Act Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Act Utilitarianism Essay The theory of Utilitarianism was first developed by Jeremy Bentham who was a philosopher of the 18th century. Bentham developed this theory to create a modern and rational approach to morality which would suit the changing society. Bentham’s theory Act Utilitarianism has many strengths and weaknesses. A Strength is that this theory is considers the consequences and happiness which an action has created. This is because Act Utilitarianism is a teleological theory where actions are based on results. For example if I splash cold water at someone to wake up for school this is a good action as it has good consequences because the person I splashed water on can go on to school and gain knowledge and this I will also create happiness. Another strength would be that this theory is always seeking the â€Å"Greatest Good for the Greatest Number†. For example if I was going to bomb the world with a bomb I planted in a secret location and the only way to get the information was to torture me. An Act Utilitarian would say that I should be tortured so that I could give the information on where the bomb was and this that would create the greatest good for the greatest number. There are also many problems with Bentham’s theory as it allows cruel or sadistic pleasure as long as it out ways the pain. For example if ten sadists torture one child pleasure out ways the child’s pain making the action right in an Act Utilitarian eyes. Also if someone intentions are good but the consequence of their action is bad an Act Utilitarian would say this wrong even thought the intention was good. For example if I help an old man across the street and then he assassinates someone my action which was good becomes bad because of the consequence. Another weakness is that there is always a minority which will not benefit from an action and this could cause a great amount of pain for that minority and the pain of this minority could out way the pleasure of the majority but it is too hard and long to use the hedonic calculus in some situations. For example say there was a man called john normal calm guy then one day he finds out his daughter was raped by a man called max. Then john goes out and kills max. This situation would be too hard for the hedonic calculus to calculate as both men families felt pain and both men felt pleasure. Overall I believe that the weaknesses out way the strengths of Act Utilitarianism as there are many situations that it would not be able to give an answer. Even thought Act Utilitarianism considers the consequences there are just too many weaknesses crushing this point. For example the hedonic calculus will take too long to find out whether an action is right or wrong in many scenarios. Ayyub.

Religion, Slavery, and Democracy in Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Religion, Slavery, and Democracy in Huckleberry Finn This essay will analyze the themes of religion, slavery, and democracy in the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. By exploring these themes that lie behind the book’s veneer, we can understand Twain’s objective for writing this book. Religion is sarcastically reflected in Huckleberry Finn by Twain’s sense of storyline and the way his characters talk. A predominant theme, and probably one of Twain's favorites, is the mockery of religion. Twain tended to attack organized religion at every opportunity and the sarcastic character of Huck Finn is perfectly situated to allow him to do so. The attack on religion can already be seen in the first chapter, when Huck indicates that hell sounds like a lot more fun than heaven. This will continue throughout the novel, with one prominent scene occurring when the "King" convinces a religious community to give him money so he can "convert" his pirate friends. Twain’s skeptical take on religion can be elicited because superstition is a theme that both Huck and Jim bring up several times. Although both of these characters tend to be quite rational, they quickly become irrational when anything remotely superstitious happens to them. The role of superstition in this book is two-fold: First, it shows that Huck and Jim are child-like in spite of their otherwise extremely mature characters. Second, it serves to foreshadow the plot at several key junctions. For example, spilling salt leads to Pa returning for Huck, and later Jim gets bitten by a rattlesnake after Huck touches a snakeskin with his hands. Another theme that is dealt with in this book is slavery. In fact, slavery is one of the main topics that has been frequently debated in regards to Huckleberry Finn since it was first published. Twain himself was vehemently anti-slavery and Huckleberry Finn can in many ways be seen as an allegory for why slavery is wrong. Twain uses Jim, a slave who is one of the main characters, as a way of showing the human side of a slave. Everything about Jim is presented through emotions: Jim runs away because Miss Watson was going to sell him South and separate him from his family; Jim is trying to become free so he can buy his family's freedom; and Jim takes care of Huck and protects him on their journey downriver in a very materialistic manner.

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay

As the world is cowering in terror from the 9/11 attacks and the bombing incidents in Indonesia and other parts of the world, the world’s attention is shifted now to where the attacks may occur next and what can be done to address the situation. Some suggest that the answer lies in being able to suppress and perhaps eliminate all of the terrorist cells all over the world. The problem there, however, is that any attack that is targeted at eliminating terrorist cells would necessarily involve any host country where they may be located and in any Middle Eastern country, such an attack could prove disastrous (Campbell & Flourney 372). The more practical and ideal solution to this problem therefore lies at a more fundamental level; a more basic level wherein the country has more controls and no international liability (Kochler 37). The solution to this problem is by improving border security in order to prevent the occurrence of these terrorist attacks while the international community seeks for answers to address this problem at a global scale. At this point in time, domestic policies would be the best option in fighting the war against terror. This short discourse will therefore seek to shed light on the issue of terrorism and the crucial role that the border security plays in such. To gain a better understanding of the problem, it is important to first analyze the current trends that have been taken relative to border security to ensure the safety of the public from terrorist attacks. This will then be supplemented by an explanation on how border security can take an even larger role. The most crucial aspect in relation to border security and its role in the war against terror concerns the aviation industry. Since the 9/11 attacks, the public confidence with regard to air travel has greatly been shaken (Taylor 2). The attacks had the effect of sending a message that now, even airplanes could be used as missiles to target buildings regardless of whether there were people on board the aircraft of not. Every plane crash that is reported on the news is suspected to have been caused by a terrorist attack rather than just an equipment malfunction or a pilot error. In response to these attacks, security has been considerably increased in airports all over the world. Every passenger is now subject to a full body search and every hand carried and checked in item is thoroughly inspected for any suspicious objects that can either cause an explosion or aid a hijacker in gaining control over the aircraft (Campbell & Flourney 52). The impact has not been limited to airport security as even airplane manufacturers and airlines have resorted to installing devices and taking precautions with regard to what to do in case an airplane is hijacked. One of the safety measures that have been suggested and is highly debated is the issuing of arms for the pilots so that they may be able to defend themselves against any terrorist hijackers that are able to force themselves into the cockpits (Lott 1). The current controversy with regard to airline security concerns the proposal to equip the pilots of airplanes with weapons in order to protect themselves from any hijackers that manage to enter the cockpit (Taylor 2). This proposal is of course faced with a lot of opposition because of the implications of allowing pilots to be armed in aircrafts. There is a lot of concern with regard to the security of the other passengers on board just in case the armed pilots do decide to turn on the other co-pilots and hijack the aircraft themselves or hold passengers as hostages for whatever purpose. The proponents for arming the pilots argue that it is the best option because the pilots need to defend themselves against the terrorist hijackers (Keeler 151). The problem with this is that it negates the training of the pilots which is that in times such as hijackings they are not supposed to deal with the terrorists but instead secure the cockpit and land the plane as soon as possible (Will 1). The concern here is that the plane should be landed right away in order to protect not only the passengers but also the people on the ground who may become targets or victims as the 9/11 experience has shown. The duty of the pilot is not concern himself with whatever goes on in the cabin but instead make sure that the plane is safely on the ground where there are more units who can deal with the situation properly. Pilots are not adequately trained to deal with hijacking situations in terms of dealing directly with the terrorist hijackers (Will 1). Another argument for the arming of the pilots is that such a measure is only designed to protect the pilots from terrorist hijackers who succeed in gaining entry into the cockpit (3). While there as some merit to this precautionary measure, there is no guarantee that the armed pilots will do just that. There are instances when certain people, pilots included, enter a â€Å"cowboys or renegade† mode (Will 1). Most of the pilots have received a degree of military training as fighter pilots and there is some truth to the profiling of fighter pilots â€Å"live wires and risk-takers† (Will 1). The end result in these situations could be that instead of protecting the cockpit and landing the plane like they are supposed to, a number of these former fighter pilots could engage the terrorist hijackers.

Memorial Day Lesson Plan, Ideas, and Quick Crafts

Traditionally, the end of May is a time for laying wreaths at military graves and paying tribute to the lives sacrificed by our troops in order to preserve our freedoms. These Memorial Day lesson plans will get you and your students back to basics, ready to observe the holiday as much more than simply a day away from school. By teaching your students about the terms veteran and sacrifice you will be instilling pride for our nations military in the next generation. No matter how we feel individually about this war or other conflicts, the men and women who have given their lives for our nation certainly deserve respect. And even if youve forgotten about Memorial Day until now or left your planning to the last minute, the following lesson ideas are so easy to implement, you can use them tomorrow with hardly any prep time. Last Minute Memorial Day Activities Here are five quick lesson ideas to teach your students about Memorial Day. Use these ideas when you are in a pinch, or as an extension activity. 1. Be a Proud American Citizen Do your students know the symbolic meaning of our American flag? Can they recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem by heart? If not, theres no time like Memorial Day to make sure your students have the basic skills of being a proud American citizen. You can turn this information into a craft activity by following up the instruction with time to color the American flag or illustrating the words of The Star-Spangled Banner. 2. A Million Thanks Use the website for AMillionThanks.org to support the U.S. troops currently serving our country. Through letter writing, you can teach about the meaning of the Memorial Day holiday and, at the same time, offer your students real-life Language Arts practice in the art of letter writing and thank-you notes. 3. Childrens Literature Share informative and entertaining books with your students, such as Christin Ditchfields Memorial Day or Theresa Goldings Memorial Day Surprise. Afterward, have your students draw to express their feelings about the sacrifices of people who fight for our nations freedom. 4. Recite a Poem Ask your students to choose one of these Memorial Day poems and give them time to memorize the poem in order to recite it in front of the class. Memorization and public speaking are two important skills that are often overlooked by teachers, so why not use the Memorial Day holiday as an excuse to focus on them? 5. Create a Crossword Use Puzzlemaker to create a crossword puzzle or word search with Memorial Day vocabulary words customized for your students grade level. Some suggested words might include: veteran, soldiers, military, freedom, sacrifice, country, general, remember, heroes, American, patriotic, generations, and nation. You can start off the lesson with vocabulary instruction and a discussion with your students on the meanings behind these loaded words. You can also peruse this collection of Memorial Day resources for kids and choose from the quizzes, logic puzzles, and online activities that are available for teachers to use for free. Looking for more Memorial Day ideas? Try this collection of activities and patriotic ideas to help you celebrate the men and women who serve our country. Edited By: Janelle Cox