Current ethical issue of abortion

Current ethical issue of abortion Abortion in relation to Natural Moral Law and Utilitarian Ethics Aran Cauchi The current ethical issue of abortion is a broad and complex ethical issue which can be approached from many moral and ethical directions. Two such directions can be the deontological Natural Moral Law and the teleological or consequentialist Utilitarian ethics. Abortion, from the Latin aborior, to pass away, is an induced termination of a pregnancy. Historically, as today, an abortion is the focal point of much controversy. The laws governing abortion have changed considerably in the last fifty years to accommodate abortion as an option for a pregnant woman. A landmark US case giving a mother right to wilful abortion occurred in 1973 set in motion by a woman called Jane Roe in Dallas, Texas. Roe wished to terminate her pregnancy, but in Texas at the time, only victims of rape or incest could procure a legal abortion. The case reached the Supreme Court where the judges ruled that abortion was a constitutional right to women, overturning laws in every state which denied abortion to women through medically qualified doctors. Abortion is now legally allowed in many western countries for women. Since the legality of abortions came into effect, much debate has occurred from opposite so called pro-choice and pro-life groups, gathering many argumen ts from both deontological and teleological ethics. Utilitarianismis the idea that themoral worthof an action is determined solely by its contribution to overallutility: that is, its contribution to happiness or pleasure as summed among all people.[1] Utilitarianism places no emphasis on whether an action is right or wrong, right is only so once the pleasure has been decided to outweigh the pain in the circumstances resulting from the decision. Pleasure, in early Utilitarian thinking, was only concerned with the physical, e.g. being well fed. John Stuart Mill later argued that pleasure was also quantifiable in intellectual and spiritual terms. These higher pleasures he argued outweighed the lower pleasures. Mill proposed, for example being well fed, at the expense of a mans spirituality was a lesser pleasure, and in effect, not as right as a spiritually enlightened man who was hungry. The hungry man experiences higher pleasure, as spiritual enlightenment lasts significantly longer than the feeling of being well fed. Consequentialist Utilitarians would argue that abortion is an entirely neutral act. The consequences resulting from the abortion determine the rightness. A specific system of measuring the pleasure against pain can be utilised called Hedonic Calculus. Hedonic Calculus first proposed by Jeremy Bentham, measures pleasure/pain through eight categories: Certainty Duration Extent Intensity Remoteness Richness Purity[2] This calculus subjectively determines if the pain outweighs the pleasure in a scenario of a potential abortion. A mother may need an abortion to save her own life if it is in peril due to her pregnancy, she cannot afford to leave her children motherless. This scenario, shown through Hedonic Calculus allows abortion to be the right choice as 1. There is a high certainty the mother will die, 2. The duration of mourning for the family would be very long as would the duration of risk to her other children, 3. The pain and suffering for her surviving family would be very great and so on. A different scenario in which the mother seeks an abortion so she can go on a holiday would be morally wrong as from categories: 2. the pleasure of a child will last years compared to that of a comparatively short holiday, 4. The intensity of the pleasure of a child is much greater and higher significance as it is emotional and spiritual than a physical and emotional holiday. The taking of a life can be justified in Utilitarianism as there are no standing rules of what is right or wrong for a general scenario, i.e. abortion. Every circumstance is different and warrants a separate evaluation to determine the correct action. Natural law is a branch of deontological ethics, deon meaning duty in Latin. Natural lawor thelaw of natureis a theory that posits the existence of a law whose content is set bynatureand that therefore has validity everywhere.[3] These laws, created by God, are discernible to all peoples and are thought of as moral absolutes, natural moral law theory implies that wediscovermorality we do notinventit,'(J.P. Moreland, What Is Natural Moral Law). It is mans duty to be rational, and as God is rational too, it is rational that humans must love God. Thomas Aquinas, a figurehead for natural moral law proposed five primary precepts and other secondary precepts. The primary precepts proposed where: The continuation of the species through procreation The education of children The desire to live in society The worship of God The preservation of the self These precepts are considered in natural moral law to be the most basic aspirations of all humans. Aquinas believed that all humans wished to do good and follow the precepts but through ignorance to the Natural Moral Law, some could do wrong. Aquinas argued that good ethical decisions could be arrived at by reason alone. Humans have the power of deducing what is good and what is wrong through application of their conscience. Natural Law, being deontological, imposes inalienable rules that cannot be broken. Natural Law can be seen as order provided by nature which exists for a purpose. A common criticism of Utilitarianism would be the difficulty of its real world application. The theory of a decision may be morally sound, but the limitless unexpected permutations prevent proper ethical conduct from occurring once theory is put to practice. The Tribunal of the Holy Office, a catholic authority was once queried on the 4th of May, 1898 as to whether a foetus was allowed to be removed from its womb before natural course did so. The tribunal resolved that there was no exception to natural birth, even inducing premature labour with the intention of saving the babys life. However, if life saving surgery were to be performed on the mother, which would have consequences on the growing foetus, it should not be maintained that the fetal(sic)lifeis thereby directly attacked. Theevilis not made a means to obtain thegoodeffect; for this would be to doevilthatgoodmight come of it.'[4] This fulfils the Natural Law requirement of the act of being good as separate from the concept of doing good. To be morally correct, one must not embark on a course of action which is right purely to obtain an evil or vain end. The right must be to cause neutral or correct consequences. This certainty of rules and moral action allows the system of Natural Law to be an unquestionable authority if placed alongside Utilitarian ethics which are in permanent flux. The Catholic Church supports the notion of ensoulment, where at conception a foetus is given a soul by God. A soul is viewed as a separate form to the physical body, but is linked inextricably until death. The act of abortion goes against the first precept of Natural Law, denying the continuation of the species through abortion. Even if that abortion would lead to saving a life, the authority to kill a foetus does not rest in humans hands. It is inhumane to end the life of a baby, as natural law theory holds;one may never directly intend to kill an innocent human being[5]. After conception, Natural Law argues that the foetus is human so is equal in right to life as its mother. There is no greater worth placed on the mother living than the child as both are considered equal. Utilitarianism would argue against the inflexibility of the rules of Natural Law regarding to the preservation of a childs life. Utilitarians would argue that greater suffering may be caused by the preservation of a foetus life. The mother of the child may be a chronic drug addict, and the chances of the baby growing up disadvantaged are high. It could be argued that the mother may not be fit to care for a child and the child would suffer a hard life, through mal-parenting and possible separation from the mother in later years. A possible course of action would be a wilful abortion by the mother to prevent suffering of a child. The rigidity of Natural Law allows no exceptions to be made, even if the pleasure resulting from an abortion vastly outweighs the pain. This rigidity of laws could cause unnecessary harm to many people. Correct decision making can stem from both deontological and consequentialist ethics. While Natural Moral Law argues that the laws of nature are absolute, Utilitarianism argues that no laws constantly serve the greatest good, and only through flexibility can good be achieved. The primary precepts of Natural Law indicate clearly that abortion is wrong so far as the taking of an innocent life, and interrupting the natural result of procreation. Utilitarianism states that abortion, like all actions is an entirely neutral act until the consequences are evaluated. Both ethical systems allow an opportunity for an individual to formulate an understanding of, and ethically right decision on abortion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism http://tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/religious-studies/comments/abortion-and-ethical-theory/ Natural Law,International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_08natlaw.html

Rubin Hurricane Carter: Guilty Until Proven Innocent Essay -- Court Mo

Rubin Hurricane Carter: Guilty Until Proven Innocent '"I don't belong here and I am not going to play their game.' 'If I were to cooperate in all these things, it would be as if I were saying, 'I'm a guilty man, and I am not a guilty man"' (New Jersey). The case of Rubin (Hurricane) Carter has been a heated issue for the last 34 years. In the last year a new movie, The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington has once again brought this case to the foreground of discussion. The question argued has been is Rubin Carter innocent or guilty of the murders he allegedly committed on June 17, 1966 in the Lafayette Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. The proof is undeniable that Carter is innocent. He had an unfair trial where the police played a negative part, the prosecution suppressed information, and the court also worked against Carter. Although Rubin Carter is innocent of the crimes committed that fateful night in Paterson does not mean he was an angel. The biggest threat to Rubin's defense in this case was himself. Rubin Carter was born May 6, 1937 in Delawana, New Jersey. He grew up in the nearby town of Paterson (J.K.B. 7). Rubin was a strong-willed boy who learned to stand up to everyone as a child. James S. Hirsch, the author of Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter wrote, "the men in his family are not intimidated by threats" (60). In chapter 5 of his book, Hirsch explains how Rubin Carter learned to stand up against authority. Born with a stutter, he would fight anyone who dared to make fun of his speech-impediment. Carter once beat up his younger sister Rosalie's teacher when he saw him chasing her. He was expelled from school and beaten by his father. It was displays like this that caused Carter's father fear... ...'Deal' for Freedom in Murder Case." New York Times [New York] 4, Dec. 1975: 45:2. "Carter Lawyers Focus of Dispute." New York Times [New York] 29, Jan. 1975: 39:1. Hirsch, James S. Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000. J.K.B. "Carter, Rubin." Current Biography May 2000: 6-14. "Lawyers for Carter Say Judge Erred on Appeal." New York Times [New York] 28, Jan. 1975: 54:7. Massaquoi, Hans J. "Hurricane Carter: I Was Framed For Murder!" Ebony Dec. 1974: 30: 174-6+. "New Jersey Journal." New York Times [New York] 5, Feb. 1984: XI 3:1. "Police Record Backs Carter's Story." New York Times [New York] 23, Oct. 1975: 83:4. "Reversal is Won By Rubin Carter In Murder Case." New York Times [New York] 8, Nov. 1985: "Same Judge Gets Carter's Appeal." New York Times [New York] 31, Jan. 1975: 37:8.

Creature of culture Essay

â€Å"If man created culture then how can man be a creature of culture?† There are millions of people on this planet, and part of anthropology is to categorize these millions into smaller, well-defined groups. These groups are divided based on language, country of residence, race and other characteristics, which differentiate one group of people from another. They are labeled as cultures, and characterized by many anthropologists as having a set of learned behaviors, morals, customs and ideas that they share as members of a particular society (Grolier’s Encyclopedia, 1998). The problem is that cultures are diverse, population move in and out of countries bringing the influences of other cultures. A single country may vary from border to border due to the influences of its neighbors. There are also variations in culture, which depend on class or caste. In the movie Caste at Birth it is established that an individual cannot change their caste, and although status is socially defined, the relative importance of that status is a matter of opinion. Factors such as environment or an individual event can change aspects of culture. Furthermore, there is no definition that would successfully demonstrate that man is a creature of culture. Language and communication are critical elements in a culture. Through the use of language, we express our beliefs, expectations and standards. A person cannot fully understand a culture without fully understanding the language of that culture. Essentially, without fully understanding a language, or by speaking variations of the same language, one will experience the culture differently and may create a sub-culture of beliefs. These beliefs may be close, but not identical to those of the greater population. Since social identity is learned through language, individuals who speak Gaelic regularly are going to establish a social identity that varies with those who speak English. In the aforementioned definition of culture, emphasis has been placed on the word â€Å"shared†, but clearly not all individuals share the same learned behaviors and ideas. Education and communication are often interrelated with many other factors, such as class. In every culture, education is directly related to class. Simply put, the higher classes have better education. Evidently, communication is key to understanding and interpreting the norms  and concepts of any given culture. Since there are so many different levels on which individuals can communicate, it is not feasible that everyone is learning the same behaviors and ideas, even when they are immersed in the same culture. Individuals in a culture share many similar behaviors beyond those, which are innate, however, there are always exceptions. Such instances are the behaviors of an individual who is mentally challenged or those of a criminal. The behaviors of a criminal break social rules, and as a result, they are punished. Some of these behaviors are psychological, but others are learned. Not everyone in a culture is treated identically by peers and caregivers. It was previously mentioned that education differs from one class to the next. It is not only institutionalized education that differs, but also the learning that goes on through the performance of daily tasks. Human beings are social creatures and individual’s behaviors and ideas develop through socializing with a variety of sources on a daily basis. Humans are not born knowing who they are, they have the ability to change and interact with their environment to become all different kinds of people depending on their culture.

Thames Kosmos Chem C3000 Chemistry Kit Review

Thames and Kosmos produce  several science kits, including multiple chemistry sets. The Chem C3000 is their ultimate chemistry kit. Chemistry education and labs have moved toward computer simulations and safe chemicals, so its actually quite hard to find a kit that offers the types of hands-on experimentation that set the standard for chemistry labs in the past. The Chem 3000 is one of the few chemistry kits on the market today that contains chemicals and equipment necessary to perform over 350 high school / advanced chemistry experiments. This is the most popular chemistry kit for home chemistry and self-teaching. Description This is the ultimate chemistry kit! Thames Kosmos Chem C3000 kit contains everything in their Chem C1000 and Chem C2000 kits, plus more chemicals and equipment. Youll be able to perform over 350 chemistry experiments.The kit comes in a box containing two foam packing trays. The company reserves the right to make technical changes in the kit, so there isnt much point in listing the exact contents of the box I received, but I will say it included a 192-page paperback color lab manual, safety glasses, stickers for labeling chemicals, test tubes, a test tube  holder and test tube brush, a funnel, graduated beakers, pipettes, stoppers, an alcohol burner, a tripod stand, electrodes, brown bottles for storing light-sensitive chemicals, rubber hoses, glass tubing, filter paper, an evaporating dish, an Erlenmeyer flask, a plastic syringe, litmus powder, an assortment of other lab necessities, and numerous containers of chemicals. As you might expect, theres nothing particularly dangerous w ith respect to waste disposal (e.g., no mercury, carbon tetrachloride, etc.), but its a serious set, intended for hands-on, old-school chemistry experimentation.br/>The experiments introduce the investigator to proper use of chemistry lab equipment and cover general chemistry and introductory organic essentials. Age Recommendation: 12+ This is a set for middle and high school students and adults. It is not an appropriate chemistry kit for young children. However, you dont need to have any prior knowledge of chemistry to use the set.The instruction book is designed like a lab text. Each chapter features an introduction, a clear list of objectives, explanation of the concepts, step-by-step instructions, practice questions to make sure you understand what is going on, and a self-test.It is not complicated. You just need a grasp of basic algebra and the ability to follow directions to master the material. The pictures in the book are glorious and the text is easy to read. Its fun and down-to-earth, not boring pages of calculations and graphs. The point is to show you how fun chemistry is! Pros and Cons of the Chem C3000 Kit Personally, I think the pros of this kit greatly outweigh the cons, but you should know what youre getting into before deciding if this is the right chemistry kit for you. The biggest issue aside from cost probably is that this is a serious kit. There are risks if you misuse the chemicals, there is a flame, and there is basic math in the calculations. If youre looking for an introduction to chemistry for very young investigators, it would be better to opt for an age-appropriate set. Pros Suitable for the lab component of home school high school chemistry.Lots of chemicals; lots of experiments. You wont run through this set in an hour or a weekend.The instruction manual is exceptional, with color pictures, clear instructions, and informative explanations of the chemistry.Includes lab and safety equipment, not just chemicals, so you can continue experimentation and lab work beyond the instructions. You can order additional chemicals either from Thames Kosmos or pick them up on your own. Cons Expensive! You get a lot in this kit, but its typically around $200. If that is out of your budget range, you might consider one of the smaller Thames Kosmos kits. The quality is the same, except the kits, are cheaper and cover fewer experiments. Or, if you are on a tight budget, why not put together your own kit from household chemicals?Additional materials required. To complete every experiment, youll need to pick up a 9-volt battery and a few additional chemicals that are not included in the kit, primarily because they are either flammable or else have a short shelf life. Fortunately, these chemicals are not hard to find online. Specifically, the additional chemicals needed that the company couldnt legally ship in the kit are:1% Silver nitrate solution~4% Sodium hydroxide solution~7% Hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid)3% Hydrogen peroxide (usual  drug store strength)~3% Ammonia (diluted household ammonia)The additional chemicals/materials youll need are:White vinegarDenatured alc ohol (rubbing alcohol)Distilled waterBaking soda (sodium bicarbonate)Citric acidAmmonium carbonateAluminum foilCottonIron nail9-Volt batteryYou may experience breakage in shipping. Most people order this kit online. It comes well-packaged and mine didnt break, despite FedEx throwing it at my front door, but other people have reported getting some broken glassware. The chemicals come in plastic containers, so they are secure, but they are test tubes and glass bottles, so breakage is possible. My advice is to order via a vendor that will replace any damaged components.