the Germans would not know the Allies had cracked their military code did a moral thing even though hundreds of English people were killed, when they might have been saved had they been warned. A smaller group was sacrificed for the sake of the greater good in this case, ending the war earlier and saving thousands more. Religion is a frequently used ethic system based on a willful a rational God. For believers there is no reason to question the authority of God’s will. The controversial issue is the interpretation of God’s will. According to Barry when is a dilemma; God’s will can be found in 3 ways; if one feels uncomfortable about a certain action, it is probably wrong. Religious authorities can provide guidance on right and wrong and thirdly the scripture provides answers to moral dilemmas. (Thomson and Wadsworth, 2005) The natural law ethical system proposes that ‘what is good is natural and what is natural is good’. These are innate instincts for example self-preservation is inborn, natural and basic and all actions related to it such as self-defense, prohibition of murder are moral acts. The basic problem with this system is where it is difficult to identify what is consistent and congruent with human nature. Focus on basic inclinations make this a teleological system because an action like killing may be wrong but if it is done in self-defense then it is considered a moral act since it is line with the self-preservation instinct. The ethics of virtue is a system that focuses on defining a good person as opposed to a ‘good action’. Here reason cannot be used to find out what is good. This system is teleological as it conserved with achieving a good end and more specifically happiness. One does good because of one’s character, if one has a bad character they will usually choose the immoral path. For example, a person who is broke and sees a stranger drop money without realizing calls the strangers back and gives him his money, he has performed a moral act because he has a habit of integrity. Someone else would steal because it is in his or her character to do so. The ethics of care system emphasizes human relationships and needs. It has been referred to as a feminine morality as it is founded on the natural human response to care for unborn child, ill and hurt. Some Eastern religious like, reject a rule-based form of ethics preferring instead to lead an individual in caring for needs. Braswell et al, 2002). The ethic behind rehabilitation is another illustration of ethics of care system. (Thomson and Wardsworth, 2005) This system is in line with teleological system of ethics because it does not simply classify action as wrong or right, rather it is concerned with the needs of others and effects of the actions on them, which learns more towards judging consequences corporations rather than the actions themselves. Egoism proposes that what is moral is what is good for one’s survival and personal happiness. This premise in its extreme directs that people should do whatever is beneficial to them. This disregards other people, using them as means to ensure happiness and in effect it means they have no meaning or rights (Thomson and Wadsworth, 2005) Egoism, sees an individual who performs a completely selfish act as immoral even impossible as it is not in line with true nature of human beings who like all other species have instincts for survival, self preservation and self in trust which is merely part of this natural instinct. This position is neither logical nor flexible single it would be in support of exploitation of the weak by the strong, which by all other systems is wrong. The system that closely matches my own beliefs is the religious ethical system. This is because the basis for ethics provided is rational since it can be identified wit a perfect God-figure. In addition, the similarity of the principles of these ethics in most of the religious are an indicator that they are acceptable to a wide majority hence they cover the needs of most of mankind adequately. In addition, scripture provides answers to ethical problems in all circumstances, something that most other ethical systems do not. The issue of say the birth contradicting only comes up when there is failure to understand the context of scripture. Belief in a God means that we do not have the responsibility of determining what is right, or wrong, since an unquestionable authority has determined them already.

Health Risks Associated with Technology Essay Example for Free

Health Risks Associated with Technology Essay The widespread use of technology has led to some important use health concerns. Some of the move common physical health risks are repetitive strain injuries, computer vision syndrome, and muscular pain. These injuries are on the rise for users of technology. A repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Technology-related RSIs include tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon due to repeated motion or stress on that tendon. CTS is inflammation of the nerve that connects the forearm to the palm. Repeated or forceful bending of the wrist can cause tendonitis or CTS of the wrist. Factor that cause these disorders include prolonged typing or mouse usage and continual shifting between a mouse and keyboard (Jones 45-48). If untreated, these disorders can lead to permanent physical damage. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) affects eyesight. Symptoms of CVS are sore, tired, burning, itching, or dry eyes; blurred or double vision; distance blurred vision after prolonged staring at a display device; headache or sore neck; difficulty shifting focus between a display device and documents; difficulty focusing on a screen image; color fringes or afterimages when looking away from a display device; and increased sensitivity to light. Eyestrain associated with CVS is not thought to have serious or long-term consequences (Anderson and Dean) People who spend their workday using the computer sometimes complain of lower back pain, muscle fatigue, and emotional fatigue. Lower back pain sometimes is cause from poor posture. It is advisable to sit properly in a chair while working and take periodic breaks. Users also should be sure their workplace is design ergonomically. Ergonomic studies have shown that using the correct type and configuration of chair, keyboard, display device, and work surface help users work comfortably and efficiently and helps  protect their health (Sanchez). Many physical health risks are associated with using technology. These risks include repetitive strain injuries, computer vision syndrome, and muscular pain. User should take as many preventive measures as possible to avoid these risks. Works Cited Anderson, Cricket Finley and Stacey Anne Dean. â€Å"Computer pains.† The Medical Update Aug. 2014:n. page. Web. 2 October 2014. Jones, Jacob Lee. Medical concerns of the 21st Century. Chicago: Smiley Incorporated, 2014. Print. Sanchez, Jorge Mario. Aches and Pains. 30 Sept. 2014. Course Technology. Web. 5 Aug. 2014.

Development of Cognition and Language

Development of Cognition and Language Michael Leo Glynn Research in the area of the development of cognition and language has a long tradition; yet, until recently it has not been possible to ascertain how infants think as they are not able to communicate verbally. It could be argued that language provides concepts that are used to organise thinking, and this premise suggests that infants are neither able to think, nor possess knowledge before they learn language. However, recent research employing innovative experimental methods, allows inferences into how infants’ minds function before they acquire language. This essay will outline relevant research and highlight some methods used to examine how preverbal infants think and categorise the world before they can talk, and will challenge the view that infants have not developed the ability to conceptualise before language acquisition. It will also examine how both language comprehension and language production develops, and discuss how infants are able to distinguish speech. In doing so, it will acknowledge nativist and empiricist perspectives, whilst considering conflicting views of developmental theorists. Perspectives conflict in the way in which it is assumed cognition develops on a continuum from innate ability to experiential learning. Theories offered by Chomsky (1965) in relation to language-specific mechanisms, for example, are from a nativist viewpoint. In contrast, behaviourists, e.g., Skinner (1954) take an empiricist stance advocating that development is primarily a result of learning (Oates and Grayson, 2004). Piaget (1955) and Vygotsky (1962) hold similar views towards the constructive nature of cognitive development and the role that language plays, agreeing that language is elaborated through complex interactions between an infant and their environment. However, Piaget submits that language is dependent upon fundamental constructs of thought for development, whereas, Vygotsky takes a social constructivist view and sees language as necessary for developing thought; furthermore, that thought and language are two separate functions that merge at around 2-years old (Bancroft and Flynn, 2005). Piaget observed infants talking to themselves, which he termed ‘egocentric speak’ (Oates and Grayson 2004), a symbolic function that enables infants to internally construct verbal thought. Vygotsky, in contrast, viewed this as only the first step, and that social interaction with others using language as a ‘cultural tool’ is crucial for language development (Oates and Grayson, 2004). Research has continued apace since Piaget and Vygotsky’s studies and, whilst their influences remain, there is now compelling evidence that preverbal infants can establish links between experiences, construct categories, group them, and in doing so form concepts much earlier than previously assumed. Based upon Frantz’s (1963) familiarisation/novelty preference method, whereby visual fixation duration for one stimulus over another confirmed that infants can perceptually categorise, Younger and Gotlieb (1998) conducted controlled experiments with infants aged 3, 5, and 7 months. Infants were familiarised with distorted prototype dot patterns ranging from good, intermediate, to poor before being shown a control pair comprising a previously shown non-distorted exemplar and an unfamiliar novel exemplar. With one exception all groups preferred to focus upon the novel prototype, thereby indicating that they had formed a category representation due to the familiarisation of the distorted set of exemplars. Results suggested that infants are able to organise their thinking, and although the greatest ability to preferentiate was present at 7 months, all infants possessed a degree of cognition. Quinn et al. (1993), using pictures rather than patterns, arguably providing more ecological validity, demonstrated that infants are also able to categorise animals: discriminating cats from other species such as birds, dogs and horses and, furthermore, able to discern related species (Eimas and Quinn, 1994). Behl-Chadha’s (1996) experiments revealed that infants aged 3 to 4 months are also capable of forming hierarchical structures similar to adults. A novelty preference method using familiar furniture objects as a ‘class’, at a global level, revealed that infants are able to distinguish between chairs and couches at a basic/intermediate level. Experiments using photographs of mammals found that infants, in common with adults, are also able to form global category representations for wide-ranging classes of stimuli (Quinn and Oates, 2004). Further studies by Younger and Gotlieb (1998) indicate that infants use two processes to store categories, an ‘exemplar memory’ for small numbers of instances where every example is stored, and a ‘prototype abstraction’, for large numbers of instances whereby an average of the examples are stored. Their findings suggest that infants employ two strategies to categorise across global/superordinate, basic/intermediate, and specific/subordinate levels. Object examination experiments sought to identify whether infants construct or deconstruct from basic to global levels of category representations or vice versa, and findings tend to support that the latter occurs easier and earlier (Quinn and Oates, 2004), suggesting that prototype abstraction develops before exemplar memory. Studies by Quinn (1994), using similar methods illustrate that infants are also capable of spatial category representation, e.g., above as opposed to below, and between rather than outside. Sensor modality cues are also an important factor in how infants form category representations and there has been much interest in how infants focus upon specific attributes that provide these cues. Quinn and Eimas (1996b), amongst others, employed methods that systematically varied the attributes of an exemplar shown to infants which revealed that they formed categories based upon the presence of a cue, but were unable to form category representations in its absence (Quinn and Oates, 2004). Rakison and Butterworth (1998) employing a sequential touching procedure, the categorisation of toy objects, with older infants, also reported evidence that specific aspects of an exemplar are a cue that enables differentiation between global categories. Using dynamic point light display methods, Arterberry and Bornstein (2002) found that dynamic movement cues can also be attributed to how infants form category representations, where infants were able to distinguish, by movement, animals from objects. Two competing theories exist as to how categories mature into concepts. In accord with the Piagetian viewpoint, a single-process model suggests that language, amongst other exemplars of information, contribute towards an infant’s cognitive ability to develop category representations: a process described as ‘quantitative enrichment’ (Quinn and Eimas, 2000), e.g., enrichment of category representations by infants learning to name objects with their caregivers (Quinn and Oates, 2004). Mandler (1997) addressed the issue of whether there is a developmental progression from category to concept and theorised that perceptual categorisation, the ‘knowing’ that something exists, occurs before conceptual categorisation, the forming of concepts including ‘thinking’ and ‘understanding’ (Quinn and Oates, 2004). Mandler (1992, 2000) suggests a two-process model arguing that perceptual and image schemas, in parallel, lay the foundation for m ature concepts. Perceptual schemas describe features, whereas image schemas allow for abstract features of how exemplars behave leading to the formation of true concepts. This accords with Paiget’s theory of structures and stages of development being marked by characteristic modes of thought (Bancroft and Flynn, 2005). A similar dual-process theory, Karmiloff-Smith (1986), describes an infant’s developmental process as knowledge moving from being implicit and procedural to explicit. Karmiloff-Smiths ‘representational re-description’ model suggests that practise at procedural level is required for knowledge to be re-described as an ‘object of thought’. Research supports that preverbal infants have learned how to form categories, possess a capacity for complex recognition strategies, and have the basic cognitive building blocks for language to develop. However, it is the point at which language begins to emerge, the nature of the relationship between category learning and identifying word sounds in speech, understanding them, categorising them, and reproducing them that is debatable. Speech production is dependent upon comprehension which requires: identification of a word from a speech stream; remembering the word sound for recall; association with an object or action; repetition; then using the word in an appropriate context (Harris, 2004). This empirical viewpoint suggests language needs to be learnt and is not innate. However, DeCasper and Spence (1996) found that prenatal infants are capable of recognising speech sounds; furthermore, research indicates that 4-week-old infants show a propensity towards their mother’s voic e (Mehler and Dupoux, 1994). Experiments by Mehler et al. (1994) report that younger infants favour the familiar language of their surroundings. Christophe and Morton (1998) language comparison experiments attributed this phenomenon to a preference for prosodic patterns, predicting and finding that 2-month-old infants could distinguish English from Japanese, but given the similarities between English and Dutch could not do so. The ability of infants to exploit prosodic cues to bound words was further investigated by Johnson and Jusczuk (2001), who elaborated that transitional probabilities, the ability to detect and remember syllables, also contributes toward language comprehension. Infants are capable of category learning prior to language acquisition, therefore it seems plausible that category learning must be achieved before language production, and it is at this point that changes in an infant’s developing vocal track support the production of their first words, whilst at the same time learning to categorise words and relate them to objects, e.g., the formulation of a word category for cat and then labelling the category. Vygotsky’s social constructivist viewpoint holds that relating words to objects and actions occurs within a social context. Bruner (1975, 1993) elaborates the view that first words emerge within familiar social contexts; however, he did not proffer the extent to which they grow out of experience. The empirical view supports the notion that the production of words involves repeating the sound of a word as it is experienced and in an appropriate context. Harris et al. (1983) support Vygotsky’s view of embedding language i n socially meaningful activities, and found that infants use words in a similar way to their mothers during social routines; furthermore, that comprehension is enhanced by qualitative enrichment: clarifying actions such as gazing, pointing and touching objects, e.g., a toy cat, as cues for an infant to relate words to objects (Harris, 2004). However, as comprehension of words improves, infants are able to abstract them in other contexts. Hart (1991) attributed this non-reliance on experience to increased vocabulary ability. A vocabulary spurt occurs between 1 to 2 years and appears crucial to understanding the correlation between language development and categorisation. Gopnik and Meltzoff (1987) sought to substantiate a link between categorisation and language domains of development and whether they occurred simultaneously. Longitudinal studies observing infants between the ages of 15 to 20 months reported a significant relationship between the vocabulary spurt and categorisation, but did not find strong links between categorisation and other cognitive measures. Gopnik and Meltzoff (1992) were unable to establish whether the vocabulary spurt causes an improved ability to categorise or whether, indeed, the ability to categorise underpins language development (Harris, 2004). These findings compliment Vygotsky’s theory that language and thought are separate functions, and supports that until the point at which they merge infants only possess a basic comprehension of language which provides the buil ding blocks for higher-level thinking and the realisation of ‘true concepts’ (The Open University, 2006, p. 11). Evidence has identified that infants possess a degree of cognitive ability that allows for a basic understanding of language, albeit a rudimentary recognition of basic prosodic patterns and syllables. Prior to language acquisition infants are capable of forming, storing, and retrieving category representations and recognising cues, at both basic and global levels using exemplar memory and prototype abstraction. Category learning can also be distinguished from other cognitive skills as beneficial to language development and when infants start to use their first words, it is apparent that their ability to categorise visual objects evolves to forming abstract ideas. Moreover, as vocabulary increases the capacity to categorise provides for the transition from knowing to forming true concepts. Prior to contemporary methods of investigation, nativists may not have been able to attribute these capacities to anything but innate ability and recent approaches challenge this view. The capacity to categorise is not dependent upon language acquisition; rather it facilitates the foundation for language development. Notwithstanding that infants possess the physical and cognitive processes requisite for developing language, also essential are social interactions that provide rich social contexts in which they can develop cognition and language. This supports Vygotsky’s premise of language being a cultural tool that features significantly in the development of cognition. References: Arterberry, M. E. and Bornstein, M. H. (2002), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 42. Bancroft, D. and Flynn, E. (2005) ‘Early cognitive development’, in Oates, J., Wood, C. and Grayson, A. (eds), Psychological Development and Early Childhood, Oxford, Blackwell/The Open University. Behl-Chadha, G. (1996), cited in Oates and Grayson (2004) p. 36. Bruner, J. S. (1975), cited in Harris (2004) p. 73. Bruner, J. S. (1993), cited in Harris (2004) p. 73. Christophe, A. and Morton, J. (1998), cited in Harris (2004) p. 67. Christophe, A. and Morton, J. (1998) ‘Reading A: Is Dutch native English? Linguistic analysis by 2-month-olds’ in Oates and Grayson (2004) pp. 98-105. Chomsky, N. (1965), cited in Oates and Grayson (2004) p. 14. DeCasper, A. J. and Spence, M. J. (1996), cited in Harris (2004) p. 66. Eimas, P. D. and Quinn, P. C. (1994), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) pp. 34-35. Fantz, R. (1963), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 28. Fantz, R. (1963) ‘Reading A: ‘Pattern vision in newborn infants’ in Slater and Oates, (2005) pp. 124-6. Gopnik, A. and Meltzoff, A. N. (1987), cited in Harris (2004) p. 54-55. Gopnik, A. and Meltzoff, A. N. (1992), cited in Harris (2004) p. 56. Harris, M., Jones, D. and Grant, J. (1983), cited in Harris (2004) p. 74-76. Harris, M. (2004) ‘First words’, in Oates, J. and Grayson, A. (eds), Cognitive and Language Development in Children, Oxford, Blackwell/the Open University. Hart, B. (1991), cited in Harris (2004) p. 89. Johnson, E. K. and Jusczyk, P. W. (2001), cited in Harris (2004) p. 70-72. Mandler, J. M. (1997), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 27. Mandler, J. M. (1992, 2000), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 44. Mehler, J. and Dupoux, E. (1994), cited in Harris (2004) p. 67. Mehler, J., Jusczyk, P. W., Dehaene-Lambertz, G., Dupoux, E. and Nazzi, T. (1994), cited in Harris (2004) p. 67. Oates, J., Sheehy, K. and Wood, C. (2005) ‘Theories of development’ in Oates, J., Wood, C. and Grayson, A. (eds), Psychological Development and Early Childhood, Oxford, Blackwell/The Open University. Oates, J. and Grayson, A. (2004) ‘Introduction: perspectives on cognitive and language development, in Oates, J. and Grayson, A. (eds), Cognitive and Language Development in Children, Oxford, Blackwell/the Open University. Piaget, J. (1923/1926), cited in Oates, J., Sheehy, K. and Wood, C. (2005) p. 66. Piaget, J. (1955), cited in Oates and Grayson (2004) p. 17. Quinn, P. C. (1994), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 37. Quinn, P.C. and Eimas, P. D. (2000), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 43. Quinn, P.C. and Eimas, P. D. (2004b), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 40. Quinn, P. C. Eimas, P. D. and Rosenkrantz, S. L. (1993), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) pp. 34-35. Quinn, P. C. and Oates, J. (2004) ‘Early category representations and concepts’ in Oates, J. and Grayson, A. (eds), Cognitive and Language Development in Children, Oxford, Blackwell/the Open University. Rakison, D. and Butterworth, G. (1998), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) p. 41. Skinner, B. F. (1953), cited in Oates and Grayson (2004) p. 14. The Open University, (2006), ED209 Child Development, Study Guide, Milton Keynes, The Open University Vygotsky, L. S. (1962), cited in Oates and Grayson (2004) p. 17. Vygotsky, L. S. (1986), cited in Bancroft and Flynn (2005) p. 72. Younger, B. A. and Gotlieb, S. (1988), cited in Quinn and Oates (2004) pp. 31-33.

Herbal Medicine Essay -- essays research papers fc

Alternative medicine has been around for centuries, although it has just started to become very popular in countries such as The United States. Many people now are following the trend without knowing anything about alternative medicine. People should be aware of the benefits as well as the precautions involved in taking these natural remedies. The most common form of alternative medicine nowadays is herbal medicines. These natural remedies can be found in millions of American homes today. Herbal medicine is probably the most widely used of the alternative medicines. Herbal medicine is a part of homeopathy, which is an alternative system of healing that uses very small doses of substances to relieve specific symptoms (2). Traditional herbalists tend to use combinations of small amounts of herbs to meet the needs of the patient. Natural medicines are a part of our world. There are natural remedies to many everyday illnesses. Natural medicines have been used through out the history of the world. There are records of the Egyptians using them in 1,600 BC. There are scriptures that date back to the Yin dynasty in 1,500 BC. The Old Testament also has many references to herbal medicines. The ancient Chinese were experts at natural medicine. They were experts on using plants, animals and minerals to heal themselves(7). The Chinese’s natural medication didn’t start diffusing over to Europe until the 2nd century, but there were many similarities in the Chinese’s and the Egyptian’s natural medicines (7). There are several benefits to in using alternative medicines. First, alternative medicine does not separate symptoms of a physical nature from those of a mental-emotional nature (6). This theory from ancient China expects specific mental/emotional conditions to go along with certain disease patterns, and expects these emotional symptoms to respond to treatment as well as any physical symptoms(6). Also, in alternative medicine each and every sign and symptom is understood and interpreted in relationship to all the others. While a medical doctor might choose to send a patient with a variety of symptoms to two or three specialists, a good practitioner of traditional alternative medicine sees and understands all the symptoms together as a single pattern. Any treatment prescribed is designed to work effectively with the entire pattern and all its symptoms. Done skillfull... ...c Newt. http://www.botanical.com 10. â€Å"Henriette’s Herbal Homepage.† 1996 The National Library of Medicines. http://ibiblio.org/herbmed 11. â€Å"Herbal and Alternative Remedies.† 2000 Micromedex Thompson Healthcare. http://www.family doctor.org 12. â€Å"The Herbal Encyclopedia.† 1996 Pro Health International. http://www.wic.net/waltzark/herben 13. â€Å"Herbal Remedies-Ginseng: The Inscrutable Root.† http://www.women.com 14. â€Å"Herb Research Foundation.† 2000 Herb Research Foundation. http://www.herbs.org 15. Hoffmann, David L. â€Å"Ginkgo Biloba.† http://www.healthy.net 16. Karp, Peter D. â€Å"E. Coli Information Page.† 1999 Pangea Systems, Inc. http://ecocyc.pangeasystems.com/ecocyc/ecoli.html 17. â€Å"MacConkey Agar.† 1995 University of Texas 18. â€Å"Preparing Herbal Remedies.† 2000 Garden Guides. 19. â€Å"Tryptic Soy/Broth Agar.† 1995 University of Texas 20. Yang, Tiende.â€Å"The Nature of Ginseng.† 2000. 21. â€Å"Tryptic Soy/Broth Agar.† 1995 University of Texas

The Mass-marketing of Working Class Culture :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Mass-marketing of Working Class Culture The fads of the father are visited on the son: we've all seen how adult fads are given down to children. We've seen how cargo pants have trickled down, thanks to the Gap, Baby Gap, and Old Navy (all corporations owned by The Limited, Inc.). Cargo pants have always been a mystery to me. The attractive thing about them is storage (which I'll get to later), blandness and personal appearance. I only considered wearing cargo pants because they'd hide how chunky my thighs are. And they're beige and boring--they thus go with anything. I also don't understand this fascination with looking working-class (In a recent copy of Vogue, there were ritzy, high-priced versions of lumberjack clothing). There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and I don't want to sound like an elitist, because I'm by no means not working-class. I just wonder why this a trend, why white collar workers want to look like they work with their hands. But this fascination with storage, with having so many products presents a problem. Cargo pants were designed so workers could essentially wear their toolbox. Today's kids wearing cargo pants don't need that space for hammers and nails. To avoid acknowledging that cargo pants are a silly trend, wearers unconsciously seek to fill their pockets. As Lacan might say, empty pockets remind us of our lacks. Cargo pants only encourage the reckless. The Gap, like any other capitalist corporation, wants consumers to spend oodles of money. Providing more storage space in a pair of pants allows for children and teens to spend even more money filling them. What the Gap has done is transformed the meaning of cargo pants. It is a redefinition: today's cargo pants wearers aren't laborers, they're spenders. Isn't that a glorious thing, the Gap may ask us. It's a way of showing how the upper class has always stepped all over the lower class, taking what aspects of its culture it likes and discarding the individuals involved. We've seen this over and over, but it usually has been a race's culture that has been used while the individuals are considered meaningless by the ruling classes. This is happening again today with Latin culture. White culture takes what few things it likes (namely Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, maybe a salsa beat, and some Tex-Mex food), and celebrates it as all Latin culture has to offer, ignoring debates about the "Latinness" of such aspects anyway.

Marx And Mills Essay -- Marx Mills Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Marx And Mills 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 rej ect pain. Utilitarianism also states that the actions of a person should be based upon the â€Å"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 â€Å"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 absu rd 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... ...o are polar opposites. This statement holds true no matter what one believes. To find happiness, the opposing sides must find a suitable balance. This does not mean that pain is always a daily part of life, but that it can not and should not be avoided. If one were to try to avoid pain, it is quite possible that they would inadvertently pass up pleasure. This would happen because a person would be too worried to take a chance on failing. Pain is a part of life just as pleasure is. To reap the benefits of one, there must be consequences given to the other. There is a quote that goes, â€Å"You must drink from the chalice of pain, before you can sip from the elixir of self-respect† Another criteria for happiness and morality should be based upon attentions. If one performs a moral action, but has immoral intentions, that person should not be considered ethically correct. To be truly right and happy, one must not only act but think right. Mill suggests that pleasure should guide our decision-making. While the statement is true, it is not fully correct. If a person will deal with pain that come from hard work, dedication, a nd perseverance, then the benefits will be that much sweeter.

How Actors Contribute to Film Essay

The very goal and essence of acting is to represent a certain character or figure and portray his or her ideas and personality. The goal of acting is to be another person entirely and play their character and their life as if they were your own. It is a beautiful art form and its target is to make the writer’s characters and story come to life. The skills, dexterity and prowess needed in order to fulfill such goals are, certainly, determination, as needed in the hearts of all people who are striving to achieve their dreams. It may not be considered as a skill but it is truly and absolutely a mandatory quality in every dreamy person. One also needs creativity and uniqueness in order to make the film’s â€Å"dramatis personae† come to life and be a real living and breathing person in the eyes of the audience. Also, for the role of the actor to come alive, the actor would need to be in possession of a strong power of influence and, in a way, control and manipulation for the reason that their acting needs to be fantastically believable and have a sense and aura of reality. This quality of believability will strike the audience and will cause a conflict in his or her mind, which would be sinking into the fantasy of the film and holding onto the reality of the world. You will need to be extremely professional and comfortable in front of the camera in order to lose the audience in the story and cast. These are only some of the many skills you will need in order to perform with beautiful finesse and accomplish the very purpose of acting. An actor who executes his job well, complete with panache, professionalism, believability, creativity, humility to accept the words of fellow actors or the director himself, and so much more are marks of good actors. They have to attain the goals of an actor and they have to know how to get into complete character. They have to know how to improve on themselves and make it their objective to reach out to their audience and convey their emotion and influence them to their advantage. As the audience, I would know good acting if I truly feel and believe in the words and actions of the actor. On the other hand, a bad actor is, naturally, the opposite. He is not professional in what he does and does not communicate enough feeling through his acting. The audience would not feel any passion from the actor and the actor does not achieve the exact impact he expected from the audience. The director is the individual who confronts the actor’s wrongdoings, suggests particular improvements, helps the actor understand his role and he is the one who directs the flow of the film, itself. He is a very vital part of the film industry. Since he knows the story and the cast very well, the director’s influence on an actor’s performance is crucial. The director has to know how to take charge and should know what to expect of his actors. He has to be a good communicator because if the actor misunderstands his words, it will absolutely affect the film development process. The actor should know how to follow his director but at the same times, they should have the respect due each other and the actor should know when he should speak up about certain topics. He should also regard the director as his mentor and so I believe the director’s influence may deeply affect the performance of the actor and the director’s words will surely be embedded in his mind. Since he is one of he heads of the film development process, the actor would know that the director knows best and so the effect and impact of the words of the director will affect the performance of an actor. Negative or negatively said words may offend the actor or it may even be taken constructively. Positive or even positively said negative words, may affect the actor more successfully because it will raise the actor’s confidence. Directors, though, should not control the every movement of an actor because he should allow a space for creative freedom, which actors are definitely entitled to. Actors should have creative freedom so that it will practice the mind of the actor to generate more creative, original and spontaneous ideas. Also, in order to make their own individual mark on the film and they will, somehow, feel more accredited for the film because they have contributed their own approaches in their acting. This will also help the director and ease his burdens of continuously managing the actor’s movements. Creative freedom is essential. But, it should not be used abusively liberal. The actor should give space for the director’s words as the director gave space for the actor’s creative freedom. Te film industry makes stories in order to influence or inspire their audience, let them enjoy books or lives of people in a more animated and different light and perspective, make them laugh, smile, inspirit or galvanize them, even for simply a moment. They could even be making these films because it is their most efficient or only outlet of their emotions. There are many reasons for creating films and creating stories because people have different minds and have different ways of thinking. We watch such films because we, as humans, are inclined to become very curious and become interested in many things. We may also sometimes, subconsciously, yearn for a better life and so we watch the movies that portray those with better lives that we want, movies with people with worse lives that will make us appreciate our present life or even some sort of nonsensical farce or slapstick comedy and that will make us laugh and lift our spirits. We also, may have different reasons of watching films that range from just wanting to have a get-together with friends or it is your way of cheering yourself up. Films are a very big part of our world’s culture because they can poison your mind and offend people or it can also make you laugh, inspire others and change people for the better and make you make a change and a difference.