Famine, Affluence, and Morality Essay

In Peter Singer’s 1972 article titled â€Å"Famine, Affluence and Morality†, he suggests that wealthy nations have an ethical duty to contribute much more than they do to other nations who are suffering through a natural disaster, extreme poverty, famine or other issues. In this paper, I will describe Singers objective and give his argument with regards to this issue. I will describe three counter-arguments to Singer’s view which he addresses, and after that reveal Singer’s reactions to those counterarguments. I will explain Singer’s idea of marginal utility and also differentiate how it pertains to his argument. I will compare how the ideas of duty and charity alter in his suggested world. To conclude, I will provide my own position in response to Singer’s argument. The primary objective of Singer’s article is to express that we as people have the capacity to assist those in dire need as it is our moral duty to do so. He uses the disaster in East Bengal as an example. â€Å"Continuous poverty, a cyclone, and a civil war have turned a minimum of 9 million people into abandoned refugees; nonetheless, it’s not beyond the capability of the wealthier countries to provide sufficient help to decrease further suffering to very small proportions (Singer 1972). He thinks that there’s no reason at all for individuals to suffer if other people have the ability to assist and prevent it from happening or getting worse. It’s our moral responsibility to modify our way of living so as to achieve this important objective. They are overcrowded, hungry, dehydrated and need medical attention. Singer believes that we have the resources to decrease the suffering and pain yet we disregard the problem and do nothing at all, which can be immoral. We should modify our opinions of morality so as to develop a dedication to helping people in dire need. Singer provides counter-arguments in his work which I will talk about here. He offers his readers a scenario which involves a drowning kid and a witness. Most people would try to save the kid since it’s the â€Å"right† action to take. Singer proposes that this duty happens since lots of people know that a drowning kid is considered very bad and outweighs the fact they you have to get your clothes muddy and wet. The counter-argument in this situation proposes that because I am not the only individual seeing this event, why is it my duty to do something positive about it? Why must it be my ethical responsibility to assist this kid in case nobody else is doing anything regarding it? Singer explains, â€Å"In case it’s in our power to avoid something bad from occurring, without thereby compromising anything of comparable moral significance, we should, morally, to do it (1972). † He thinks that we are able to do what’s right however we should decide to do what’s right even when everybody else decides not to. Singer also touches on whether our moral responsibilities must be restricted to distance. The counter-argument in this instance proposes that because these suffering people are so far away, why is it my moral responsibility to help them instead of using it in my own area? According to Singer, â€Å"It makes no ethical difference whether the individual I can assist is a neighbor’s kid 10 yards from me or a Bengali whose name I shall never know, 10,000 miles away (pg. 232). † It’s still our moral obligation to do what’s right. Is it morally appropriate to discriminate against a suffering individual just due to their distance? Singer suggests, â€Å"In case we accept any rule of impartiality, universalizability, equality, or whatever, we can’t discriminate against somebody just because he is far away from us (or we are far off from him) (pg. 232)†. A person’s distance must not restrict our moral duties. Singer believes that everybody must give when it’s required. Many people are not contributing, so how much must I give without making myself or my loved ones worse off? The counter-argument here is whether to give more than can cause financial stuggle. He discusses the probability of contributing to the point of marginal utility. As Singer states â€Å"Because the situation seems to be that not many people are likely to give considerable sums, it makes sense that I and everybody else in similar conditions must give as much as possible, that is, at least up to the level at which by giving more one would start to cause acute suffering for oneself and one’s dependents-perhaps even beyond this level to the stage of marginal utility, at which by giving more one would cause oneself and one’s loved ones just as much suffering as one would prevent in Bengal† (pg. 234). To conclude, we all must give as much as possible so long as it doesn’t cause us to suffer in the process. Singer proposes that responsibility and charity is our ethical duty. We â€Å"ought† to assist unknown people in need of assistance if we are capable to and that it would be morally incorrect not to contribute. We must put on our old clothes instead of purchasing new ones just for the simple truth that you want to be well dressed. Duty and charity change in this future world since in this era, many people won’t give up certain luxuries so as to give to other people. Most people are selfish and would prefer to indulge in the finer matters in life rather than worry about contributing their hard earned bucks to other people in need of assistance. Individually, I support Singer’s point for many reasons. I do think that we must assist people in need when we are capable of doing so as long as it does not cause us to suffer financially. I agree that a few luxuries must be overlooked if it implies that a life can be saved. In case we were suffering or in an identical condition, would we wish or expect assistance? I agree that it’s the correct thing to do morally. I don’t believe that we must discriminate against a suffering person simply because that individual isn’t in our society. The life of an individual is invaluable and must come first of all. To conclude, Singer’s primary point is that it is our moral obligation to assist other people in times of need with regards to medical care, food, shelter or reconstruction. I agree that we must contribute our money and time to assist other people if it doesn’t create a bad impact on our own lives. In this era, lots of people are selfish as well as greedy and don’t usually stop to take into consideration other people in need of assistance. People need to understand that there are lots of people around suffering and may ultimately pass away if they don’t get the assistance they need as well as deserve. I agree that it is our moral duty to assist any person in urgent need even when it’s an individual thousands of miles away.

Pros and cons of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards Essay

Pros and cons of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards - Essay Example In accordance with the issues discussed in the paper one of the benefits of extrinsic and extrinsic motivations is the increased performance. Extrinsic motivations may take the forms of rewards. This contributes a lot towards making the individuals to dedicate more of their efforts, skills and time in completion of certain take. Rewards, both tangible and psychological always lead to increased performances and high quality outcomes. In classroom setups, both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations may lead to increased competition since each student may want to be rewarded at the end of it all. This boosts academic outcomes and shapes the students towards excellence. There are several demerits of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. In classroom setups, extrinsic motivations may be viewed and argued as aspects of discriminations against the students. This follows that it always leads to some form of academic barriers and stigmatizations. Some students who may not get the rewards as regular may be perceived incompetent by other colleagues. This demeans and belittles those students. In addition, in many cases, the rewards are always given out based on the person who leads but not the one who has shown tremendous improvement in an area. In most cases, such always lead to some forms of discriminations. The same may also apply to the workplaces. As such, it is important to note that rewards may be demoralizing at times.

Propylene Glycol Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Propylene Glycol - Assignment Example PG is also known under the name 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,2-dihydroxypropane, 1,2-propanediol, ethylene glycol, and methyl glycol. The proper IUPAC chemical name is propane-1,2-diol. Its CAS Registry Number on the U.S. EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory of chemical substances is [57-55-6]. Common commercial names of this substance are Propylene Glycol Industrial (PGI) and Propylene Glycol USP (PG USP) (Martin and Murphy, 2006). The physical properties of propylene glycol are presented in Table 1. All of the glycols are very miscible with water, ethanol, acetone, and chloroform. Propylene glycol is also a hygroscopic compound (Martin and Murphy, 2006). The structural formula of propylene glycol is given in figure 1. Its structural isomer with the same formula is 1,3-propanediol. PG has also two enantiomers: one is (R)-1,2-propanediol and the other is (S)-1,2-propanediol. This compound has two functional hydroxyl group: primary and secondary that distinguish it from the ethylene glycol (McKetta, 1993). Chemical properties of propylene glycol are typical for this group of compounds. It undergoes the reactions with carboxylic acids, and their derivatives (halides and anhydrides) forming esters; reaction with hydroxides of alkali metals forming salts, and interaction with aldehydes and ketones where the products are acetals and ketals. The reaction with acids is important for obtaining polyesters. The next important commercial product is polyether obtained by dehydration of propylene glycol. Reactions with aldehydes and ketones are used for protection of aldehyde or ketone functionality in organic synthesis (Martin and Murphy, 2006). Propylene glycol is used in organic synthesis, synthesis of polymers, medicine, and cosmetics. Its mixture of water has the low freezing point and, thus, this compound is used as antifreeze.  

CAN THE EUROZONE SURVIVE Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CAN THE EUROZONE SURVIVE - Coursework Example Finally, it stipulates reasons on to whether the Eurozone can survive the crisis and whether it should survive the crisis. Introduction The Eurozone is a constituent of the European Union countries that have adopted the euro as their common currency. The Eurozone is a constituent of many countries including: Austria, Finland, France, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Slovakia, Netherlands, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. The Eurozone crisis is a state whereby the countries in the Eurozone have experienced difficulties in paying their debts. The Eurozone countries are experiencing the crisis since they have experienced deficits in their current accounts. That means the capital outflows have exceeded the capital inflows. These countries are located in the continent of Europe. These countries had faced many problems in their countries and wondered how to eliminate. The Euro was adopted first by eleven states in the 1st of January 1999. This happ ened after the countries decided to use a single currency across the union. The Euro was developed by the European states to be used as a common currency. Some of the complexities that these nations faced before the adoption of the euro include the devaluation of their currencies. This is a situation whereby a countries currency loses value in terms of another currency. This threatened the stability of the countries and they therefore saw it necessary to look for solutions to those problems with the interest of protecting the states from any instability. Furthermore, shift of the exchange rates of the countries was a threat and the countries sought for some Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) so as to solve the issue (Ralph, mar 9 2012). The nations experienced inflations at a high rate with the shifting of the exchange rate. They, thus, decided on the Exchange Rate Mechanism so as to solve the issues of inflation and bankruptcy that come with inflexible exchange rates. The countries agre ed to the need of a common currency but with various purposes of protecting political and economic interest, in mind. Before entering into the contract of using one currency, the states had experienced many difficulties including the devaluation of the countries’ currencies against other countries’. There were qualifications to be met and the Euro was adopted by those states only after the achievement of the qualifications. Some of the qualifications were for the member countries to have their fiscal deficits under 3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and for the states’ governments to lower and limit their debts to 60% of the GDP (Peter, & Matt, Mar 15 2012). However, after the adoption of the common currency, it is sad to state that the countries that hoped to get away from the financial crisis are now caught up in it. The countries are caught up in it because they failed to follow some laid down rules and decided to act on what they deemed fitting to them. There are many strategies underway that the countries are trying to implement to see if they’ll get out of the crisis. Analysis of the problem (Past) The European Union was formed with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty by the member states, in the year 1992. The need and means of the formation of the common currency was formulated in the year 1992. It was in 1999 that the

If Accounting Is to Retain Any Credibility, Then Without Credibility Essay - 1

If Accounting Is to Retain Any Credibility, Then Without Credibility It Is Worthless - Essay Example The faithful representation of the economic phenomena may be a challenge at times for the accountant, it should always remain their goal. It is against Tinker’s prophetic confession that accounting policies ought to be chosen for their supposedly desirable economic consequences rather than their ability to depict relevant situations faithfully. Accountants are reporters just as journalists and they are therefore endowed with the task of reporting faithfully any financial transactions that the company engages in. In the recent years, the roles of the accountants has greatly changed, these changes are in line with the changing regulations and business laws though from research there are indicators that there is a perception gap between the profession and the public and this is with regards to trust. The major contributor towards this is the ignorance hence lack of understanding of the public of the roles of the accountants in business growth, which is a crucial component of econ omic growth and recovery. The credibility of the accounting information assumes that the accounting information does not comprise any significant error or subjectivism, therefore it faithfully presents image of the process or phenomena (Previts, Robinson & Chandar 2007). The conceptual frameworks upon which credibility is ensured comprises of detailed elements, which ensure the elements are appropriate in terms of content. It is therefore appropriate if the accounting information is objective that is the transactions and events are faithfully mirrored (Previts, Robinson & Chandar 2007). This means that the transactions and events reflect the true meaning and consequences of economic events alongside the legal requirements. The information has to be neutral i.e. avoid influencing a decision or issuing a judgment for the accomplishment of any pre-determined objective. The display of transactions faithfully in the primary elements, which ensures the credibility of the information, prov ided in the statements. This ensures a balance between the information provided numerically and in a described manner concerning the information’s inductive phenomena. For the sake of the generation of faithful information, there has to exists a transaction or an event which is embodied upon the balance sheet level regarding the display of the elements concerning the corporation’s assets, debts, and own capital (Sims & Quatro 2005).  

Series Nip tuck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Series Nip tuck - Essay Example In essence we all crave for perfection. It can be easily said that in the present world, where beauty is depicted by waif thin models , whose perfect figure, perfect features and perfect walk symbolise the very idea of womanhood/manhood , an average person's entire idea of self esteem and personal worth is based on how good he looks .If he or she doesn't look good then he runs the risk of facing rejections in getting employment, in personal relationships and in forging new contacts. Depression and low self-esteem can be only the tip of an iceberg of difficulties that unattractive people have to face. People with facial scars or burns have reported symptoms ranging from social withdrawal to body dimorphic, agoraphobia to anxiety, sleeping difficulties to suicidal impulses. It is becoming increasingly evident that being perceived as ugly can seriously detract from one's quality of life, while being attractive can bring a whole raft of benefits. It seems clear that beauty or the lack of it is no longer merely about aesthetics, but is now a health issue. Everyone dislikes some aspect about their own appearance, inc... ect about their own appearance, increasingly so when the outrageously beautiful are promoted as the norm in advertising, television, music and cinema. Some people are not satisfied with their small nose while others have complaints with their cheekbones, some people fret about the shape of their eyes while others would prefer their waist be a little thinner. The dislikes have become more intolerable bordering on almost a complete prejudice as with the latest advancement in medical science and particular cosmetic surgery , getting perfect cheekbones has become as easier as getting a cheese burger . It is this very idea and obsession about getting a perfect exterior that is portrayed and dramatically depicted in the series running on a famous American channel FX. The name of the series is nip /tuck .It is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. It had the highest ratings as a new series on American basic cable, nominated eleven times for an Emmy and eight times for a Golden Globe and the reasons for its popularity is but obvious. It has become controversial and famous for addressing and exploring various taboo subjects . It is currently in its fifth season, and has aired seventy three episodes as of February 19, 2008. It is often Billed as "a disturbingly perfect drama ". The main characters of the series are the two cosmetic surgeons whose business is to make their customers have a perfect exterior as they run a cosmetic surgery Clinic under the name Troy/McNamara, where Troy and MacNamara are the respective surnames of the two surgeons.

State Government Levy Tariffs on Imports Coursework

State Government Levy Tariffs on Imports - Coursework Example Therefore, other countries prefer these goods because of the advantage of price and quality. Governments can raise revenues by levying imports but on the other hand, they can raise revenue by setting tax policy where people pay taxes and the government gets money. Additionally, governments write laws whereby offenders receive punishments through a fine or penalty and collect money from them (Feenstra & Romalis, 2002). Moreover, they can engage in economic activities like farming and tourism and this could be a source of income. The advantages of levying taxes are as follows. Countries are able to achieve high standards of living by obtaining quality products as well as the importation of raw materials to produce and export finished goods (Lee & Johnson, 2008). In addition, it helps save money by importing high quality goods at a lower cost. The disadvantages include the erosion of national economies specifically when imports exceed exports. In addition, countries accept social values that conflict with the domestic values thus making people adapt to new disregarded values i n