Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay The possibility of the existence of right and wrong has been a subject of discussion among philosophers for centuries and many theories have been presented to answer the question of whether morals exist. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the great German philosopher is one who has contributed profoundly to the world of philosophy and especially in regards to his thought on the subject of morality. Kant disagreed with Hume that morality is objective and not subjective. Kant wanted to propose a pure moral philosophy, one of absolute necessity and independent of all human feelings, because if it not so, it will not be absolute and binding upon every person. The purpose of morality is to affect our behaviour and that it is reason that makes humans moral and not feelings or preferences. We shall explore some of the a priori foundations of morality paying special attention to Kants categorical imperative and what exactly this was designed to solve in moral theory. To have moral worth, an act must be done in the name of ones duty, the moral worth of this act is taken from the principle from which its determined, not from what it aims to accomplish and that duty is necessary when one is acting out of respect for the law. A shopkeeper giving the buyer the right amount of change because the law states one must not steal, this is an example of a legal action because rules are being followed but for the wrong reasons. A shopkeeper returning the correct amount of change because it belongs to the customer is an example of a moral action because the action is being done for the right reasons. Kant adopts the view of morality as an unconditional ought, as opposed to a conditional ought By this he means that one should perform an act without considerations of the merits that that act may produce, in comparison with acting in order for something else to happen. This implies that acts that are moral are those that are done without being done for the sake of the merit or reward that they may bring to the person. Kant claimed that moral behaviour does not guarantee the attainment of happiness; rather that good will is crucial for actually deserving happiness. Nothing in the worldindeed nothing even beyond the worldcan possibly be conceived which could be called good without qualification except a good will (Kant 1964 p. 27). By the good will Kant means that a good will is not good because what it performs or what it effects but that it is simply good in itself. The good will is the will which acts out of respect for the moral law and from freedom, but actions such as these, if motivated by selfish or emotional factors, will then have no moral worth. There is a great deal of stress placed on the intention behind the act, consider giving money to charity for the sake of helping out, without any need for any ego gratification or such self-serving purposes, this is an instance of good will. Kants most well known contribution to ethical discussion is the categorical imperative. There are three key propositions that form the basis of Kants ethics. They are: act only on that maxim (principle) through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law, act in a way that you never treat humanity as a means to an end and that you act as if you were a lawmaker member of a kingdom of ends. These three principles form the categorical imperative. For Kant the source of moral justification is the categorical imperative. It presents a method to determine whether or not an act may be considered to be morally correct. An imperative is either categorical or hypothetical. Kant writes, If now the action is good only as a means to something else, then the imperative is hypothetical; if it is conceived as good in itself and consequently as being necessarily the principle of a will which of itself conforms to reason, then it is categorical . . . . (Kant 1989 p. 31) As humans we all have subjective impulses desires and inclinations that may contradict the dictates of reason. These desires, whether they are material objects or gratify us in a sexual or psychological way, may in fact contradict the dictates of reason. Therefore we experience the claim of reason as an imperative, a command to act in a particular way. Kant views a person to be most free when they can overcome their temptations and it is this freedom that helps us make sense of morality. The categorical imperative emphasises the means for completing an action and places little meaning on the end result of an action, whereas the hypothetical imperative places much emphasis on the end result of an action. It is an imperative because it dictates what we should do, disregarding our desires. As rational beings we are guided through life by laws and principles, in the form of an imperative which simply orders us you must do this regardless of any desires which we may have. Hypothetical imperatives apply to us if we have a particular desire, go to university if you want to become a philosopher. An act becomes imperative when it ought to be applied to everyone, hence the basic statement of the categorical imperative being to act only on maxims that you could will to become universal laws of human nature (Kant). A categorical imperative would command you to do X inasmuch as X is intrinsically right, that is, right in and of itself, aside from any other considerationsno ifs, no conditions, no strings attached . . . a categorical imperative is unconditional (no ifs) and independent of any things, circumstances, goals, or desires. It is for this reason that only a categorical imperative can be a universal and binding law, that is, a moral law, valid for all rational beings at all times. (Miller 1984 p. 462) Immorality then would be to make exceptions for ourselves by acting only on maxims that we cannot universalize out of our own will. It is those who act in such a way and then expect others to act different to our way, who are immoral. The categorical imperative acts as a formula for universal law; by stating the prerequisites that an act must have to be considered moral, it presents a comparison for people to be able to see if they are acting morally, this being to act only on principles that you could will to become universal laws by which all who wish to act morally must comply with. It determines whether any act is right or wrong, so to do the opposite would be contradictory and this would then be an act that is not morally correct. An example that Kant puts forward in Good Will, Duty, and the Categorical Imperative, (1989) to depict this is of a man who is in extreme despair and contemplating suicide. By taking his own life he would be universalizing the principle that in order to love himself he should end his life (by doing this he is trying to improve his life by ending the despair he is feeling). Killing himself would in fact do nothing to improve his life because he would have no life at all! So you see how these contradictory acts undermine those that may be classified as morally right. Although Kants categorical imperative has been widely read and accepted by some it has had criticism. Some philosophers have thought of it as absolutist, being too black and white. But when thinking of humanity and society in which we reside, looking at morality according to the categorical imperative allows a standard rule for everyone to follow. If it was alright for some people to steal and not others this we could not call a moral and fair society. There needs to be a rule or comparison so that what acts are right and what are wrong may be differentiated from each other and the wrong acts then dealt with accordingly. Some have asked how only an action which one had no desire to do could ever have any moral worth. This to me does not seem to be what is trying to be expressed in Kantian ethics. It is not the desire per se that makes an act immoral, I think it seems that it is more the fact of this desire being the reason the act is conducted in the first place. If the act is done to fulfil a personal desire or attain that which one desires, then the act is immoral, but if the act is done for the good of the act in itself, for example donating money to an orphanage because one desires to help, then this is still what Kant would regard as a morally right act. Although Kantianism has had a profound effect on some people, producing many elaborations, translations and thought, for some it is not feasible once placed together as a whole. Kant had some very profound ideas but looking at society tody I would think he was definitely on the right thought pattern. Society and we as humans, with our impulses whether good or bad, need a clarified ethics to follow to help us separate what may be considered right and wrong in a moral sense, and it must be fair and the same for everyone, this is what Kants categorical imperative has done by creating a universal law or rule of thumb for morality. References: Kant, I. 1989 Good Will, Duty, and the Categorical Imperative. ed. Serafini, A. Ethics and Social Concern, the categorical imperative. New York: Paragon House Publishers Kant, I. 1964 Groundwork and the Metaphysics of Morals, ed. Herbert J. Paton, New York: HarperCollins. Miller, Ed. L. 1984 Questions that Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy, 3rd ed. Colorado: McGraw-Hill, Inc. http://sguthrie. net/kant. htm (accessed on 12/10/04).

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Separate Spheres Concerning Work Life and Family Life Industrial revolution is a time reigning from the 18th to 19th century. The era was marked with the major changes in the transport industry, mining, manufacturing and agriculture. This was due to the profound impact of the early agriculture on the cultural and socioeconomic aspects concerning people’s lives. The result of the industrial revolution spread throughout North America, Europe and the entire world with time. This marks the major turning point in early life and history of man as the industrial revolution influenced almost all aspects of human life in the present civilization. There was a rapid population growth and improved standards of living due to the advancement of the industrial revolution (Triece, 2007). This paper is going to cover all aspects of family life and work life as separate spheres and how they create both men and women experiences today. With the advancement of the ancient technology, family life shifted to women expectation while the men dominated the business life. This is highly evident as most of the duties at during the ancient time required lots of determination and work force. Most of the work was so tiresome for women due to their nature of being less masculine. In this regard, work life is a balance of concepts that usually entails good prioritizing with an individual’s lifestyle and work. These are the choices that individuals make in their lives concerning different roles and duties in the community. A dramatic change is evident in both the demographic profiles and labor markets. Most of The families have embarked on the dual earner kind of living from the traditional mode that views the male as the only breadwinner. Relevant to this, the c... ...refore, the emergence of politics, religion and male public figures promoted the ideology of women as a civilizing force within the family home. For example, men took part in active war front in the Second World War while the women sustained them with their daily food supply and provision of medical care. Some women roles declined to the extent of acting as spies’ and providing the relevant information to the men in battle. In conclusion, the separate spheres mainly acted as a reminder to both genders concerning their duties and roles concerning the entire society expectations towards them (Tronto, 2013). References Triece, M. E. (2007). On the picket line: Strategies of working-class women during the depression. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. Tronto, J. C. (2013). Caring democracy: Markets, equality, and justice. New York: New York University Press.

The Phenomenon Of Red Tide Environmental Sciences Essay

Red tide is a phenomenon that affects the H2O by colourising it ruddy and do a decease of a marine being because of increasing the CO2 in the H2O. So, in this paper we will discourse the job of ruddy tide and how much it affects the Mariness and human life. Besides, we will look at some possible ways in how we can cut down the effects. Then, we will concentrate on the ruddy tide phenomena when it appears in UAE seashores, and how the UAE authorities reacts on it. Introduction: There are many beings which are populating in the marine ecosystem and there are many jobs that can impact the beings in the ocean or sea. One of these job is ruddy tide which caused by microscopic Marine algae. Algal blooms may happen in fresh water every bit good as Marine environments.In general we can state that ruddy tide occur throughout the universe, and it impacting marine ecosystems in many topographic points like Scandinavia, Japan, the Caribbean, Florida and South Pacific. Besides, it is non recent job or issue because the first clip when scientist foremost documented a ruddy tide in 1947 along Gulf of Florida. However, similar event appear in Florida since the mid 1800s. As a consequence, ruddy tide consequence in really large sum of loses around the universe by killing the Marine being, causes diseases to human, and loss in economic sciences. So, we will concentrate on understanding the ruddy tide job and its effects and so suggests some possible solutions to cut down it s impact. Therefore, what is the impact of the ruddy tide and what are the ways to cut down it?Definition of Red Tide:Microscopic Marine algae:Figure sea colored ruddy by ruddy tide phenomenaPlanktonic beings are the chief cause that makes the sea H2O colored ruddy ; they are organisms found on the surface of the sea ( as the figure1 shows ) . Algae is one type of planktonic beings which is good beginning of nutrient for other marine beings.There are toxic and non toxic types of microscopic Marine algae. Red tide is appears when one type of harmful algae or more than one type are addition in its figure all of a sudden. This type of microscopic Marine algae is called Karenia brevis ( K. brevis ) and it can alter the colour of the H2O to red-brown colour and bring forth a toxic substances called breventoxin. This ( K. brevis ) algae can turn rapidly and so cover big country of seaaa‚ ¬a„?s surface. So, the colour of the sea will alter to red colour so it called ruddy tid e. But some clip ( K. brevis ) making bloom that make ocean appear ruddy or brown and in other clip the colour could be green, bluish, violet yellow or orange and the H2O can even stay to be at its usual colour. So, these different colour of ruddy tide is depend on the type of harmful algal bloom but the most common colour is red so, it called ruddy tide. The harmful algal blooms ( HABs ) , which are algal bloom events affecting toxic or otherwise harmful phytoplankton such as dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium and Karenia. In add-on, the toxic algae which instance red tide can be divided into three chief groups which contain about 300 types of micro Marine algae. The first group can bring forth toxins critical and represents 25 % of this type of algae and it affect on fish and peopleaa‚ ¬a„?s wellness. The 2nd group can cut down the sum of the O from the H2O that has red tide. The 3rd group combines the two old groups.Algal bloom formation:Alimentary beginnings can play an of import function in impacting algal bloom formation, because algae tend to turn really rapidly under high alimentary handiness. So, when these stuffs like peculiarly P, extra C and nitrogen semen from agricultural dirts to H2O that contains algae aid to a sudden rise in the figure of algae and other plankton.But each alga is ephemeral, and the consequence is a high concentration of dead organic affair which starts to disintegrate and so algal bloom start Concentrated and deposited on the outer surface of the H2O, whet her in the oceans and seas or rivers and its concentrations may make 1000000s of cells per millilitre. Besides, sudden and speedy visual aspect of harmful algal bloom is ensuing from coastal upwelling. And this harmful algal bloom ( HAB ) is causes negative impacts to other beings because it can bring forth natural toxins.Time of visual aspect:Red tide can look at any clip and on any month of the twelvemonth but most likely to happen on August-November. So, some scientist said that it most common in summer and autumn, but they have been reported in every month of the twelvemonth in different topographic points. Red tide can be transported from one topographic point to another and that can go on when it transported inshore or along shore by tide, air current and currents. The ruddy tide phenomenon experienced by most of the beaches in the assorted maritime zones which usually remain a upper limit of three yearss, but if found suited support such as mill, waste and sewerage and so they remain active and will go more aggravated. We consider the phenomenon of ruddy tides as an environmental job because it can transported by air current and do many external respiration job for the people and there are many other bad affect for it on the marine beings like it can bring forth toxins which affect the nervous system in fish.The impact of Red Tide:First, the impact of ruddy tide on marine beings:Fisherise is something of import to human because it provide him with nutrient necessary for life and when you see the ( ruddy tide ) This enlargement is a proliferation of algae and plankton in a immense measure and bulky as it helps increase the sum of the fish in the sea and oceans every bit good as marine beings staged provender these Fungis. AS a consequence, lead to the decease and tunnel of big measures of fish all sorts on the beach ; therefore, there are three chief grounds for that: Natural devastation: Because of the big figure of the algae and plankton on the H2O the gills of the fish cloge with marine plankton as a consequence, lack the ability of fish to pull out O. Drain and O ingestion: When the proliferation of algae and plankton are excessively exhausted nutrient deficits, therefore the fish and Marine beings will decease and disintegrate and burrow on beach and besides the figure of bacteriums will increase. Direct toxic condition: Some algae produce toxic substances critical dislocation of the nervous system in fish, taking to them to decease and tunnel.Second, the impact of ruddy tide on the Worlds:Diseases of the respiratory system: This is produce by inspiration homo to the mizzle of the sea which is loaded with toxins released by algae and plankton and the symptoms are firing esthesis in the olfactory organ and pharynx, Tingling in the lingua and lips, Besides they can be infected by asthma and allergic reactions in the thorax. Injury of the digestive system and nutrient toxic condition: Symptoms is purging or sickness, spasms and terrible diarrhoea and that is achieved by eating fish that contain their organic structure on toxic algae m Besides can infected with human nutrient toxic condition by eating fish caught in the clip of ruddy tide for the content of toxic substances in their organic structures on the other manus the homo can be poisoned through the sea of toxic algae and plankton and that for the states that rely on sea H2O desalinization and straight exposed to toxicant. Complete palsy: That achieved through human ingestion of shellfish and toxins that are concentrated indoors do non vanish in the cookery causation diseases people may decease or endure other diseases. Diseases and tegument Burnss: Algae and plankton secrete some secernments may do Burnss and fungous tegument particularly for beach departers.Wayss for cut downing the impact of the ruddy tide:Obviously, That Human activities led to the corruptness of the marine environment.thus led to many amendss to him and other beings. So, it ‘s clip to take serious actions to cut down the harm of ruddy tides through some of the points which help to get the better of the ruddy tide: 1 aa‚ ¬ † Work on the application of the Torahs which regulating the constitution of tourer resorts. 2- Wastewater intervention and Subtractions subscribing an understanding between the states that overlooking on the same seashore to organize among them. 3- Experience and exchange information so as non to impact the piscaries. 4- Spread consciousness among citizens and fishermen through the media. 5- Continuous preparation for workers in the fish farms, and utilizing the modern methods in nutrition. 6- Establishment the follow-up plans on the short periods of clip. 7- Punishment throws the waste of agricultural and industrial in the sea and seek to utilize the lower limit of fertiliser. 8- Spray clay over the countries that show the plankton or algae that cause ruddy tide.Red Tide in the UAE:Figure 2.Red tide caused the decease of 1200 dozenss of fishRed tide causes several jobs along the UAE seashores. Peoples who lived in coastal countries suffered from a big sum of fish deceases and caused a bad odors. In late of 2008, ruddy tide phenomenon has been visited the UAE seashores. In add-on, statistics shows that the ruddy tide caused the deceases of 1200 dozenss of fish in August 2008 ( as the figure2 shows ) . The researches that have been done by the Ministry of Environment and Water in some H2O samples taken from different countries shows that there are eight species of algae causes the phenomenon of ruddy tide. These species included some types that are toxic to fishes. As a consequence, it caused the deceases of big measures of fish and crustaceans on the shores of the east seashore. Harmonizing to Dr. Salem Aldahri- the manager of environmental federal authority- said that the consequence of the chemical analysis confirms increasing of phosphate salts concentration and Nitrate in the H2O ; these are the chief Foods that Stimulates the growing of algae that causes the ruddy tide phenomenon. Therefore, the UAE hosted at that clip experts from the Regional Organization for Protection of Marine Environment to discourse this phenomenon to cut down the effects and to halt the strength increasing it to neighbouring states. However, the physical researches consequences that the marine environ ment of the UAE was ideal to the growing of algae that causes the ruddy tide. Besides, the temperature was suited, every bit good as the high concentration of dissolved O in surface H2O and low O concentration in the deepnesss. Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment and Water has taken since the start of the phenomenon several steps in order to cut down its negative impacts in UAE seashores. In 2003, the major ruddy tide job was recorded in the UAE in Mussafah Channel ; where a immense sum of fish deceases. As a solution of that job they opened the channel in order to hold better circulation of H2O. Furthermore, there are several studies published in newspapers said the phenomenon has plagued neighbouring emirates Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah for months, killing 100s of tones of fish. Furthermore, Dubai beaches which is a great touristaa‚ ¬a„?s finish. Therefore, ruddy tide caused important job in the economic system Dubai. So, the UAE authorities gives instructions t o fishermen non to angle during the ruddy tide continuance. Furthermore, they made workshops and talks to fishermen and the public people about the impact of the ruddy tide and rede them to avoid swimming and diving in the sea particularly kids ; because the ratio of the CO2 is really high. Besides, sitting in the beach will do antsy roseola in the tegument.

How Graduate Admission Committees Evaluate Applications

Graduate programs receive dozens or even hundreds of applications and many are from students with stellar qualifications. Can admissions committees and departments really draw distinctions among hundreds of applicants? A competitive program that receives a large number of applications, such as a doctoral program in clinical  psychology, may receive up to 500 applications. Admissions committees for competitive graduate programs break the review process into several steps. First Step: Screening Does the applicant meet the minimum requirements? Standardized test scores? GPA? Relevant experience? Is the application complete, including admissions essays and recommendation letters? The purpose of this initial review is to ruthlessly weed out applicants. Second Step: First Pass Graduate programs vary, but many competitive programs send batches of applications to faculty for an initial review. Each faculty member may review a set of applications and identify those with promise. Third Step: Batch Review In the next step batches of applications are sent to two to three faculty. At this stage, applications are evaluated with regard to motivation, experience, documentation (essays, letters), and overall promise. Depending on the size of the program and applicant pool the resulting set of applicants is reviewed by a larger set of faculty, or interviewed, or accepted (some programs do not conduct interviews). Fourth Step: Interview Interviews may be conducted by phone or in-person. Applicants are evaluated with regard to their academic promise, thinking and problem-solving skills, and social competence. Both faculty and graduate students evaluate applicants. Final Step: Post Interview and Decision Faculty meet, gather evaluations, and make admissions decisions. The specific process varies depending on the size of the program and number of applicants. Whats the takeaway message? Make sure that your application is complete. If youre missing a recommendation letter, essay, or transcript, your application will not make it through the initial screening.