Thursday, March 19, 2020

phi 120 Essay

phi 120 Essay phi 120 Essay Chinh Quynh Do Philosophy 120/D108 Professor Simon Pollon TA Brittany French June 23, 2015 Psychological Egoism: True or false? In the article Egoism and Moral Skepticism, James Rachels discusses and refutes two arguments in favor of psychological egoism. One of them is that human acts are only based on self-interest. Rachels refutes to this argument, which is the best argument against psychological egoism, by showing its weaknesses and using counter-evidence. He argues that human actions are not only based on their self-interest, but other motives. After reading this article, I totally agree with the author’s argument. According to the author James Rachels, psychological egoism is defined as the view that â€Å"all men are selfish in everything that they do, that is, that the only motive from which anyone ever acts is self-interest† (Rachels, 2010, p.75). However, before getting into the author’s argument, it is important to distinguish between â€Å"self-interest†, â€Å"selfish† and â€Å"unselfish†. Being â€Å"self-interest† is concerning for oneâ₠¬â„¢s own well-fare while â€Å"selfish† is considering for on one’s own well-being, personal profit and pleasure and ignoring others’ interests. â€Å"Unselfishness† is on the other hand, caring for others more than yourself. An unselfish person carries an act that can benefit both him/her and others. Unselfish people are willing to put the needs of others before their own needs. In the article, supporters of psychological egoism argue that even an act is described as voluntary action, â€Å"the agent is merely doing what he most wants to do† which means that all people acts are from the motive of self-interest (Rachel, 2010, p.75). Rachels gives a hypothetical example of Smith, a man who decides to stay behind to help his friend study instead of traveling to a country that he really enjoys. Psychological egoists state that Smith forgoes his enjoyment because he likes to help his friend more than going to the country. Psychological egoists claim that it is impossible to be altruistic, and that all actions are only motivated by self-interest. If someone is helping others, it is just because he/she can achieve something or benefit from that act. However, Rachels disagrees with this argument. He opposes the claim in two ways. Firstly, he provides two classes of actions. One class of action is that not all voluntary actions are selfish, we do undesira ble actions to achieve something in the end, such as going to the dentist in order to stop a toothache or working to get paid. The second class is when we feel under an obligation or a duty to do something, such as keeping a promise. In fact, people don’t voluntarily do what they most want to do. They act for its end results, and they have a sense of obligation. Rachels’s arguments are rational for people’s acts are not always selfish in nature, but they are done by multiple of motives. Further, Rachels claims that the object of desire is the key point. Helping others because you want to do it is not selfish. Psychological egoism has a misunderstanding of selfishness and unselfishness. A person acts selfishly only if that action benefits him/her and doesn’t care for other individuals’ interests. Donating money to charity because you want to is unselfish, but keeping all donated

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Dissertation Format

Dissertation Format Dissertation writing is an exhaustive academic experience, the successful completion of which demonstrates the candidates ability to address a major intellectual problem and arrive at an independent, successful conclusion at a high level of professional competence. What Is a Dissertation A dissertation  could be thought of as an extremely long essay. However, there are some very key differences both in structure and purpose: A dissertation is normally broken up into chapters. You must identify your own area of interest, define your own questions and explore the subject in depth. You must form your own conclusions and defend them. Experience the process of producing knowledge. Learn how to manage a project from beginning to end. Demonstrate your communication, information-seeking, and intellectual skills. Demonstrate your competency in carrying out an independent research project. DISSERTATION WRITING Dissertation writing is an exhaustive academic experience, the successful completion of which demonstrates the candidates ability to address a major intellectual problem and arrive at an independent, successful conclusion at a high level of professional competence. Its results constitute an original contribution to knowledge in your field of study. Writing a custom dissertation is undertaking a big step towards your future academic career, and each student deciding to take the challenge inevitably faces certain complications on the way. If you feel blocked at the very beginning of the process, stall midway through, or lack compelling material then you have to come to the right place for the most comprehensive dissertation writing service. Dissertation Format When working on your dissertation, ?onsider its main parts which are the following: Abstract This is how your abstract should look like: Problem: What you have detected, and why you think this needs to be solved. Objectives:  What you have set to achieve, and how it pertained to the problem. Methodology: What way you have selected to come to the solution of the problem. Achievements: What points you have reached and in what way it is connected to your objectives. Attestation You need to write a short abstract where you admit that you are aware of what plagiarism is  and that all the work you have done is original, except for (if any) parts taken from (you need to specify the sources). Acknowledgments Here you can thank or mention anyone who has helped you develop your dissertation. You can also acknowledge any source of work that you have used in your dissertation. Table of Contents Writing a concise table of contents is crucial for a good dissertation, as it makes it easier to read. It is a good idea to use some of the text editing software features to help you automatically generate the TOC. List of Figures   It is a good idea to create a list of figures, that you use throughout your dissertation. They will be easier to find. Introduction Work on the introduction of your dissertation. Please consult your professor, as this would be the best way to create a proper introduction part for your dissertation. The Body of the Dissertation (also known as technical chapters) The technical body of the dissertation consists of several chapters. You need to follow a logical structure in how you present your work. If you are working on a process that consists of phases, please do not make your dissertation look like a diary. Each chapter can be subdivided into sections. Each section can consist of subsections if needed. Literature Review The review of literature used in your dissertation. Writing up this chapter will help you show your knowledge of the subject. Conclusion The conclusion of your dissertation should consist of the following subsections: Summary. You need to summarize your achievement within the dissertation. Evaluation.  Take a look at what you have achieved and how well your objectives had been met. Future work. Explain how your results could be improved. Discuss on the further development of your work. References List all the sources used in  your dissertation that you have referenced to. You can use auto-referencing feature of your word processing software. CUSTOM DISSERTATION WRITING We hope this information comes in handy when you start working on your dissertation. In case you need assistance with your dissertation, general pricing plan for dissertation writing is as follows (prices are in US dollars, cost per page): #get_view(blocks/prices2.php)

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the Essay - 1

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the effects of this on the market for oil and the market for oil and the market for other fuels - Essay Example Hubbert (1956) had predicted that the production of oil in America followed a bell shaped graph trend. He stipulated that the peak of oil production was to be attained in 1970 after which production will assume a downward trend. His prediction reigned despite sharp criticisms. He then predicted a global peak to be witnessed in the year 2000. Michael Lynch fronted that the production of oil must be closely tied to oil prices. He argued that Hubbert committed a mistake in assuming that geology is the motivating factor to the discovery, production and depletion of oil. He advocated for supply and demand as the key determinants in the oil industry. "To an economist, the drop in exploration reflects optimal behavior: they do not waste money exploring for something they will not use for decades.† he added. Factors that influence the price of oil. Economic growth is one of the key factors that affect oil prices. A steadfast economic growth will result in an increase in the demand for oil and its byproducts. It thus exhibits a direct relationship with the price of oil. Even as countries seek to experience a rapid economic growth, they need to focus on other sources of energy so that their increased demand for energy can be met adequately. Another factor according to Watson (1987) that affects the price of oil is the seasonal changes. It has been observed that during winter oil prices increases rapidly in Europe and the U.S.A due to the increased demand. Before the beginning of winter, consumers tend to buy excess of oil and its products due to fear of possible. However during

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Law of Contract, Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Law of Contract, Assignment - Case Study Example This does not mean that there must be an exact subjective matching of the internal thoughts of the two parties. What the law looks for is outward evidence of what the parties agreed or what has been termed the 'external indicia of agreement'.1 This means that even if the parties did not have the same agreement in mind, if their actions, from an objective standpoint could be said to demonstrate an agreement, then a contract has been formed.2 This follows the sensible approach that 'commercial contracts cannot be arranged by what people think in their inmost minds. Commercial contracts are made according to what people say'3 What this means for our problem question is that, while searching for the consensus in idem between Riz and Jatinder, we look at how they acted in the above negotiations. To form a contract, all you need to identify is an offer and an unqualified acceptance of it. The question here is whether the advertisement in the magazine constituted an offer. Offers may be express such as 'I'll give you 50 for that skirt', or they can be implied such as hading over the fare as you get on the bus. In both cases it is open for the offeree to accept the offer. This will conclude the contract. However, despite the ease of making offers or implied offers, some actions will not form offers at all but merely invitations to treat. An invitation to treat may look like an offer but if you look closely, there has not been agreement on the essential factors of the contract, there has just been some words passed that would entice or make it easier for the other party to make a suitable offer. For example, in Harvey v Facey4 one party asked the other what would be the lowest cash price they would be willing to sell a property in Jamaica. The other party replied that it would be 900. The first party then telegraphed them 'We agree to buy BHP for 900 asked by you'. The owners argued that they had never offered to sell the property and the agreed with this. It is also generally accepted that advertisements and announcements to the public at large are not intended to be offers but merely invitations to treat. This is for the simple practical reason that if too many people responded to the advertisement, the advertiser could be placed in a position of breaching limitless contracts. Therefore, unless words specifically forming a contract are used, an advertisement will be deemed to be an invitation to treat and not an offer.5 b. Riz's offer of 5,000 When Riz saw the advertisement he called Jatinder on the phone and offered her 5,000 for the car.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Song of Solomon Essay: Devotion and Protection -- Song Solomon essays

Devotion and Protection in Song of Solomon   Song of Solomon is a novel written by Toni Morrison. As research is done further, into the bible, the title refers to a book from the Old Testament. A major theme of the book in the bible is love. It is about honor and loyalty. This is similar to the theme of love and protection in the book by Toni Morrison. Three female characters that portray this best are: Pilate, Ruth, and Magdalene called Lena. In the book, they are women that try to protect the people they love from men in their family. In the bible, they hold similar roles of devotion to those that they love. In Song of Solomon, Pilate is a strong-willed and independent woman. The reason that Ruth goes to her, is to protect her child. The first time that Ruth needs help is because of the way that Macon maltreats her (125-6). She is scared of Pilate because of her abnormalities and what Macon has said about her(138). Ruth ignores h... ...chased from her body, she is seen as good by being faithful to Jesus and loving him to the end ( Mark 16:9). Through out Song of Solomon and the bible, these three characters hold similar roles and personalities to their counterparts. Pilate, Ruth, and Magdalene are characters that are devoted to those that they love and try to help and protect them from harm. As the Song of Solomon book in the bible, the women of the novel love and care for their family members.   

Friday, January 17, 2020

Driving Curfews Violating Teens Rights Essay

A seventeen year old friend of mine headed home from work at 11:00 at night on a Thursday in the month of July. Wanting to raise enough money to go on a band trip to Florida, she needed to work long hours, needing money to pay for her car insurance, she needed to work long hours and wanting to get in as many hours possible in one day, she needed to work long hours. Making money meant so much to her that she would go into work at the drop of a hat. Feeling tired and wanting to get home, she gets in her car, fastens her seat belt and starts her ten minute drive home. It was a dark night with clear sky’s and stars could be seen everywhere. The rode lit by the moon shining bright, when all of a sudden the moon light was not the only light shining in her window. Flashing lights from a police car pulling her over, blinded her as she looked in her rear view mirror. Rolling down her window, a police officer approached her and said in a stern voice, â€Å"Drivers license and proof of insurance. † She had a please-don’t-give-me-a-ticket look on her face as tears filled her eyes and asked, â€Å"What did I do wrong? After looking at the age on her license he responded, â€Å" You are driving past curfew so a ticket needs to be issued. † Trying to tell him about coming home from a hard day at work did not seem to matter, he issued her the ticket anyways. Her fear comparable to fear felt by drivers being pulled on the television show, Cops. After the coast was clear, feeling down in the dumps, she headed home. There is a nighttime driving restriction for drivers ages 16 and 17 years old where they need to be off the road by 10:00 p. m. Sunday through Thursday and by 11:00 p. m.  Friday and Saturday. Eventhough this may seem true, I feel curfews should be determined by parents, not by public laws. A parent should know better then the government if their child is responsible enough to drive past curfew and they should not have to be concerned about their child getting caught driving home late. Curfews have been a huge issue for teens who have to stay out late for school related activities or events. For instance, kids feel like they are penalized when they come home from a school activity past curfew even when they do not have any other choice. Feeling forced to drive later then usual, hoping they do not get pulled over, they head for home after their activity has ended. If a student does get pulled over for driving home after curfew, it is a long shot, but they will have to pray the officer believes their story about coming home from a school sport or activity and let them go free. Curfews should be given to students by their parents, not by the law. If a child acts irresponsible then their parent should have the right to keep them home from the school activity and keep them off the street at night. On the other hand, if a responsible child is out one hour past curfew, not doing anything wrong, it does not mean it should result in getting a ticket. Their parent gave them permission to join the activity in the first place so dropping out of the school related event is not an option. A student should never think of quitting a sport because of a curfew law. It is true, that curfew laws have come about to decrease the amount of crimes, however, this has not been proven true. For example, a survey in the July 1997 York Daily Record found that nearly three quarters of the two hundred largest cities in the United States have implemented curfew laws to lower juvenile crime rates. Statistics showed no support for their claim. Furthermore, teens will participate in illegal activities even if they have a curfew. They will either do it earlier or stay out past curfew and risk getting caught. Besides, most crimes are committed by adults and are more serious and dangerous since they have more resources than children do. The government should trust that parents can make the right decision on what time their child should be home. They need to focus their attention on more important issues like preventing crime from happening in the first place, instead of spending their time on trying to get kids home earlier. Parents of teenagers feel that there is a benefit to having curfews especially for the safety of their children. They expect their child home by curfew. If their child does not arrive home on time, they will know something is wrong and they can seek help faster if their child should need it. Parents feel that having a curfew is a really good excuse to leave an uncomfortable situation, if their child feels they need an excuse to get out of something wrong. Having a curfew also encourages responsibility. It teaches a teen to have respect for rules and laws they may not like or understand. At the same time, parents should remember that they know their teenager best, and they need to set rules according to their own teen. If a responsible teenager has a good record, they should be given more freedom. A mature teen should have the same rights as parents do. Parents do not have to follow a curfew law because they are older and assumed more responsible. Similarly, a mature and responsible teen should have the same rights. In a nutshell, it makes more sense to have curfews determined by parents not by public laws. If a responsible child has earned their parents trust, they should have more freedom. Without this freedom, issues will occur when they need to stay out late for school related activities, events or for a job. Furthermore, curfew laws have shown to do very little to prevent crimes throughout the city. The number of crimes has remained the same since curfew laws went into effect. Without a curfew, teens would get the chance to feel grown up and take responsibility for their own actions. They could drive home safely from school activities or a job with out risking getting a ticket. Since curfews are not helping to decrease the amount of crimes, there is no point of having one. Officers need to concentrate on other ways to prevent crimes in the city without giving teens a set time to be home every night. At any rate, parents want to keep their kids safe so their curfew should always be determined by them not by the law.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart - 1813 Words

Achebe’s Things Fall Apart moved me in a way that had once been unreachable by non-Western literary works regarding the state of foundation in the pre-colonialization period of Africa, and of course the subsequent rule from European powers. It is clear that Achebe sought to paint a truer picture of the sophisticated culture and traditions embedded in tribes that had only been smeared by Europeans who were solely after conquest, commerce, and Christianity. Things Fall Apart starts off at a pinnacle moment of Okonkwo’s life, our protagonist. He is paired off with Amalinze, commonly referred to as the Cat as his back never touches the ground, in a wrestling match. Okonkwo, in all of his masculinity, defeats the Cat and gains the much†¦show more content†¦Along with the rest of his life, this treatment brought Okonkwo much shame and vowed to never be beleaguered by same attributes that plagued his father. On the surface it seemed that things really began to fal l apart when Okonkwo’s resting gun went off and killed Ezeudu’s sixteen year old son during Ezeudu’s funeral. Though it was an accidental killing, the death of a clansman from another is considered a great sin to the Earth God in Igbo culture. The price to pay for this crime is abolishment of Okonkwo and his family for seven years. This is to ensure stability and solidarity throughout the community of Umuofia and that the family of the deceased will be able to lose their resentment towards Okonkwo and Okonkwo’s anger will dissipate. To me it appeared that the catalyst of this spiraling chain of events at the funeral stretched back to one of Okonkwo’s gravest mistakes in the story, when he killed his imposed adopted son, Ikemefuna. With that swift thrust of his machete, Okonkwo had defied the oracles demands and committed a grave sin against the Earth God. This betrayal of tradition disturbed the peace of chi community wide. The expulsion of Okonkwo and his family from the village of Iguedo, where they had lived comfortably in great status, sent them back to his mother’s home village where they were much less graced by prestige,