A Final Defense Of Utilitarianism Essay - 746 Words

A final defense of Utilitarianism: In regard to Mill’s Proof of utility, N7 disputes claiming that it commits the fallacy of composition. He is not the first to do so. â€Å"Such allegations began to emerge in Mill’s lifetime, shortly after the publication of Utilitarianism, and persisted for well over a century.†(1) It is important to note however that â€Å"the tide has been turning in recent discussions.†(1) Necip Fikri Alican’s even wrote an entire book on this entitled, â€Å"Mill’s Principle of Utility: A Defense of John Stuart Mill’s Notorious Proof.† Several others have also rejected the claim of fallacy. â€Å"Hall and Popkin defend Mill against this accusation pointing out that he begins Chapter Four by asserting that questions of ultimate ends do not admit of proof, in the ordinary acceptation of the term and that this is common to all first principles. According to Hall and Popkin, therefore, Mill does not attempt to establish that what people do des ire is desirable but merely attempts to make the principles acceptable. The type of proof Mill is offering consists only of some considerations which, Mill thought, might induce an honest and reasonable man to accept utilitarianism.(2) N7 claims that â€Å"all I need to do is show that there is another value which we desire.† Utilitarianism covers this. â€Å"Virtue, according to the utilitarian doctrine, is not naturally and originally part of the end, but it is capable of becoming so; and in those who love it disinterestedly it hasShow MoreRelatedKantian Ethics vs. Utilitarianism Essay1190 Words   |  5 Pages 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Explain Onora O’neil’s argument for preferring Kantian ethics to Utilitarianism. 2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;How would Richard Taylor respond to O’neil’s defense of Kantianism? In the following questions, Onora O’neil defends Kantian ethics while Richard Taylor agrees more with the Utilitarian ethics view. To fully understand both views and why each author defends their view, a brief introduction of each author and who they are is necessary. Onora O’neilRead MoreScandal and the government1248 Words   |  5 Pagescharacters have within themselves and the government. Capitalism, Tyranny, Elitism, and Utilitarianism are all present in the political drama Scandal. An example of capitalism in the popular show scandal comes from a secret organization called B613. In the show the organization is similar to the secretive C.I.A however, Instead of answering to the President, B613 answer to no one . Mr. Pope controls everything and has final say on all. He works coincide with the republic party. Whether or not informationRead MoreMoral Theories Of Utilitarianism And Deontological Ethics1266 Words   |  6 PagesBeidong Zhang Philosophy 108 Prof. Meredith Gunning Final Examination December, 6, 2014 Section A Moral theories of Utilitarianism and Deontology Utilitarianism and deontological ethics are two major theories of ethics, specifying and justifying moral principles. Utilitarianism has been clarified by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Bentham proposed that actions are based upon the consequences (Moreland, 2009), and ongoing work on his theory will help in providing groundsRead MoreA Defense Of Abortion By Judith Thomson1678 Words   |  7 Pagestakes precedence; an unborn fetus’ life or its mother’s right to her body? Anti-abortionist argue that the life of an unborn fetus has priority, and thus abortion is morally impermissible as it violates the fetus’ right to life. In her article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†, Judith Thomson argues that abortion is morally permissible under the certain conditions where the rights of the fetus fail to surpass a mother’s right of choice. For the sake of her argument, Thomson allows the assumption that a fetusRead MoreLifeboat Dile mm The Queen V. Dudley And Stephens903 Words   |  4 PagesLifeboat Dilemma ¬ Final CASE: The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens FACTS: A boat with four men aboard took on water after being hit by a large wave resulting in boat sinking, during the summer of 1884. All four men boarded a lifeboat however the only provisions were two cans of turnips. The four people were Dudley - Captain, Stephens -  ¬ First Mate, Brooks -Sailor and Parker - Cabin Boy. The foods in the hopes of being rescued before the rations were used. They consumed no food or waterRead MoreGun Control Is Necessary, And Delay Means More Death And Horror1305 Words   |  6 PagesDictionary offers that a handgun is â€Å"a small gun that you can hold and fire with one hand.† I view the phrase ‘private ownership’ as ownership by people who are not officially associated with the state. The affirmative will support the value of utilitarianism, which as defined as â€Å"the belief that the right course of action is the one that will produce the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.† In order to achieve my value premise, the affirmative offers the criterion of cost benefitRead MoreEvaluating The Ethical Principles Of An Axis And Identifying Concrete Points At Which Certain Values Outweigh Others?1549 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent principles are considered separate lines whe n determining ethics. Field and Caplan make a decision that mandatory vaccination is ethical based on the overlap of autonomy and utilitarianism. The four principles that slope in the same direction could be considered additively, as all contribute some weight to the final decision about the ethics of compulsory vaccination. Where Field and Caplan apply situational weight to competing ethical theories, Jessica Flanigan argues that mandatory vaccinationRead MoreMy Philosophy : Critical Thinking1858 Words   |  8 Pagesmakes up an object, such as the bricks in a building. The efficient cause examines the preceding force that pushes an object into existence. This is comparable to a God creating life. The last cause is called the final cause. This cause examines the ultimate purpose of an object. A tree’s final cause is to reproduce, so another tree may flourish as well. Aristotle’s metaphysical theory was historically important because it profoundly shaped the early beliefs of science. 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Based on three important pieces, which are â€Å"Nicomachean† by Aristotle which talks about virtue ethics, â€Å"Utilitariani sm† by Mills which talks about Utilitarianism, and â€Å"simplified of Kants Ethics† by Onara O’neill, we can compare three types of ethics that is important to learn in philosophy of ethics. Starting with Aristotle idea of virtue ethics, which was written in Nicomachean Ethics. In the first book, Aristotle talks about the Human Goods

The Reason For Popularity Of Online Shopping - 8769 Words

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This research project was carried out to identify the reason for popularity of online shopping, to describe why eBay and Amazon became successful without having a High Street store, to compare eBay and Amazon in terms of revenues and customer’s opinions and to develop ideas on how they could improve their performance in future. This research draws the attention to facts that despite both companies have many bad reviews, potential consumers are still attracted to shop using their websites, while present customers are consciously complaining about eBay’s and Amazon’s unprofessional customer service and after sale service, yet they still shop using both websites, resulting in eBay overcoming analysts’ predictions about their profits every quarter and Amazon investing big amounts of money in its growth. Primary research that was conducted, showed that lower prices and wider range of products are the two main factors that attract consumers to shop online (despite the awareness of bad customer service and after sale service). This project also finds that prospects of eBay financial position are positive, however Amazon is not doing well. Amazon is not able to prove that it can generate steady profits and Jeff Bezos is constantly re-investing its revenues for future growth which results in shareholders losing their patience. Recommendations discussed include: ïÆ'Ëœ Improving the quality of customer service and after sale service for eBay and Amazon ïÆ'Ëœ DecreasingShow MoreRelatedOnline Shopping Vs. Store Shopping1489 Words   |  6 PagesOnline shopping vs in-store shopping Thesis: Online shopping is better than in-store one and will have more customers in the future. Since the internet came out and developed, online shopping has become important parts of many people. 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Gender No. of responses Male 26 Female 24 INTERPRETATIONS:- The proportion of respondents are somewhat equal with not much of the major difference between male and female respondents Q13. Prefer to purchase online? Preference towards online Purchase Yes No No. of responses 40 10 INTERPRETATIONS:- Most of the respondents prefer online shopping which demonstrateRead MoreConsumer Perception Towards Online Business Model Essay1502 Words   |  7 PagesTOWARDS ONLINE BUSINESS MODEL and here is some of the analysis or interpretations from this survey. Q. Gender No. of responses Male 26 Female 24 INTERPRETATIONS:- The proportion of respondents are somewhat equal with not much of the major difference between male and female respondents Q13.Prefer to purchase online? 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Alex Smith, CEO, believes that shopping for home furnishings is a visual impulse buy and has concentrated on creating an in-store experience for customers with bold, colored textiles and tableware. Pier 1 excels in its strategy as a niche differentiator with the right product selectionRead MoreOnline Shopping And Online Business Model Essay1105 Words   |  5 Pagestowards online shopping and online business model. The field work was done with the help of questionnaire and the summary of finding of the study is given below separately as follows:- 1. Most of the respondents have done online shopping the mode of payment is cash on delivery and is one of the major mode used for payment. 2. Some of them who didn’t prefer online shopping are mainly due to risk in credit transaction cheap quality products 3. The biggest attraction towards online shopping is home

Adoption and identity formation Essay Example For Students

Adoption and identity formation Essay There has been an enormous amount of research conducted about adoptees and their problems with identity formation. Many of the researchers agree on some of the causes of identity formation problems in adolescent adoptees, while other researchers conclude that there is no significant difference in identity formation in adoptees and birth children. This paper will discuss some of the research which has been conducted and will attempt to answer the following questions:Do adoptees have identity formation difficulties during adolescence? If so, what are some of the causes of these vicissitudes? Is there a significant difference between identity formation of adoptees and nonadoptees?The National Adoption Center reports that fifty-two percent of adoptable children have attachment disorder symptoms. It was also found that the older the child when adopted, the higher the risk of social maladjustment (Benson et al., 1998). This is to say that a child who is adopted at one-week of age will have a better chance of â€Å"normal† adjustment than a child who is adopted at the age of ten. This may be due in part to the probability that an infant will learn how to trust, where as a ten-year-old may have more difficulty with this task, depending on his history. Eric Erickson, a developmental theorist, discusses trust issues in his theory of development. The first of Erickson’s stages of development is Trust v. Mistrust. A child who experiences neglect or abuse can have this stage of development severely damaged. An adopted infant may have the opportunity to fully learn trust, where as an older child may have been shuffled from foster home to group home as an infant, thereby never learning trust. Even though Trust v. Mistrust is a major stage of development, â€Å"the greatest psychological risk for adopted children occurs during the middle childhood and adolescent years† (McRoy et al., 1990). As children grow and change into adolescents, they begin to search for an identity by finding anchoring points with which to relate. Unfortunately, adopted children do not have a biological example to which to turn (Horner Rosenberg, 1991), unless they had an open adoption in which they were able to form a relationship with their biological families as well as their adoptive ones. Also key to the development of trust is the ability to bond with adoptive parents. The absence of a biological bond between the adoptee and adoptive parents may cause trust issues in the adoptee (Wegar, 1995). Baran (1975) stated, â€Å"Late adolescence . . . is the period of intensified identity concerns and is a time when the feelings about adoption become more intense and questions about the past increase.† Unless the adopted child has the answers to these arising questions, identity formation can be altered and somewhat halted. McRoy et al. (1990) agree with this point:Adolescence is a period when young people seek an integrated and stable ego identity. This occurs as they seek to link their current self-perceptions with their ‘self perceptions from earlier periods and with their cultural and biological heritage’ (Brodzindky, 1987, p. 37). Adopted children sometimes have difficulty with this task because they often do not have the necessary information from the past to begin to develop a stable sense of who they are. They often have incomplete knowledge about why they were relinquished and what their birth parents were like, and they may grieve not only for the loss of their birth parents but for the loss of part of themselves. In essence, it seems that the adolescent’s identity formation is impaired because he holds the knowledge that his â€Å"roots† or his â€Å"essence† have been severed and remain on the unknown side of the adoption barrier. The identity struggles of the adolescent are â€Å"part of a human need to connect with their natural clan and failure to do so may precipitate psychopathology† (Wegar, 1995). Also in agreement with Wegar, McRoy, and Baran is Frisk. Baran et al. (1975) wrote, â€Å"Frisk conceptualized that the lack of family background knowledge in the adoptee prevents the development of a healthy ‘genetic ego’ . . . .† In most of the studies surveyed, the researchers are in agreement about one fact. Vital to the adopted adolescent’s identity development is the knowledge of the birth family and the circumstances surrounding the adoption. Without this information, the adolescent has difficulty deciding which family (birth or ad opted) he resembles. During the search for an identity in adolescence, the child may face an array of problems including â€Å"hostility toward the adoptive parents, rejection of anger toward the birth parents, self-hatred, transracial adoption concerns, feeling of rootlessness . . . .† (McRoy et al., 1990). Intranet and Extranet EssayWhile most of the studies I read found that adoptees have difficulty in identity formation during adolescence, I did find an article which refutes this point. Kelly et al. (1998) write: Developing a separate, autonomous, mature sense of self is widely recognized as a particularly complex task for adoptees. While many scholars have concluded that identity formation is inherently more difficult for adoptees some recent comparisons of adopted and nonadopted youth have found no differences in adequacy of identity formation, and a study by Stein and Hoopes (1985) revealed higher ego identity scores for adoptees. Goebel and Lott (1986) found that such factors as subjects’ age, sex, personality variables, family characteristics, and motivation to search for birth parents accounted more for quality of identity formation than did adoptive status. In conclusion, it is difficult to say who is right in their beliefs about adoptees and identity formation. The research I have reviewed has mostly shown that adoptees do have quite a bit a difficulty forming an identity during adolescence, and that this difficulty can be due to a number of factors. Negative parental attitudes about adoption can have a negative affect on the adoptee. The issue of open versus closed adoptions will forever be a debate, but the research does show that the more an adoptee knows about his birth family and the circumstances surrounding his adoption, the easier it will be for him to form an identity during adolescence. Most of the researchers who wrote about the family romance seemed to do so in a negative manner, when in fact I believe that the ability to fantasize about the birth family may be a healthy option for the adolescent who is the victim of a closed adoption. It allows him to construct a view of what his birth family is like, and it also allows hi m to relieve himself of some of the internal pain which is caused by closed adoptions. Overall, most of the literature supported the notion that adoptees do indeed have identity formation problems. ReferencesBaran, A., Pannor, R., Sorosky, A. (1975). Identity Conflicts in Adoptees. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 45(1), 18-26. Benson, P., McGue, M., Sharma, A. (1998). The Psychological Adjustment of United States Adopted Adolescents and Their Nonadopted Siblings. Child Development, 69(3), 791-802. Benson, P., McGue, M., Sharma, A. (1996). The Effect of Common Rearing on Adolescent Adjustment: Evidence from a U.S. Adoption Cohort. Developmental Psychology, 32(4), 604-613. Brinch, P. Brinch, E. (1982). Adoption and Adaptation. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 170, 489-493. Cote, A., Joseph, K., Kotsopoulos, S., Oke, L., Pentland, N., Sheahan, P., Stavrakaki, C. (1988). Psychiatric Disorders in Adopted Children: A Controlled Study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 58(4), 608-611. Hajal, F., Rosenberg, E. (1991). The Family Life Cycle in Adoptive Families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(1), 78-85. Horner, T., Rosenberg, E. (1991). Birthparent Romances and Identity Formation in Adopted Children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(1), 70-77. Kelly, M., Martin, B., Rigby, A., Towner-Thyrum, E. (1998). Adjustment and Identity Formation in Adopted and Nonadopted Young Adults: Contributions of a Family Enviornment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68(3), 497-500. McRoy, R., Grotevant, H., Furuta, A., Lopez, S. (1990). Adoption Revelation and Communication Issues: Implications for Practice. Families in Society, 71, 550-557. Wegar, K. (1995). Adoption and Mental Health: A Theoretical Critique of the Psychopathological Model. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(4), 540-548.

SWOT Analysis of GE free essay sample

Global recognition: General Electric has ventured into the world market thus gaining global recognition for its unique goods and services. In the year 2009, Forbes magazine ranked GE as the worlds largest company. Hurbert (2007) notes that General Electrics brand is the worlds most recognized brand. This kind of recognition has given it a competitive edge over other companies due to its ability to attract more customers. Global strength and competitiveness:The Company’s products have been recognized for their quality and the company is known for meeting customer-specific needs (General Electric, 2009). As a result, it has attracted numerous clients including corporations and government agencies and its competitive position is quite favorable. GE is the biggest lender in many of the countries where it invests with exception of the United States (Hurbert, 2007). Its power generation equipment generates a quarter of the worlds electricity everyday. Excellent Management: GE utilizes a unique management style, whereby business operations are divided into business units. We will write a custom essay sample on SWOT Analysis of GE or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Each business unit plays a distinct role within the company and has its own independent management. Examples include GE Commercial Finance, GE Equipment Services, GE Energy, GE Insurance, and GE Consumer Finance among others. This kind of management style increases productivity due to the high level of accountability and efficiency that business unit managers are expected to maintain. Diversified lines of operation:GE has invested in a wide range of products under its units. These activities range from technology, energy, automotives, and aviation and home appliances to financial services and insurance services among other undertakings. This kind of diversification shields the company from risks in case of misfortunes. Environmental initiatives: GE has ventured into environmental initiatives as it embraces the green economy and increased social responsibility. Its Ecoimagination program is undertaking the production of environmentally friendly technologies, energy sources such as solar, low emission engines for airplanes, hybrid locomotives and water purification (Makower, 2005). This has earned a good reputation for the company which is considered socially and environmentally responsible. WEAKNESSES Under-performing energy sector:Following the global crisis and the serious fluctuations in fuel prices, the energy sector is not performing as expected (Hurbert, 2007). Fluctuations in prices of oil and gas have mostly been caused by supply shortages and this has threatened the companys profitability. Threat to flexibility:Too much diversification is often considered dangerous for a company. This is because it results in over-stretching which usually slows down decision making. At GE, the numerous units require attention and could prove hard to manage if excessive diversification occurs. OPPORTUNITIES Mergers and acquisitions: GE has performed several mergers in the recent past. These not only help the company to expand globally but to diversify its activities into new areas thus increasing productivity. Some of the companies include Interbanca S. P. A, Whatman Plc, VetcoGrey and Turbomecanica Combustor Products (General Electric, 2009). The merger of NBC with Vivedi opens better opportunities for GE in the media business. Research and development:Intensified research and development characterize the companys activities as it seeks to maintain a competitive edge over others in the same industry. A substantial amount of resources are committed in the companys relentless efforts to ensure the production of innovative products which meet current customer demands (Hurbert, 2007). THREATS Competition: Operating in an environment where stiff competition is present is a threat in itself. Just like any other company, GE risks losing its customers to competitors. Competition could be intensified by better production techniques and technology among competitors such that the companys goods may be outdone in the market. Information security:When it comes to information security, every company faces a threat of losing important information through hackers, natural disasters and employee dishonesty. Loss of information could greatly affect the companys activities and cause a slow-down in production. Financial crisis: The global financial crisis has had an effect on most companies in the world today. The rises in prices and shrinking bank lending rates have deprived businesses of the much needed profits and capital respectively. Media depictions: Depictions put forth by the media on certain occurrences about a company could ruin its operations. GE has been a victim of media deception and was associated with the Enron scandal which brought a lot of criticism and loss of investor confidence. The documentary named deadly deception aired in 1991 displayed GE as a threat to human life for participating in testing and building of nuclear weapons (Chasnoff, 1991). Such depictions could be used by competitors to tarnish the companys name. Evaluation and Analysis It is notable that GE has a number of strengths that work to its advantage by enhancing profitability. Its global recognition, strengths and competitiveness put GE at a favorable position as compared to other companies in the same sector. The use of business units for management presents an effective way to manage the expansive company. This not only reduces the possibility of overwhelming senior management with work but also promotes productivity based on accountability expected from the business unit managers. The company undertakes numerous activities which highly contribute to profitability. This is enhanced by the mergers and acquisitions that have diversified the companys product range and in turn leading to improvement on profits incurred. The strengths and opportunities however have not come without constraints. Various threats and weaknesses threaten the performance of the company by presenting constraints on the companys management. High levels of competition, financial crises and threat of information loss are a threat to the company’s survival. Weaknesses within the company including the poor productivity of the energy sector and flexibility threat could impact negatively on the company. In order to reduce the impact of threats and weaknesses, the company could use the strengths and opportunities to mitigate them. For example, the companys established research and development could be used to curb competition by coming up with innovative products from time to time. The efficient management can also be used to prevent loss of data through implementing proper control measures and to avoid losses which could exemplify the situation caused by the financial crisis. References