Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay Virtue ethics belongs to the branch of philosophy called ethics. Virtue ethics is also a sub branch of normative ethics and it contrasts with disteleology because normative ethics is more concerned about characteristics of a person rather than the moral duties and laws they must abide, so Natural Moral Law, Kantian ethics and Divine Command are usually dismissed by Virtue Ethics. This ethical theory also contrasts with consequentialism e. g. Utilitarianism which is more focused on results and outcomes. Virtue ethics was first introduces by Plato and was further developed by Aristotle. Virtue ethics is based on the focus of characteristics, also known as virtues. This means the good character traits an individual has- and the opposite of a virtue (a vice) which are the negatives traits of an individual. Virtue ethics can be seen as an anti-theory because it is not concerned about the theory aspect but rather it is about the practice of it. In other words Virtue ethics focuses upon what kind of human being you ought to be rather than the actions of a human being. Plato, in his book â€Å"Republic†, focused on justices and further on argues that, with his beliefs about the soul, that there is a virtue connected to such part of the soul. These different parts of the soul, are called imperative and it is divided into three parts, with a virtue connected to it. These virtues are the cardinal virtues; thus reason and wisdom are one, the human spirit performing well is paired with courage and destiny which is paired with temperance or otherwise known as moderation (self-control). If we have all these virtues we can obtain justice, the fourth virtue. According to Plato, justice is an important virtue because it balances out the interrelationship between the parts of the soul. There is justice when reason rules over spirit and desires. Wisdom is the knowledge of Forms especially the knowledge of the Form of God, having to know what goodness is itself. The forms are the fixed, unities and unchanging concepts that are ultimately real. This type of thinking presupposes both anthropological dualism and ontological dualism. The problems with Plato is that he has based his argument on a questionable metaphysic cleansing that we cannot prove something we have little to no experience to. The concept about the soul and the priparte are criticised because there is no empirical evidence to support it, it is only logic and reason. A fortiori is the criticism of the preparative soul because there is no solid empirical evidence to support it. Furthermore there is no evidence to support the claim that there are forms, again it is only a concept based on reasoning. Lace Wing presents the argument that even if ontology accepted Virtue Ethics, then it is unclear what the practical implications are. If Virtue Ethics is an anti-ethical theory then to how would you practice it? What would you do afterwards? How would knowing these virtues and forms affect you? In the hope of rescuing Virtue Ethics, Aristotle (Plato’s student) delivers his interpretation of this ethical theory. Aristotle does not necessarily agree into Plato’s metaphysic, epistemology or ontology but he does agree with Plato that reason is vital to virtue’s. This is because human’s are rational animals and agrees that virtue’s are vital to human flourishing otherwise known as â€Å"eudsimonia†. Unlike Plato, Aristotle believes that there are only two kinds of virtues; intellectual virtues and moral virtues.

Abortion is Morally Wrong :: Argumentative Essays

In my argumentative coursework I am arguing that abortion is wrong and not to be mistaken with 'Abortion should be made illegal.' I will explain later why I have made this statement. Abortion is the termination of an unborn child in its mother's womb for up to twenty four weeks of the pregnancy or in special circumstances e.g. Disability diagnosis a termination right up until the mother goes in to labour. I think the above definition is an easier and less harsh way of saying that abortion is the murdering of a human being. There are several reasons why abortion is legal and several reasons why it shouldn?t be. I believe there are five3 main ways of preventing abortion and this is why it is wrong and should be illegal. My first point that concerns the prevention abortion is contraception could be made more easily available. I believe that this is the best and most effective way of reducing abortion because the fact is that it is not as accessible as it could be and that a large population does not know how to use contraceptives. My second point is that sex education should be taught properly by a teacher or that teenagers should be made to take a course which explains all the aspects of sex and pregnancy. Research tells that a large number of teenagers do not know how reproduction works or even know what is going on in their bodies. Although teachers are meant to teach this, a lot of teenagers will not understand or may just dismiss the matter and will learn from television or other teenagers and may be misled in to believing certain things about the matter e.g. The hit television soap ?Coronation Street? had a story line involving a teenage girl who got pregnant and her life turned out fine with no disadvantages. Although some girls may believe this can happen, it is very unlikely. I also feel that parents should not have to bear this burden as it may be embarrassing or uncomfortable explaining this to a

Beauty of Mateship

Poetry is one of the most ancient media in which people express their emotions and perhaps one of the most beautiful; as Howard Monomer gracefully puts It, â€Å"It may be said that poems are In one way Like Icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of the page† (1920 1 991 Australian poetry is no exception to this tradition of versified thoughts and feelings, and many a poet have demonstrated an intense focus on both the artistry and harshness of the environment that harbors this nation.Through the creativity and emotions of the poets, Australians are arrayed In a contrasting light as both likeable and dissociable. This Is particularly apparent in the poems being analyses in this essay – A. B. ‘Banjo' Patterson We're all Australians now and Kimonos Servos' nobody calls me a hog anymore. While both Banjo Patterson and Kimonos Servos infuse their poetry with the spirit of metathesis and acceptance In Australia, Patterson focuses on the ci rcumstances of war which ‘instantly mend' the countries' interstate differences while Servos concentrates on the struggle to achieve tolerance as an international migrant.These two poems share a umber of similarities. The first of these is the focus on equality between all, which creates a sense of unity within the participants In the narrative told by each poem. In We're all Australians now, Patterson makes powerful allusions to the nation as a whole using cities as synecdoche for integration such as â€Å"From Brome to Hobnobs Bay†. Brome is a city on the North-Western coast of Australia, while Hobnobs Bay is an electorate of Melbourne, In the south east of the country; hence, this metaphor Implies the Inclusion of the inure country.The third stanza of the poem Incorporates people of opposing ethnicities, using a true blue' metaphor, â€Å"the man who used to hump his drum†, to introduce the indigenous people to the picture through their musical customs, referr ing to their drum playing as an Identifying feature (Aboriginal Arts and Cultures Centre). They are compared as â€Å"fighting side-by-side† with Tasmania farmers; one cannot escape the carefully constructed and implicit incorporation of two distinct ethnic groups as Tasmania people are likely the whitest Australians there are, given the cool climate of their state.This creates a contrast between pollarded races while portraying them all as equal. The title of the poem suggests the idea of unity and togetherness, and everyone being the same – the phrase â€Å"We're all Australians now† appears as an anaphora throughout the poem to reinforce the importance of Australian identity. Within this phrase, the persona Includes himself, which he doesn't do at any other point throughout the poem; this could suggest that he uses himself as a replacement for everyone through use of the word ‘we're'.In a similar fashion, the use of the word ‘now implies reminisce nce of previous times, such that the conflict between states is gone but will never be resorting. Servos also focuses on equality between people. The title of the poem, which Is also Its first line and Its dominant Ideology, states this concept of personal acceptance and equality quite frankly: â€Å"nobody calls me a hog anymore†. The poet†, set the hopeful yet sarcastic tone: despite all the hardship, the persona is accepted as an Australian.The end of the poem shows the use of schism's in the line Mimi need me, and I need you†, which gives the effect that the sharing and the acquisition of Australian citizenship is a mutually beneficent deal, thus creating equal opportunity for both participants. This type of relationship generally results in a unified environment: Australia is enriched and the protagonist is embraced. Both writers have used Australian symbols, icons and stereotypes in order to relate to the concept of acceptance into Australian society and to relate to a typical Australian audience.We're all Australians now refers to perhaps the biggest icon the nation has, its national flag: â€Å"Our six starred flag that used to fly/Half-shyly in the breeze. † This can create a sense of patriotism in the reader, making them feel proud of their entry and thus allowing them to visualize and work towards achieving an atmosphere of acceptance and metathesis. Patterson also refers to the more traditional, enumerating, well-known occupations of the country, especially as they were at the time of the war.These include the men who worked in the shearing shed, or the shearers, those who worked on the cattle runs, the fishermen, the farmers and the miners, scattered throughout the verses. All of these are attempts to relate with the audience, particularly that of the sass, allowing them to feel as though they too re involved in the metathesis, camaraderie and acceptance that the nation is so well known for. The final important reference to Australian identity in this poem is found in the last stanza: â€Å"And with Australia's flag shall fly/A spray of wattle bough†.The poem states the purpose of this explicitly – it is â€Å"to symbolism our unity. † Perhaps the main drive behind the choice of â€Å"wattle† is something as simple as the fact that all men in Australia can grow the wattle, the national flower, no matter where they come from or what they look like; thus, it creates a bond between the people. The wattle therefore becomes a metaphor for togetherness. Kimonos Servos is a little less ‘romantic' and idealistic in describing Australia's struggle to achieve this same goal.His heavy use of colloquial language and intentional lack of spelling, grammar and punctuation conventions imply that he is not trying to please and appease a demanding, skeptical Australian society but rather use his resume as a good reason for benefiting from the tolerance and equality that is so loved a bout Australia. He tries to replicate the way Australians speak in particular as Servos tends to more often than not perform his poetry, making it more a spoken then a written piece (De Wright).Examples of this sort of language include â€Å"I'm an cozies too†, a tirade of interesting, accusatory Australian slang such as â€Å"Fair dinked ridge dodge a dinky die true blue† and â€Å"Me hog mate Kevin†, where the word â€Å"me†, replaces the grammatically correct term â€Å"my', as this is how it is often pronounced. He deals with parts of life that are vital to common Australian people, detailing that they apply to him also: â€Å"A poet with a mortgage/And a wife, and kids/And gas bills, and a tax file number/Just like you.These depictions of real life Susie living create a common ground for both poet and reader, allowing for the ultimate message to be shared: we all deserve – for various, complex reasons – to be called Australians! The p oems also have a number of differences, segregating their ideologies and themes accordingly. The first of these differences is Patterson softened poetic mood as compared to the experiences which engendered them. The most obvious part of the poems that is different and which connects to this idea is the prosody. We're all Australians now has consistent end rhyme and rhythm and flows really well.This is in complete juxtaposition to Server's choice of prosodic elements, which has no consistency and appears as rebellious, unconventional and abrupt as the message itself. They are representative of what the poets are trying to portray – while Patterson is depicting a perfect, naturally occurring team environment, where everyone gets along instantly and operations and relationships flow smoothly, Servos is displaying a struggle to obtain this acceptance, a struggle which is filled with bumps, lumps and plenty of twists, similar to the mood created by the irregular number of syllable s and incidental rhyme.This may be owing to the experiences of each respective poet. Patterson writes about the Battle of Galileo, in a highly dampened manner, as indicated by the reference to Gab Tepee hill, which is a hill Just south of Anza Cove. While he served in the First World War, it was not at Galileo, but rather on the Western Front, meaning essentially that he never actually witnessed exactly what it was he was writing about (University of Sydney).On the other hand, Server's poems often, among other things, contain confronting, realistic autobiographical content. An example of another of these poems is childhood in Richmond, where in fact he is describing his own childhood as a fight for recognition â€Å"and a bag/ full of dreams†; nobody calls me a hog anymore appears to be based on a similar concept (De Wright). The term Hog' is used in Australian English to describe foreigners, particularly Mediterranean Europeans. The poet is a Greek Australian, born in Melbou rne to Greek parents.It is likely then that this poem describes his own experience, an idea strongly reinforced by his referral to himself and the use first- person point of view, both of which are lacking in the other poem: â€Å"And I said, Australia, hey! ‘/You can call me Kimonos! â€Å". All these factors allow him to not only better describe the situation, but to relate to the audience better. The oscillation between first and second person connotes the author's deep desire for dialogue, conversation achieved through the use of pharmacopoeia.Also emphasizing this idea are the forms of figures of speech present in each poem. We're all Australians now has a lot of tropes such as metaphors, personification and metonymy to embellish and moderate intentions; for example, the lines â€Å"the mettle that a race can show/is roved with shot and steel† display metonymy, replacing guns or weapons with the phrase â€Å"shot and steel†, which essentially means the bul lets and the blades; it is a way of euphemistic the otherwise painful message and making the scene a little bit milder than it actually is.On the contrary, nobody calls me a hog anymore is blunter and to the point, instead using figures of sound such as schism's, napoleon and gausses in order to persuade the reader of the point. Patterson and Servos are describing two different scenarios in their poems – while Patterson is discussing the resistances provided by war which instantly heal any interstate dissentions, Servos is essentially portraying the personal fight and victory that he had against racism.Throughout We're all Australians now, the quelling of competition between states when faced with war is a common theme, shown particularly well in the line â€Å"We're not state children anymore†. This line personifies â€Å"the state† as motherly and then quickly brushes over the simplicity of detachment from one's state to instead form a nation. Another part of the poem recites â€Å"For English, Scotch and Irish-bred/ They're all Australians now! At the time in which this poem was set, Australia was a young nation of Just 14 years, so the English, Scotch and Irish are not necessarily literally those nationalities (though for many people of the time, it would have been), but more likely their heritage, including the quintessentially Aboriginal one. On the other hand, Servos, as stated earlier, is depicting a constant struggle, a fight for his own personal acceptance. He attempts to connect with the audience and Australians in order to achieve this.He also describes parts of his struggles in the first half of the memo. For example, gausses is used in the lines â€Å"Point the finger accusingly/Thump my fist demandingly', in order to describe the escalation of moods. He Jumps from peaceful accusations to semi-violent measures within the space of two lines as the anger boils up. Overall, the poets have each drawn upon their own personal exp eriences in order to spin the webs of aesthetic features that readers still enjoy today.Be it Patterson third-hand experience, comparing the Western Front of the Great War to the Battle of Galileo, or the personal story told by Kimonos Servos of he struggle against racist attitudes, the poems leave a lasting message that shall be forever remembered; Australian metathesis is real, a sense of acceptance seen nowhere else in the world does exist, forming indestructible bonds of helpfulness and tolerance.

Aesops Fable of the Crow and the Pitcher

One of Aesops most popular animal stories is this one, of a thirsty and ingenious crow. The text of the fable, from George Fyler Townsend, whose translation of Aesops Fables has been the standard in English since the 19th Century, is this: A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life. Necessity is the mother of invention. History of the Fable Aesop, if he existed, was a slave in the seventh century Greece. According to Aristotle, he was born in Thrace. His fable of the Crow and the Pitcher was well known in Greece and in Rome, where mosaics have been found illustrating the crafty crow and the stoic pitcher. The fable was the subject of a poem by Bianor, an ancient Greek poet from Bithynia, who lived under the emperors Augustus and Tiberius in the First Century A.D. Avianus mentions the story 400 years later, and it continues to be cited throughout the Middle Ages. Interpretations of the Fable The morals of Aesops fables have always been appended by translators. Townsend, above, interprets the story of the Crow and the Pitcher to mean that dire circumstance gives rise to innovation. Others have seen in the story the virtue of persistence: The crow must drop many rocks into the pitcher before he can drink. Avianus took the fable as an advertisement for the suave sciences rather than force, writing: This fable shows us that thoughtfulness is superior to brute strength. The Crow and the Pitcher and Science Again and again, historians have noted with wonder that such an ancient tale—already hundreds of years old in Roman times—should document actual crow behavior. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (77 A.D.) mentions a crow accomplishing the same feat as the one in Aesops story. Experiments with rooks (fellow corvids) in 2009 showed that the birds, presented with the same dilemma as the crow in the fable, made use of the same solution. These findings established that tool use in birds was more common than had been supposed, also that the birds would have had to understand the nature of solids and liquids, and further, that some objects (stones, for example) sink while others float. More Aesops Fables: The Ant and the DoveThe Bee and JupiterThe Cat and VenusThe Fox and the MonkeyThe Lion and the Mouse