morality of capital punishment Essay Example for Free

morality of capital punishment Essay 1) How would Kant reason with the morality of capital punishment? Describe how deontological ethics would determine whether it is morally permissible Kant is an advocate of the idea that the morality of an action is to be determined not by the extent of the pleasure or pain an act produces. Consider for example the imposition of capital punishment. According to Kant, if the utility of imposing capital punishment will be our guide then we will be doing a serious crime against humanity. Justice will not be served if we will subject to capital punishment a convict simply because we aim to deter crime, incapacitate the criminal and protect the society. Instead, capital punishment should be imposed because the person is guilty. It must be stressed that Kant upheld the right of the state to impose capital punishment against those proven guilty of committing heinous crimes. He however argued that the sole criterion and standard should be his guilt and that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed. That reason for this is that when a person commits a crime against another it is as if he is telling the whole world that he wants to be treated the same way. According to Kant, â€Å"If you slander another, you slander yourself; if you steal from another, you steal from yourself; if you strike another, you strike yourself; if you kill another, you kill yourself. (Immanuel Kant, the Right of Punishing) This is the principle otherwise known as the right of retaliation or Jus Talionis. This is actually a restatement of Kant’s Deontological Ethics known as the Categorical Imperative. This is the principle that morality is based on pure reason which is in the nature of an absolute command. Kant states that: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. † (Garth Kemerling) If a person decides to do something to another then he does this thinking that the same should be a universal law. In effect murderers are saying that this is how people should be treated, including himself. Thus, if a person commits murder then he must also die. There is no other substitute for such a heinous crime except capital punishment. It is only by taking away the life of the person who committed the crime of murder that justice will be restored. 2. How would Mill determine if capitol punishment is morally justified? Describe how Utilitarian Ethics would determine whether capitol punishment is morally permissible Mill, on the other hand, argued that state-sanctioned punishment is justified because of its utility. There is only one standard in determining the morality for the imposition of capital punishment – that is its consequence. If capital punishment will most likely produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness then the punishment is justified. But if there are other options that would produce a greater balance of happiness over unhappiness, then that option should be chosen and the imposition of capital punishment is unjustified. In simpler terms, the idea is that if we weigh the positive effects of capital punishment as against its negative effects and the positive effects outweighs the negative ones then it has to be imposed. This theory somewhat looks forward and determines the positive impact of the act to the society. According to Mill, capital punishment is the most humane punishment possible for someone who has committed a heinous crime. A quick and painless death is always better than working in hard labor while in prison for the rest of the life of the convict, to wit: â€Å"What comparison can there really be, in point of severity, between consigning a man to the short pang of a rapid death, and immuring him in a living tomb, there to linger out what may be a long life in the hardest and most monotonous toil, without any of its alleviations or rewardsdebarred from all pleasant sights and sounds, and cut off from all earthly hope, except a slight mitigation of bodily restraint, or a small improvement of diet. (John Stuart Mill) Capital Punishment is also beneficial for the society because it deters the commission of the crime not only by the convict himself but by other persons as well. It sends a clear message to would-be murderers that the state has a strong policy against crime. Although it may not be able to deter all hardened criminals, but it is capable of preventing persons other than criminals from committ ing crimes. Capital punishment will also provide a closure to the agony of the relatives of the victims and satisfy their grievance for their relative. Conclusion Both philosophers argue in favor of the morality of capital punishment. Their conclusions are the same only that their premises start from different end. For Kant, capital punishment should be allowed against those who commit heinous crimes simply because they are guilty. For Mill, capital punishment should be imposed because it is better for the convict and the society as well.

Gawain in Wace, Lazamon, and Alliterative Morte Arturo: A Cultural Comparison :: Essays Papers

Gawain in Wace, Lazamon, and Alliterative Morte Arturo: A Cultural Comparison Martin B. Shichtman, in his essay on Wace and Layamon, describes history as "the transcribing of the illusions of an age" (1987, 106). He states that for many scholars in the Middle Ages, translating histories was not so much a matter of setting down, word for word, what were considered to be "hard facts," but of expounding on the truths behind the material, as they were relevant to the time and audience for which they were written. This often involved the omission of some material from the primary source, the addition of new material to it, and the reinterpretation of events and attitudes expressed in the work. The figure of Gawain throughout Arthurian literature is an interesting one; he appears in more texts as a secondary character than any other knight named, and often gains glory even at the expense of the main hero (Busby 1980, 5). The first characteristic which separates him from the other knights is his relationship to Arthur: it is usually stated that he is Arthur's sister's son, a kinship that is found from William of Malmesbury's Gesta Regum Anglorum (c. 1125) and Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136) onward (Busby 1980, 31). However, it is notable that Gawain often seems more like a type than an individual; in Old French literature he is never the subject of a biographical romance, as are most of the other knights, he never has one particular lady's name associated with him, and he is frequently used as a constant against which other knights are judged, the perfect embodiment of good qualities, more a symbol of perfection than an actual person (Busby 1980, 7 ). Because of this, he makes an especially good study when looking at what an author considered to be "perfection" within his society. In the various ways in which Gawain is portrayed, he often serves as a focal point from which to observe some of the cultural changes and ulterior motives present in the legends of which he is a part. The basic story of Arthur (and Gawain) found in Geoffrey's Historia was later translated and reworked many times: by Wace in the Norman French Roman de Brut, in an Anglo-Norman fragment, by Layamon in the Early Middle English Brut, and in the Middle English Alliterative Revival piece the Morte Arthure (the AMA), among others.

Ethical Healthcare Issues Essay

Ethical dilemmas in health care are often the most difficult to navigate. Quite often the life of a person depends on the decision made when a challenge arises. This is certainly the case regarding patients in a permanent vegetative state. These cases have provoked very strong, opposing opinions throughout the medical community. Generating a definitive answer to how a facility handles these situations is extremely important to ensure appropriate ethical policy is followed throughout the care or termination of medical services for a person in a permanent vegetative state. Four ethical principles assist in guiding the ethical conversation: autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Autonomy Preserving a patient’s autonomy is a standard ethical policy for health care providers. Examples of how doctors and facilities protect a patient’s right to independence include Advance Directives, the Patient Self-Determination Act, and HIPAA. â€Å"The problem is that vegetative patients are not competent to refuse continued treatment, and there is concern about how best to protect them from treatment that they would probably refuse if they could† (Jennett, 2002, p. 356). A patient who has the unforeseen misfortune of entering into the permanent vegetative state may not have the chance to express their stance through an Advance Directive on how he or she wish to proceed medically, therefore stripping him or her of the right to autonomy. Some patients may have expressed their wishes informally to their family members and loved ones, such as the desire to donate organs when the time comes. If the decision were made to end medical care in a more direct and rapid way, organs would have a better chance of becoming used to help others, which would restore some of the patient’s autonomy (Wade, 2001). Most people would rather donate their organs for the benefit of others, rather than remain in an unconscious state, when given the choice. Unfortunately, these patients are not given a chance to voice that opinion. Nonmaleficence Nonmeleficence is the ethical principle to do no harm. It could be argued that a person in a permanent vegetative state feels nothing, and that poses the question regarding whether or not one can do harm to someone who does not feel anything emotionally or physically (Wade, 2001). In addition, continued treatment actually may be doing harm to the patient. â€Å"There have been many declarations that survival in a permanent vegetative state is not a benefit to the patient, some regarding it as a fate worse than death† (Jennett, 2002, p. 356). There are opposing viewpoints that believe patients in a vegetative state actually may be aware of their surroundings. According to Hope (2011) a study confirmed, â€Å"patients thought to be in a permanently ‘vegetative’ state may still be able to think and communicate† (para. 1). Although this may sound hopeful for loved ones, for some patients being aware of surroundings but not able to move or communicate is doing more harm to them. Would it be more nonmaleficent to end their suffering if they have poor quality of life? Beneficence The philosophical question beneficence raises is will an unknowing patient benefit from an act of good (Wade, 2001)? The patient is not aware of any kind or unkind act done to him or her in an unconscious state. Ongoing treatment could bring about a recovery, but a patient may not view this as beneficent. The state that their body and mind would be in and the quality of life they would have is questionable for whether or not keeping the patient alive was actually doing him or her any good. Beneficence can also relate to the survivors of the patient. In many cases, it is the willingness of the family to keep the patient alive in the hopes of a miracle even if it is against what the doctor’s recommend (Brody, 1988). Is it beneficent to the patient’s family to remain in a state of ongoing grief when there is no improvement in sight? Justice Justice is the most applied ethical principle for arguing for or against termination of treatment for patients in a permanent vegetative state. One argument that can be raised is whether or not it is fair to continue to allocate resources for a person in this state when it limits the care and resources other patients could be receiving (Wade, 2001). If a person is in a permanent unconscious state and doctors have determined that he or she will not regain consciousness or live a normal life, should the care and services he or she are using be given to a patient who has a greater chance of recovery. In addition, consider the cost to society for paying for the ongoing resources and care these patients will need (Brody, 1988). Is it fair to impose that cost on others? Instead, the funds could be used to save the lives of others. However, if the policy became to end patient’s care once they have reached a permanent vegetative state it could be said that attitudes may change toward other severely disabled people and the ongoing care they receive (Wade, 2001). Provider’s compassion may begin to be diminished over time through seeing the termination of care on these permanent vegetative patients, and it may desensitize them in a way that would make it difficult for them to provide any ongoing care to disabled people. Terminating an individual’s life whether it is physician-assisted or merely stopping food sources will always pose huge ethical concerns, even if the patient is in a permanent vegetative state and cannot express emotion or feel pain. Forming an opinion on the issue is not easy, and there are many parties who have interest in the outcome such as the patient, their family, the staff providing care, the facility providing care, and society. By applying the four ethical principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice healthcare administrators can begin to form an ethical opinion to shape the way their facility approaches the many challenges permanent vegetative patients cause. References Brody, B. A. (1988). Ethical questions raised by the persistent vegitative patient. The Hastings Center Report, 18(1), 33-37. Hope, J. (2001, November 10). Vegitative patients ‘can still think and respond’. Daily Mail, 0(0), 28. Jennett, B. (2002). The vegitative state. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 73(4), 355-357. Wade, D. T. (2001). Ethical issue in diagnosis and management of patients in the permanent vegetative state. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 322(7282), 352-354.

Arroz Con Coco

Arroz Con Coco There are lots and lots of Hispanic type foods. What’s your favorite Hispanic type food? Mines is the famous â€Å"arroz con coco†. A lot of people love that dish. Now let me tell you why I love it so much. Before I start explaining my reasons, I bet your thinking†¦ What the heck is â€Å"arroz con coco†? Well basically it is just â€Å"rice with coconut†. Yes, coconut weird combination I know. But I’m used to it; I’ve been eating it since I was like born.I guess that’s why I love it so much. My grandma makes it the best. To me no one can do it as good as she does. Arroz con coco is just made up of two cups of coconut milk (either fresh or canned), two cups of long-grain rice, one teaspoon of salt, five ounces of Panela or†¦ just eight tbsp. of raw cane sugar, four cups of water and finally 1/3 cup of raisins(optional). All that make up a being plate of deliciousness.Off the Caribbean coast, Colombia, Venezuela , Panama, and Puerto Rico. Arroz con coco is a typical side dish for fries. But make it a little different. It is also served in places like Thailand and southern regions of India. But of course every country does it there own special way. In my family they cook arroz con coco every gathering, every holiday, occasion, everything. And everybody loves it. You should try it someday, if not your going to miss out on a lot .

6 Creative Job Search Tips You Can Learn From Hacks That Worked

6 Creative Job Search Tips You Can Learn From Hacks That Worked In a job search, it’s hard to go wrong with a solid set of basics: resume, cover letter, firm handshake. But sometimes getting the job you want means getting a little creative, and thinking outside the applicant box. After all, if a hiring manager is going to look at hundreds (and maybe thousands?) of job applications, it can’t hurt to stand out from the crowd if the time and place is right. Let’s look at six daring aspirants who stepped outside the usual- and succeeded. Then, see if you can use some smarts and creativity to adapt their stunts into something that will wow hiring managers in your field. 1. Let them come to you.Frustrated with his post-college job search, Andrew Horner decided to turn the tables and get potential employers to come to him. He created a website listing some pertinent details about himself, and closing with an application for potential employers. His risky gamble ultimately paid off. If you can think of a way to bring people to your r esume, rather than the other way around, go for it.2. Put your face where they can’t miss it.Designer Miguel Rato showcased his skills by putting his face and professional stats on a mocked-up milk carton to grab the attention of potential employers, making sure to include his skills, experience, and bio. Having seen what they were, indeed, â€Å"missing,† a potential employer soon found him and offered him a job. This one is over the top, but the lesson you can take from it is that creativity, when done well, is usually rewarded.3. Tailor your pitch as specifically as possible.Designer Eric Gandhi wanted to work at Google, so he decided to make his resume look like a Google search results page to show how well he could fit in with the Google vibe. Eventually, the graphic made its way to a Google employee, who helped Eric score an interview. If you make sure to let a company know that you’re not simply copy/pasting your application materials and that you really want to work  there, you’re sure to stand out more.4. Think big.While of course you should always reach for the stars and put everything you have into every application, one guy took this very literally. Recent grad Adam Pacitti was frustrated with his job search, and decided to crowdsource the process. He put up a billboard in his native England, saying simply, â€Å"I spent my last  £500 on this billboard. Please give me a job.† The billboard linked to a webpage containing his resume, and ultimately got him hired (not to mention a lot of attention).5. Say it in song.While karaoke in a job interview is usually frowned not the best idea, account executive Arielle LaGuette decided to get attention for her job application by writing a song about the company. After posting her custom song to YouTube and having a friend at the company pass it along to the powers that be, LaGuette followed up with her (more traditional) resume and cover letter. Presumably the song was c atchy, because she got the gig. Don’t go  too out there for more traditional companies, but if you think your dream gig would be open to some kookiness, it just might work in your favor.6. Dress your resume for success.You know the old saying, â€Å"dress for the job you want, not the job you have?† That kind of aspirational dress code can work for resumes, too. Luis Magalhaes was seeking a job that went beyond his experience, so went for the fanciest package possible: a book-like cover, high-quality paper, and a minimalist design. And it worked- his care and attention to his resume made his application stand out, and scored him an interview.

How to Make Red Fire

How to Make Red Fire Road flares contain strontium nitrate in addition to other ingredients (potassium nitrate or potassium perchlorate, sawdust, charcoal, maybe some sulfur, magnesium, or aluminum). Strontium salts burn bright red. Obtaining Strontium Salts If you want to make red fire and arent in a position to order strontium salts its easy to harvest material from a road flare. Heres what you do: Take a pocket knife or steak knife and carefully cut open the cardboard tube of the flare.Pour the powder into a bowl or jar.You can sprinkle this powder sparingly onto a campfire or fireplace fire.You can store unused powder in a paper bag. Keep it dry, but away from heat and flame. How To Create the Fire Alternatively, you can ignite the powder directly. Put about a tablespoon of powder onto a fire-proof surface. Pour a little accelerant onto the base of your powder (try ​Heet, which is methanol). Light the accelerant. If you are using methanol, it will burn out and the powder will begin to burn. The flame will be very bright. You may wish to cut the mixture with powdered sugar or charcoal before lighting it.

Financial Markets and Institutions Assignment February 2015

Financial Markets and Institutions February 2015 - Assignment Example ging in the discussion, it is important to note that the role of the central bank and the extent of its involvement may vary according to the presence of different stakeholders and varying legislations. For instance, the US central bank does not regulate the financial sector while on the other hand other governmental parts have to approve the intervention measures of Japan’s central bank. This paper outlines the importance of publications of the central bank and related forecasts of the macroeconomic trends of an economy. The paper shows that information and views of the central bank are important to stakeholders such as forecasting agencies and market players. Different economists agree that the pivotal role of the central bank is macroeconomic stabilization. The macroeconomic stabilisation role involves the central bank keeping in check the exchange rate, price levels, and payment systems in the domestic market. Overdependence on business cycles as well as operations of multinational enterprises in the domestic market may pose a serious financial threat to an economy. These factors may distort prices, including foreign exchange rates and interest rates, which can create insolvency, severe fluctuations, and disruption of the domestic economy. For an economy to achieve economic development there has to be financial stability otherwise, the economy will become fragile, reduce agent’s confidence, and cause moral hazards. The lack of financial stability leads to borrowers obtaining lower wealth than normal proceeds from an investment project. On the other hand, low agent confidence and the unpredictability of future trends may bore higher agency costs and undermine the performance of the investment sector. Driffill et al (2003) agree that financial stability and monetary policy go hand in hand. Driffill et al (2003) base this argument on the fact that the activities of the central bank aim at stabilising price fluctuations and smoothing interest rates, which is