Friday, January 31, 2020
Ethical Theories Essay Example for Free
Ethical Theories Essay A virtue is a trait of a certain person that is valued as being good from a particular point of view and answers the question of what actions are moral and what are not. Also, morality is the basis of being ethically correct and good. There had been several different ethical theories that exist in the society and each having different standards or basis for morality. One of the well known theories in the contemporary time in the field is virtue ethics which is one of the 3 major normative ethics approaches.            Virtue ethics originated in the ancient Greek times that takes inspiration from the works of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle while other theories in virtue ethics also incorporate elements from the works of Hume, Plato, Aquinas and as well as Nietzsche. Basically, virtue ethics gives importance on the character of a person. Thus, it is the character of a person that is the key element and the basis of being good or morally correct rather than laws/rules or even the consequences or outcome brought about by a particular action.            According to virtue ethics, we should look at the character of a person rather than his or her duties and actions. It is how one can be better person that is given emphasis rather than the right thing to do. It is easy to live a virtuous life according to Aristotle and that the main reason for those who do so is to be happy. Thus, a virtuous life gives happiness which is the main or ultimate goal of every human being according to virtue ethics.            In order to become a better person, virtue ethics suggest that one must practice virtuous acts on a regular basis. These acts will eventually become habitual and thus, making the habit of doing such acts as a natural day to day activity which in the long run, will make the person a better being. Thus, the ultimate aim of the particular person is to make people happy. Virtue ethics suggests that a person living a virtuous life will eventually do virtuous things not only to be happy but as well as to make people happy which in turn will be their main objective and goal in life of a virtues person.            Virtue ethics also assumes that all humans have capacities that are inherited and that, as stated earlier, actions that could improve these capacities are considered as ethical and those that hinder the improvement of these capacities are not, that is, if an action is able to develop the potential of the particular person, it is the morally right thing to do and otherwise, morally wrong. These, inherited potentials, according to ethical theories are wisdom and intelligence and so, in order to live a virtues life, we must be able to develop our wisdom and intelligence. Thus, rather than trying to define goodness or righteousness, improving one’s character is given the importance and is the basis of ethically good actions and is virtue ethics’ central theme.             By giving emphasis on the person’s being rather than actions, virtue ethics aims to achieve something that is genuinely wanted by the person rather than focusing on the incoherent ideas about the after-life which are found to be arguable. It is said that virtue ethics is applicable to all, can easily be understood and fits into both dos and don’ts of philosophies and as well as religion. Therefore, it is like a combination of both religion and philosophy.            Every ethical theory suggests standards of morality and according to virtue ethics, right actions are the results of being a moral person. It is by becoming a moral person that we will eventually know what actions are righteous from what are wrong and thus, we flourished as human beings. Virtue ethics also suggests that virtue is an important and admirable human characteristic just as courage and kindness. Virtue ethics also suggests that a good society is a result and accomplishments of virtuous people in that particular community. Thus, it can be said the virtue ethics is far more different than other ethical theories present such as Consequentialism that focuses on the results of a certain actions or Deontology that focuses on certain rules and duties of every individual as set by the society. Consequentialism would ask what actions will bring the most benefit and the least harm to the persons that are involved and will be affected by the action. On the other hand, Deontology will ask what actions are approved by the society and that are accordance to the moral rules or laws as dictated by the society or culture. Still, as mentioned earlier, virtue ethics does not focus on the action itself or on the result of that action or even in the set of rules that are present in the society but rather, on the character of the person involved in making the decision. By evaluating the points of these ethical theories, it can be said that all have their own strength and as well as weak points when it comes to decision making and one cannot be considered as superior to the other. Still, taking either side will also be dependent on the points of view of the person making the decision.            One problem with virtue ethics is that it is mostly not applicable or of little help to persons who are facing dilemma. The same thing also goes for Consequentialism and Deontology.  If for example, you can save a friend by lying to a certain person or group, would lying be the action by a virtuous man or is it considered as a simple lie that a virtuous man should avoid? In this case, it can be said that virtue ethics cannot be applied and does not help the person in making a decision.            Another problem faced by virtue ethics is that it cannot justify a certain problem for doing so would require a basis of what is moral. In this case, the decision on which virtues are considered morally correct and which are not are has to be made which is definitely a hard thing to do. Thus justifying certain actions based on what virtues are moral and what are not are still a big question.            On the other hand, it can also be said that the one of the distinct strength of virtue ethics is that it gives emphasis on the connection between our characters and our acts. It also views our character as whole and unified rather than treating each as isolated when it comes to making ethical decisions. Thus, a person’s virtue is considered as a totality and not as fragment of different aspects and that one character/trait is not isolated from the other. Thus, virtue ethics looks at the individual, something that most ethical theories fail to do.            There is no absolute theory that exists in which all will agree that it is definitely the right standard of living a virtuous life. Thus, every theory has its own critique and opponents. This is because of the difference in the experiences, knowledge and points of view of every individual, being unique in different ways. Thus, an ultimate theory can never really exist. The actions that must be taken by every individual defends on both his or her experiences and values together with the situation at hand and no theory will be able to solely suggest what ought to be and not be done. Therefore, decision making is not just a matter of theories and principles but of experiences, knowledge of the situation and of the people involved and the complete being of a person making the decision. Reference Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2000). Virtue Ethics. Retrieved April 28, 2008            from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/#3
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Assimilation of Blacks in Song of Solomon, Push and Life of Olaudah Equ
Assimilation of Blacks in Song of Solomon, Push and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano    Our African American texts call for close examination of the status of slaves and subsequent generations of free Blacks, how they fit into American society, and their quest for and denial of the benefits of Americanism. So does one assimilate or resist? But The Melting Pot Theory is not inclusive of Blacks since the process of assimilation could not work its magic on black skin.  In the slave narrative, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, the capture of Africans, their ultimate enslavement in the Americas, the West Indies, and Europe exemplify the assigned inferior status to Blacks in societies of the alien worlds. Blacks have less than their proportionate share of wealth, power, and social status, and are discriminated against by those in the majority. The yoke of slavery did not sanction inclusion, instead it convoluted their status as immigrants or a colonized minority and that sentiment remained a constant. Equiano's race and his life as a seafaring slave narrowed his opportunity of citizenship in a landed community; consequently, he was neither immigrant or colonized. In fact, he was more displaced that ever, sailing under whatever flag happened to be that of his owner/captain. In Song of Solomon and Push the characters are several generations removed from slavery so the question is not whether the po sition of Blacks is that of immigrant or colonized minority, even though it could appear to be either. More importantly, theirs is the problem of dealing with the ambiguities of being "up from slavery," as the characters come into their own. The su... ...rally fixed neighborhoods, or "sell out" by embracing the dominant culture and sometimes attempting full assimilation (although it is realized impossible) in order to advance one's career, and acquire better housing and/or education for one's children is ubiquitous. Total assimilation is not real for Black people, it never has been and it probably never will be and that is a sad commentary on the state of the country.  Works Cited Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudauh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. "The Classic Slave Narratives". Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. McLemore, Dale S. Racial and Ethnic Relations in America. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1991. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Current Ratio Essay
1) Current Ratio The ratio is mainly used to give an idea of the company’s ability to pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables). The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. 2) Quick Ratio An indicator of a company’s short-term liquidity. The quick ratio measures a company’s ability to meet its short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. For this reason, the ratio excludes inventories from current assets 3) Asset Turnover Ratio The amount of sales or revenues generated per dollar of assets. The Asset Turnover ratio is an indicator of the efficiency with which a company is deploying its assets. Asset Turnover = Sales or Revenues/Total Assets Generally speaking, the higher the ratio, the better it is, since it implies the company is generating more revenues per dollar of assets. But since this ratio varies widely from one industry to the next, comparisons are only meaningful when they are made for different companies in the same sector. 4) Fixed Turnover Ratio A financial ratio of net sales to fixed assets. The fixed-asset turnover ratio measures a company’s ability to generate net sales from fixed-asset investments – specifically property, plant and equipment (PP&E) – net of depreciation. A higher fixed-asset turnover ratio shows that the company has been more effective in using the investment in fixed assets to generate revenues. The fixed-asset turnover ratio is calculated as: 5) Inventory Turnover Ratio A ratio showing how many times a company’s inventory is sold and replaced over a period. The days in the period can then be divided by the inventory turnover formula to calculate the days it takes to sell the inventory on hand or â€Å"inventory turnover days.†This ratio should be compared against industry averages. A low turnover implies poor sales and, therefore, excess inventory. A high ratio implies either strong sales or ineffective buying. High inventory levels are unhealthy because they represent an investment with a rate of return of zero. It also opens the company up to trouble should prices begin to fal 6) Debt Ratio A financial ratio that measures the extent of a company’s or consumer’s leverage. The debt ratio is defined as the ratio of total debt to total assets, expressed in percentage, and can be interpreted as the proportion of a company’s assets that are financed by debt. The higher this ratio, the more leveraged the company and the greater its financial risk. Debt ratios vary widely across industries, with capital-intensive businesses such as utilities and pipelines having much higher debt ratios than other industries like technology. In the consumer lending and mortgage businesses, debt ratio is defined as the ratio of total debt service obligations to gross annual income. 7) Debt Equity Ratio A measure of a company’s financial leverage calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders’ equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. A high debt/equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense. 8) Equity Multiplier The ratio of a company’s total assets to its stockholder’s equity. The equity multiplier is a measurement of a company’s financial leverage. Companies finance the purchase of assets either through equity or debt, so a high equity multiplier indicates that a larger portion of asset financing is being done through debt. The multiplier is a variation of the debt ratio. 9) Net Profit Ratio A ratio of profitability calculated as net income divided by revenues, or net profits divided by sales. It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. Increased earnings are good, but an increase does not mean that the profit margin of a company is improving. For instance, if a company has costs that have increased at a greater rate than sales, it leads to a lower profit margin. This is an indication that costs need to be under better control. 10) Days Inventory A financial measure of a company’s performance that gives investors an idea of how long it takes a company to turn its inventory (including goods that are work in progress, if applicable) into sales. Generally, the lower (shorter) the DSI the better, but it is important to note that the average DSI varies from one industry to another. Here is how the DSI is calculated: Also known as days inventory outstanding (DIO). This measure is one part of the cash conversion cycle, which represents the process of turning raw materials into cash. The days sales of inventory is the first stage in that process. The other two stages are days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding. The first measures how long it takes a company to receive payment on accounts receivable, while the second measures how long it takes a company to pay off its accounts payable.
Monday, January 6, 2020
Summary of Homers Iliad Book XXIII
Achilles orders the Myrmidons to drive their chariots in battle formation, and they go three times around the body of Patroclus. Then they have a funeral feast. When Achilles falls asleep, the ghost of Patroclus tells him to hurry up and bury him, but also to make sure their bones are interred in the same urn. The next morning Agamemnon orders the troops to get timber. The Myrmidons cover Patroclus with locks of hair. Achilles cuts one long lock he had been growing for a river god back home, but since he will be dying soon, he cuts it for Patroclus, instead, and places it in his hands. After the men have brought the lumber, they go off to prepare a meal while the chief mourners deal with the pyre cutting piece on fat from sacrificed animals to cover the body. Various animals, including two of Patroclus dogs, and stallions, honey, oil, and the 12 young Trojans are killed and added to the pile. Achilles has to plead with the gods for adequate wind for the pyre, but he gets it and the fire doesnt die down until morning. They douse the fire with wine and then Achilles picks out Patroclus bones and puts them in a golden urn, with a protective layer of fat. Achilles faces the army in a circle and says its time for funeral games. The first game has the most elaborate prizes and is for chariot racing. Achilles says he will not compete because his horses are immortal, and so the competition would not be fair. The contenders are Eumelus, Diomedes, Menelaus, Antilochus, and Meriones. The other men make bets. Diomedes wins, but there is debate over second place because Antilochus fouled Menelaus. The next event is boxing. Epeus and Euryalus fight, with Epeus winning. Wrestling is the third event. Fairly typical, the prizes are a tripod worth 12 oxen for first prize, and a woman worth 4 oxen for the loser. Telamons son Ajax and Odysseus fight, but the result is a stalemate and Achilles tells them to share. The next event is a footrace. Oileus son Ajax, Odysseus, and Antilochus contend. Odysseus is behind, but a quick prayer to Athena brings him to first place, with Antilochus in third. The next contest is for the armor Patroclus had taken from Sarpedon. The fighters are to be in full battle gear and first wound wins. Telamons son Ajax fights with Diomedes. Again, there is a draw, although Achilles gives Diomedes the long sword. The next contest is to see who can throw a lump of pig iron the farthest. The prize is enough iron to last a long time making weapons and chariot wheels. Polypoetes, Leonteus, Telamons son Ajax, and Epeus throw it. Polypoetes wins. Iron is also the prize for an archery contest. Teucer and Meriones compete. Teucer forgets to invoke Apollo, so he misses. Meriones makes appropriate promises and wins. Achilles then sets up more prizes for spear throwing. Agamemnon and Meriones stand, but Achilles tells Agamemnon to sit down because there would be no contest since no one is better than he is. He can just take the first prize. Agamemnon gives the prize to his herald. Major Characters in Book XXIII Achilles: Best warrior and most heroic of the Greeks. After Agamemnon stole his war prize, Briseis, Achilles sat out the war until his beloved comrade Patroclus was killed. Although he knows his death is imminent, Achilles is determined to kill as many Trojans as possible, including Hector whom he blames for Patroclus death.Myrmidons: Achilles troops. Their name means ants and they were called Myrmidons because it is said that they were originally ants.Ajax: The son of Telamon and Periboea, this Ajax is the one most people refer to when talking about Ajax. He was one of the foremost fighters in the Trojan War.Ajax: Of Locris, son of Oileus. Bound by the Oath of Tyndareus and one of the Argonauts, he was in the belly of the Trojan Horse.Antilochus: A son of Nestor.Epeus: A son of Panopeus. A champion boxer.Euryalus: A son of King Mecisteus. Under Diomedes and Sthenelus.Odysseus: From Ithaca. One of the leaders of the Greeks who will vie with Ajax for the status of most worthy after Ac hilles.Patroclus: Loyal friend and companion of Achilles in the Trojan War. The son of Menoetius.Menelaus: Helens Greek husband. Menelaus is not considered a good fighter.Meriones: Son of Molus, a Cretan and the charioteer of Idomeneus.Teucer: A half-brother of Ajax and a son of Telamon.Polypoetes: Son of Pirithous. Co-commands the Lapiths.Sarpedon: King of Lycia, son of Zeus.Agamemnon: Lead king of the Greek forces, the brother of Menelaus.
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