Incarceration of African American Males Essay

Introduction The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers. This paper will explore two different outlooks; society has come up with so far, as to why African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29 are increasingly incarcerated. Finally, the information will give awareness to the problems that is faced by African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29. Prevalence – Problem 1 More than 40% of all American prisoners, men and women, are African American men, yet they make up just 13% of the U. S. male population (Roberts, 2004). This statistic does not include those African American men who are in local jails nor does it include those African American men under custodial supervision (Table 2). They enter the state and federal prison system, at the prime of their economic and reproductive lives and yet they exit prison behind both economically and socially. The high rate of incarceration among African Americans has been noted by the interconnection of poor economy, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. Statistics don’t even give African American males a good chance to stay out of jail. They have a one in four chance of being incarcerated, while Hispanic American males have a one in six chance, and white males only have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. The color of African Americans sets them apart and makes them targetable. Prevalence – Problem 2 There is evidence, in our American Justice System, of structural inequality as seen in the percentages of minorities to the percentage of majorities employed in high ranking positions, within the system. The percentage of United States judges by race are 79% Caucasian, 12% African American, and 2% Hispanics American (Federal Judicial Center, 2012), as for the thousands of lawyers in the United States it is approximate of 3% are African American (National Law Group, 2010-2011), and about 1 in 4 police officers are members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2007 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). An investigation into racial profiling showed that African American and Hispanic American offenders, who often are young unemployed males, are more likely than their white counterparts (Spohn, C., 2000). Their prison sentences are also typically longer or they receive differential benefits from guideline departures than do similarly situated white offenders (Spohn, C. , 2000). We must acknowledge the problems of racial disparity within the criminal justice system, communicate racial disparity within the criminal justice system with those we who are not informed of the problem, and stay committed to changing racial disparity within our justice system for change to begin. Causes In researching the high rate of incarceration in America it is more likely than not that the increase in African American Males being incarcerated is due to the War on Drugs (Table 1). It is public knowledge that drug crime ranks high among the effects of poverty. These poor neighborhoods not only endure crime they have poor schools, poor food, cramped living areas, and shortage of jobs if any jobs at all. Drugs and drug crime has become regularity in low income communities, arrests of Hispanics made up 55% of cocaine powder offences and 52% of marijuana offenses and 49% involving opiates: African Americans were suspected in 75% of crack cocaine cases; White males were suspected in 41% all methamphetamine cases (Motivans, M. , 2011). Decades of failed public and private remedies for chronic disparities and disadvantages in communities of color invite us to reexamine systems and institutions that provide and restrict opportunity in new ways (Lawrence, K. , 2011). The causes seem to be intertwined being poor equals, equals a poor education, equals lack of employment, and ultimately equals an increased rate of crime. Consequences The causes seem to be intertwined being poor, equals lack of education, which equals lack of employment, which equals increased rate of crime which equals impossibility to join criminal justice system. Also, many of these men are incarcerated while all the other non-incarcerated American young men are finishing school, starting careers, earning seniority at work, marrying and having children thus gaining capital. Even when released from prison, these men return back to their communities with a felony record that will pose extreme problems for them. The incarceration leads the released convict into a lower social class even if they were considered lower class Americans prior to their incarceration; they now are lower in social class standing in most instances. This leads to a poor African American community, perhaps as many as 50% of the male population will have been in prison. These incarcerated African American Males, who are in their prime of life, also are leaving half the families in this community facing such things as poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. The community ultimately will become poverty stricken, struggling to survive, and ultimately vulnerable to the situation repeating. Solutions – How can this be changed? There are four key aspects to addressing racial disparity, in my opinion: 1. Acknowledge 2. Communication 3. Setback = Strength 4. Commitment Not only is the problem of racial disparity under recognized by society it is not being communicated effectively to make change. Majority groups needs to acknowledge racial disparity and minority groups need to communicate their knowledge regarding racial disparity. As each group majority and minority begins to become share their information with each other and work together for a common solution acknowledging there will be setbacks but with continued commitment systemic change will happen. Conclusion By refusing to tolerate disparate treatment of people of color or anyone within the criminal justice system we empower ourselves and our country. It is time that everyone including our legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges work collectively and courageously to eradicate this negative stigma. Despite, America being known for its equal rights we are living proof that in this era inequality is a factor that cannot be taken lightly. The statistics that are surrounding African American males is astounding. We need to empower African American males with the knowledge that they have a one in four chance of becoming incarcerated. It is also important to know that Hispanic males have a one in six chance, and white males have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. All of these statistics need to be addressed to empower each and every one us. Throughout history we have not seen a change in majority groups (White, Male) and minority groups (Women, anyone that is not White) although we have seen numbers of minorities increasing at a fast pace. Today, however, the election of Barack Obama, not once but twice, may set the new ideal of what an American actually is. As we embrace different cultures and their ethnic backgrounds society will prosper. As society increases their knowledge, in regards to each person’s differences, they will acquire greater strength and prosperity. The only issue, that can occur, will be in the short term empowering others to embrace diversity. When we look beyond short-term, focus will shift to diverse empowerment through embracing the knowledge of our differences thus making us stronger as a society. TABLE 1: BLACK PROPORTION OF DRUG ARRESTS, EXCLUDING MARIJUANA POSSESSION YEAR BLACK % 1999 40. 1 2000 39. 3 2001 39. 1 2002 35. 8 2003 33. 8 2004 33. 1 2005 33. 2 Data calculated from drug arrest figures by race provided by the Uniform Crime Reports division of the FBI TABLE 2: FBI CRIME REPORT Arrests By Race, 2006 [11,249 agencies; 2006 estimated population 216,685,152] Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific islander Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander TOTAL 10,437,620. 7270214 2924724 130589 112093 100. 0 69. 7 28 1. 3 1. 1 Drug abuse violations 1376192 875101 483886 8198 9607 1000 63. 6 35. 1 0. 6 0. 7 DUI’S 1034651 914226 95260 13484 11681 100 88. 4 9. 2 1. 3 1. 1 Liquor laws 466323 398068 50035 12831 5389 100 85. 4 10. 7 2. 8 1. 2 Drunken-ness 408439 344155 54113 7884 2287 100 84. 3 13. 2 1. 9 0. 6 Dis-orderly conduct 5117264 325991 179733 7606 3934 100 63. 0 34. 7 1. 5 0. 8 (The FBI: Uniform Crime Report, 2010) References Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/index. cfm? ty=tp&tid=71 The FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2010, Table 43, http://www. fbi. gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u. s/2010/crime-in-the-u. s. -2010/tables/table-43 Federal Judicial Center, 2012, Overview of the United States Court System, http://www. fjc. gov/public/pdf. nsf/lookup/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf/$file/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf Lawrence, K. , 2011, Race, Crime, and Punishment: Breaking the Connection in America, http://www. aspeninstitute. org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/Race-Crime-Punishment. pdf Motivans, Mark, 2011, Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/pdf/fjs09. pdf National Law Group 2010-2011, http://blacklawyers. net/ Roberts, D. , 2004, Measuring the Social and Moral Cost of Mass Incarceration, in African American Communities, http://www. law. fsu. edu/faculty/2003-2004workshops/roberts. pdf Spohn,C. ,2000, Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest for a Racially Neutral Sentencing Process, http://www. justicestudies. com/pubs/livelink3-1. pdf.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Ten

Jack's usual response when delivered unpleasant tidings was to smile. This was his response to pleasant news as well, of course, but anyone could grin when offered a compliment. It took talent to curve one's lips in an upward direction when ordered, say, to clean out a chamber pot or risk one's life by sneaking behind enemy lines to determine troop numbers. But he generally managed it. Excrement†¦moving defenseless among the French†¦he always reacted with a dry quip and a lazy smile. This was not something he'd had to cultivate. Indeed, the midwife who'd brought him into the world swore to her dying day that he was the only baby she'd ever seen who emerged from his mother's womb smiling. He disliked conflict. He always had, which had made his chosen professions – the military, followed by genteel crime – somewhat interesting. But firing a weapon at a nameless frog or lifting a necklace from the neck of an overfed aristocrat – this was not conflict. Conflict – to Jack – was personal. It was a lover's betrayal, a friend's insult. It was two brothers vying for their father's approval, a poor relation forced to swallow her pride. It involved a sneer, or a shrill voice, and it left a body wondering if he'd offended someone. Or disappointed another. He had found, with a near one hundred percent success rate, that a grin and a jaunty remark could defuse almost any situation. Or change any topic. Which meant that he very rarely had to discuss matters that were not of his choosing. Nonetheless, this time, when faced with the dowager and her unexpected (although, really, he should have expected it) announcement, all he could do was stare at her and say, â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"We must go to Ireland,† she said again, in that obey-me tone he expected she had been born with. â€Å"There is no way we shall get to the bottom of the matter without visiting the site of the marriage. I assume Irish churches keep records?† Good God, did she think all of them were illiterate? Jack forced down a bit of bile and said quite tightly, â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"Good.† The dowager turned back to her breakfast, the matter good and settled in her mind. â€Å"We shall find whoever performed the ceremony and obtain the register. It is the only way.† Jack felt his fingers bending and flexing beneath the table. It felt as if his blood were going to burst through his skin. â€Å"Wouldn't you prefer to send someone in your stead?† he inquired. The dowager regarded him as she might an idiot. â€Å"Who could I possibly trust with a matter of such importance? No, it must be me. And you, of course, and Wyndham, since I expect he will want to see whatever proof we locate as well.† The usual Jack would never have let such a comment pass without his own, exceedingly ironic, One would think, but this current Jack – the one who was desperately trying to figure out how he might travel to Ireland without being seen by his aunt, uncle, or any of his cousins – actually bit his lip. â€Å"Mr. Audley?† Grace said quietly. He didn't look at her. He refused to look at her. She'd see far more in his face than the dowager ever would. â€Å"Of course,† he said briskly. â€Å"Of course we must go.† Because really, what else could he say? Terribly sorry, but I can't go to Ireland, as I killed my cousin? Jack had been out of society for a number of years, but he was fairly certain this would not be considered good breakfast table conversation. And yes, he knew that he had not pulled a trigger, and yes, he knew that he had not forced Arthur to buy a commission and enter the army along with him, and yes – and this was the worst of it – he knew that his aunt would never even dream of blaming him for Arthur's death. But he had known Arthur. And more importantly, Arthur had known him. Better than anyone. He'd known his every strength – and his every weakness – and when Jack had finally closed the door on his disastrous university career and headed off to the military, Arthur had refused to allow him to go alone. And they both knew why. â€Å"It might be somewhat ambitious to try to depart tomorrow,† Grace said. â€Å"You will have to secure passage, and – â€Å" â€Å"Bah!† was the dowager's response. â€Å"Wyndham's secretary can manage it. It's about time he earned his wages. And if not tomorrow, then the next day.† â€Å"Will you wish for me to accompany you?† Grace asked quietly. Jack was just about to interject that, damn yes, she'd be going, or else he would not, but the dowager gave her a haughty look and replied, â€Å"Of course. You do not think I would make such a journey without a companion? I cannot bring maids – the gossip, you know – and so I will need someone to help me dress.† â€Å"You know that I am not very good with hair,† Grace pointed out, and to Jack's horror, he laughed. It was just a short little burst of it, tinged with a loathsome nervous edge, but it was enough for both ladies to stop their conversation, and their meal, and turn to him. Oh. Brilliant. How was he to explain this? Don't mind me, I was simply laughing at the ludicrousness of it all. You with your hair, me with my dead cousin. â€Å"Do you find my hair amusing?† the dowager asked sharply. And Jack, because he had absolutely nothing to lose, just shrugged and said, â€Å"A bit.† The dowager let out an indignant huff, and Grace positively glared at him. â€Å"Women's hair always amuses me,† he clarified. â€Å"So much work, when all anyone really wants is to see it down.† They both seemed to relax a bit. His comment may have been risque, but it took the personal edge off the insult. The dowager tossed one last irritated look in his direction, then turned to Grace to continue their previous conversation. â€Å"You may spend the morning with Maria,† she directed. â€Å"She will show you what to do. It can't be that difficult. Pull one of the scullery maids up from the kitchen and practice upon her. She'll be grateful for the opportunity, I'm sure.† Grace looked not at all enthused, but she nodded and murmured, â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"See to it that the kitchen work does not suffer,† the dowager said, finishing the last of her stewed apples. â€Å"An elegant coiffure is compensation enough.† â€Å"For what?† Jack asked. The dowager turned to him, her nose somehow looking pointier than usual. â€Å"Compensation for what?† he restated, since he felt like being contrary. The dowager stared at him a moment longer, then must have decided he was best ignored, because she turned back to Grace. â€Å"You may commence packing my things once you are done with Maria. And after that, see to it that a suitable story is set about for our absence.† She waved her hand in the air as if it were a trifle. â€Å"A hunting cottage in Scotland will do nicely. The Borders, I should think. No one will believe it if you say I went to the Highlands.† Grace nodded silently. â€Å"Somewhere off the well-trod path, however,† the dowager continued, looking as if she were enjoying herself. â€Å"The last thing I need is for one of my friends to attempt to see me.† â€Å"Do you have many friends?† Jack asked, his tone so perfectly polite that she'd be wondering all day if she'd been insulted. â€Å"The dowager is much admired,† Grace said quickly, perfect little companion that she was. Jack decided not to comment. â€Å"Have you ever been to Ireland?† Grace asked the dowager. But Jack caught the angry look she shot him before turning to her employer. â€Å"Of course not.† The dowager's face pinched. â€Å"Why on earth would I have done so?† â€Å"It is said to have a soothing effect on one's temperament,† Jack said. â€Å"Thus far,† the dowager retorted, â€Å"I am not much impressed with its influences upon one's manners.† He smiled. â€Å"You find me impolite?† â€Å"I find you impertinent.† Jack turned to Grace with a sad sigh. â€Å"And here I thought I was meant to be the prodigal grandson, able to do no wrong.† â€Å"Everyone does wrong,† the dowager said sharply. â€Å"The question is how little wrong one does.† â€Å"I would think,† Jack said quietly, â€Å"that it is more important what one does to rectify the wrong.† â€Å"Or perhaps,† the dowager snapped angrily, â€Å"one could manage not to make the mistake in the first place.† Jack leaned forward, interested now. â€Å"What did my father do that was so very very wrong?† â€Å"He died,† she said, and her voice was so bitter and full of chill that Jack heard Grace suck in her breath from across the table. â€Å"Surely you cannot blame him for that,† Jack murmured. â€Å"A freak storm, a leaky boat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He should never have stayed so long in Ireland,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"He should never have gone in the first place. He was needed here.† â€Å"By you,† Jack said softly. The dowager's face lost some of its usual stiffness, and for a moment he thought he saw her eyes grow moist. But whatever emotion came over her, it was swiftly tamped down, and she stabbed at her bacon and bit off, â€Å"He was needed here. By all of us.† Grace suddenly stood. â€Å"I will go find Maria now, your grace, if that is amenable.† Jack rose along with her. There was no way she was leaving him alone with the dowager. â€Å"I believe you promised me a tour of the castle,† he murmured. Grace looked from the dowager to him and back again. Finally the dowager flicked her hand in the air and said, â€Å"Oh, take him about. He should see his birthright before we leave. You may have your session with Maria later. I will remain and await Wyndham.† But as they reached the doorway, they heard her add softly, â€Å"If that is indeed still his name.† Grace was too angry to wait politely outside the doorway, and indeed, she was already halfway down the hall before Mr. Audley caught up with her. â€Å"Is this a tour or a race?† he asked, his lips forming that now familiar smile. But this time it did nothing but raise her ire. â€Å"Why did you bait her?† she burst out. â€Å"Why would you do such a thing?† â€Å"The comment about her hair, do you mean?† he asked, and he gave her one of those annoying innocent whatever-could-I-have-done-wrong looks. When of course he had to have known, perfectly well. â€Å"Everything,† she replied hotly. â€Å"We were having a perfectly lovely breakfast, and then you – â€Å" â€Å"You might have been having a perfectly lovely breakfast,† he cut in, and his voice held a newly sharp edge. â€Å"I was conversing with Medusa.† â€Å"Yes, but you didn't have to make things worse by provoking her.† â€Å"Isn't that what his holiness does?† Grace stared at him in angry confusion. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Sorry.† He shrugged. â€Å"The duke. I've not noticed that he holds his tongue in her presence. I thought to emulate.† â€Å"Mr. Aud – â€Å" â€Å"Ah, but I misspoke. He's not holy, is he? Merely perfect.† She could do nothing but stare. What had Thomas done to earn such contempt? By all rights Thomas should be the one in a blackened mood. He probably was, to be fair, but at least he'd taken himself off to be furious elsewhere. â€Å"His grace, it is, isn't it?† Mr. Audley continued, his voice losing none of his derision. â€Å"I'm not so uneducated that I don't know the correct forms of address.† â€Å"I never said you were. Neither, I might add, did the dowager.† Grace let out an irritated exhale. â€Å"She shall be difficult all day now.† â€Å"She isn't normally difficult?† Good heavens, she wanted to hit him. Of course the dowager was normally difficult. He knew that. What could he possibly have to gain by remarking upon it other than the enhancement of his oh so dry and wry persona? â€Å"She shall be worse,† she ground out. â€Å"And I shall be the one to pay for it.† â€Å"My apologies, then,† he said, and he offered a contrite bow. Grace felt suddenly uncomfortable. Not because she thought he was mocking her, but rather because she was quite sure he was not. â€Å"It was nothing,† she mumbled. â€Å"It is not your place to worry over my situation.† â€Å"Does Wyndham?† Grace looked up at him, somehow captured by the directness of his gaze. â€Å"No,† she said softly. â€Å"Yes, he does, but no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No, he didn't. Thomas did look out for her, and had, on more than one occasion, interceded when he felt she was being treated unfairly, but he never held his tongue with his grandmother just to keep the peace. And Grace would never dream of asking him to. Or scold him for not doing so. He was the duke. She could not speak to him that way, no matter their friendship. But Mr. Audley was†¦ She closed her eyes for a moment, turning away so he could not see the turmoil on her face. He was just Mr. Audley for now, not so very far above her. But the dowager's voice, soft and menacing, still rang in her ears – If that is indeed still his name. She was speaking of Thomas, of course. But the counterpart was true as well. If Thomas was not Wyndham, then Mr. Audley was. And this man†¦this man who had kissed her twice and made her dream of something beyond the walls of this castle – he would be this castle. The dukedom wasn't just a few words appended to the end of one's name. It was lands, it was money, it was the very history of England placed upon one man's shoulders. And if there was one thing she had learned during her five years at Belgrave, it was that the aristocracy were different from the rest of humanity. They were mortals, true, and they bled and cried just like everyone else, but they carried within them something that set them apart. It didn't make them better. No matter the dowager's lectures on the subject, Grace would never believe that. But they were different. And they were shaped by the knowledge of their history and their roles. If Mr. Audley's birth had been legitimate, then he was the Duke of Wyndham, and she was an overreaching spinster for even dreaming of his face. Grace took a deep, restorative breath, and then, once her nerves were sufficiently calmed, turned back to him. â€Å"Which part of the castle would you like to see, Mr. Audley?† He must have recognized that this was not the time to press her, and so he answered cheerfully, â€Å"Why, all of it, of course, but I imagine that is not feasible for a single morning. Where do you suggest we begin?† â€Å"The gallery?† He had been so interested in the paintings in his room the night before. It seemed a logical place to start. â€Å"And gaze upon the friendly faces of my supposed ancestors?† His nostrils flared, and for a moment he almost looked as if he'd swallowed something distasteful. â€Å"I think not. I've had enough of my ancestors for one morning, thank you very much.† â€Å"These are dead ancestors,† Grace murmured, hardly able to believe her cheek. â€Å"Which is how I prefer them, but not this morning.† She glanced across the hall to where she could see sunlight dappling in through a window. â€Å"I could show you the gardens.† â€Å"I'm not dressed for it.† â€Å"The conservatory?† He tapped his ear. â€Å"Made of tin, I'm afraid.† She pressed her lips together, waited a moment, then said, â€Å"Do you have any location in mind?† â€Å"Many,† he answered promptly, â€Å"but they'd leave your reputation in tatters.† â€Å"Mr. Au – â€Å" â€Å"Jack,† he reminded her, and somehow there was less space between them. â€Å"You called me Jack last night.† Grace did not move, despite the fact that her heels were itching to scoot backwards. He was not close enough to kiss her, not even close enough to accidentally brush his hand against her arm. But her lungs felt suddenly devoid of air, and her heart had begun to race, beating erratically in her chest. She could feel it forming on her tongue – Jack. But she could not say it. Not in this moment, with the image of him as the duke still fresh in her mind. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† she said, and although she tried for sternness, she did not quite manage it. â€Å"I am heartbroken,† he said, and he did it with the exact right note of levity to restore her equilibrium. â€Å"But I shall carry on, painful though it may be.† â€Å"Yes, you look to be in despair,† she murmured. One of his brows rose. â€Å"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?† â€Å"Just a hint.† â€Å"Good, because I assure you† – he thumped one hand against his heart – â€Å"I am dying on the inside.† She laughed, but she tried to hold it in, so it came out more like a snort. It should have been embarrassing; with anyone else it would have been. But he had set her back at ease, and instead she felt herself smile. She wondered if he realized what a talent it was – to return any conversation to a smile. â€Å"Come with me, Mr. Audley,† she said, motioning for him to accompany her down the hall. â€Å"I shall show you my very favorite room.† â€Å"Are there cupids?† She blinked. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"I was attacked by cupids this morning,† he said with a shrug, as if such a thing were a common day occurrence. â€Å"In my dressing room.† And again she smiled, this time even more broadly. â€Å"Ah. I'd forgotten. It's a bit much, isn't it?† â€Å"Unless one is partial to naked babies.† Again her laughter snorted out. â€Å"Something in your throat?† he asked innocently. She answered him with a dry look, then said, â€Å"I believe the dressing room was decorated by the present duke's great-grandmother.† â€Å"Yes, I'd assumed it wasn't the dowager,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"She doesn't seem the sort for cherubs of any stripe.† The image that brought forth was enough to make her laugh aloud. â€Å"Finally,† he said, and at her curious look, added, â€Å"I thought you were going to choke on it earlier.† â€Å"You seem to have regained your good mood as well,† she pointed out. â€Å"It requires only the removal of my presence from her presence.† â€Å"But you only just met the dowager yesterday. Surely you've had a disagreeable moment before that.† He flashed her a broad grin. â€Å"Happy since the day I was born.† â€Å"Oh, come now, Mr. Audley.† â€Å"I never admit to my black moods.† She raised her brows. â€Å"You merely experience them?† He chuckled at that. â€Å"Indeed.† They walked companionably toward the rear of the house, Mr. Audley occasionally pressing her for information of their destination. â€Å"I shan't tell you,† Grace said, trying to ignore the giddy sense of anticipation that had begun to slide through her. â€Å"It sounds like nothing special in words.† â€Å"Just another drawing room, eh?† To anyone else, perhaps, but for her it was magical. â€Å"How many are there, by the way?† he asked. She paused, trying to count. â€Å"I am not certain. The dowager is partial to only three, so we rarely use the others.† â€Å"Dusty and molding?† She smiled. â€Å"Cleaned every day.† â€Å"Of course.† He looked about him, and it occurred to her that he did not seem cowed by the grandeur of his surroundings, just†¦amused. No, not amused. It was more of a wry disbelief, as if he were still wondering if he could trade this all in and get himself kidnapped by a different dowager duchess. Perhaps one with a smaller castle. â€Å"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Eversleigh,† he said. â€Å"Although I'm sure they are worth a pound.† â€Å"More than that,† she said over her shoulder. His mood was infectious, and she felt like a coquette. It was unfamiliar. Unfamiliar and lovely. He held up his hands in surrender. â€Å"Too steep a price, I'm afraid. I am but an impoverished highwayman.† She cocked her head. â€Å"Wouldn't that make you an unsuccessful highwayman?† â€Å"Touche,† he acknowledged, â€Å"but alas, untrue. I have had a most lucrative career. The life of a thief suits my talents perfectly.† â€Å"Your talents are for pointing guns and removing necklaces off ladies' necks?† â€Å"I charm the necklaces off their necks.† He shook his head in a perfect imitation of offense. â€Å"Kindly make the distinction.† â€Å"Oh, please.† â€Å"I charmed you.† She was all indignation. â€Å"You did not.† He reached out, and before she could step away, he'd grasped her hand and raised it to his lips. â€Å"Recall the night in question, Miss Eversleigh. The moonlight, the soft wind.† â€Å"There was no wind.† â€Å"You're spoiling my memory,† he growled. â€Å"There was no wind,† she stated. â€Å"You are romanticizing the encounter.† â€Å"Can you blame me?† he returned, smiling at her wickedly. â€Å"I never know who is going to step through the carriage door. Most of the time I get a wheezy old badger.† Grace's initial inclination was to ask him if badger referred to a man or a woman, but she decided this would only encourage him. Plus, he was still holding her hand, his thumb idly stroking her palm, and she was finding that such intimacies severely restricted her talents for witty repartee. â€Å"Where are you taking me, Miss Eversleigh?† His voice was a murmur, brushing softly against her skin. He was kissing her again, and her entire arm shivered with the excitement of it. â€Å"It is just around the corner,† she whispered. Because her voice seemed to have abandoned her. It was all she could do to breathe. He straightened then, but did not release her hand. â€Å"Lead on, Miss Eversleigh.† She did, tugging him gently as she moved toward her destination. To everyone else, it was just a drawing room, decorated in shades of cream and gold, with the occasional accent of the palest, mintiest of greens. But Grace's dowager-inflicted schedule had given her cause to enter in the morning, when the eastern sun still hung low on the horizon. The air shimmered in the early morning, somehow golden with the light, and when it streamed through the windows in this far-flung, unnamed drawing room, the world somehow sparkled. By midmorning it would be just an expensively decorated room, but now, while the larks were still chirping softly outside, it was magic. If he didn't see that†¦ Well, she did not know what it would mean if he did not see that. But it would be disappointing. It was a small thing, meaningless to anyone but her, and yet†¦ She wanted him to see it. The simple magic of the morning light. The beauty and grace in the one room at Belgrave that she could almost imagine was hers. â€Å"Here we are,† she said, a little breathless with the anticipation. The door was open, and as they approached, she could see the light slanting out, landing gently on the smooth surface of the floor. There was such a golden hue to it, she could see every speck of dust that hung floating in the air. â€Å"Is there a private choir?† he teased. â€Å"A fantastical menagerie?† â€Å"Nothing so ordinary,† she replied. â€Å"But close your eyes. You should see it all at once.† He took her hands and, still facing her, placed them over his eyes. It brought her achingly close to him, her arms stretched up, the bodice of her dress just a whisper away from his finely tailored coat. It would be so easy to lean forward, to sigh into him. She could let her hands drop and close her own eyes, tilting her face toward his. He would kiss her, and she would lose her breath, her will, her very desire to, in that moment, be only herself. She wanted to melt into him. She wanted to be a part of him. And the strangest part was – right there, right then, with the golden light rippling down upon them – it seemed the most natural thing in the world. But his eyes were closed, and for him, one little piece of the magic was missing. It had to have been, because if he had felt everything that was floating around her – through her – he never would have said, his voice utterly charming – â€Å"Are we there yet?† â€Å"Almost,† she said. She should have been grateful that the moment was broken. She should have been relieved that she did not do something she was sure to regret. But she wasn't. She wanted her regrets. She wanted them desperately. She wanted to do something she knew she should not, and she wanted to lie in bed at night letting the memory keep her warm. But she was not brave enough to initiate her own downfall. Instead, she led him to the open doorway and said softly, â€Å"Here we are.†

Map British Airways stakeholders. Describe with examples from at least Essay

Map British Airways stakeholders. Describe with examples from at least two different stakeholder groups some of the ethical - Essay Example Further it maps four stakeholders of British Airways being: customers, employees, competitors and the local community. Table of Contents General Overview of British Airways†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Definition of Business Ethics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4-5 Understanding Stakeholders†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5-6 Examining Stakeholder mapping†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6-7 Discussing and mapping British Airways Stakeholders†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7-10 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10-11 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...12 British Airways is the UK’s leading airline dealing in both international and domestic freight, mail carriage services and provision of auxiliary products. Its roots can be traced back to the emergence of civil aviation following the infamous world war one. The company has evolved tremendously over time with its first international flight between London and Paris on 25th August 1919 by its forerunner company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, (A&TT) to the current worldwide destinations with extremely sophisticated planes both for cargo and human transport (Britishairways.com, 2012). The United Kingdom leading airline has been very profitable with a turnover of ?8.99bn in the year ending 31st March 2009 (Petya, 2011). For this famous airline company to witness such growth, and market dominance, there has to be proper coordination a nd professionalism coupled by high degrees of commitments by the stakeholders of the company. In the business world, the act of ensuring a well coordinated relationship between a company and the stakeholders is called corporate governance. The paper will explore, discuss and map some British Airways stakeholders, their ethical concerns and how the company has dealt with them in general. To tackle this paper efficiently, it is prudent to understand its key terms. Businesses operate in human societies and need to uphold the moral values that are advocated within their locality and beyond due to globalization. The world has increasingly become a global village and what affects one part of the world automatically affects the other. For a company to gain desirable public image it has to uphold business ethics in its operations and decision making. Applied-Corporate-Governance.com (2012) defines business ethics as, ‘‘the application of moral code of conduct to the strategic an d operational management of a business’’ It is important to note that different people have varied moral standards, hence what may be considered morally upright to one may not necessarily be so to another person owing to individual diversities. Ethics is about personal moral judgment of right and wrong. The business entity has to understand this and to operate in a manner that facilitates it to win the public trust for a desired culmination to enhanced profitability. The same can be achieved through careful moral examination of corporate social responsibility, political and social systems coupled with individual moral standards. A business entity that desires to flourish should embrace ethical practices as this will

Leading a health task force through malaria prevention program Essay

Leading a health task force through malaria prevention program - Essay Example The situation I have chosen is where a group of health professional is carrying out a malaria prevention program in the community. As the leader of the task force, I am required to exhibit leadership equation, power of vision, significance of ethics, ability to empower people, principles of leadership, human abilities and understanding, high level of effectiveness, ability to develop other people, and performance management. This paper will hence focus on the mentioned leadership components that I will exhibit in leading the task force through a malaria prevention program. Leadership equation During my reign as a leader of the task force, I will prefer a group leadership to an individual leadership. As opposed to individual leadership where one person leads the whole group, group leadership encourages the whole team to act as leaders. This approach will aid in increasing effectiveness, creativity and even reducing costs. This energizes the team and makes them feel an elevated level o f empowerment. Leading a team through a prevention program requires much time as it involves straining circumstances. It involves dealing with community at the grass root level where there is a low literacy level. It also requires ample time to empower community members to adopt the measures provided by the team members. The community will have to be taught and trained on how they can prevent malaria from making a better part of them. It will also involve distribution of treated mosquito bed nets. This will mean the community will be trained on how to use these bed nets. It will be the work of the team to ask the community to observe various causes of malaria in order to avoid infections. Above all, the community will be empowered in order to keep observing the measures of malaria prevention. After the program, there will be a monitoring and evaluation session to ensure the program is effective after which the team can pronounce success of the program. The whole of these activities requires much cooperation from the team members. Therefore as a team leader, I will have to exhibit distinct leadership traits, behavior, styles and qualities. The team is also expected to show effective characteristics of a well functioning team in order to provide the right condition of working together and providing leadership. As a leader I will provide awareness of unity to all members of the team. The members will also have the ability to develop interpersonal relationship where every member gets a chance to learn from each other and contribute to work. I will also use my leadership to enhance togetherness towards achieving our common goal. My team will exhibit characteristics of a well functioning team including: Members share a sense of purpose and reason for existence of the team and invest their time in obtaining the goals and mission of the team. Members share priorities with one another; they know what has to be done by whom and by when the goals are to be achieved. Memb ers are definite about their roles. Everyone knows what tasks to do and when to give team experts a chance to do specific task. Members understand the line of decision making and authority. Members deal with conflicts openly and consider them significant to personal growth and decision making. Members appreciate each other’s personal traits and feel their distinct personalities well utilized and appreciated. Members have set group norms that enable them work together and are observed as the group standards for

The Difference Between An Egalitarian And A Non-Egalitarian Principle Essay

The Difference Between An Egalitarian And A Non-Egalitarian Principle Of Distribution. Which One Is Preferable - Essay Example In this philosophy, people ought to get the same, be treated equally, treat our friend as equal, and all people should enjoy equal social status. The egalitarianism principles rest on the background that all mankind are equal in fundamental worth and moral status. Although these principles are widely accepted, there exist variant views especially in Western European and Anglo American philosophical traditions. Egalitarians believe that equality and justice are closely well connected. Firstly, they think unfair life prospects should be equalized. Secondly, equality is the most important constitutive and intrinsic worth of justice. Thirdly, welfare has to be increased. Fourthly and fifthly that justice is comparative, and inequalities are just when advantages are destroyed in the name of justice respectively. One of the most important views of the existence of egalitarianism is the Christian doctrine that God loves all mankind equally despite their social economic status (Raz 254-257). The existence of egalitarianism is prudent for there are different types of equality. For example, treatment of people equally in the society. Great example is the modern democratic societies where everyone has equal chances to hold any position and be treated equally like any other person. An egalitarian denies Cross-Temporal Additivity because inequality is not additive over time. Inequality partly determines value and hence value is not additive over time. In economics, egalitarianism would mean equality to opportunity such that the government ought not to discriminate against citizens or even hinder prosperity opportunities to them. The government has to advocate for equal prosperity for all citizens. Milton Friedman a free-market economist supports equality-of-opportunity economic egalitarianism. The principles of non egalitarianism hold that equality is not bad or good at the same time, and there are several forms of egalitarianism depending on one’s interpretation of equality and values. The non egalitarian principle suggests that, value of two events is equal given that they occupy no overlapping times interval. This claim portrays people’s view of justice. The treatment of people justly depends on how other people are treated. Therefore, it is unfair to distribute resources if people are denied their share despite the amount to be given. What is important is the allocation ratio to each person and the kind of feeling that arise thereafter. Non-Egalitarianism uses three general moral principles namely: Intrapersonal Non-Egalitarianism, Strong Supervenience of Utility-Value and Cross Temporal Additivity of Utility Value. The Intrapersonal Non-Egalitarianism principle supports that the equality in the distribution of utility is evaluative neutral in an individual’s life. The Strong Supervenience of Utility-Value principle states that the two events have the same utility value if they are intrinsically identical in terms of non-evalu ative properties. Lastly the Cross-Temporal Additivity of Utility Value principle states that utility-value of fusion of for instance event A and B is equal to utility value of A plus utility value of B. This holds as long as the two events occupy non-overlapping time intervals. Scope and Role of Distributive Principles This principle varies greatly in various dimensions relevance to distributive justice (wealth, income, jobs utility among others). The variation between the egalitarian and non-egalitarian principle occurs in the nature of the recipient and the basis of distribution. It covers the distribution and economic burden among individuals in society. This principle forms the principles of Anglo

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Leadership - Essay Example Thirdly, the leader should provide the knowledge and methods needed to realize the vision and influence others to buy into the idea. As passion is contagious, the leader must communicate in a passionate and clear way. Consequently, the leader should coordinate and balance the conflicting interests in stakeholders and be able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. There are traits that a leader should posses. Integrity, honest deals, controlled emotions with a predictable reaction to issues and an absence of harsh outbursts. Dedication is spending more time and energy to realize the vision by inspiring other members by example. Magnanimity is to give credit where it is due and be responsible for failures and humbleness to elevate everyone (Daft & Lane, 2011). A leader should have an open mind to listen to new ideas and suspend judgment while listening to others ideas, check the facts before passing judgment to gain trust and respect. Leaders are to be creative to think d ifferently and lead to new directions. Humor fosters good camaraderie. Humor is vital for a leader to relieve boredom, tensions and defuses hostility. This paper examines my leadership in terms of the participative theory and presents the plan of action to improve my motivation and leadership skills. Leadership theories, styles, and their influence on motivation The skills theory states that knowledge and abilities acquired by learning are significant factors for effective leadership. The argument in this theory is that skills and qualities learned, developed and acquired are keys to leadership performance. Skills are what leaders can accomplish, whereas traits are who leaders are (Northouse, 2009). Technical skills are knowledge, competency and proficiency in a specific work. For instance use of computer application software as MS office. Human skills assist us get along and communicate with people. Conceptual skills help leaders better decide and comprehend the actions and measure s for ideas and concepts. To some extent, the theory disavows a connection between the inherited characteristics and capacity to be an effective leader. However, it brings confusion when someone holds the skills and qualities but do not become a leader. This is one of the difficulties in using skills theory to explain leadership (Northouse, 2009). The situational theory, suggests that one needs to adjust and adapt to the circumstances in different situations to be an effective leader. The choice of action is based on situational variables. Factors to determine how to adapt are the competence and commitment of the stakeholders. Either aggressive decisions are made or there is room for negotiations (Ortimiere & Meese, 2010). In this theory, the leader may involve all members when making a critical decision and be task relevant. To determine the duties to assign, the leader should know the maturity level of followers in relation to a specific task. Therefore, situational leadership inf luences activities of individuals towards goal achievement in a given situation. According to the contingency theory, success depends on the leadership style, the qualities and traits of the followers and the aspect in which the situation is. It advocates for a positive approach towards unforeseen incidents. There should be a match between the leadership style and the unique situation or setting. It is different from the situational theory since, in situational the focus is on adapting to situations while in contingency effective leadership depends on the degree of fitness between a leaders qualities, style and that of a situation (Daft & Lane, 2011). The elements to be looked

Geared to Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geared to Success - Essay Example One of the things I love to do is playing rugby. It is physically demanding but I love to engage in the sport because of the values such as sportsmanship, teamwork and health benefits I gain from it. Music is another passion that I have engaged in. I can play the guitar drums and keyboard. Looking back to how my parents encouraged me to do a variety of activities in addition to the demands of schoolwork, I now understand that they always wanted me to be exposed to different activities for me to discover my talents and interests. Their efforts paid off because I found out what kind of person I am which affects my planning and decision-making these days. When I went to service trips to Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, I found out how blessed I am to have a supportive family who sends me to school and provides me with my necessities. I have seen a lot of less fortunate children who need to work at a tender age only to help their family eat a meal. I have seen starving babies whose parent s either cannot work or have no work at all because they do not have any skill or means. In the aforementioned countries that I have visited, I have seen a lot of poverty but I also saw how people strive to live decently. Some worked hard to survive the day but they still continue to do their tasks despite their difficult situations. These situations opened my eyes to the realities of life. They have left such an impression to me that I learned to think about my own life, what I am doing about my situation and the things I plan in order for me to have a better life and continue to impact the lives of other people. The realizations did not come to me in a dramatic manner. At first, the impressions did not sink in my mind but after a number of service trips that I attended, slowly, I have come to see more of other people. I became observant of how they lived and then I compared the life that I am living to their lives. Looking back to my familial background, I then came to an understa nding of why my parents reiterated the value of education to me from time to time. I realized that my former attitude of taking things for granted will definitely bring me to a similar state that the people we visited in the different countries were experiencing. It was then that I resolved to do not just what I can in my studies but that, I will exert my best efforts to excel and succeed. As I continued to think about my future, I decided that business is what I would like to engage in as a professional. I know that there are a lot of good jobs and opportunities for me in the business world. However, I am also aware of the difficulties waiting for me. The world is becoming smaller, so they say. With the internet and other technological advancements, the business world is also becoming smaller and expanding at the same time. Businesses are going global nowadays. This means tough competition among businessmen who come from different parts of the world, with different experiences and ideas that could change global economy and their personal paths to success. Therefore, in addition to the lessons I learned, I also have come to understand the value of graduating from a school with good reputations. I believe that when good things are said about a school, it would be because of the quality of services being offered. I know that schools are a great factor in how a person is molded and informed.

Pair-wise Sequencing Alignment Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pair-wise Sequencing Alignment - Math Problem Example Answer = 0.0 1.e. Are there any other results having the same E-value? If so, how many? Answer = Yes, 19others 1.f. What is the Max score for the top BLASTN search result? Answer = 4693 1.g. What is the Total score for the top BLASTN search result? Answer = 4693 1.h. What is the Query coverage for the top BLASTN search result? Answer = 100% 1.i What is the Max ident for the top BLASTN search result? Answer = 100% 1.j Are there any other results compared to the top BLASTN search result that have the same E-value, same Max score, same Query coverage, same Max ident, same Total score? If so, how many? Answer = Yes, 1 other 2. Using the sequence provided at the bottom of this document, Perform BLASTX using Database option set to "Reference proteins (refseq_protein)". Keep all other settings and parameters at the default value. 2.a. How many Blast Hits do you get for the sequence? Answer = 1 2.b. What is the sequence most similar to? Provide the Sequence Accession as your answer. Answer = XP_003433170.1 2.c. ... Answer = 58% 2.g. When you inspect the first alignment for the top BLASTX search result, what is the % Gap listed? Answer = 6% 2.h. When you inspect the first alignment for the top BLASTX search result, what is the Frame indicated? Answer = -1 Sequence to use: >

Compare and contrast spanish, mexican and american periods in CA Essay

Compare and contrast spanish, mexican and american periods in CA history - Essay Example Thus, the Spanish period boosted the economy of California through agriculture. The Spanish periods was a time that Cattle rearing became very common amongst the people of California as this was introduced by the missions. California began to be under Mexican control in 1825. The dominance of the Mexicans of California was after their independence from Spain in 1821. Alta California, which was when the name of the region became an official territory of the Mexicans in 1825. Some influential Californians were distraught by the wealth and affluence of the Spanish missions and they sought help from the Mexicans and the newly independent Mexico helped to suppress the powers of the Spanish rule in California. Thus, the people of California were actually the ones that invited the Mexicans to come to their aid and rescue them from the hands of the Spanish missions. The Mexicans converted the mission lands in California to settlement region in 1833. The end of the Spanish rule in California saw the fading of the missions in the region and the emergence and further development of cattle ranching in the region as the lands that were seized from the missions were used for ranching and trade by the Mexicans. Thus, it could be inferred that, the Mexican period was more acceptable to the people of California than the Spanish period (Rolle 21-23). The Mexican period ended in the 1840s and there was actually a series of bloodless strife between the indigenes of California and the Mexican authority up to the time that the Mexican rule lasted in the region. The American settlement in California actually started towards the end of the Mexican period in the region. The Americans that initially went to the region before the 1840s were adventurers, fur trappers, and sailors. In 1840, hundreds of American settlers lived in California and this increased the numbers of United States settlers during the initial stage

Essay 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

1 - Essay Example Some people fear altercation and disobeying authority would require confrontation. Very many people want to appear rational and people with high integrity, and compliance to the authority means they are upholding their dignity. These people want to paint unadulterated picture of them to the authority and by complying with what the authority requires they are able to achieve this. Giving a phony or unjustly account of what took place will make a person obey authority in order to reverse his or her previous sentiments. When ones conscious is not at peace is it even possible for the person to have a peaceful life, knowing that one’s own version will make a person lose his or her life. How can someone live with a false accusation? Unless this person is retarded, because knowing ones version of what happened would be a reason someone innocent is likely to lose his or her life is intolerable. People have so much trust in the authority and not complying with what the authority requires would be so disrespectful on their part. From the age of childhood, people grow to believe an older person should always be respected, so obedience to authority comes naturally. When one fails to respect, authority there is the possibility of the person feeling incompetent and unreliable and it is so palpable that no one wants to be associated with such attributes. Some people comply with the authority for the wrong reasons; they find it hard to say no to the authority because of bribery. Some of them are bribed to give false accounts of what really happened. Such offers are unfeasible for some selfish individuals to turn down. They take up the offers and change their previous versions. There is the issue of threat since it is not likely that authority will be soft and understanding. Sometimes the authority uses threat on witnesses for them to do what the authority requires of

Kant philosophy Essay Example for Free

Kant philosophy Essay For this case, I will be using Kantian ethics to pinpoint the rationally correct action to take. Before discussing Kantian ethics in relation to the case, we must first explore what Kantian ethics is. Kantian ethics comes from the deontological school of thought, which focuses on the moral correctness of the act in itself (Johnson, 2013). This means that the judgment on the act is done a priori. This is contrasted to the consequentialist school of thought, which focuses on the results of an act as the factor that would qualify the rightness or wrongness of an action (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2012). A consequentialist would make a judgment on an act a posteriori. Kant utilized a concept called the Categorical Imperative, which states that that which is moral is that which is rational (Johnson, 2013). Therefore, a moral act is one that follows from a rational agent. An immoral act, as it follows, is that which is irrational (Johnson, 2013). Another significant factor to consider in Kantian ethics is that the most important value that they seek to preserve is autonomy. Contrasted to a Utilitarian, a Kantian would promote autonomy rather than happiness. The Categorical Imperative contains three main elements. One element of the Categorical Imperative is the formula of universalizable maxims. The formula of universalizable maxims states that a right action is that which can be universalizable (Johnson, 2013). The question here would be: would an action be acceptable if everyone did it? To test this, a person would need to imagine a twin world wherein that action is the norm for everyone. Then that person would need to see if such a world is conceivable and rational. Another important factor for this experiment would be to see if the universalized act would inhibit other people’s freedom. If the universalized act or maxim doesn’t infringe on other’s freedom then this act is acceptable (Johnson, 2013). Another element under the Categorical Imperative is the Humanity Formula. This concept states that humanity is a means in itself and should never be treated merely as a means to an end (Johnson, 2013). This means that each human being must be respected because he or she has his or her own inherent autonomy and dignity (Johnson, 2013). This formula stipulates that a person may not be manipulated by another as a means to achieve a particular goal. Realistically, though, you cannot help but use people as means to an end (Johnson, 2013). This happens everyday, for example, when we use shop clerks to purchase food. In this example, we are using the shop clerks as a means to get the ends, which is food. The reason as to why this particular case of using a person as a means to an end is acceptable is because of the idea of consent. A shop clerk has freely chosen to pursue his or her own line of work and this entails being a means through which people can purchase food. Thus, the shop clerk consents to being a means to this particular end. The third element under the Categorical Imperative is the Kingdom of Ends Formula. This formulation states that an agent exists in a community that is made up of equally rational agents who have just as much say in the maxims that become universalized (Johnson, 2013). The universalized maxims become the law and every agent in this community agrees to conform his or her actions to the law. B. DISCUSSION OF CASE For this particular case, we are dealing with the maxim of taking cognitive enhancing drugs to increase productivity output. If we were to test this particular maxim using the formula of universalizability, we would have to imagine a world wherein every person would do this particular action. In this world, everyone would use cognitive enhancing drugs to meet deadlines or to finish their work faster. In the face of stress, instead of overcoming the obstacle through the person’s own hard work and will, he would only merely need to pop a pill. As mentioned in the case, this kind of accepted behavior could create a new kind of neuro-society. This new neuro-society would be filled with people popping pills like Adderall or Ritalin to focus on their work on hand. There is essentially nothing wrong with increasing the ability of a person to focus on a particular task. The downside of this kind of society would be that it would become a society of drug dependency. Designer drugs like the ones previously mentioned would act as a quick fix for people. Instead of relying on their own wills and capacities, people would be relying merely on the drug to be able to produce an output. This dependency goes against the value the Kantian holds above everything else: autonomy. By allowing a drug-dependent society to prosper, we would be limiting our own freedom by slowly becoming more dependent on drugs. In this world where using cognitive enhancing drugs is the norm, imagine if the drug would suddenly be taken away. People would not know how to focus or get their work done without the drug. In the face of stress, people wouldn’t know how to act since they have lost the drug that previously did all the work for them. This is because they supplemented their own shortcomings with the drug instead of developing themselves into becoming fully functioning and autonomous adults who could deal with their problems. This maxim being universalized would stunt our own development and would, in turn, create an infantilized society. This thought experiment aims to show that the maxim of using cognitive enhancing drugs does not pass the test of universalizability. Secondly, in this world with this universalized maxim, the using of cognitive enhancing drugs may become a norm not only for college students or adults, but also for children. Children are vulnerable in the sense that their autonomy is still limited. Because a Kantian would uphold autonomy as the most important value, he or she would feel an obligation to protect vulnerable parties who have limited autonomy. In this world, there may be over-achieving parents who want their children to be competitive in the world of academics. If the using of cognitive enhancing drugs becomes the norm, then these kinds of parents might try to get their children to take these kinds of drugs to get ahead in their studies. A Kantian would see that the children must be protected from these kinds of actions since they cannot utilize their autonomy in the full capacity. Another point for this argument is that if children are put on cognitive enhancing drugs from an early age, then they will grow up never knowing what it is like to function without these drugs. Furthermore, they will become extremely dependent and they will never be able to realize their own full potential and capacity. This means that their autonomies will always be somewhat limited. Therefore, a world wherein cognitive enhancing drugs are the norm, not just for adults but also for children, must be avoided. Therefore, based on the twin world test, the use of cognitive enhancing drugs should not become a norm since it creates a dependent society and it creates an opportunity for vulnerable parties to remain vulnerable and never reach their full autonomies. Thirdly, another reason as to why this particular maxim would not be acceptable for a Kantian is because it goes against another element of the Categorical Imperative: the Human Formula. As previously stated, this formulation asserts that humans should not be used merely as means to an end. This formulation includes disallowing agents in using themselves as a means to an end (Manninen, 2006). The act of taking cognitive enhancing drugs reduces the person to merely a means to an end. Instead of respecting one’s own capacity to achieve one’s full potential, a person merely reduces himself to something akin to a machine that will produce output in the quickest way possible. Instead of the person using his or her own capacity in facing the challenge, the act of using a cognitive enhancing drug will circumvent the process of self-development and will skip the opportunity for personal growth. In this manner, the person will accomplish the short-term goal of churning out an output without actually developing his or her own talents. As noted in a journal article by Manninen (2006), when drugs are treated as a miracle solution to the stressful emotions an agent is feeling, this stops the agent from growing and overcoming the stress by himself or herself. This sacrifices an important aspect of being human: the capacity to engage in personal development. This stunts personal growth and, in turn, society is left with people who do not know how to deal with problems by themselves. Instead, they turn to using drugs as an emotional crutch. In conclusion, we see how a Kantian would view the maxim of using cognitive enhancing pills in response to stress or a heavy workload. Since the most important value for the Kantian is autonomy and the development of this, he or she would see this maxim as something that limits and stunts autonomy. Therefore, to make this maxim into a universalized law would be irrational. In my opinion, I think that Kantian ethics did pinpoint the morally correct response in this case. This is because the using of cognitive enhancing drugs would reduce the agent to a mere means. This is not morally correct since human beings are not mere means nor machines but rather rational agents who deserve respect and the chance to grow. References: Johnson, R. (2013). Kant’s Moral Philosophy. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/kant-moral/ Manninen, B. A. (2006). Medicating the mind: A kantian analysis of overprescribing psychoactive drugs. Journal of medical ethics, 32(2), 100-105. Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2012). Consequentialism. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia/archinfo. cgi? entry=consequentialism.

Benefits of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods to Human Health

Benefits of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods to Human Health Introduction Genetically modified food, also known as GM food refer to foodstuff such as animals or plants that had their genetic makeup altered to make them grow bigger, stay fresher and other benefits that will make human life more simple. The concept of genetically modified (GM) foods has existed for many years. Cross-breeding of plants, such as different types of corn, has been applied before with the purpose of transferring a desirable trait from one plant species to another (Whitman, 2000). However, a substantial amount of time is required to obtain a specific result. This is because all of the genes are pooled together and numerous attempts are required for the production of offsprings with the preferred trait. Tomatoes are the first GM crop introduced to the world. Tomatoes developed by Monsanto came into the market in 1994 after approval by the US FDA. In 2008, US FDA consultation procedures on bioengineered foods were completed by a total of 111 bioengineered food products. According to Grocery Manufacturers of America, genetically engineered plants are the ingredients for between 70 percent and 75 percent of all processes foods available in U.S. grocery stores (centerforfoodsafety.org, n.d.). Advocates of GM foods such as economists, scientists, researchers hail from various sectors, as well as from agricultural and food industries. Although genetically modified foods arises many concerns regarding its safety and consequences of consumption, the real question posed by the society is whether these GM foods should be banned for the benefit of mankind. Even if GM foods have been known to trigger allergic reactions and toxicities, is environmentally hazardous and costly, it should not be banned because it is confirmed to be beneficial to human health, environmentally friendly and able to improve the quality and quantity of yields. This report is mainly focused on the benefits of GM food towards mankind. The reasons why GM foods should not be banned are as conveyed in this report. The comments and personal views of numerous professionals are included in this report to show the evident benefits of GM foods. This report is not confined to any particular region or country but is assessed from a global point of view. This is due to GM foods being present in almost all countries worldwide. Additionally, to fulfill ever-increasing needs of humans, conventional crops are genetically being replaced by GM crops. Benefits to human health GM food brings many advantages to mankind. First of all, GM food that was engineered genetically is able to sustain favorable human health and enrich the wellbeing of its consumers. This is because it can remove the malnutrition problem faced by the current world and GM crops can be modified to become edible vaccines to reduce vulnerability towards diseases. Malnutrition problems can be solved by introducing GM foods enhanced with nutrition that humans are lacked of, such as vitamin D and iron that will cause rickets in children or osteoporosis in aged adults as well as iron deficiency. Susceptibility to a certain disease can be reduced if edible vaccines are added into the GM foods such as the GM banana (Whitman, 2000). Hepatitis B can be prevented by eating such genetically modified bananas. 2.1 Solves malnutrition problems Genetically modified foods can remove malnutrition problems faced by mankind today. Vitamins and minerals can be inserted into GM crops such as GM rice to make humans healthier. GM rice contains high amounts of Vitamin A compared to non-GM rice. The enhancement of vitamin A in GM rice will be able to result in the treatment of diarrhea in infants to be significantly easier as well as reducing the likelihood of chances of humans being diagnosed with night blindness (Gola, 2005). The other malnutrition problem often faced by humans is iron deficiency. According to the World Health Organization (2009), approximately two billion people prove to be tested positive for iron deficiency. As such, researchers have invested in GM rice by intensifying the iron content in polished rice to solve the iron deficiency problem. The genes that were inserted into the GM foods have a positive effect on the accumulation of iron in the rice kernel that causes the GM rice to contain 6 times more iron compared to the original variety (ScienceDaily, 2009). 2.2 Some GM crops possess medical advantages Some GM crops are modified to become edible vaccines that can reinforce the immune system of humans. Some GM crops have been inserted with DNA sequences encoding for antibodies into their genome (Dickinson, 2009). This enables the crops to produce antibiotics in their cells. GM crops such as banana, tomato and potato have been altered to contain bacterial or rotavirus antigens. Large scaled immunizations can be made by introducing edible vaccines to patients, rendering the vaccinations of these diseases considerably easier, painless, and accessible. Per se, antibodies contained in such GM foods will be able to enhance the immune system of human bodies to combat against pathogens when consumed orally. Therefore, it will not be uncommon in the near future when humans can merely ingest GM tomatoes instead of waiting in line to see a doctor. Hazards to human health Opponents of GM foods claim that GM foods are potentially risky to human health. They assert that GM foods will trigger allergenicity in the human body should it be eaten. There is a possibility that a new allergen will be created and result in susceptible individuals exhibiting symptoms of allergic reactions when a foreign gene is introduced into a crop. Though so, this affirmation is weak. GM foods are genetically engineered to have their allergenic-causing proteins to be removed. As such, they do not contain potentially harmful proteins as compared to non-GM foods such as peanuts, cereals and eggs. Producing hypoallergenic GM foods would be a desired commodity as these foods will possess the ability to notably decrease the danger of adverse reactions. This offers the possibility of consumption by allergen-sensitive individuals, enabling to enjoy the pleasure of being able eat foods on par with normal people (Herman, 2003). Besides that, GM crops will reduce herbicides on crops that may cause reactions in our bodies. GM crops that are modified to be resistance to insects will reduce the amount of herbicides used by farmers that will cause health problems. Hormonal signaling in human cells has been discovered to be altered by a common weed killer in U.S. (ScienceDaily, 2008). In another case claimed by Gammon (2009), a top selling weed killer, Roundup, has been found to magnify the toxicity in human cells. Hence, GM crops that are enhanced with resistance towards pests are able to completely eliminate the use of herbicides and weed killers, thereby protecting consumers from herbicide-induced ailments. Environmentally friendly One of the benefits introducing GM foods is that the plantation of GM crops is environmentally affable. Currently, our world is afflicted with the issue of pollution. To rectify this problem, GM crops are modified to resistance to insect and pest attack as well as to herbicides. Additionally, another process which is applied in an effort to make GM crops environmentally friendly is phytoremediation. Therefore, pollution can be greatly reduced and eventually be eliminated altogether. 3.1 Resistance to insect and pest GM crops can be genetically engineered to show resistance toward pests. GM crops can be genetically altered to contain a gene which encodes for a specific protein which is toxic to pests. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and excess waste due to agricultural use of pesticides and fertilizers could potentially pollute and harm the environment. The application of chemical pesticides can be eliminated through the growing of GM crops such as B.t. corn. B.t. corn is engineered to possess genes in their genetic make-up that encode for the creation of B.t. toxin which only specifically responsive to particular species of insect larvae and will not affect others life forms. Other environmentally friendly characteristics of B.t. toxins include biodegradability and safe for other living organisms. Varieties of sugar beet as well as winter oil-seed which have been modified to induce tolerance towards specific herbicides were scrutinized by the Bright project (Black, 2004). 3.2 Phytoremediation Phytoremediation is defined as the rectification of environmental issues through the usage of plants which alleviate the environmental problem without the need to relocate and dispose contaminant materials somewhere else. Crops of GM foods can be genetically altered to exhibit preferable characteristics, especially the ability of certain plants called hyperaccumulators to bioaccumulate, degrade or render harmless contaminants in soils, water or air (Wikipedia, 2010). For instance, genes in trees can be manipulated and conformed to absorb more carbon dioxide gas, CO2 and hence, would reduce the risk of global warming. Heavy metal pollution in contaminated soil and groundwater sources can also be assuaged by the use of such plants. Quoting Kochian (2004), Contaminated soils and waters pose major environmental, agricultural and human health problems worldwide. These problems may be partially solved by an emerging new technology phytoremediation. Pollution and contamination of the soil Opponents of GM foods claim that herbicide-resistant crops will only encourage farmers to increase the amount of herbicide used as the crops are already immune to the herbicide used and will not be affected. In order to kill pests that will harm the crops, they increase the quantity of the certain herbicide used to eradicate pests extensively. This results in pollution of the soil due to excessive usage of herbicides to kill pests at a faster rate to reduce harm inflicted upon the crops, thereby rendering the piece of land infertile or that crops grown on it may contain traces of pollutants and is hazardous should they be consumed. However, that claim is merely an assumption. As avowed by Monsanto (n.d.), the application of herbicide-resistant crops is able to decrease the number of herbicide sprays needed to keep pests at bay and this will promote environmentally reliable herbicide usage, even when used in moderation. For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killers) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, which requires care so that the herbicide does not harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one effective herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup. A farmer growing these soybeans will then only require one type of weed-killer in moderate amounts instead of multiple types, hence reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off. Improve the quality and quantity With the population of the world growing substantially each year, significant amounts of stress are placed on resources of land fit for plantation, water, energy, as well as other biological reserves to supply sufficient food whilst sustaining the coherence of the ecosystem. As affirmed by the World Bank and the United Nations, roughly 1 to 2 billion humans suffer from malnourishment, signifying a sign of scarce food supply, low incomes and sparse allocation of food supplies (Pimentel, Huang, Cordova, Pimentel, 1996). Introduction of GM foods have greatly alleviated the problem. GM crops are modified to produce greater amounts of yield and increase the nutritional value in crop-derived foods. 4.1 Solution for world foods crisis Substantial amounts of yield are able to solve the world food crisis. Desperate pleas for richer, better-off countries to utilize genetic engineering in elucidating famines are a result of thousands losing their lives daily and millions on the verge of starvation. By revising the genetic make-up of plant strains, biotechnology will be able notably lessen world hunger. Crops can be engineered to resist diseases, resulting in the quantity of yield succumbing to disease to decrease. In another case, cold-resistant crops are able to benefit countries enduring from winter the whole year round. Extremely limited variants of crops are able to be cultivated in such countries due to the extreme condition of the environment present. By assimilating a gene enabling the crop to withstand such low temperatures, the range of crops planted will be increased and the amount of crops dying from the coldness is reduced. 4.2 Increase the quality of crops The quality of GM crops is considerably higher than unmodified crops due to their greater shelf life. When a crop ripens, bacteria and fungi are attracted, further catalyzing the decomposing process. For example, firmer tomatoes possess a higher substance to water ratio, causing them to rot at a slower, much delayed rate. In addition, the exterior appearance and flavor of the fruit are not influenced, the fruit is able to endure longer transportations which require more time, and harvest of the GM crop can be done simultaneously. Economic concern Adversaries of GM foods assert that the introduction of GM foods will give rise to economic concerns. Commercialization of GM foods is expensive and time-consuming, and agri-biotechnological companies are keen on ensuring profitable revenue for their investments. As numerous techniques for genetic manipulation and GM crops have been patented, copyright violation is among one of their biggest apprehensions. This will thereby increase the price of seeds to the extent that small-scale farmers and third world countries are unable to afford the cost of these seeds, thereby widening the wedge between the wealthy population and the poor. Though so, this argument is weak and has no sound base. Farmers stand the opportunity to reap exponential amounts of profit from the cultivation of GM crops. Money is able to be saved on the amounts of pesticides used, and a shorter period of time is required to produce desirable yield. GM foods are precise in their make-up, and unwanted genes can be replaced with preferred genes incorporated with the various benefits and advantages. Such crops are also able to be modified to exhibit resistance towards droughts or tolerance to salinity. With the world population increasing at an alarming rate and more land is required for development instead of plantation, farmers may be able plant crops on land formerly unsuitable for growing of crops. GM crops able to thrive and flourish in unfavorable conditions and extreme environments will then be able to benefit mankind. 5.0 Recommendations Firstly, GM foods should be legalized and commercialized throughout the world. Governments should show their encouragement by funding and investing in research regarding the production and testing of GM foods. Scientists must also expose the benefits and safety of GM food consumption to the public to comfort their doubts regarding GM foods. In addition, the price of GM foods must be controlled and subsidized by the government. By doing so, GM food can then be afforded by the working-class population. Advocates of GM food should show their support for the legalization of GM foods by purchasing GM food stuffs and spreading news of the benefits of GM foods. However, research and the creation of GM foods must be closely monitored so that products that might harm its consumers are not created under any circumstances. Numerous safety tests and examinations must be carried out to ensure its side effects are not harmful to human health. By doing so, better prospects for mankind can unfold in the future where world starvation and malnutrition is no longer a crisis, and human health can be maintained through the intake of GM foods. 6.0 Conclusion GM foods have raised much controversy in many nations throughout the world. People are still indecisive in their choice to consume products containing GM foods. It stands to be true that doubts concerning GM foods were widespread when first introduced to the public, but through many years of experimental analysis as well as safety tests, GM foods have been confirmed to be safe for human consumption with numerous benefits as a bonus. In fact, GM foods are essential now in resolving the crisis of hunger and scarcity of food around the world. Acceptance of GM foods are beginning to increase significantly over the years as more and more people are convinced of their benefits in terms of cost, health, and nature. Therefore, it cannot be denied that GM foods should be legalized for the benefit of mankind. As mentioned in the report, GM foods promote good human health, are environmentally friendly and (). Hence, it is irrefutable that its advantages totally outweigh its drawbacks and that GM foods are the way to go in ensuring a brighter future for us and for the whole world.

The Doctrine Of The Mean Philosophy Essay

The Doctrine Of The Mean Philosophy Essay Aristotles The Doctrine of the Mean is defined as: virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e. the mean relative to us, this being determined by rational principle, and by that principle by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. An interpretation of the passage would be that at any given virtue lies between two extremes, either excess or deficient of, and the means between the two extremes determined by our rational principle, would be the virtue by which we should act upon in certain situation. Virtue as a state of character is a matter of how we stand with regard to the passions. Before proceeding with how Aristotle uses the doctrine, we should look at how Aristotle defines the mean as. Now, by lying in a mean, Aristotle does not take it to be arithmetical. For example, taking 10+2=12, and the mean of this equation would be 6. However, in the Milo example, the six pounds of food would be considered either too much or too little, depending on which athlete you are feeding. Aristotle does not deny that the intermediate is equidistant from each of the extremes, which is one and the same for all men, by intermediate relatively to us that which is neither too much nor too little-and this is not one, nor the same for all. What Aristotle seems to be saying here, is an account that on a particular scale of the two extremes, the intermediate, or virtue, is the same distance from the two extremes. Going on from both passages, it is not the case that it will be the same for all men, and the intermediate is determined by the individuals in how they act in accordance with certain situation. A case example of how the doctrine works is for instance, social party. There are two extremes, excess of drinking alcohol and deficient of drinking alcohol. In this case, an excess of drinking alcohol might impair your judgment on certain decisions, leading to a regrettable mistake, while lack of alcohol might lead to ostracizing of certain social group. In either of the two extremes, the action and the circumstance give unwanted results. The intermediate in this case would be, to feel them at the right times, with reference to the right objects, towards the right people, with the right motive, and in the right way. So the correct action to take in the fraternity case would be to take in the right amount of alcohol, neither excessive so that you would lose your rational, nor lack of so as to not be ostracized from the social group. Problem with The Doctrine of the Mean: clarifying what the Intermediate means. The problem with the doctrine is understanding what it means to be in the intermediary. In one sense, it is easily comprehensible as having the right references to do the right action, but for example, in the case of fear and confidence, where the extreme of fear leads to cowardice and the extreme of confidence lead to rashness, how are we to understand the relation of intermediary virtue between the two extremes? In one sense, we cannot neglect one vice over another, such that we cannot say that the intermediary is excess/deficiency of fear or excess/deficiency of confidence, for the intermediate has to carry both the properties of fear and confidence. It would not do to say that the intermediate lies in relation to one vice, for example, that the same intermediate would be found if we only take in account of having too much or too little fear, we would find the same intermediate for if we only take in account of having too much or too little confidence. Aristotle does not necessarily state anywhere in the text, however, it should be reasonable to suppose that any two extremes in relation to the intermediate will undermine, but not neglect, one of the two extremes and exaggerate the other extreme. So, we can suppose that both fear and confidence are unopposed to cowardice and rashness. If the intermediate have to carry both the properties of fear and confidence, then it would help give a clearer account on where the intermediate lies on the doctrine. A means in relation to the two extremes would then be between the two extremes, where the intermediate have both the property of the two extremes. A virtue then would be the intermediate between the two extremes, individually distinct from the two extremes by having both properties of the two extremes. Aristotle does not give an explanation in ethical application what he means by virtue as intermediate. However, Aristotles description of the intermediate and the two extremes do allow room for the argument to understand that intermediates have both properties of the two extremes. With an account of being able to find the intermediate on the scale of the two extremes, an intermediate is the right expression of action or emotion, independent of the two extremes, but the two extremes are dependent on the intermediate in their relation to virtue. Conclusion In this paper, I have given an account of Aristotles The Doctrine of the Mean, by offering a general interpretation of the doctrine and using examples to understand the doctrine. What I proposed for the paper is to give a clearer understanding of what the intermediate is and their relation to the two extremes. Most interpretation of Aristotles account of the doctrine seems correct, in that it is to act or express appropriately in a certain circumstance, but take it for granted that the intermediate is just what is between the two extremes. There are many problems regarding the doctrine that Aristotle gives, but in most cases, if we can understand the relation of the two extremes and the intermediate, then we could explain some of the discrepancy that arise from the doctrine.

Measure for Measure Essay: The Virtuous Vanity of Isabella

The Virtuous Vanity of Isabella in Measure for Measure      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's work, Measure for Measure, puts the "problem" in "problem play" as it, examines the difference between law and justice, virtue and goodness. It's a case study of abuse of power that has a particularly contemporary resonance.   Isabella is a very intriguing Shakespearean female. She is one of the few intelligent females who are also innocent and holy. Measure for Measure focuses primarily on her moral dilemma. Does she save her brother and give up her valued chastity or does she save her own soul while allowing her brother to die? By playing on Elizabethan viewpoints concerning women, nuns, and chastity, Shakespeare uses Isabella in developing his plot and theme.   While Isabella is chaste and merciful in all outward appearances, she is unwilling to give up her virginity to Angelo in exchange for Claudio's life, yet she is ready to sacrifice Mariana's chastity for the cause.   Isabella is so virtuous that it becomes a vanity for her.      Sanctimonious, hypocritical, intelligent, beautiful, Isabella, who is a representative of restraint in the text. She actually goes overboard in her desire for strictness, as shown when she asks one of the nuns if she could not have more strict restraint as one of the sisters there. This recalls the theme of indulgence and restraint, but since Isabella is too much drawn to one of the poles, she will have to become more moderate in order to become truly human.    Isabella is immediately established as a rare female character when her brother describes her with the statement, "she has prosperous art/ when she will play with reason and discourse, and well she can persuade"(Shakespeare 1.2.161-163)." Women in ... ...e of the play.    Works Cited and Consulted: Charlton, H. B. Shakespearean Comedy. London: Methuen, 1938. Knight, G. Wilson. The Wheel of Fire: Essays in Interpretation of Shakespeare's Sombre Tragedies. London: Oxford UP, 1930. Leech, Clifford. "The 'Meaning' of Measure for Measure." Shakespeare Survey 3 (1950): 69-71. New American Standard Bible. Reference ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975. Pope, Elizabeth Marie. "The Renaissance Background of Measure for Measure." Shakespeare Survey 2 (1949): 66-82. Rossiter, A. P. Angel with Horns and Other Shakespeare Lectures. Ed. Graham Storey. London: Longmans, Green, 1961. Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. 1969. Baltimore: Penguin, 1971. Sypher, Wylie. "Shakespeare as Casuist: Measure for Measure." The Sewanee Review 58 (1950): 262-80.

Life of Ludwig van Beethoven Essay -- Ludwig van Beethoven Composers M

Life of Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, also known as â€Å" The General of Musicians,† was born on December 16, 1770. However, this date is not exact because it is believed that Beethoven’s father lied about his son’s age in order to portray him as an infant prodigy. As a result, Beethoven is convinced he was born on December 16, 1772 at the Rheingasse home, which belonged to the Fischers, who were close friends of the family (Orga 8). Johann van and Maria Magdalena Beethoven bore five children of which three survived. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first child to survive, probably making him the most cherished especially in his father’s eyes. The other two surviving siblings were Casper and Nikolaus. They were said to have played extremely important roles in Beethoven’s life. Johann van said to be a lesser man than his father Ludwig Louis van Beethoven, who was a trained musician and later appointed Kapellmeister. Many believed he could not compare to his dad because he did not have a high-ranking job, instead his income was based on giving piano, singing, and violin lessons to the public (Kerman 354). Johann wanted his first son to be great, especially in the music field, so he pushed him to learn the piano and violin at a very early age. For instance, Beethoven had his first public appearance at the age of eight on March 26, 1778. He performed at a concert with one of his father’s other pupils. His performance consisted of concertos and trios on the keyboard. Beethoven continued to play at concerts, as well as taking music lessons with instructors other than his father. When visiting the Fischer Family one day Johann proclaimed, â€Å"My son Ludwig is my only comfort now in life. He is improving in his music to such an extent that he is admired by everyone. I foresee that in time he will be a great man in the world† (Orga 29). During this time he also attended elementary school in Bonn, but he did not exceed grade school. Beethoven learned all he could by age ten and from then on he lived off his wits and curiosity (Orga 28). In 1779, Beethoven met his first very important teacher at Bonn by the name of Christian Neefe. Neefe automatically saw Beethoven’s talent and had a strong liking to him from the beginning. Moreover, when he took a short leave of absence from Bonn, he appointed Beethoven, at only eleven years o... ... His funeral was held on the 29th of March and about 15,000 guests attended his burial. The surrounding schools were closed that day in respect of the composer. Also, out of respect the choir sang the Miserere in an arrangement from one of his Equali for trombones. Following the singing, about 200 horse carriages accompanied the coffin on its final journey (Orga 8). To conclude, Beethoven was know as â€Å"The General of Musicians,† â€Å"The Young Genius,† and the most admired composer in the history of western music. His musical ability, his passion, and his harsh losses all helped to contribute to his undying success as a great pianist and composer. Even today his works are still studied and listened to around the world. Works Cited Kerman, Joseph. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 Vols. London: MacMillan Pub. Ltd., 1980. 2: 354-60. Grout, Donald Jay. A History of Western Music. 3rd ed. New York: Cornell UP, 1981. Marek, George R. Beethoven: Biography of a Genius. New York: Funk and Wagnall’s Publishing Company, 1969. Orga, Ates. Beethoven: The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers. London: Omnibus Press, 1983.