All categories - 26 July 2007

I have just been thinking about it.

2007-07-26 23:51:20 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

a. 0 -1
b. 2-3
c. no more then 5

2007-07-26 23:50:23 · 12 answers · asked by jobees 6 in Polls & Surveys

2007-07-26 23:50:23 · 12 answers · asked by nutter953 1 in Maintenance & Repairs

2007-07-26 23:50:07 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Celebrities

in bunk beds?

2007-07-26 23:50:03 · 35 answers · asked by Uncle Elroy 3 in Polls & Surveys

Genesis 6-7:
God drowns everything, including every newborn, infant, toddler, and child.

Matthew 24: 38-39:
God drowned them without warning.

If you think worshipping that thing for eternity is a "carrot", think again.

If you think being condemned by a monster is a "stick", think again.

You may hate humanity enough to worship the thing that tried to wipe it out, but there are those who love humanity, compassion and justice who refuse to bend knee to a god-construct so immature and malicious as to make Satan blush.

Why do you worship such an atrocity-monger as this thing in your bible?

2007-07-26 23:49:51 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-07-26 23:49:33 · 3 answers · asked by secret_smile4u_only 3 in Other - Music

2007-07-26 23:49:28 · 3 answers · asked by mn 1 in Pain & Pain Management

Hi there i stayed up till 3:30 am doing this philosophy essay and my head is a bit scrambled from it. can you tell me what you think and if there are any improvements that i could make( apart from rewriting it as I`ve passed the point of no return) any info would be very much appreciated ,why thank you!!



When considering the two case studies that have been used as examples in the essay question it can be seen that the two schools of thought of Kantianism and Utilitarianism will always cause conflict. However each is applicable and should be contemplated when making moral judgements in differing scenarios.

The Utilitarian viewpoint is one of making decisions based on the consequences that will possibly occur and how these results can be best suited to bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people. This quest for happiness could also be construed as the search for the least amount of suffering. In case study one, the Utilitarian stance would more than likely be to give all money to cancer research and render the wishes of the dying millionaire and his drug addict niece irrelevant. Utilitarianism would favour the amount of good that was possible by undoubtedly bettering cancer diagnosis, cancer care and cancer treatment and in the long term, the hope of an eventual cure.

Kantianism would differ in that absolute rules would have to be followed and that the executor of the dying mans millions would, out of his sense of duty, not be able to lie about who the benefactor was and thus the money would be attributed to his niece regardless of any consequences that follow. If this case study is viewed by the premise that it must be one decision or the other, and that there is no grey area - for example that the money could be split and that there could be a certain amount of happiness for all parties - then the common sense that is inherent in most observers is that the Utilitarian view is correct and should be followed religiously. Although it can be said that refusing a dying man his final wish is a bad thing, in many cases in life and society, a person must do some bad to bring about some good. It is the measure of each of these two variables that determine whether or not certain things are morally right or morally wrong.
Consider if you will, you have a drug addict friend who has been through all rehabilitation and has continually relapsed. Doing this friend a little bit of harm, for example locking him in a room and causing many weeks of brutal suffering and pain from withdrawal, could lead to a fuller longer happier life.

The previous example would seem easy for any sane person to come to a wholly good conclusion but when considering the mightier subject of taking a life which may include such hotly contested issues as euthanasia, abortion and capital punishment more questions are raised than are answered by the twin towers of Kantianism and utilitarianism. What is a life? When does a life become worthwhile? When is it no longer considered a worthy life? Who are the people who have control over a life? These are just a few of the questions that arise whenever debate is opened on one of the subjects mentioned in the previous paragraph. The investigation of these higher questions can be well served by looking closely at case study number two; this scenario requires a deeper amount of thought than the almost obvious answer to case study number one.

Kant`s argument would be that all human life is intrinsically valuable and thus a life should never be taken regardless of any subsequent good that would come from it. In this way Deontology is backward thinking in that it does not look forward to the possible positive consequences only backward to the absolute that life is valuable and should not be taken.

Utilitarians who believe that happiness is the only thing which has intrinsic value would likely view it that two people can be helped and thus seen to suffer less by the killing of one person. Common sense dictates that it is an injustice and a total wrong to kill an innocent person no matter what. This is merely where the debate begins with regards to these two principles as the deeper a person looks into it the more littered with ambiguity the two become until what we are left with is a sort of hybrid view of things.

In case study two, Kant`s views could be interpreted in such a way that you always ought to help others. By doing this, you then relinquish your right to stay alive and thus selflessly give up your own life to save two others. By the same token utilitarian thinkers could understand that by creating a lottery of this type would create widespread fear and panic throughout an entire nation creating a vast amount of unhappiness. Looking at one of the previous cases, lets take abortion for example problems surface at once when Kant`s attitude towards the subject is brought up - a mother does not have the right to unjustly take the life of her unborn child - this leads to all sorts of problems. Consider if the mothers life was known to be at risk if she did not abort. Kantianism would dictate that she simply accept her death as a natural progression and allow the child to be born into a life without a mother. Utilitarians would view the mother’s life as being more important as she is somewhat more sentient and therefore her happiness is paramount This could also be looked at in a different slant in that the potential contribution of the child to society could be extraordinary and that extinguishing that life could bring about a great deal of unhappiness.

In the case of Euthanasia, Kant`s standpoint of never taking a life could lead to a great deal of suffering for an individual who may be confined to a hospital bed in a permanent vegetative state and have no life at all and yet their family members must sit by idly while nothing can be done to end their loved ones suffering. Utilitarians would support the idea of euthanasia if it brings about the general happiness or reduces the overall amount of suffering, but who is to say that the person carrying out the actions of euthanasia on a patient, whether it is passive or non aggressive, doesn’t themselves undergo suffering at the hands of guilt. There are the also the constant advances in medical technologies, treatments and cures which could lead to the recovery of some of these patients.

As can be seen from the case studies and the examples given in this essay, both of these codes of philosophical conduct have their flaws and neither can be followed as dogma. The best a person can hope to do is apply each one to whatever scenario they are faced with and with the aid of the common sense and intuition that is instilled in humanity, choose the one that they feel is the most morally right. What society is left with is a hybrid of the two and it is an individual’s, states or country’s judgement as to which one to apply and where to apply it.













Philosophy Essay
Normative Ethics: Kantianism and Utilitarianism

2007-07-26 23:49:14 · 6 answers · asked by jonnybeanos 2 in Philosophy

I dumped McAfee anti-virus but it still pops up several times a day saying the virus definitions are out of date. I removed the program but this nifty little feature refuses to die.

2007-07-26 23:48:48 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Polls & Surveys

2007-07-26 23:48:43 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Polls & Surveys

My 7th day adventist friend said this is so. She made reference to Moses about God performing miracles through him and how Satan also performed the same miracles throught the magicians???

2007-07-26 23:48:31 · 14 answers · asked by Say It Like You Mean It 4 in Religion & Spirituality

What can you do if a dr. performs surgery and then lies about his findings? He tells you on several occasions that you have a strange growth that can not be explained. He does tell you it isn't cancer so not to worry. I later decide to get a second opinion and with that realize there was never a growth. But something that can easily be explained. What do you do?

2007-07-26 23:48:24 · 5 answers · asked by delagarza01 1 in Other - General Health Care

2007-07-26 23:48:02 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

2007-07-26 23:47:41 · 15 answers · asked by Robijyoti B 2 in Other - Beauty & Style

A man went into a bar and ordered several shots of vodka. By the time the bar was closing, he was wasted. He got up to leave and fell flat on his face. "Well, I don't want the bartender to think I'm drunk, so I'll pretend I tripped and I'll try it again." So he gets up and falls on his face. "Well, the door's not too far away; I'll just crawl." When he gets outside he thinks, "Well, I only live 4 blocks away; I can make it that far." So he stands up and falls on his face. He decides he'll try it 1 block at a time, and at every block he falls flat on his face. Finally he makes it home, stands up and falls on the bed. In the morning his wife wakes him up. "You were drunk again last night, weren't you?" "How did you know?" "The bartender called. He said you left your wheelchair at the bar."

2007-07-26 23:47:35 · 15 answers · asked by MissKittyInTheCity 6 in Polls & Surveys

My fiance and I talked about it and he seems to think it's an insult if I don't take his name. I just don't see why women should have to go through the hassle of changing their names. It's not fair and to me or any other woman. It's quite simply anti-feminist. I don't know what to do with him!

It's not like I would agree to have children, so that's not an issue when it comes to different names.

I just feel like my last name is my family. His last name is his family. We're partners in life, not family members, why do I need to take his name? It's such an out dated patriarchal tradition stemming from the idea of owning females. He just doesn't get how unfair it is even these days when it's more of a hassle than an ownership thing!! How can I convince him that not taking his name is not an insult to his family, but merely respect for my own?

2007-07-26 23:46:56 · 15 answers · asked by skunk pie 5 in Marriage & Divorce

and how many more you want?

2007-07-26 23:46:37 · 8 answers · asked by ||-lil XiMi-|| 3 in Polls & Surveys

!) Tonight we will go for dinner.
2 At night, we wil go for dinner.

2007-07-26 23:46:10 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Words & Wordplay

other pro leagues like nba & nhl & nfl (?) have europeans, no?

2007-07-26 23:45:38 · 16 answers · asked by jor-jor 5 in Baseball

Mothers, Could you please share your cleaning and Organizing tips?
It seems like everytime I turn around I am stepping in something sticky or wet and I am constantly picking up toys. My house is not very big and I am not an organized type of person I really need some tips on how to organize. Thank you!!!

2007-07-26 23:45:21 · 6 answers · asked by Mom22 5 in Cleaning & Laundry

2007-07-26 23:44:32 · 3 answers · asked by curiosity 4 in Celebrities

does it reduce your sexual appetite in the long run...? for a virgin does it affect how you feel when u start having sex? does it have any effect whatsoever on a woman...in the long run?

2007-07-26 23:44:07 · 12 answers · asked by wild angel 1 in Women's Health

Who will win...
Who would you be betting for?
and
Who do you like more? why?

2007-07-26 23:43:38 · 18 answers · asked by ♥becauseisme♥ 5 in Polls & Surveys

who really does the crop circles and why??

2007-07-26 23:43:13 · 12 answers · asked by Fader's Girl 6 in Earth Sciences & Geology

2007-07-26 23:43:06 · 1 answers · asked by snuffles1219 1 in Philosophy

in the series six million dollar man, durind the power up sequence of the xplane
"ecs arm switch is on....."
"landing rocket arm switch is on,...."
"here comes the throttle......"

WTF ARE "chucker breakers"??
i have listened over and over no way is he saying "circuit breakers" which would make sense -
if i'm hearing correctly, can someone please tell me what CHUKKER BREAKERS are?

2007-07-26 23:42:41 · 2 answers · asked by andy t 6 in Other - Television

2007-07-26 23:42:40 · 4 answers · asked by G_funk_er 3 in Other - Diseases