Reading assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading assignment - Essay Example In The Abolition of Man, C.S Lewis uses the example of The Green Book and its authors Gaius and Titius which is meant to provide English education for children (Lewis). Gaius and Titius basically created the following proposition, according to C.S. Lewis: â€Å"firstly, that all sentences containing a predicate of value are statements about the emotional state of the speaker, and secondly, that all such statements are unimportant†(Lewis). To Lewis, this is unacceptable and goes against the natural moral law as it teaches â€Å"the belief that all emotions aroused by local association are in themselves contrary to reason and contemptible†(Lewis). This means that a large part of the learning process in studying literature is being able to understand and interpret the emotions conveyed by the author of a piece. In turn, not being able to comprehend the emotional aspect or associating the emotions with something negative or of little merit, students are losing the lessons i n ethics, morals, and philosophy that often are interwoven with literature. By taking the emphasis off of this type of examination, the study of English and literature becomes much more scientific, clinical, and empty. Many of the important moral and philosophical lessons comes from literature and by threatening to take this aspect out of books or by placing less emphasis on it, the education system is not supporting the high morality that has existed in the Western hemisphere. Without this support, the moral and philosophical nature of the Western culture will further deteriorate and there will be a plethora of unreasonable citizens in its wake. C.S. Lewis continues his argument for natural moral law with providing evidence that society has lost objective truth and morality. According to Lewis: â€Å"Their skepticism about values is on the surface: it is for use on other peoples values; about the values current in their own set they are not

Mary Wollstonecraft and Gender Inequality in Our Modern World Essay Example for Free

Mary Wollstonecraft and Gender Inequality in Our Modern World Essay Ridgeway states that â€Å"In the United States as in many other societies, gender relationships are changing and inequalities between men and women are questioned in virtually every sphere – at work, in the home, and in public affairs.† In Mary Wollstonecraft’s â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women,† she argues different issues about women’s role in society, and she called for equality between men and women. However, even now women still demand equal rights with men because gender inequality still exists throughout different countries in the world. Since â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women,† many issues have changed for women in society in various fields such as education, employment, and politics, but some specific problems exist now. In the modern world, there are many gaps between men and women in different positions. Wollstonecraft’s piece still applies to women in the modern world because of social, economic, and political inequality. Wollstonecraft argues that women’s societies are neglected when she wrote hundreds of years ago. This is still true in the present day because in most societies men and women are allocated diverse duties, rights, and privileges. Women and men have different roles in society. Gender inequality is characterized by the social process individuals deal with. According to Wollstonecraft, â€Å"There must be more equality established in society or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock† (198). This means that society plays an important role in determining the position role of the women, and that role depends on religion, traditions, and customs. They are attached to values joined to human well-being and prosperity. Research shows that â€Å"Sex categorization unconsciously primes gender stereotypes. This allows the stereotypes to become cognitively available to affect our behavior and judgments† (Fisk ). Regardless, how much they truly do shape our conduct can vary from inconsequential to huge depending on the particular situation and our own specific goals and interests. For example, in general, men are accepted by society to be particularly more skilled than women in male work -settings such as engineering, sports, and positions of expertise, while women are advantaged in female- work settings such as childcare and communication. In other words, Wollstonecraft acknowledges society expects a different thing from men and women. Also, Wollstonecraft writes about the role of women in the economy is not as clear and concrete as it is for men. Wollstonecraft mentions that â€Å"Business of various kinds they might likewise pursue if they were educated in a more orderly manner, which might save many from common and legal prostitution† (205). In other words, people don’t know what women can accomplish because they have never been allowed to fully participate in the economy because of gender-defined jobs. In most of the world, women spend more hours working than men. In addition, they spend a lot of energy doing housework which is unpaid and along these lines not considered when economists analysts measure the amount of work done by men and women. Indeed, even women who have full-time occupations do the majority of housework in the household. In most countries, women possess an exceptionally small percentage of the basic leadership positions in the upper economic range. Although women work more hours than men, the wage gap between the genders remains generally static between women and men working full time according to the study in the article, â€Å"Women still make only about 80% of what men earn for full-time work† (Ridgeway). Also, corporations should assist in treating both women and men similarly because when women choose to have kids and stay home for maternity leaves they dont make it up the chain of leadership. However, companies should significantly assist in executing approaches that incorporate women again into the workforce in senior positions after having children including more flexible advancement processes and activities as strategic scheduling. Furthermore, Wollstonecraft discusses that women’s politics has been intangible for many years and still exists in the modern world. According to the article, â€Å"Women are less likely to hold managerial or supervisory positions, and when they do, their positions carry less authority† (Ridgeway). Men have had the monopoly on political power for a long time which indicates gender inequality and led to its continuation. Even in democratic societies, gender segregation happens in governmental issues both concerning assumptions about political devotions that fall along gender lines, and dissimilar gender representation inside delegate vote based systems. Truly, this is considered obvious when women couldn’t even vote. Wollstonecraft writes that â€Å"They might also study political, and settle their benevolence on broadest basis, for the reading of history will scarcely be more useful than the perusal of romances† (205). The participation of women in politic al life is one of the most important elements of the democratic process in a country. Therefore, the weakness of democratic mechanisms and forces in society contributes to the marginalization of women’s political participation. Public and private communities should strengthen their capacities to contribute to the development of their female population. It should be noted that traditional societies are more likely to recognize women’s political rights. This is important because women with access to political power might have an opportunity to change her situation thus disrupting the narrative that men are the traditionally powerful ones in society. Obviously, when Wollstonecraft wrote the â€Å"Vindication of the Rights of Women,† she opened the doors for women’s rights. Wollstonecraft piece is still applicable to women in the modern world because of social, economic, and political systems. Although women have equal rights in some fields, some issues of equality regarding society’s rights and duties are still with us today because it depends on society how people think about and respects women. Works Cited Fisk, Susan, â€Å"How Does Gender Inequality Persist?.† Gender.stanford.edu, Monday,2 May. 2011, http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/how-does-gender-inequality-persist. Ridgeway, Cecilia. L, â€Å"HOW GENDER INEQUALITY PERSISTS IN THE MODERN WORLD.† Scholarsstrategynetwork.org, June. 2013, http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/brief/how-gender-inequality-persists-modern-world. Jacobus, Lee, editor. A World of Ideas. Bedford /St. Martin’s, 2017. Mary, Wollstonecraft. â€Å"Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society†. Bedford /St. Martin’s, 2017, pp. 198-205. NSCC Grading Rubric for Composition I and II Note: All essays are marked for errors and include comments. This rubric shows the breakdown of your score. Any essay that does not meet the requirements of the assignment may not be graded and may receive a zero. Any essay that contains an abundance of major grammatical errors or numerous repetitive errors that negatively affect the meaning and readability may lose extra points. A. Content Topic Fits assignment, narrowed appropriately, focused, original, shows independent thought, creative Thesis Statement Clear, strong, focused, logical, and insightful Rhetorical Technique Adheres to assigned rhetorical technique or blends rhetorical techniques effectively to enhance the strength of content Support Evidence, details, examples, and explanations are sufficient, thorough, accurate, logical, well-developed, and effectively support claims, ideas, and the topic Critical Thinking Appropriate level of analysis, evaluation, inference, or deduction of issues related to the topic Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 B. Organization Thesis Placement Thesis statement is logically placed for the specific essay Introduction Catches reader’s attention, accurately introduces scope of paper, interesting Conclusion Leaves reader with a sense of completion reemphasizes point and/or motivates reader, the appropriate ending for essay Paragraphs Each paragraph is well developed and relates to the thesis has a strong topic sentence and presents solid supporting information Sequencing Careful development of related ideas in coherent, sequential paragraphs with smooth and logical transitions that create a smooth flow of the essay Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 C. Editing Grammar Essay is free from major errors, such as fragments, comma splices, run-ons, and agreement errors, and minor errors, such as punctuation and capitalization Style Tone is mature, consistent, and suitable, a voice is appropriate for academic writing, and awareness of audience is evident Language Sentences are forceful, clear, and logical, a variety of sentence structures are present, and diction is precise and expressive using college-level vocabulary Presentation Correct MLA style formatting, including MLA style heading, double-spacing, correct margins, and font style and size, with a strong title and indented paragraphs Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 D. Documentation Sources Appropriate amount of research is used from credible and quality sources instead of sources such as encyclopedias, SparkNotes, eNotes, BookRags, Wikipedia, answers.com, or the like; sources support rather than overwhelm the writer’s ideas Borrowed Information Quotations use quotation marks or are put in block format if needed and are written exactly as the author intended, paraphrases and summaries are written well and do not change the meaning of the original, information is integrated smoothly into text and thoroughly discussed, and quantity and quality of information is appropriate In-text Citations Formatted correctly with a signal phrase and a citation that matches the first element of the works cited the entry Works Cited Page Starts a new page, entries are double-spaced and indented correctly, information is incorrect order and complete, and no extra sources are listed that are not cited in the essay Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 Total Score Possible Score Your Score 100

The Difficulties of AIDS :: essays research papers

AIDS is a deadly disease that affects people world wide. AIDS is a disease that brings about many social consequences. Many of these consequences result in physical, emotional, and economic problems. AIDS compromises the immune system of the human body, making a person susceptible to many different illnesses and infections. Among these are: unexplained fatigue and weight loss, night sweats and flu-like feelings. These infirmities can interfere with a person’s daily physical tasks. For example, taking a shower, eating, working, excersing, caring for a child, and cooking. Being unable to perform these tasks makes an n individuals life extremely difficult. Individuals with AIDS also experience a number of emotional problems because of the social stigmas attached to AIDS. For instance, a person having to be scared to let others know he or she is infected, and being unable to engage in intimate relations without infecting others. Further emotional problems can be caused with the c ontinuous worry of death, which can inhibit a person’s normal functioning .People who have these issues develop a great deal of emotional problems because one feels that they do not fit into society. AIDS is not only a disease that affects an individual, but it also affects the larger society . This is so because of the financial needs to help fund programs and organizations to help stop the spread of AIDS and help those who suffer from AIDS. Although, the money goes towards helping AIDS victims it is costly for tax payers, when it can go towards helping people and developing educational programs within their communities. Why should the population pay for the bill for the consequences of others? As one can see, AIDS doesn’t only bring about consequences that indirectly affect individuals, but it also brings about consequences for society as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every year, millions of people are infected and die from AIDS. This is because of ignorance, acts of choice, as well as religious beliefs. It is assumed that all people know the causes of AIDS, however, most people don’t know. Some people think that AIDS only afflicts homosexuals and drug abusers. This way of thinking displays that the government is not properly educating people on AIDS and prevention. A person who thinks in this manner feels that if they only have sex with a person that isn’t in an at risk group it is okay to have unprotected sex.

Progression of music

In this literature review we will be looking at reading based around the idea of progression within music. Comparisons between different pieces of text regarding the current position of music, and If possible, the future of music and how it can progress. The main books in discussion will consist of, â€Å"Simon Reynolds:Retaining†, â€Å"David Gauntlet:Making Is Connecting†, Tall:The Political Economy of Music. A lot of the quotes that will be in discussion will revolve around the theme of â€Å"post repetition†.This Is a theory regarding the structure or stage of current music, an Idea Tall briefly discusses In context with three other previous stages he believes to have occurred. This also explains the choice to discuss â€Å"Retaining†, the themes from this book tie in with the concept of repetition and revolves around firm beliefs that current music, and also society are trapped in the past. However â€Å"Making is connecting† takes a more subje ctive role in the discussion as it is primarily based around the individual creator in the sense of their feeling and creativity, and does not so much Involve the influence of any capitalist ideas.We will first draw some theories from Tails. Draws up the comparison of Music running alongside society, and at points beyond. In short, Tall draws the comparison in which music runs along side social order and how the mindset of society, at any given time, is reflected onto the art of music. Not Just in the literal sense as would be applied to such era's as Punk, but in the progression of music over time. â€Å"its styles and economic organization are ahead of the rest of society because it explores, much faster than material reality can, the entire range of capabilities in a given code. (Tails,1977) Here Tall is referring to music as a sped up representation of society at any given time. This is why his current claim on post repetition is interesting as any other stage or progression in music, according to Tails, could replicate that of societies in the future. The question regarding this is whether it is possible for music or society, to considerably progress onto what could be seen as another stage of progression. If the idea of post-repeating is feasible, then it could be seen that society, let alone music, are currently trapped in a repeating existence that isn't regressing, only expanding.However for the time being it is more important to look back if there is any chance of looking forward. This is where Italy's four stages of music form in â€Å"Political Economy of Music†, and during the last stage, the idea of post repeating is bought about. â€Å"Sacrifice† refers to the point in musical history where no sound was recorded, written, and the art of music was completely detached from anything physical. It was simply Just an oral process. Music was simply a way of transferring current cultural and social feelings from one person to another. â⠂¬Å"Representing†This term refers to the first printed music, 1500-1900 AD. Printed music was the first form of music that was seen as a commodity, it could be seen as the first time any form of technology had an influence upon human emotion. Tall refers to this period as Representation because the performer would have to represent and play the music that was printed for an audience. â€Å"Repeating† The term repeating refers to the time period of around 1900 to the present. The term is applied by Tall to any recorded sound of broadcasted sound which was made possible by technological advancements.Even though this meant music as an industry could really excel and prophet, the first mindset of music being a commodity was established the moment it could be written and performed. However, according to Tails, the stage of repeating completely took over and made the ideas behind representation, now irrelevant. â€Å"The advent of recording thoroughly shattered representatio n. First produced as a way of preserving its trace, it instead replaced it as the driving force of becomes a simulacrum of the record: an audience generally familiar with the artist's recordings attends to hear a live replication†¦For popular music, this as meant the gradual death of small bands, who have been reduced to faithful imitations of recording stars. For the classical repertory, it means the danger†¦ Of imposing all of the aesthetic criteria of repetition?made of rigor and cold calculation?upon representation. † (Tails,1977) â€Å"Post Repetition† The term post repetition was a term Tall briefly refers to as the next state from Repeating, this is also backed up by Italy's Chapter on Composing and how this new process is not undertaken for exchange or use value.Even though Italy's theories, as well as many other philosophers surrounding he subject, can be seen ambitious and at some times overly vague, this idea of a post repetition makes sense and wou ld revolve around society at this moment and how we are progressing. This is why it is of interest as to whether music can genuinely progress, or whether we are infinitely trapped within a post era where Italy's terms of exchange time and use time, are becoming ever more irrelevant. Tall labels â€Å"Exchange-Time† as the time one would spend earning the spend listening to the bought item.The ideas of exchange time and use time, are now seen as words which don't bear relevance to a vast amount of current music. With the massive surge of the internet and accessibility, the value of music has morphed, and also the intentions of the people making it. This new activity is NOT undertaken for its exchange or use value. It is undertaken solely for the pleasure of the person who does it (its â€Å"producer†). Such activity involves a radical rejection of the specialized roles (composer, performer, audience) that dominated all previous music. Data†, 1977) We will now rela te this to and investigate current musical practice and the mindset of the â€Å"Producer†. Simon Reynolds book â€Å"Retaining†, and â€Å"Making is connecting† by David Gauntlet both investigate these ideas. Retaining is written by Reynolds with belief that the progression of music is now non existent and modern music of the popular culture is based upon regurgitation of past trends/ideas/styles. We live in a society that is obsessed with it's own past, instead of moving into a new future.Reynolds does also include mostly all aspects of daily life into his theories and how our society is looking back instead of looking forward. Artifacts of its immediate past, but there has never before been a society that is able to access the immediate past so easily and so copiously. (Reynolds, 2011) Here we see Reynolds referring to the society we are currently surrounded by, as one â€Å"obsessed† with it's own past. He also gives appreciation to the fact that we l ive in a world where modern phenomenon's, such as the internet and media , give society the power to access the immediate past so easily and freely.This is key to part of the reasoning as to why Reynolds believes as a whole that we are living in a â€Å"Retraining†, a world that is looking backwards instead of forwards. It is a pretty indisputable fact, that due to the surge of technology and the lily advantages in our life, we have access to the things we never would have had before. However Reynolds follows up on this point, putting the obsession of the past, into the reasoning that it is because we are nostalgic and almost envious of it. Is nostalgia stopping our culture's ability to surge forward, or are we nostalgic precisely because our culture has stopped moving forward and so we inevitably look back to more momentous and dynamic times? † (Reynolds, 2011) stopped moving forward in general, whether or not he is finding reason through nostalgia. A lot of Reynolds b eliefs come through in forms of musical practice's such s sampling, covering artists, anniversary concerts, greatest hits albums, generally repetitive process'. We live in a pop age gone loco for retro and crazy commemoration† (Reynolds,2011) â€Å"Could it be that the greatest danger to the future of music culture is it's past†. (Reynolds, 2011) These are quotes from the very first page of the introduction and sum up his beliefs straight away. He goes as far to say that the end of pop culture will not come with one big bang, but it is through a gradual process which we are already living in. â€Å"This is the way that pop ends, not with a BANG but with a box set whose Ruth disc you never get around to playing†. Reynolds, 2011) He then, shortly after, puts the reasoning upon the producer; â€Å"The very people you would've once expected to produce (as artists) or champion (as consumers) the non-traditional and the groundbreaking – that's â€Å"The avian- grade is now an air ©re-grade. † (Reynolds, 2011) These quotes are portraying the â€Å"modern producer† as the fundamental reason as to why music isn't progressing. This, to Reynolds, could be seen as an environmental issue due to the fact our society is constantly exploring the past and repeating itself.He described the process of the modern producer as airier-grade† meaning it is the producer themselves who are trapped in the past. However, as previously mentioned, a lot of the reasoning as to why we may be living in a culture where we are looking back, is due to the fact we can. Technology and the way we have advanced as a culture has enabled us to store huge amounts of digital artifacts through mediums such as; ‘pods, computers, phones, sound-systems, cad's, records, the internet.We can also experience music and media in ways like never before; stereo 5:1, 3-D image/sound, and not to mention all the ways in which to do so prior to these. To Reynolds, the abilities to store and look back, are what we have become victim to. â€Å"We've become victims of our ever-increasing capacity to store, organism, instantly access, and share vast amounts of cultural data. Not only has there immediate past, but there has never before been a society that is able to access the past so easily and so copiously. Reynolds, 2011) This quote is mainly focused on the fact we are able to easily access, store, share data like never before. However Reynolds does use the phrase, â€Å"we've become†, this could suggest that our access to all this data as only become a robber of recent time. Reynolds never seems to really pick at the upraise of vinyl, tape, or the initial upraise of cad's. The start of the sass's is when he believes our modern culture and popular music industry lost all forward thinking and started seeking past ideas and past trends. Instead of being the threshold to the future, the first ten years of the twenty-first century turned o ut to be the ‘Re' Decade. † (Reynolds, 2011) Here this quote describes the start of the sass's, as being the start of a retro decade instead of being the start of new original ideas. Perhaps the first time popular culture fully shifted it's attention to the past. This brings up the question as to whether technological advancements such as Amp's, I Pods and the mass growth of file-sharing are the reason as to why we are so sentimental and look back for inspiration in modern music practice.Or is it more to do with the â€Å"producer†, rather than the ways of consumption. Has the person creating and making the material lost the will to look forward If Italy's point of music's â€Å"styles and economic organization†, being â€Å"ahead† of the rest of society then then what would be the outcome of the sass's â€Å"Re-decade† as Reynolds dubbed it? Could that be the point our society has truly reached a form of creative standardization. Where new id eas and creative instinct is solely based upon repetition of past ideas.This could be what Tall would've been suggesting through the idea of â€Å"Post Repetition†. There is no forward movement in the progression of music as an art anymore, only the ways in which we experience it. However back to the point of the producer, â€Å"Making is connecting†, written by David Gauntlet investigates the process of creativity and can be related to how this has an effect on current musical practices and the position of popular culture on modern music and inevitably the question of progression. Making is connecting† is fundamentally about how people make things to engage with the world around them, and build connections with others through this process. Gauntlet believes that due to the benefits of popular culture in terms of the internet, file sharing, and platforms that enable people to share their creative work, we are seeing a shift in mentality. Gauntlet describes this a s a shift from a' â€Å"Sit back and be told culture†, to a â€Å"making and doing culture†. (Gauntlet 2009)

Is Morality a Talent? Essay

One typically wouldn’t think of morality when it comes to the nature versus nurture debate about the origin of personality, but after being faced with this issue I have realized that the origin of morality can be debated about all the same. With the classic nature versus nurture debate I myself have come to a conclusion that we are composed of a little bit of both nature and nurture, and I am still finding myself coming to that same conclusion with morality. I believe that morality is not only a talent, but is a learned skill as well. Just like personality, certain environments or events can lead to a manifestation of certain traits within us. I think that morality can exist at different levels amongst different people based on their genetic traits as well as their environmental or cultural experiences. Based on what I learned after reading Sam Harris’ â€Å"The Moral Landscape,† I have gathered an understanding of moral truth, and how that can apply to morality as being a talent and learned. His disagreement with moral relativism, analysis of psychopaths and the theories behind the nature versus nurture debate have lead me to my conclusions. Moral truth is the belief that there is a universal code of ethics that has lead us through the ages and has impacted our society’s understanding of morals today. I agree with Harris on the subject of moral truth. I think moral truth supports both the nature side and the nurture side because it exposes the universal aspect of morals, which is learned, and shows the natural desire in humans to want to exceed primitive standards through morals in order to promote survival. Many ethical codes truly are universal, such as â€Å"don’t kill. † If we don’t run around killing each other in our day to day lives, we will survive and thrive. That is an example of a known moral truth. By comparing first world civilizations to Western civilizations you will find that yes, we have all survived, but it is quite clear that one civilization is thriving more than the other; Westernized civilizations. They are less primitive, more technologically advanced, have better medicine and are as a whole wealthier. Why are these third world cultures not advancing? Out of many reasons, I think that one could possibly be that their ethical codes are far less developed than those of modern Western culture. This observation has led me to believe that there are cultures that are superior to others. Although moral relativism is a widely accepted theory, it is clearly incorrect. Moral relativism would seem like a pleasant theory to believe wouldn’t it? It removes intolerance of other cultures, religions etc. and allows us to â€Å"justify† or â€Å"understand† certain events based on specific, or relative, codes of ethics. While certain events or behaviors may not be right to one culture, they may be considered normal in another and everyone can go about their lives as if nothing wrong had happened. These assumptions are terrible flaws in the thinking of our society and of the world. Harris uses an example of moral relativism that he encountered in a conversation with a woman after an academic conference. He provided her the scenario of a culture that would pluck the eyes out of every third born child based on their religious beliefs. The woman stuck to her moral relativism, and said that this culture was not wrong since they were doing this for religious reasons (Harris, 33-34). How can this possibly make any sense? Morality and ethics lose all meaning if they are merely â€Å"relative† to every culture where horrendous rituals are practiced. If things like ritual murders were allowed in our society, we would not survive, we would not thrive and we would degenerate the human race intellectually, morally and psychologically. This brings meaning back to morality and ethics. There are universal codes that exist in order to promote our survival and happiness, or well being. Based on this understanding of moral truth, I believe that morality is both learned and genetic because moral truth and its implications show the experiences in which we have learned moral codes, and the promotion of survival that is instilled within the human race. If morality was solely genetic, or a talent, then the research on psychopathic brains would be highly disturbing. In an NPR articled called A Neuroscientist Discovers a Dark Secret by Barbara Bradley Hagerty I learned about the actual discoveries that neurology has made about the psychopathic brain. In an abnormal brain found in serial killers by research conducted by James Fallon, a neuroscientist of the University of California-Irvine, the orbital cortex exhibits a major lack of functioning or is completely non-functioning. While describing the abnormality of the orbital cortex Hagerty said that it is â€Å"the area that Fallon and other scientists believe is involved with ethical behavior, moral decision-making and impulse control. † The orbital cortex also controls the amygdala which controls aggression and appetite (Hagerty). Fallon ended up discovering that he also had the same error in his brain. He even specified a gene that he had found in all but one of his family members, descendents of multiple murderers. However, none of these people had become serial killers, but could they? â€Å"He doesn’t believe his fate or anyone else’s is entirely determined by genes. They merely tip you in one direction or another. † (Hagerty). This research goes to show that genes are not entirely responsible for your predispositions to act violently or otherwise abnormally. These results are showing that it is possible that the orbital cortex controls our ethic and moral actions, but abnormality or damage to this process does not ultimately control our actual thoughts and actions. These conclusions provide actual evidence to support my claim that morality is both talent and learned. If our moral impulses are regulated by the orbital cortex, but our actions are not determined, this is leading me to believe that our genes are not fully responsible for our personality, morality, beliefs, talents, etc. but they do have the ability to gear someone towards one side or the other. Morality is partially genetic, however our environments have the ultimate responsibility. If we have an experience that manifests within our psyche, it can ultimately ignite something within us that turns on or turns off certain physiological processes in the brain. Therefore, the classic nature versus nurture debate can and will never be resolved. Simply because there is no resolution. Neither nature or nurture can be held fully responsible for our actions or who we become throughout the effects of our daily experiences in life. Harris, however, disagrees with me. He believes that morality is purely a talent. He mentions this evidence from the neuroscientist James Blair who â€Å"suggests that psychopathy results from a failure of emotional learning due to genetic impairments of the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, regions vital to the processing of emotion. † (Harris, 99). Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? However, he doesn’t mention that there are plenty of people with the same genetic predispositions as psychopaths, who aren’t considered psychopaths and aren’t even aware that they have these genes. He’s giving nature full responsibility in this case, and states that people can exhibit moral talent. (Harris, 99). Although this is possible, that people can have moral talent, it is not the sole cause for our morality. Our society is governed by morals. Social norms and constructs have developed and evolved throughout history that have lead to the health and growth of our society. These rules we live by are instilled in our culture, and regulated through our judicial system. But they did not just appear there over night. There were millions of events included in diverse human experiences that lead us to live by our guidelines, which are continually evolving as time progresses. Generally, some people are more predisposed to be more caring in their demeanor as well as more cautious and aware of the moral outcomes of their actions. And then, there are those who are the opposite. However, for the most part those who are morally â€Å"challenged† genetically do not act out in immoral ways. Harris points out the biological aspect of this, â€Å"While it may be difficult to accept, the research strongly suggests that some people cannot learn to care about others. † (Harris, 99). Well sure there are people like this. Of course there are! We aren’t all going to be cookie cut copies of one another. We are all unique. But if we are apparently so scared to accept this, I would like to know why? Just because some people don’t have the compassion for other people doesn’t mean that they have a compassion for negatively impacting other people. Does a lack of concern fully constitute immorality? In some cases, yes it does. For instance if someone had a thought that would lead to actions that injured other people and they chose to partake in this action anyways, then that would be immoral. But if someone is just traveling through life alone and lacking of a concern for others deep down but just keeping to themselves, this does not constitute immorality at all. We are afraid of something that is inevitable: diversity. Not to suggest that this diversity requires relativism, but to suggest that diversity is part of humanity and there will be negative or harmful people in the world. No matter what we discover about the neurology or origin behind morality, immorality will always exist and persist throughout humanity. With this being said, I agree with Harris’ statement that there are people who are less morally â€Å"talented† than others. Research suggests this, but it also suggests that environmental experiences also have their hand in our morality. I also think that if morality was solely genetic, there would be grounds for moral relativism. If our brains made us do it, who can say that one thing is wrong or right? It does not match up. The effects on society would be detrimental, our moral responsibility would be diminished. Harris’ evaluation of the possibility of a moral talent continues to lead me to believe that morality is both a talent and learned. In conclusion, there are many different theories to explain why we are the way we are. We may be who we are strictly because of physiological brain processes and genetic hardwiring. We may be who we are strictly because of our environments and experiences. But how can we decide which it is when there is so much evidence pointing to both nature and nurture? Well, like I said, we can’t. What we can realize is that both nature and nurture have major effects on our morality and ethics. Through the arguments of moral truth, we can see that there are learned moral concepts that we have acquired and have incorporated them into our societies. However, there is also the drive for survival within us that provides us with instincts to distinguish right from wrong. Through the research of criminal brains, we can isolate parts of the brain, their processes, and even genes to confirm that morality may be fully genetic. However, we can also see that the brain’s functioning doesn’t completely determine our personalities, moralities or actions. Instead, our environments or experiences that we have learned from can shape who we are for the better. Harris’ evaluation of moral talents can show us that there is diversity amongst us, moral diversity. But we are not doomed to be what our brain may want us to be. In fact, we may not even be conscious of what our brain â€Å"wants† us to be. We incorporate our experiences into our being, which can make or break our genetic dispositions. Based on my conclusions that I’ve come too after reading â€Å"The Moral Landscape,† I believe that morality is not only caused by nature, but that it is both a talent and a learned skill that we acquire through our lives. Works Cited â€Å"A Neuroscientist Discovers a Dark Secret. † www. npr. org, Barbara Bradley Hagerty, 29 June 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. Harris, Sam. The Moral Landscape. New York: Free Press, 2010. Print.

swot analysis essays

swot analysis essays The soft drink industry is highly competitive. Characteristics of the industry include slow growth and maturity, a phase during which weak companies are weeded out of the market by the strongest corporations. In order to stay competitive, soft drink companies must be able to offer their product at a low price. A price that can at least match (or preferably, beat) a competitors price will allow that product to enter into a consumers mental set of possible brands to purchase. Because the pop industry produces a fairly standardized product, competitors in the industry cannot entice the consumer to pay a premium price for its product over another firm. Therefore, the ability to produce soda at a low cost to the company is an extremely important determinant of success. Secondly, the firms brand of soda must be available for consumers to purchase easily. This means that the brand must be on the shelves of stores where most consumers shop for beverages, namely, large grocery stores. Although other channels of distribution are available, once again it is important for the brand to enter into a consumers mental set of possible brands to purchase. The fact that there are no switching costs associated with pop purchases means that consumers will not travel to special distribution points just to purchase a certain brand of soda. Convenience for the consumer is a very important consideration for successful firms in this industry. Of the two aforementioned keys to success in the pop industry, the National Beverage Corporation possesses strengths in one area but may be vulnerable to threats in the other. According to its 10K, it competes by appealing to the quality-price sensitivity factor of the family consumer. It has a low cost structure as compared to its competitors, and this shows in its pricing structure. As well as being able to compete price-wise, National Beverage Corpora...

History repeats itsself Essays

History repeats itsself Essays History repeats itsself Paper History repeats itsself Paper The most solemn humbug which does duty as a profound historical reflection is, that history repeats itself, a quote cyclic historians live by, having been their doctrine for over a century. This belief that our past directly influences the present and future is a way of life for some people; and is a very realistic belief. Through our past experiences, we as humans learn, grow, and develop Into creative beasts. When I was young, my life was crafted Into the masterpiece It Is today. In kindergarten, through the meticulous and crazy surroundings, my extreme sense of amour was crafted by my uncles. The memory In question was at a Christmas at my grandmas house, we had Just opened our presents, and I had gotten -a game which still holds the number one spot In my heart Crop: The Legend of the Gobos. Whilst the game was cutesy and fun In nature, my less than experienced uncles began playing it, and immediately starting raging. The language was. Colorful to say the least. I remember when I finally got my hands on the game, my uncles still encircling the faintly glowing green LED, awaiting for someone to finally beat the first couple of screens. I was finally handed the controller, and with my 5 year old vocabulary proceeded to berate the game. From calling the cutesy unreachable gobos potsherd, to calling the game a poop covered game, that language and love of attention was etched onto my psyche, forever being a part of my life. From small events such as overcoming a booboo, to the constant attention one received as a newborn; every event in our lives moulds us into the people we are today. Even though we may not believe in it, our past greatly influences our futures, much like cyclic historians view points.