Deception of Success
Philosophy's theories of Egoism both ethical and psychological have been used to sometimes define the actions and the thoughts of humans. Ethical egoism states that human should/ought to be selfish in their thoughts and actions in order to fulfill their desire to be happy. Psychological egoism is a little different and states that our behaviors are to fulfill our personal desires. Does that seems to be such a bad thing? Doesn't everyone want to be happy and fulfilled? This week example maybe the negative aspect of ethical egoism, where the acts to deceive others greatly profited another.
Australian blogger, Belle Gibson, has a successful business that started from giving health tips and recipes online for a healthier lifestyle. She has published a book with recipes and also a smart phone app for the mobile users. Ms. Gibson is fairly adamant above refraining from consuming gluten, coffee and dairy products. Her rise to success was based on her battle of terminal cancer. Everything seem to be legitimate until she was asked to show some evidence of her illness and she never make a significant donation she had promised. Ms. Gibson finally admits to being untruthful about her illness and stated that she was not sorry about it. In addition, she made statement like, "I don't want forgiveness," coming clean was "the responsible thing to do" or "Above anything, I would like people to say, 'Okay, she's human.'" (n.d, 2015) Are her actions immoral and deceiving? Or is she just living life? I would let you decide, her statements show that she just sees it as harmless and that she is only human.
Australian health blogger admits faking terminal cancer. (2015, April 23). Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-32420070
Friday, April 24, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
The Choices of Life
There are times in life where we will have to make a moral-based decision. It is often in the emotion of the moment with fears of the unknown weighing on our minds. Everyone has a difference in their beliefs about specific behaviors or actions guided by our personal moral compass. The decisions can be difficult and can alter lives greatly, what we could call a life changing choice. What if that life choice is the choice of life or not?
One of the most controversial topics in the world today is abortion. Is it right or is it wrong? Does the women solely have the right to make that choice. Is it moral or ethical? Most will contend that it's the woman's choice, others will say that it's not right thing under any circumstance. Yet others, what about the father's choice? Jemima Kirke, a popular star from the TV series, "Girls" opens up about her abortion in college and the reasons for which she did it. Mrs Kirke had an unexpected pregnancy in college and believed that, "she made the best decision she could have at the time: “My life was just not conducive to raising a happy, healthy child”" (Miller, 2015). Her thought process at the time could be consider somewhat altruistic in the sense that she was considering the life of the child. On the contrary, it could be said that it is more egoism because she was actually thinking about herself and not the life of the child. Regardless of your stance, it is an option that some choose and others do not for their own reasons. Does the desire for a wealthy life style affect women's choice? Is maintain an image, a relationship or status a determining factor?
The research from the National Survey of Family Growth involved 3,885 single women ranging from ages 15 to 44 who were not looking to get pregnant, could help with providing some ideas. "Among women who experienced unplanned pregnancies, 31.9 percent of those in the most affluent group had abortions, versus only 8.6 percent of women in the poorest group." ( Lapp, 2015). There were several reasons why they thought this was so, one being knowledge. Another small sample conducted by the author, Amber Lapp, in the article, 'Why Poorer Women with Unintended Pregnancies Are Less Likely to Get Abortions' she says that, "Only 26 percent of the women I interviewed who had no four-year college degree could be described as pro-choice (which I defined as the view that abortion should be generally available and the woman’s choice without restriction), whereas 53 percent of the college-educated women I interviewed fit into that category." (Lapp, 2015). She mentions a caveat to the 26% pro-choice however, that states that half of them said that they would not do it themselves. The article addresses some interesting points to argue the point that poorer women are less likely to have an abortion.
Philosophy has two significant theories that we can use to examine the moral choices of abortion. One of these is the Deontology, that is based on obligation to duty and no subjectivity. The consequences do not matter but the intentions behind your actions is all that counts. In addition, there is a categorical imperative which simply means you should act as if your actions could be a universal law for all. The other theory is the Utilitarianism theory, which basically states that your actions, if good, should produce a good outcome and minimize the bad outcomes. The theory is loosing based on the pleasure of many outweighs the pleasure of one. There's sub-theories that still carry a similar notation. For example, you have 6 patients with a deadly disease and only 5 vials of a cure. One of the patients will need all 5 vials to survive but the other 5 patients need just one each. Under this theory you give one vial per patient that only needs one and the 6th dies. There are also extremes with this theory, for instance if one person is trapped beneath electronic component and in order to rescue him you much cause others temporary discomfort the theory says the masses happy is worth more than the individual. Maybe both theories have there place and have some validity, hopefully there is a happy medium to our life choices.
https://screen.yahoo.com/jemima-kirke-shares-her-story-130000146.html
Miller, K. (2015, April 14). 'GIRLS' Star Jemima Kirke On Her Abortion: 'If I Didn't Take The Anesthesia, I Would Be Able To Afford To Do This' Retrieved April 15, 2015, from https://www.yahoo.com/health/jemima-kirke-on-the-cost-of-abortion-for-the-116315782017.html
Lapp, A. (2015, March 10). Why Poor Women with Unintended Pregnancies Are Less Likely to Get Abortions | Family Studies. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://family-studies.org/why-poor-women-with-unintended-pregnancies-are-less-likely-to-get-abortions/
One of the most controversial topics in the world today is abortion. Is it right or is it wrong? Does the women solely have the right to make that choice. Is it moral or ethical? Most will contend that it's the woman's choice, others will say that it's not right thing under any circumstance. Yet others, what about the father's choice? Jemima Kirke, a popular star from the TV series, "Girls" opens up about her abortion in college and the reasons for which she did it. Mrs Kirke had an unexpected pregnancy in college and believed that, "she made the best decision she could have at the time: “My life was just not conducive to raising a happy, healthy child”" (Miller, 2015). Her thought process at the time could be consider somewhat altruistic in the sense that she was considering the life of the child. On the contrary, it could be said that it is more egoism because she was actually thinking about herself and not the life of the child. Regardless of your stance, it is an option that some choose and others do not for their own reasons. Does the desire for a wealthy life style affect women's choice? Is maintain an image, a relationship or status a determining factor?
The research from the National Survey of Family Growth involved 3,885 single women ranging from ages 15 to 44 who were not looking to get pregnant, could help with providing some ideas. "Among women who experienced unplanned pregnancies, 31.9 percent of those in the most affluent group had abortions, versus only 8.6 percent of women in the poorest group." ( Lapp, 2015). There were several reasons why they thought this was so, one being knowledge. Another small sample conducted by the author, Amber Lapp, in the article, 'Why Poorer Women with Unintended Pregnancies Are Less Likely to Get Abortions' she says that, "Only 26 percent of the women I interviewed who had no four-year college degree could be described as pro-choice (which I defined as the view that abortion should be generally available and the woman’s choice without restriction), whereas 53 percent of the college-educated women I interviewed fit into that category." (Lapp, 2015). She mentions a caveat to the 26% pro-choice however, that states that half of them said that they would not do it themselves. The article addresses some interesting points to argue the point that poorer women are less likely to have an abortion.
Philosophy has two significant theories that we can use to examine the moral choices of abortion. One of these is the Deontology, that is based on obligation to duty and no subjectivity. The consequences do not matter but the intentions behind your actions is all that counts. In addition, there is a categorical imperative which simply means you should act as if your actions could be a universal law for all. The other theory is the Utilitarianism theory, which basically states that your actions, if good, should produce a good outcome and minimize the bad outcomes. The theory is loosing based on the pleasure of many outweighs the pleasure of one. There's sub-theories that still carry a similar notation. For example, you have 6 patients with a deadly disease and only 5 vials of a cure. One of the patients will need all 5 vials to survive but the other 5 patients need just one each. Under this theory you give one vial per patient that only needs one and the 6th dies. There are also extremes with this theory, for instance if one person is trapped beneath electronic component and in order to rescue him you much cause others temporary discomfort the theory says the masses happy is worth more than the individual. Maybe both theories have there place and have some validity, hopefully there is a happy medium to our life choices.
https://screen.yahoo.com/jemima-kirke-shares-her-story-130000146.html
Miller, K. (2015, April 14). 'GIRLS' Star Jemima Kirke On Her Abortion: 'If I Didn't Take The Anesthesia, I Would Be Able To Afford To Do This' Retrieved April 15, 2015, from https://www.yahoo.com/health/jemima-kirke-on-the-cost-of-abortion-for-the-116315782017.html
Lapp, A. (2015, March 10). Why Poor Women with Unintended Pregnancies Are Less Likely to Get Abortions | Family Studies. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://family-studies.org/why-poor-women-with-unintended-pregnancies-are-less-likely-to-get-abortions/
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
The Intangibles of Morality
There are several theories and concepts in Philosophy that attempt to quantify or categorize morals and ethical behaviors whether it be ones that are socially acceptable or ones that are against the cultural norm. Is it possible that we are trying to categorize an intangible thing? For example, one theory, Egoism, argues that humans are selfish in nature and any actions we take subconsciously or consciously must have some personally gain to the individual. Other theories go to the extremes and state that there is no such thing as wrong or right since every culture does not see things the same so no one can be completely right. I don't necessarily agree with latter, ethical nihilism, but it has its place. Here are a few examples that to me shows that just maybe personal morals behaviors are very difficult to quantify.
On Valentines' Day, a woman was driving in her new car which was also her Valentines' Day gift when she got into an accident. She was stuck in the vehicle and was yelling for help and honking the car horn to get passersby's attention. She said that a man named Harrison founded her and said he was going to stay with her and hold her hand until help came. He broke through the windscreen with his bare hands to create a hole injuring himself to make good on his promise. He stayed with her until help got there. They both went to same hospital where he needed surgery to repair his hand. If he had a conscious or unconsciously agenda or the coding of prominent gene to have some personally gain, this scenario make it hard to determine for me.
Another story about a young woman that stopped to offer a ride to a elderly lady that need transportation to see her daughter in the hospital. The elderly lady was waiting for 2 hours for the hospital shuttle or the bus but neither came. As she helped the elderly lady out of the vehicle and elderly man asked her to for ride to the pharmacy to pick up his heart medication. She brought him there and waited for him and brought him home. She is now friends with both people. Instead of selfish gain, I see compassion and care not a collection of DNA.
Some theories seem to try to make robots out of humans. What I mean is that, it try to make us readable or predictable. But the human mind is unpredictable in its ways. There are no wires and circuit boards with programs to control them. We have a living, changing and unique computer called the brain and it very difficult to understand and quantify its actions. Maybe the theories have some truth but it is too elementary and simple to say that we are just selfish and that is why we do good. We are far too complex for that simple of a theory, it is way more intricate that. It maybe it is something that is not tangible, maybe it is spiritual thing, or emotional thing, heart/ soul thing. Just maybe it is, we see others in a bad position, put ourselves in that position, and do what we would want someone else to do for us. It is very difficult to put a measuring stick on the intangibles we have as humans as it applies to morals and ethics, I believe that is one of the many reasons why there are so many theories.
Albright, L. (n.d.). Random Acts of Kindness: Kind man literally lent hand when she drove over hillside. Retrieved April 8, 2015, from http://www.post-gazette.com/news/portfolio/2014/02/27/Random-Acts-of-Kindness-Kind-man-literally-lent-hand-when-she-drove-over-hillside/stories/201402270182
Biddle, D. (2015, April 8). Her awesome random act of kindness. Retrieved April 8, 2015, from http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/inspire-me/67651909/hamilton-womans-random-act-of-easter-sunday-kindness-warms-our-heart
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Bright Side to a Dark Cloud
In today's society, it is not a question if negativity is going to come your way but when will it come. We have all, more than likely, experienced an event that was difficult, untimely and unpleasant to deal with. For the most part, we have little control over what happens however we do have some control over how it affects us. It is all about your perception, is the glass half empty or is it half full? Same glass or situation but different views.
In St. Charles County, Missouri, a woman named Becky Schoenig had a brand new 2015 Ford Fusion stolen out of her driveway on Monday. The vehicle was later recovered on Tuesday because someone report a strange car in their area. She finally saw the car on Wednesday and it was not the same for vehicle she got about 8 weeks ago. The vehicle had some damage that needed to be repaired but there were also some "improvements" to the car. The thieves presumably intended to customized the vehicle's rims and add details to the body. Her response to the event was simply jovial, she said thanks to "the car thieves for pimping out my vehicle.." And here lays the lesson, "It was good people that found my car. It was good people that surrounded me and encouraged me to think positive thoughts. That was the hardest part because I was upset with people, humanity," Schoenig said. "The truth is that there's still more good people out there than bad. Regardless of how a situation looks, we can still kind of have fun with it." I could not have said it any better.
This incident and her reaction to it can be an example of how we all can deal with adversity. A story of how one woman turned adversity into laughter and unity. We have probably heard them in different ways growing up, "the sticks and stones rhymes" and the good old fashion, I am rubber your glue what you say to me bounces off me and sticks to you." Her initial reaction, being upset, could have festered into depression, angry or number of other things but it was changed to laughter, funny phrases and unity of loved ones.
Shapiro, E. (n.d.). Missouri Woman Thanks Thieves for 'Pimping Out My Vehicle' Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://abcnews.go.com/US/missouri-woman-thieves-pimping-vehicle/story?id=30089963
In St. Charles County, Missouri, a woman named Becky Schoenig had a brand new 2015 Ford Fusion stolen out of her driveway on Monday. The vehicle was later recovered on Tuesday because someone report a strange car in their area. She finally saw the car on Wednesday and it was not the same for vehicle she got about 8 weeks ago. The vehicle had some damage that needed to be repaired but there were also some "improvements" to the car. The thieves presumably intended to customized the vehicle's rims and add details to the body. Her response to the event was simply jovial, she said thanks to "the car thieves for pimping out my vehicle.." And here lays the lesson, "It was good people that found my car. It was good people that surrounded me and encouraged me to think positive thoughts. That was the hardest part because I was upset with people, humanity," Schoenig said. "The truth is that there's still more good people out there than bad. Regardless of how a situation looks, we can still kind of have fun with it." I could not have said it any better.
This incident and her reaction to it can be an example of how we all can deal with adversity. A story of how one woman turned adversity into laughter and unity. We have probably heard them in different ways growing up, "the sticks and stones rhymes" and the good old fashion, I am rubber your glue what you say to me bounces off me and sticks to you." Her initial reaction, being upset, could have festered into depression, angry or number of other things but it was changed to laughter, funny phrases and unity of loved ones.
Shapiro, E. (n.d.). Missouri Woman Thanks Thieves for 'Pimping Out My Vehicle' Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://abcnews.go.com/US/missouri-woman-thieves-pimping-vehicle/story?id=30089963
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