Web pages content Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Web pages content - Essay Example Simply put, we do not merely provide web content writing for people to read as we excel in providing online content that do not merely offer information or serve as fillers and cache to your web template. While our products are designed primarily to be informative but on top of this they function as web tools that would get our clients increased web traffic and returning visitors. An example of this is our integrated SEO services which you could learn more in this page. We believe in the efficacy of getting our clients involved in their web pages content and cache development. There is an existing digital networked medium in place – the internet – which allows for fast, cheap and real time communication over long distances. We take advantage of this tool in order to have our online content writing projects become products of collaborative activity.We want to know how we may be able to help your needs. We have specific content solutions available for you and you may requ est a price quote or order this service in this link. We offer a full money-back guarantee policy to ensure that your project get the attention and quality assurance it deserves. Remember that with us, you get more than just web pages content.Article Writingof interactive media which entails article writing as an integral part of an audio and visual experience alongside the various tools and applications found in the web and other media which empowers the users or the readers in terms of interactivity that has never existed before.

Animal Testing Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing Essay Abdulrahman.Bahjat AUIS August 5, 2013 We are at war, and we will do what we need to win (joey-gruber.tripod). There is much debate over whether animal testing should be allowed or not. Some people think that it is not essential to sacrifice animals for human benefit because they are being abused and tortured severely during experiments. Those People who stand against animal testing claim that humans eliminate many lives on Earth in order to safe humans lives, So there is no justice because even animals have the right to live on earth, yet these people do not consider the truth that animals are being used in the food industry. Many organizations such as (PETA), which is the biggest organization against animal testing, think that animal testing is one of the most disturbing experiments ever, and it should be banned. However, these organizations absolutely do not look at the big picture because animal testing uses only common pests to test on, improves health and medicine, and ensures the safety of cosmetic products for the human use. Many organizations claim that animal testing reduces animals numbers and lead them to face extinction. In addition, these people say that through animal testing humans destroy the lives of many organisms. However, researchers use only pests in their experiments to test on. Animal testing gives humans more benefit by decreasing the pests to humans. 60% of all animals are mice and 20% are rats and guinea pigs and rabbits are 10% all together(PETA). This claim comes from an organization which is surprisingly stands against animal testing. The statistic above shows that animal testing does not damage animals on our planet. Many diseases are being transmitted to humans by these pests like rats. One of the most historically dangerous rat-borne diseases is the bubonic plague, also called â€Å"Black Plague,† and its variants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. fleas transported on rats are considered responsible for this plague during the Middle Ages, which killed millions(Orkin). It is really obvious that many people know what happened during the Middle Ages when Black Plague spread over London. It was one of the historical diseases that killed thousands of people, so we can avoid such these devastating diseases by reducing rats numbers simultaneously with getting benefit to our race. Many people think that animal testing does not  improve human health and medicine, and it is only used to develop silly things, such as toiletries. Also, those people think that humans cannot ensure the safety of drugs through animal testing because they say that humans do not have completely similar body to animals. However, those people do not know the fact that is the major pro for animal testing is helping researchers in creating drugs and treatments to improve human health and medicine. Animal testing is very essential to many scientific communities. In fact, there are many people who stand against animal testing for cosmetic products, but still support animal testing for medicine function. Many medical treatments, especially for cancer and HIV drugs are being found through animal testing (About Animal Testing). These diseases that I listed above are the most severe diseases that humans ever known because they have been suffered from, but through animal testing scientists are making great progress to figure out drugs that can end the tragedy of these diseases. Animal testing helps to ensure the safety of drugs and many other substances humans (About Animal Testing). Basically, drugs can carry a great danger to humans if they are used without any assurance of its safety. This means that through animal testing we can prevent the potential danger of drugs simultaneously with saving many human lives. Furthermore, some people think that we cannot ensure the safety of cosmetic products for human uses because humans and animals do not have completely similarities outside structure between them which may lead to many mistakes after using these products. However, those people do not look at the details which are the ones that matter. When scientists use animals to test on, they really do not care about the external structure, but they really care about the common organs and physical traits. Through animal testing we can test even the first toilet paper in order to know whether these products are safe for human use. Researchers often work with animal models that have biological systems similar to that of a human(Amprogress). This is why scientists use animals as models to test on because the common similarities that humans and animals have. It is really an inevitable fact that even if humans find out new methods of testing, companies will restore animal testing on new products to ensure full safety of any product (cosmeticproduct-europe). Animal testing is an irreplaceable, and without it we can rarely achieve full safety insurance. It is really important to test all cosmetic products  on animals because these products are usually chemical products that carry danger with them. In conclusion, I think that animal testing is really needed to improve the quality of societies, and that can be achieved by the results and discoveries of animal testing. Animal testing is a great way to find out how a living body reacts to different products which can help us to find out whether these products are safe to be used by humans, so if humans want to develop their communities, animal testing cannot be avoided. Cited Work: 1-Joey Gruber Tripod, http://joey-gruber.tripod.com/id2.html# 2-Peta, http://www.peta.org/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=statistics 3-Orkin, http://www.orkin.com/rodents/rats/rat-borne-diseases/ 4-About animal testing, http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons.html 5- Amprogress, http://www.amprogress.org/AnimalResearchFAQ 6- Cosmeticproduct-europe, http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Formulation-Science/L-Oreal-animal-testing-alternatives-vital-but-ensuring-product-safety-is-a-MUST

Teenage Plastic Surgery Essay example -- Self Image Health Medicine M

Teenage Plastic Sugery In 2003, teenagers 18 years old and younger represented 4 percent of those receiving cosmetic plastic surgery in 2003. Although the percentage may seem small, it represents over 330,000 school-aged youths who had some kind of cosmetic surgery or procedure, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The standards for a perfect body have been getting narrower, and teens and college students are reacting to the pressure. According to the ASPS, plastic surgeons preformed over 8.7 million total cosmetic surgery procedures in 2003, a 33 percent increase from last year. Kat* is a 19-year-old sophomore at Northeastern University who has seriously been considering breast implants for the past year. Kat is 5’9 and wears an A-cup bra size. She feels that implants would make her body more proportional. â€Å"It would boost my personal self-image and self esteem a lot,† said Kat. â€Å"Even though I know it’s something social†¦ I would feel so much better if I had boobs.† Kat said that both male and female friends have teased her about her small chest. This and the pressure and stereotypes of perfect bodies from television and movies have affected the way Kat says she feels she should look. â€Å"I think it is a combo of both†¦ but more personal friends because that is your real life.† Kat has not researched the procedure, but plans to do so extensively to minimize the risks of it. She also said that to get the procedure soon she would need either to start saving now or take out a loan. Kat said she has heard horror stories and I would invest a lot into it to make sure that everything goes well. She said that her mother knows of her plans and is supportive of it but she has not yet told her... ...use photographs are two-dimensional and people are three,† said Thilert. If the patient still has unrealistic expectations, the surgeon will refer the patient to a counselor or church official, though Thilert only knows of one case where this happened. If patients are not happy with the result and the doctor agrees that it is not up to his standard, he will redo the surgery for only the cost of the hospital and the anesthesia. Thilert has three children, one in high school and two in college. She said that if her 20-year old daughter wanted to get cosmetic surgery and it was important to her, she would support her decision. â€Å"I think if [young people] have realistic expectations and are doing it for themselves and not someone else, then it’s not anyone else’s business,† said Thilert. â€Å"I do not have a problem with people feeling better about themselves.†

Analysis of Slough by John Betjemen Essay

In Slough, Betjemen presents many ideas about his views on technological advancement. Most of these views are negative, and he comes off as being very cynical of the system, and also portrays a sort of violent hatred towards the industrialisation and rise of capitalism in Slough. However, he also seems to have some hope for the future. Initially, Betjemen uses lots of repetition of words such as ‘tinned’ to emphasise his views. The phrase ‘tinned mind, tinned breath’ could possible be used to suggest even the very things that make people human – such as the mind and the breath – have too become commercialised and artificial due to the growth of industry and capitalism in Slough. Furthermore, he compares mind and breath to ‘tinned milk, tinned beans’, which could possibly be used to symbolise how ‘mind and breath’ have lost all value or meaning. In addition, he refers to ‘peroxide hair’ and ‘synthetic air’. This could possibly be used by Betjemen to portray the artificial nature of modern living and how unnatural and superficial it is. This cynicism is emphasised by the way in which this poem makes use of lots of enjambment. This could possibly suggest that this poem is a sort of ‘rant’ by Betjemen, and that he releases all his views in a sort of ‘stream of consciousness’. Alternatively however, the fact that full stops are used at the end of each stanza could possibly suggest that Betjemen has structured this poem intentionally, to emphasise every point made in each stanza, and that this poem is used to provoke thought in the reader. John Betjemen is also portrayed as being quite angry at these occurrences in the poem. The fact that he calls for ‘friendly bombs to fall on Slough’ is quite drastic, and the oxymoron of ‘friendly’ and ‘bombs’ is quite peculiar, but also portrays how he wants Slough to be destroyed. Furthermore, he writes ‘Swarm over, Death’, which again, is quite drastic, but Betjemen possibly uses this phrase to portray the extent to which he hates Slough now. He also asks these ‘bombs’ to ‘blow’ Slough ‘to smithereens’, which could possibly be used to suggest that he wants the town to be destroyed to the point of no return, and that he doesn’t want this way of living to come back. In addition, Betjemen writes ‘smash his desk of polished oak’ and ‘smash his hands’. The use of violent language such as ‘smash’ accurately portrays Betjemen’s fury and anger tow ards Slough, and the description of ‘polished oak’ could possibly represent how Betjemen wants this new method of opulent and capitalist living to end. However, Betjemen also portrays the way in which there is possibly hope for the future. In the poem, he asks for the bombs to spare ‘the bald young clerks’ and that it’s ‘not their fault’, showing how Betjemen still has hope in humanity, and that it is the people at the top of the system who are responsible for all these issues. In addition, the fact that Betjemen writes that they ‘daren’t look up and see the stars’ could possibly suggest that this issue of industrialisation and commercialism is thankfully confined to this area, and that hopefully, other part of the world will stay the way they are. Furthermore, Betjemen writes that the ‘cabbages are coming now’, which could possibly suggest that this is all going to end, and that eventually everything will revert back to normal, being ‘ready for the plough’. The fact that the ‘earth exhales’ could possibly be a ‘sigh of relief’ that this is all over. However, alternatively, it could suggest that it is the Earth’s ‘final breath’ before death due to the acts of mankind, and the full stop at the end of the poem could suggests that there is possibly no future. Overall, Betjemen seems to very critical of the developments of mankind, and describes its many downfalls. However, it is evident that he keeps an open mind, and hopes for a better future.

Thor

Norse Myth V. S Marvel’s Although the most recent movie Thor was very good, it was not accurate at all. In Norse mythology, Thor is associated with a hammer, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility. Besides the movie not being accurate there are many differences between Norse mythology and Marvel Comics. In Norse mythology he has his red hair and a red beard. Marvel's Thor has long; flowing golden locks, and is typically clean-shaven.While the Norse Thor prefers to travel in style, the Norse myth travels with his chariot drawn by two magic goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr. In the movie, Thor was about to ascend to the throne of Asgard, and is tricked by his brother Loki to defy their father Odin. Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Laufey, accompanied by his brother Loki, childhood friend Sif and The Warriors Three; Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun. A battle continues until Odin intervene s to save the Asgardians, destroying the fragile truce between the two races.A big difference between the myths is that the Asgardians, The Warriors Three, really have no place in Norse myth, and wound up a part of the Marvel myths essentially because they thought it would make the story better. For Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his son of his power and exiles him to Earth to live as a mortal. Odin, fearing the plotting of his manipulative son Loki, sends down Thor's hammer Mjollnir affixed with a command that only the man worthy of the throne of Asgard can lift it. Thor must learn wisdom and sacrifice before he can return to his rightful place.In the movie the Mjollnir is one of the few things that are true. He wears a belt that gives him strength, gloves of iron that enable him to handle his hammer. Marvel's Thor has raw power but the Norse myth indicates that Thor needed a magical belt and gloves to give him the strength to use Mjollnir to its full effect. In Marvel's version Tho r only occasionally used those items as strength-boosters. The losing of Thor’s hammer happens in both Marvel and Norse myth. In the movie the hammer is stuck in a rock and the only way to release it is when a man becomes worthy of the throne of Asgard.In Norse myth Thor discovers Trym had stolen his hammer. Trym had hidden the hammer eight stops under the ground. Trym stated he would return the hammer, if he could have the goddess Freyja for his bride. While on Earth, Thor meets the scientist Jane Foster. Against all logic and self-preservation Foster believes Thor when he claims he's a god who has been exiled to Earth. Over the course of the next two days the two fall in love. As they learn of the hammer in a field they set out to get it. Another true thing when comparing both Thor’s is that he is ladies' man.In the movie Thor falls for the mortal nurse Jane Foster and in the Norse myth the Asgardian goddess Sif. A difference in his love life is that Thor in Marvel's story had children in alternate futures, whereas the Norse Thor is the proud of at least three children from his various affairs when married to Sif. Thor's Asgardian friends eventually find their way down to Earth to help him fight off a big metal beast called The Destroyer. He has been ordered to destroy Thor at all costs. Thor's love for Jane and his lessons of humility gives him the power to pull the hammer out.He becomes an immortal warrior and defender of the people saving them from destruction. Thor saves the day in the end but destroys the only known way to travel to the mortal world leaving his love behind. In both Marvel and Norse myth, Asgard is connected to Earth by a bridge called Bifrost, which manifests as multicolored arc in the sky. Their last differences extend to their personalities; Marvel's Thor is a noble hero any of us would feel safe around; the Thor of Norse myth is a fierce warrior with a violent temper, who seems to revel in the slaughter of any who would challenge him.

Comparison of Agricola and Charlemagne essays

Comparison of Agricola and Charlemagne essays In Agricola, Tacitus recounts the contrast between barbarian peoples living in such backward area such as Britain and the civilized Romans in the heart of the empire through the life of Agricola. Agricola is depicted with all the standard attributes of the prudent and successful general. Tacitus reveals that in spite of all, Agricola decided to go and meet peril (Tacitus 69). Thus this depicts Agricola as warrior-like as well as a successful general. Also, the Roman noble was born to a tradition of service to the state as seen through Agricola. Moreover, Tacitus idealizes Agricolas most prominent characteristic of moderation, which is, self-effacing behavior in order not to provoke the displeasure and jealously of the people around him. For instance, Tacitus points out, Agricola understood the feeling...resolved to root out the causes of rebellion...Beginning with himself and his staff, he enforced discipline in his own establishment first (Tacitus 70). Moreover, Agricola wo uld instill education among the barbaric people of Britain as Agricola educated the sons of the chiefs in the liberal arts...speak Latin language effectively...and spoke of civilization (Tacitus 73). Thus Agricola is shown as a sensible man with much achievements in Britain. As a result, Agricola is a man whose achievements far excel those of other men who pursue courses of willful independence and die ostentatious death. Charlemagne was considered great because he was a strong ruler who brought about numerous changes in Europe. Like Agricola, Charlemagne was depicted as being successful in wars, as Charlemagne pressed on energetically...refusing to withdraw from a campaign already started...brought to complete fruition what he was striving to achieve (Charlemagne 59). Furthermore, Charlemagne was determined to make his kingdom as strong as possible. Thus Charlemagne would ...

The Insanity Defense essays

The Insanity Defense essays Equal justice for the unequal.# For these few who cannot be held accountable for there actions because of mental disability or disease this statement is surly there savuor. The ideal in a free society is that all of its members shall be equal under the law they have chosen to govern them, that they shall share the same rights and responsibilities, and that if they violate their laws they will be punished no differently than their peers, and judged according to a collective sense of justice rather than by the individuals of society. But what about the individual who does not realize he/she has committed a crime against society? The question that is raised here is not along the lines of should an individual be punished for his/her crime, but more on the matter of did the individual know that the crime, which he/she had committed, was wrong. This is where the fine line between the guilty and the legally insane is created. There has long been a strong belief that persons who commit crimes as a result of mental illness should not be held criminally responsible because they lack the criminal intent to commit the acts; this belief forms the core of the insanity defense today in the United States. The insanity defense is a plea option in which the defendant seeks acquittal for the alleged criminal offense by reason of insanity. In this paper I will discuss the history of the insanity defense and the controversy that now surrounds the issue in today s society. I will start by giving an historical perspective on the formation of the insanity defense, followed by the landmark trial of Daniel McNaughton, which established the guidelines that would set the standard for nearly a century to come in determining the sanity of the defendant. Lastly, I will discuss the current controversy in American society over the use of the insanity plea in the American criminal justice system. Throughout most of history there has be...

Turkey Facts, Biology, and Statistics

Turkey Facts, Biology, and Statistics The turkey is a very popular bird, especially around the holiday season. Before sitting down to enjoy that holiday meal, pay tribute to this splendid bird by discovering some of these fascinating turkey facts. Wild vs Domesticated Turkeys The wild turkey is the only type of poultry native to North America and is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey. Although wild and domesticated turkeys are related, there are some differences between the two. While wild turkeys are capable of flight, domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys typically have dark colored feathers, while domesticated turkeys are commonly bred to have white feathers. Domesticated turkeys are also bred to have large breast muscles. The big breast muscles on these turkeys make mating too difficult, so they must be artificially inseminated. Domesticated turkeys are a good, low-fat source of protein. They have become an increasingly popular choice of poultry because of their taste and good nutritional value. Turkey Names What do you call a turkey? The scientific name for the wild and modern domesticated turkey is Meleagris gallopavo. The common names used for the number or type of turkey changes depending on the age or sex of the animal. For example, male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are called hens, young males are called jakes,  baby turkeys are called poults, and a group of turkeys is called a flock. Turkey Biology Turkeys have some curious features that stand out upon first glance. One of the first things people notice about turkeys are the red, fleshy stretches of skin and bulbous growths located around the head and neck region. These structures are the: Caruncles:  These are fleshy bumps on the head and neck of both male and female turkeys. Sexually mature males may have large carnuncles with bright colors which are attractive to females.Snood:  Hanging over a turkeys beak is a long flap of flesh called the snood. During courtship, the snood enlarges and becomes red as it fills with blood in the male.Wattle:  These are flaps of red skin that hang from the chin. Males with large wattles are more attractive to females. Another prominent and noticeable feature of the turkey is its plumage. Voluminous feathers cover the breast, wings, back, body and tail of the bird. Wild turkeys can have over 5,000 feathers.  During courtship, males will puff up their feathers in a display to attract females. Turkeys also have what is called a beard located in the chest area. Upon sight, the beard appears to be hair, but is actually a mass of thin feathers. Beards are most commonly seen in males but may occur much less commonly in females. Male turkeys also have sharp, spike-like projections on their legs called spurs. Spurs are used for protection and defense of territory from other males. Wild turkeys can run as speed of 25 miles per hour and fly at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. Turkey Senses Vision: A turkeys eyes are located on opposite sides of its head. The position of the eyes allows the animal to see two objects at once, but limits its depth perception. Turkeys have a wide field of vision and by moving their neck, they can gain a 360-degree field of view. Hearing: Turkeys do not have external ear structures such as tissue flaps or canals to assist with hearing. They have small holes in their head located behind the eyes. Turkeys have a keen sense of hearing and can pinpoint sounds from as far as a mile away. Touch: Turkeys are highly sensitive to touch in areas such as the beak and feet. This sensitivity is useful for obtaining and maneuvering food. Smell and Taste: Turkeys do not have a highly developed sense of smell. The region of the brain that controls olfaction is relatively small. Their sense of taste is believed to be underdeveloped as well. They have fewer taste buds than  mammals and can detect salt, sweet, acid, and bitter tastes. Turkey Facts andStats According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans surveyed eat turkey during Thanksgiving. They also estimate that about 45 million turkeys are consumed each Thanksgiving holiday. This translates to about 675 million pounds of turkey. With that being said, one would think that November would be National Turkey Lovers Month. However, it is the month of June that is actually dedicated to turkey lovers. Turkeys range is size from small fryers (5-10 pounds) to larger turkeys weighing over 40 pounds. Large holiday birds typically mean a fair amount of leftovers. According to the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council, the top five most popular ways to serve turkey leftovers are: sandwiches, soups or stews, salads, casseroles, and stir-fry. Resources:Dickson, James G. The Wild Turkey: Biology and Management. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1992. Print.â€Å"Minnesota Turkey.† Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, http://minnesotaturkey.com/turkeys/. â€Å"Turkey Facts Stats.† Nebraska Department of Agriculture, nda.nebraska.gov/promotion/poultry_egg/turkey_stats.html.â€Å"Turkey History Trivia† National Turkey Federation, eatturkey.com/why-turkey/history.

How I Reduced My Ecological Footprint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How I Reduced My Ecological Footprint - Essay Example The reduction of the electricity levels that I consume also plays an important part in conserving the energy in our environment (Beder 13). Before attending the environmental class, I usually left electrical devices plugged on even when they were not in use. I also used drying machines despite there being enough sunlight to dry my clothes. These activities resulted in the wastage of energy resources at my disposal. After learning from my mistakes, I changed from most of my previous habits and adopted behaviors that enhanced my endeavors in conserving nature. Whenever I am using an electrical device at home or in school, I always leave it unplugged to ensure that   energy is conserved. The adoption of substitute energy sources such as wind, lunar and other forms of natural energy may be used to preserve energy. I have changed from using systems that consume fossil fuels when performing my routine activities. I am an active campaigner for the reduction of carbon emissions in the envi ronment by advocating for use of natural forms of energy. To reduce the emissions I produce as a result of the lighting in my house, I have adopted the use of halogen lighting. This is because it does not produce harmful emissions and is efficient in saving energy. These practices enable me to ensure reduction of the effects of my ecological footprint.  As a young child, I was greatly fascinated by the people who worked for lumbering factories. I really admired watching them cutting down trees and was aspiring to join them in the future. I viewed timber as a very important commodity that facilitates man’s development. Little did I know that the trees were only being cut down and there was nobody to plant new ones to replenish forests. The presence of trees ensures people live in clean and safe environments. This is because they help to filter out

The Effects of Cocaine on Behavior Research Paper

The Effects of Cocaine on Behavior - Research Paper Example Scientific studies have discovered that the cause of this euphoria is due to the prevention of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin from being reabsorbed by the neuron that released it, known as the presynaptic neuron. The way that cocaine works is that it stops the reuptake of a number of neurotransmitters, for example, epinephrine and norepinephrine, causing them to stay in the individuals synapses for a longer period of time and exciting the sympathetic nervous system in the process (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). The excitement of the sympathetic nervous system brings about a stress response which results in the euphoria that is experienced by the individual. Though the euphoria that is experienced by the user may be enjoyable during that moment in time, the end results are in no way healthy for the individual, and the temporary pleasure that is experienced is not worth the long term effects that the person risks suffering (Doweiko, 2008).There are numerous effects that the use of cocaine has on an individual, and these effects can be classified into two categories, namely immediate and long term effects. Immediate effects refer to the reactions that occur right after one uses the drugs while the long term effects refer the responses that a person may have further down the line as a result of using the drug for a lengthy period of time (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). Both effects (immediate and long term) influence the behavior of the user, and differences can be seen in their actions and personality.

Discuss Two Ethical Arguments for Maintaining Patient Confidentiality Essay - 1

Discuss Two Ethical Arguments for Maintaining Patient Confidentiality - Essay Example The interaction between nurses and patients is fundamental in the process of realizing the many different goals and objectives that define the health sector (Pyrek, 2011). Failure to maintain patient confidentiality, therefore, affects service delivery and subsequent achievement of the goals and objectives set by healthcare organizations. This jeopardizes welfare of patients, an aspect that fundamentally defines the moral and ethical role of nurses. Confidentiality forms the foundation of personal privacy. Just as the interaction between a nurse and a patient is private, the underlying information should also be kept private. Maintaining patient confidentiality ensures that the privacy of the patient is respect and subsequently protected (Bosek & Savage, 2007). Moreover, nursing practices follow specific codes of conduct that outline the type of relationships nurses should have with their patients. Such relationships are designed to address the best interests of patients. Without patient confidentiality, nurse-patient interactions and relations are likely to become ineffective and inefficient. In the contemporary society, the realization of key developments in the health sector is evident. New and advanced technologies have become the new face of service delivery in many healthcare facilities. In light of these developments, information has increasingly become critical to protect. Today, medical records are primarily electronic. On the same note, the establishment of patient information database means that more and more patient information is stored together. Without enforcing patient confidentiality, healthcare data and information could be compromised at any time. Healthcare technology has further diversified the number of legitimate parties who need access to patient information (Davey, 2012). As these parties increase in number, it is important to ensure that only those parties

When writing and reading Children's literature, can it be just for Essay

When writing and reading Children's literature, can it be just for pleasure or does the text have to have a teaching element - Essay Example Yet a good piece of literature will have universal themes that will appeal to children and adults, and will teach more than just developmental skills. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a premier example of this principle. It is a piece of literature that is children's literature in that it is accessible to young children but not in the sense that it is exclusively for young children, it teaches not only vocabulary but also mythology and ethics, and it is excellently written. Jon Sciezska, author of stories like The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, argues that many of the approaches of educators in the West has been misleading or wrong (Zastrow, 2008). â€Å"I would say just to let kids play around, and let them play around with reading† (Zastrow, 2008). Everything that a child interacts with is educational: Every experience, every tree, every song, every book, will have indelible impacts that may resonate for their whole lives in ways no adult can predict. â€Å"Edu cational† children's literature, then, isn't different because it teaches something; rather, it's different because it teaches particular things and sets out to teach those things, like civics, morals, values, good social behavior, math, grammar, colors, shapes, etc. There is nothing wrong with this kind of literature. But it's not the only kind of literature children should read, any more than adults should only read newspapers and journal articles. Sciezska recommends that â€Å"Reading shouldn't be a bitter pill† and that children should have choices in what they read (Zastrow, 2008). There are few choices more apt for children than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The book is not an educational book: It is magical fantasy, pure and simple. It begins with a Cinderella dream: Child growing up among cruel step-parents with arbitrary step-siblings is revealed to have a special destiny. But the book actually is filled with all sorts of educational elements nonet heless. By not being specifically â€Å"educational†, it is actually able to have fully-fledged themes and elements that lead children away from the simple grammar school progression and towards advanced life skills that will pay off for the months, years and decades to come. The composition of Rowling's work is itself highly educational. Children learn all sorts of vocabulary from the book, and not just vocabulary of magical phenomena but of a far broader nature. But it's not just vocabulary: Children pick that up constantly, from the telly to conversations to the schoolyard. What the book teaches is how to write. Children reading Harry Potter learn accessible techniques of description, sentence construction, suspense, comparing and contrasting, etc. It is true that children could also learn how to write from Mark Twain or Plato, but Harry Potter uses modern elements, modern themes and appeals to modern needs. It uses contemporary language that British, Scottish, Welsh, Iris h and Yank children can understand. This paper focuses on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone because, being the first book, it has the least adult themes, is the least likely to scare children (though the image of Voldemort growing out of the back of Quirrel is fairly grotesque) and has the simplest plot and language, but all the books are quite valuable for young readers. In particular, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as well as the other books in the series teach good narrative structure. The books have an element of the mystery novel to them: The reader is told clues that allow them to piece things together. In fact, fans accurately guessed

Acer in China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acer in China - Assignment Example The economic development in India is facilitated by both manufacturing and service sectors. Thus, Acer should make the fast move in conquering this market. This conclusion is based on the premise that the Indian market represents huge revenue and profit opportunity which remains largely untapped. Even though Acer is also bound to deal with numerous risks and uncertainties in its decision, this paper still believes that the business organization has already built strong presence in the smaller cities which can help it in succeeding in conquering India in contrast with the highly problematic Chinese market.The move to conquer India is warranted by the high demand in technological gadgets including personal computers which will support the growth in business process outsourcing. Acer should also need to make a quick decision in entering this market postponement will make it very late for it to establish a strong presence once larger and more efficient industry players abroad settle and gain strong foothold in the market. This is very possible noting the aggressiveness of top companies like Dell and IBM. Acer can gain a competitive advantage against this player recognizing its cost leadership strategy which is expected to appeal to the still highly price sensitive Indian market.Another reason why the Indian market should be pursued is the fact that the large market remains unsaturated.

When writing and reading Children's literature, can it be just for Essay

When writing and reading Children's literature, can it be just for pleasure or does the text have to have a teaching element - Essay Example Yet a good piece of literature will have universal themes that will appeal to children and adults, and will teach more than just developmental skills. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a premier example of this principle. It is a piece of literature that is children's literature in that it is accessible to young children but not in the sense that it is exclusively for young children, it teaches not only vocabulary but also mythology and ethics, and it is excellently written. Jon Sciezska, author of stories like The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, argues that many of the approaches of educators in the West has been misleading or wrong (Zastrow, 2008). â€Å"I would say just to let kids play around, and let them play around with reading† (Zastrow, 2008). Everything that a child interacts with is educational: Every experience, every tree, every song, every book, will have indelible impacts that may resonate for their whole lives in ways no adult can predict. â€Å"Edu cational† children's literature, then, isn't different because it teaches something; rather, it's different because it teaches particular things and sets out to teach those things, like civics, morals, values, good social behavior, math, grammar, colors, shapes, etc. There is nothing wrong with this kind of literature. But it's not the only kind of literature children should read, any more than adults should only read newspapers and journal articles. Sciezska recommends that â€Å"Reading shouldn't be a bitter pill† and that children should have choices in what they read (Zastrow, 2008). There are few choices more apt for children than Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The book is not an educational book: It is magical fantasy, pure and simple. It begins with a Cinderella dream: Child growing up among cruel step-parents with arbitrary step-siblings is revealed to have a special destiny. But the book actually is filled with all sorts of educational elements nonet heless. By not being specifically â€Å"educational†, it is actually able to have fully-fledged themes and elements that lead children away from the simple grammar school progression and towards advanced life skills that will pay off for the months, years and decades to come. The composition of Rowling's work is itself highly educational. Children learn all sorts of vocabulary from the book, and not just vocabulary of magical phenomena but of a far broader nature. But it's not just vocabulary: Children pick that up constantly, from the telly to conversations to the schoolyard. What the book teaches is how to write. Children reading Harry Potter learn accessible techniques of description, sentence construction, suspense, comparing and contrasting, etc. It is true that children could also learn how to write from Mark Twain or Plato, but Harry Potter uses modern elements, modern themes and appeals to modern needs. It uses contemporary language that British, Scottish, Welsh, Iris h and Yank children can understand. This paper focuses on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone because, being the first book, it has the least adult themes, is the least likely to scare children (though the image of Voldemort growing out of the back of Quirrel is fairly grotesque) and has the simplest plot and language, but all the books are quite valuable for young readers. In particular, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as well as the other books in the series teach good narrative structure. The books have an element of the mystery novel to them: The reader is told clues that allow them to piece things together. In fact, fans accurately guessed

Learning Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning Reflection - Essay Example Therefore, the customers of this product will experience a sense of class, without spending a lot of money on the gadget. The closest brand competitor of this phone is mainly other smartphones produced by Apple Inc. However, I chose Samsung, compared to Apple because Samsung products are affordable. As a student, I have no income that would enable me purchase a smartphone from Apple, since this company produces for the top income earners in society. The price of Samsung S III has also been lowered, compared to its pricing last year. In addition, I chose to buy a Samsung phone because of the features of the phone. For instance, this phone operates on an Android operating system, compared to Apple phones, which operate on a different operating system (iOS), which is somehow difficult to use for those who are not used to Apple products. My decision to buy this Samsung phone was highly influenced by the marketing of the product. Samsung is good at marketing, compared to its competitors. The company employs diverse marketing strategies, which enable its customers to learn about new products. Samsung S III has been marketed for a long time, since last year. This is through advertising, sales promotions, internet marketing, among others. Therefore, I became more familiar with the Samsung S III, compared to other brands, and this is what finally drove me to buy the

The Law of Connection Essay Example for Free

The Law of Connection Essay It can be said that in order to make other individuals follow a certain person, that person must first be able to touch the hearts of these individuals. By stating that a person must first touch the heart of the individuals, it is assumed that the person must primarily be able to communicate with the emotions of the individuals apart from anything else. That is, in order to be able to make a personal connection with other people, an individual is faced with the task of communicating first with the emotions of these people. In essence, one cannot expect others to follow him or her without first being able to establish an emotional rapport with others. For the most part, one can argue that individuals have a common bond that makes them at least one at heart. Hence, to be able to touch the heart of others and communicate with their emotions is to be able to make them understand how and what one thinks and seeks to do. In Genesis 12:1-7 of the Bible, for instance, it is stated that Abraham has descendants. More precisely, the Bible presents the idea that people are descendants of Abraham as God promised him â€Å"a great nation† where the descendants will receive the Promised Land. Moreover, it is apparent that God did this by communicating with the emotions of Abraham, by fulfilling what he earnestly yearns for in his heart. Another illustration in the Bible can be found in Exodus 1: 8-21. The context of the verses in, specifically in verses 8-11, suggests that an appeal to the emotion of individuals can indeed prove to be a good way of making other follow. For instance, when the new king of Egypt told his people that â€Å"the people and children of Israel are mightier† than them, and by adding that unless they do not begin to quell the Israelites they may soon find the latter joining forces with their enemy which my lead to their downfall, the people of Egypt began to act in accordance to the revelation of their new king. Such passage suggests the idea that, by striking at the emotions of individuals, one can arrive at a situation wherein these individuals will act in accordance o how one wants things to be. Further, from verses 12-21, one can find that, eventually, the Hebrew women disregarded the call of the Pharaoh for the reason that they fear God more than him. Since the â€Å"Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women,† it can be suggested that the emotions of the Hebrews are closer to their own beliefs than the commands of an Egyptian Pharaoh. It further implies the idea that, although one can be able to communicate with the emotions of others, it is nevertheless not a solid assurance that others will bend in relation to what the individual desires. More importantly, being able to communicate with the emotions of others and make them act according to one’s perception is augmented by an underlying commonality between the individuals and the person. This underlying commonality can come in many different forms such as tradition and religion. Hence, the ties that bind people together, or the connection that they all have, serve as a factor that one must consider in order to effectively communicate with the emotions of others. In Exodus 19:3-13, it is observable that God employs certain forms of warnings such as â€Å"whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death† in order to fulfill the higher purpose of God to â€Å"come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai†. In essence, warnings can help substantiate and strengthen the fulfillment of a certain goal inasmuch as it aids in preempting other people from disobeying commands and certain forms of beliefs. Moreover, warnings serve the purpose of reinforcing the task of making other people follow by communicating with their emotions. Lastly, in Deuteronomy 1 verses 1-5, it can be noted that Moses was commanded by God to deliver His message to the people of Israel. Notable in the passage is the thought that the message Moses will deliver are from God which presents the idea that the message of a supreme authority of a common people connected by their belief in the authority of God cannot be easily ignored. In essence, what can be maintained is the idea that being able to communicate with the emotions of other people grants the person the ability to make other people follow one’s plans or courses of actions. Since emotions are innate to humanity and it is what connects people together in one way or another, emotions allow communications between individuals, specifically those who belong to a group connected by traditions and other things. References King James Bible. (1997, February 18, 1997). Retrieved September 12, 2007, from http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/browse.html Maxwell, J. C. (1998). The Law of Connection. In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (pp. 101-107). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Does Nursing Need Theory?

Does Nursing Need Theory? =Do nurses need theory? A question that can be considered on many different levels. If one considers the evolution of nursing over time, one can observe that the nurse of antiquity was arguably as dependent on the prevalent theories of the day as the current nurse. Theory determines practice and theory justifies practice (Einstein paraphrased in Kuhse Singer 2001). The nurse who changed the blood letting bowls of antiquity was as dependent upon the theories of imbalances in the humors for her practice as were the nurses in the wards of Ignaz Semmelweis (Semmelweis IP. 1861) who may well have found the idiosyncratic insistence on hand washing to remove the presence of the unseen agents of infection completely bizarre until the evidence base of reduction in puerperal infection could be clearly established. In this latter comment we can find one of the major dilemmas facing the nursing theorists of today. The plethora of nursing theories have been subsumed into a goal (albeit defined by the theorists themselves) of finding a unified nursing theory. One that will define the human condition and also medical science’s response to the management of the various conditions of pathophysiology that can befall it. The stumbling block of many theories is the difficulty in establishing a credible evidence base to support it. (Brechin A et al. 2000). To revisit the Einstein quotation cited earlier, one can have a theory that may determine practice, but it is only with the demonstration of an evidence base that the theory can actually be used to justify practice. One of the luminaries of nursing theory and practice was Martha Rogers, the late Dean of Nursing at New York University. To illustrate the point, Rogers published many nursing theories in her working life. Some (the Unitary theory) have gained a degree of general acceptance others have faded in the mists of time. It was her stated goal to define a unified theory of nursing. (Meleis, A 1997). The Rogerian approach appeared to have little room for establishment of evidence bases and we would suggest that this approach is essentially flawed. (Halpern S D 2005). To consider an extrapolation into other scientific disciplines by way of analogy, we note that it has not been possible to define a unified theory of biological science. Biology is essentially a study of life in general. It does not seek to be a theory of life. Although theories may be postulated in the explanations of the various phenomenon encountered in the field, such as natural selection or the function of the genome, these are used to test the various hypotheses underpinning practical observations, laboratory work and in some cases, mathematical models. There is no all-encompassing biological theory. At a more fundamental level we can observe that biology is based on chemistry which, in turn, is ultimately based on principles of physics. Again we can observe that there is no unified theory encompassing the entire field. (after Green J et al. 1998). This analogy is applicable to nursing theory if one considers the huge range of skills and requirements needed by the modern profes sional nurse. The spectrum of tasks required and expected of the nurse in a variety of situations is legion. To be effective the nurse must understand the human condition from the viewpoint of the pathophysiology, the psychology, the human dynamic and socio-economic elements of the patient’s presentation and disease trajectory. (Yura H et al. 1998). Much of our understanding of these elements is encapsulated into various concepts or theories which are perhaps best regarded as dynamic and fluid or in a process of evolution. (Wadensten et al. 2003). A practical consideration would suggest that the nurse is responsible for giving medication, undertaking procedures of medical intervention as well as caring for the general physical well-being of the patient, they record various parameters of their patient’s progress. They can be the patient’s advocate in terms of their dealings with other healthcare professionals, organisations or even commercial concerns. (Hogston, R et al. 2002). In order to carry out these ( and many other) functions efficiently. The nurse needs to be competent in a huge number of areas with skills in interpersonal relationships, organisational, technical and clerical areas. It follows that these skills are derived from a large number of disparate areas such as anatomy, physiology, therapeutics, psychology, management theory, bookkeeping and tabulation. (Mason T et al. 2003) The point being made here is that, in the light of these comments, it seems inappropriate to consider that there should be, in Rogerian terms, a unified theory of nursing (Rogers, M E 1970). The overall goal would undoubtedly be that the professional nurse should seek to improve the overall well-being of their patients. This target is the accumulative result of any number of different and disparate processes and skills form many differing academic and human disciplines. We would suggest that it is not amenable to the reductionist philosophy of Rogers. Despite the notable article by Christensen (P et al. 1994) which criticises authors who have applied such strategies to both extrapolate from and to expand implications of Rogerian theory, reductionist strategies are not totally inappropriate. In a further scientific analogy, we can point to a classic case of reductionism which contributed greatly to our understanding of the natural world. When Newton made his mathematical models linking orbiting planets, projectiles and falling apples, he produced one of the most dramatically valid reductions in scientific literature. Reductionism per se. is not an inappropriate process. Herein lies a frequently perpetuated fallacy that permeates the field of literature on nursing theory. The term â€Å"Reductionâ€Å", in a nursing context, can have two distinct connotations. It can be observed that some nursing theorists apply the term to the tendency of some healthcare professionals to visualise and regard the patient as a number, a set of symptoms or a demonstration of a particular element of pathophysiology rather than as an individual in their own specific socio-economic, cultural and psychological setting. (Alcock P, 2003). Although this is a completely appropriate and specific use of the term, it is distinctly different from the implications of â€Å"Reductionism† in the scientific and analytical sense. Some nursing theorists (viz. Christensen) use the term in a derogatory or disparaging form that does not appreciate or even acknowledge the positive aspects of the technique. (Hott, J R et al. 1999). We would suggest that such confusion in the terminology has led to some nursing theory being discredited. If we expand this theme by staying with Rogerian theory as an illustration of the point, we can suggest that in the broader context of medicine generally, scientific reduction has enabled progress in medical science by allowing the accurate identification of causal agents of disease and thereby allowing the development of appropriate strategies to combat and eliminate them. Nursing theorists should embrace this aspect of the concept of reductionism while combating any suggestion of a reduction of the status of the patient from that of an autonomous human being (Mill JS 1982). To consider the situation as Christensen does and to decry the use of reductionism and to treat events as essentially causal, does no favours for the analytical process that is central to any theoretical process. It effectively takes nursing theory out of the realms of science which, almost by definition, considers processes as cause and effect. (Polit, D F et al. 1997). Even if we consider processes that are essentially acausal such as the spontaneous degradation of atomic nuclei, one can point to the fact that these processes are still quite capable of being considered reliable processes because they can be detected, demonstrated, quantifiable, repeatable and amenable to statistical analysis. If we contrast this to the nursing theorists in general, and perhaps Rogers in particular, we can show that their writing and reasoning is largely devoid of causal argument and subsequent reasoning. (Barnum, B J. S. 1998). The reasons for this are clearly a matter of speculation. The less charitable analyst might be tempted to conclude that some of the theories propounded do not meet common sense standards. Few of the theories meet the criteria that would satisfy a reputable evidence base as they appear to avoid rigorous testing. To take a specific example, the theory of therapeutic touch is certainly complete enough to permit a degree of submission to testing. Much of the literature cited by Rogers is however, very subjective, done by unblinded clinicians and very speculative. Some is purely in the form of no more than reported anecdotes (Rosa, L et al. 1998). This trend has done little to increase the confidence of the analytically minded investigator in the usefulness and relevance of nursing theory. To a casual observer, who considered only these elements of nursing theory, it might appear that the theorists had allowed themselves to become detached from the scientific rigour of logical deduction or experimental validation and thereby effectively deprived the field of any degree of precision of predictive possibility (which any useful theory should have). To support this view, one can cite Rogers herself (cited in Meleis 1997). Reality does not exist but appears to exist as expressed by human beings. In this respect, we can put forward a coherent argument that nursing does not need theory. Having presented this argument, we can also examine the opposing view put forward by Prof Margaret Rosenthal (Rosenthal 2000) in her thought provoking book â€Å"Changing Practice in Health and Social Careâ€Å". The book itself is primarily about accountability in healthcare, but in its discussion it considers the relevance of the nursing theorists in general. The author puts forward the view that the public have experienced a decline in the trust and standards of the healthcare professionals. She cites the media as being one of the major contributors to this erosion, rather than the actual reality of the situation and suggests that the way forward is to submit all types of clinical practice to the scrutiny of its evidence base. She suggests rejecting practices that do not have a secure evidence base in favour of those that do so that â€Å"at every level so that the public in general and the patients in particular, are able to feel confident in every therapeutic manoeuvre that t hey are offeredâ€Å". (quote from McNicol M et al 1993 Pg 219). As an overview the author suggests that all dealings, whether they are practical or theoretical, should have â€Å"accountability as their watchword†. In some respects, this is a simple conceptual extension of the comments advanced by Florence Nightingale a century and a half earlier, that the ultimate objective of working in a healthcare environment as a healthcare professional is to provide the best form of support, treatment and care for the patient. (Nightingale F 1859). We would both concur and expand the sentiments expressed by adding that this may be best achieved by considering that the best form of treatment is the one that has the strongest evidence base for its use. Having made these comments, it is appropriate to consider the more positive aspects of nursing theory. If we accept Wadenstein’s view (Wadenstein B et al. 2003) that it is an important purpose of theories to challenge practice, create new approaches to practice and remodel the structures of rules and principles, then we could usefully progress this argument by considering some of those theories which help to explain patient behaviour and thereby modify the nursing approach. The basic nursing process is traditionally based on assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. The particular theories that we shall consider here, together with the models that they support, all basically follow the same pattern, but each analyses the patient situation from a different aspect or in different terms. (Fawcett J 2005) The Roper Logan Tierney model (Roper, Logan and Tierney 2000) is primarily concerned with the activities of daily living. It requires identification of the problems and then dealing with them on a problem solving basis. This type of model has been extensively reported, evaluated and is one of the most generally accepted models of the nursing process. (Holland K et al. 2003). This type of approach is very useful for problems which are mainly or primarily based on a physical or disability orientated disease process. Its major shortcomings revolve around the fact that it is not very useful in describing strategies that cope with patient responses that are overtly manipulative or psychological in nature. The theories that underpin this model have largely withstood the test of time and clinical practice and have accumulated a large evidence base in the literature. (Holland K et al. 2003). For patients who fall into the category of manipulation or functional symptomatology as a result of an adaptation process for coping with their illness the Roy adaptation model (Roy 1991) is useful in describing the abilities of a patient to adapt (or maladapt) to the evolving pattern of their illness. This model allows for changing perceptions and adaptation mechanisms on the part of the patient and can be used to explain the various behaviour patterns exhibited by various patients as their disease trajectory unfolds. It allows for the major patterns of illness adaptation but has the major shortcoming that it does not allow for the behaviour patterns that are consistent with denial of the underlying diagnosis. The patient who has a diagnosis of terminal cancer but copes with a total refusal to accept it and continues as if all is well, is not described in this particular approach. The model dismisses this as a degree of cognitive distortion rather than a coping mechanism. It can be seen as possibly choosing to ignore the reality of the situation and changing the theory to make it more coherent. It would categorise the patient as not adapting to the situation by choosing to ignore it. (Steiger, N. J. et al. 1995) This particular situation is better dealt with by the application of the theories associated with the Johnson Behavioural System ( in Wilkerson et al 1996). This model can be considered useful in describing the situation of denial considered above but it too has shortcomings insofar as most experienced clinicians would note that a patient in denial of a terminal illness almost always is forced into acceptance by the progressive nature of the illness itself. (Johnson, D. E. 1990) The majority therefore have to accept their terminal status as they are overtaken by progressive physical manifestations of the disease process and other symptoms. This element of the argument is presented as showing that the basis of some nursing theories is valid and useful but also even the most accepted theories have their shortcomings and limitations. (Tomey A M, Alligood M R 2005). To paraphrase the comment of Wadensten (et al 2003), one can observe that the nursing models and theories all have their place, but one has to add the caveat that there is not one satisfactory theory or model which can account for all aspects of care and all eventualities. The thrust of this essay is directed at the preposition that some nursing theories are indeed useful and some are not. Even a brief consideration of the literature on the subject will reveal a plethora of opinions. (Powers, B. A 1995). It is vital to consider each theory or model in isolation and make a critical judgement relating to its ability to inform the nurse and to predict practice for the overall benefit of the patient. Those, such as the ones discussed in the early part of this essay, which rely heavily on intuition and anecdote and also have a marked lack of independent validation, are clearly less likely to be of value to the practical nurse and, in the worst analysis, in the opinion of Prof. Rosenthal, may contribute to the reduction of public confidence in the healthcare professions in general terms. By contrast, the more accepted, reproducible and statistically valid theories which have predictive value and are amenable to independent validation are much more likely to be considered of value to the profession in general terms. In direct consideration of the title of this essay â€Å"Does nursing need theory?† the considered answer must be a qualified â€Å"Yes† but within the limitations that we have outlined here. References Alcock P, 2003  Social policy in Britain,  Macmillan 2003. Barnum, Barbara J. S. 1998 Nursing Theory: Analysis, Application, Evaluation. 5th ed.  Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins, 1998 .; 2 : 217-21. Brechin A. Brown, H and Eby, M (2000)  Critical Practice in Health and Social Care  Open University, Milton Keynes. 2000 Christensen, P., R. Sowell and S.H. Gueldner. 1994.  Nursing in Space: Theoretical Foundations and Potential Practice Applications within Rogerian Science. Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science 2. 1994   Fawcett J 2005  Contemporary Nursing Knowledge: Analysis and Evaluation of Nursing Models and Theories, 2nd Edition  Boston: Davis Co 2005 ISBN: 0-8036-1194-3 Green J, Britten N. 1998  Qualitative research and evidence based medicine.  BMJ 1998; 316: 1230-1233 Halpern S D 2005 Towards evidence based bioethics BMJ, Oct 2005 ; 331 : 901 903 ; Hogston, R. Simpson, P. M. 2002  Foundations in nursing practice 2nd Edition,  London : Palgrave Macmillian. 2002 Holland K, Jenkins, J Solomon J, Whittam S 2003  Applying the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model in Practice Churchill Livingstone 2003 ISBN 0443071578 Hott, Jacqueline R., and Budin, Wendy C.1999 Notters Essentials of Nursing Research. 6th ed.  New York: Springer Pub. Co., 1999.   Johnson, D. E. 1999.  The behavioral system model for nursing. In M. E. Parker (Ed.), Nursing theories in practice (pp. 23-32).  New York: National League for Nursing. Kuhse Singer 2001  A companion to bioethics  ISBN: 063123019X Pub Date 05 July 2001   Mason T and Whitehead E 2003  Thinking Nursing.  Open University. Maidenhead. 2003 McNicol M, Layton A, Morgan G. 1993  Team working: the key to implementing guidelines.  Quality in Health Care 1993 Meleis, Afaf. 1997.  Theoretical Nursing: Development and Progress, 3rd ed.  Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins Mill JS 1982  On Liberty, 1982,  Harmondsworth: Penguin, p 68. Nightingale F 1859  Notes on Nursing: What is it and what it is not  London : Harrison 1859 Polit, Densie F., and Hungler, Bernadette P. 1997 Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 1997 Powers, B. A. Knapp, T. R. (1995).  A dictionary of nursing theory and research (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks,  CA : Sage Publications. 1995 Rogers, Martha E., 1970  An introduction to the theoretical basis of nursing.  Philadelphia, 1970. F.A. Davis Company Roper, Logan and Tierneys (2000)  Ã¢â‚¬ËœActivities of Living model London : Churchill Livingstone 1983 ISBN 0443063737 Rosa, L., E. Rosa, L. Sarner and S. Barrett. 1998.  A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch.  JAMA 1 April : 1005-1010. Rosenthal MA 2000 Book: Changing Practice in Health and Social Care BMJ, Nov 2000 ; 321 : 1355 ; Roy C 1991  An Adaption model (Notes on the Nursing theories Vol 3)  OUP: London 1991 Semmelweis IP. 1861  Die aetiologie, der begriff und die prophylaxis des kindbettfiebers. Pest, Wien und Leipzig:  CA Hartlebens Verlags-Expedition 1861. Steiger, N. J. Lipson, J.G. (1995).  Self-care nursing: Theory and practice.  Bowie: Md. 1997 Tomey A M, Alligood M R 2005  Nursing Theorists and Their Work, 6th edition Mosby ISBN 0323030106 Published November 2005 Wadenstein B Carlsson M 2003  Nursing theory views on how to support the process of ageing. J Adv Nurs. 2003 Apr ; 42 (2) : 118-24. Yura H, Walsh M. 1998  The nursing process. Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating. 5th edition. Norwalk, CT: Appleton Lange, 1998. ################################################################ 16.6.06 PDG Word count 3,272

Story of Saint Hilarion Castle and Queen Regaena :: Byzantine Cyprus

Story of St. Hilarion Castle and Queen Regaena â€Å"Welcome to St. Hilarion, step forward into Queen Regaena’s chamber to receive your pay for your hard work and dedication!† As I step through the doorway, there is the alluring Queen Regaena just inside the open window of her chamber. I cross the room, and I unexpectedly feel the guards’ presence close in behind me. Suddenly, they grab me and force me through the open window. As the guards push me from the precipice outside the window, â€Å"Thank you again,† are the last words I hear, as I fall to my death in the valley below. The fairy tale-looking castle of St. Hilarion was built by the Byzantine queen, Regaena, the end of the 11th century. Queen Regaena was the most beautiful lady in the land of Cyprus, alas; she was also the most heartless and cruel. She was a greedy woman and desired to have the most beautiful and elaborate castle in all of Cyprus. Queen Regaena insisted on overseeing the construction of the castle herself. No detail was to be overlooked. In planning such a large and magnificent castle, Queen Regaena knew that she would need a large workforce. She gathered a large number of sturdy men from near and far and forced them to build her castle. She required the men to form lines, standing side by side, and pass the materials from man to man until they reached their assigned destination. This was difficult work since most of the materials had to be transported from the valley to the summit of the mountain. But goal was to complete the castle in Regaena’s lifetime so she could enjoy it. Finally, the glorious castle was completed and she named it St. Hilarion Castle. Its unsurpassed grandeur impressed all who beheld it. Queen Regaena should have been joyful at the completion of St. Hilarion, however, she was worried. Over the years, Queen Regaena had amassed a large fortune of gold and wealth in her family treasury. Her greatest fear was that the workers who constructed the castle would remember the hidden location of the royal treasure room. She sat in a chamber in the western wing of the castle and thought of a plan to prevent possible robbery. This particular chamber had a window which opened onto an enormous precipice and had a breathtaking view of the valley far below. Sitting at this window, she devised an evil plan to protect her treasure.

Egoism and Altruism

1. Metaethics The term â€Å"meta† means after or beyond, and, consequently, the notion of metaethics involves a removed, or bird’s eye view of the entire project of ethics. We may define metaethics as the study of the origin and meaning of ethical concepts. When compared to normative ethics and applied ethics, the field of metaethics is the least precisely defined area of moral philosophy. It covers issues from moral semantics to moral epistemology[->0].Two issues, though, are prominent: (1) metaphysical issues concerning whether morality exists independently of humans, and (2) psychological issues concerning the underlying mental basis of our moral judgments and conduct. a. Metaphysical Issues: Objectivism and Relativism Metaphysics is the study of the kinds of things that exist in the universe. Some things in the universe are made of physical stuff, such as rocks; and perhaps other things are nonphysical in nature, such as thoughts, spirits, and gods.The metaphysical component of metaethics involves discovering specifically whether moral values are eternal truths that exist in a spirit-like realm, or simply human conventions. There are two general directions that discussions of this topic take, one other-worldly and one this-worldly. Proponents of the other-worldly view typically hold that moral values are objective[->1] in the sense that they exist in a spirit-like realm beyond subjective human conventions.They also hold that they are absolute, or eternal, in that they never change, and also that they are universal insofar as they apply to all rational creatures around the world and throughout time[->2]. The most dramatic example of this view is Plato[->3], who was inspired by the field of mathematics. When we look at numbers and mathematical relations, such as 1+1=2, they seem to be timeless concepts that never change, and apply everywhere in the universe. Humans do not invent numbers, and humans cannot alter them.Plato explained the eternal character of mathematics by stating that they are abstract entities that exist in a spirit-like realm. He noted that moral values also are absolute truths and thus are also abstract, spirit-like entities. In this sense, for Plato, moral values are spiritual objects. Medieval philosophers commonly grouped all moral principles together under the heading of â€Å"eternal law† which were also frequently seen as spirit-like objects. 17th century British philosopher Samuel Clarke described them as spirit-like relationships rather than spirit-like objects.In either case, though, they exist in a sprit-like realm. A different other-worldly approach to the metaphysical status of morality is divine commands issuing from God’s will. Sometimes called voluntarism (or divine command theory[->4]), this view was inspired by the notion of an all-powerful God[->5] who is in control of everything. God simply wills things, and they become reality. He wills the physical world into existence , he wills human life into existence and, similarly, he wills all moral values into existence.Proponents of this view, such as medieval philosopher William of Ockham[->6], believe that God wills moral principles, such as â€Å"murder is wrong,† and these exist in God’s mind as commands. God informs humans of these commands by implanting us with moral intuitions or revealing these commands in scripture. The second and more this-worldly approach to the metaphysical status of morality follows in the skeptical philosophical tradition, such as that articulated by Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus, and denies the objective status of moral values.Technically, skeptics did not reject moral values themselves, but only denied that values exist as spirit-like objects, or as divine commands in the mind of God. Moral values, they argued, are strictly human inventions, a position that has since been called moral relativism[->7]. There are two distinct forms of moral relativism. The first is individual relativism, which holds that individual people create their own moral standards. Friedrich Nietzsche, for example, argued that the superhuman creates his or her morality distinct from and in reaction to the slave-like value system of the masses.The second is cultural relativism which maintains that morality is grounded in the approval of one’s society – and not simply in the preferences of individual people. This view was advocated by Sextus, and in more recent centuries by Michel Montaigne and William Graham Sumner. In addition to espousing skepticism and relativism, this-worldly approaches to the metaphysical status of morality deny the absolute and universal nature of morality and hold instead that moral values in fact change from society to society throughout time and throughout the world.They frequently attempt to defend their position by citing examples of values that differ dramatically from one culture to another, such as attitudes about po lygamy, homosexuality and human sacrifice. b. Psychological Issues in Metaethics A second area of metaethics involves the psychological basis of our moral judgments and conduct, particularly understanding what motivates us to be moral. We might explore this subject by asking the simple question, â€Å"Why be moral? † Even if I am aware of basic moral standards, such as don’t kill and don’t steal, this does not necessarily mean that I will be psychologically compelled to act on them.Some answers to the question â€Å"Why be moral? † are to avoid punishment, to gain praise[->8], to attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society. i. Egoism and Altruism One important area of moral psychology concerns the inherent selfishness of humans. 17th century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes[->9] held that many, if not all, of our actions are prompted by selfish desires. Even if an action seems selfless, such as donating to charity, there are still selfis h causes for this, such as experiencing power over other people.This view is called psychological egoism[->10] and maintains that self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions. Closely related to psychological egoism is a view called psychological hedonism which is the view that pleasure is the specific driving force behind all of our actions. 18th century British philosopher Joseph Butler[->11] agreed that instinctive selfishness and pleasure prompt much of our conduct. However, Butler argued that we also have an inherent psychological capacity to show benevolence to others.This view is called psychological altruism and maintains that at least some of our actions are motivated by instinctive benevolence. ii. Emotion and Reason A second area of moral psychology involves a dispute concerning the role of reason in motivating moral actions. If, for example, I make the statement â€Å"abortion is morally wrong,† am I making a rational assessment or only expressing my feelings? On the one side of the dispute, 18th century British philosopher David Hume[->12] argued that moral assessments involve our emotions, and not our reason.We can amass all the reasons we want, but that alone will not constitute a moral assessment. We need a distinctly emotional reaction in order to make a moral pronouncement. Reason might be of service in giving us the relevant data, but, in Hume’s words, â€Å"reason is, and ought to be, the slave of the passions. † Inspired by Hume’s anti-rationalist views, some 20th century philosophers, most notably A. J. Ayer, similarly denied that moral assessments are factual descriptions. For example, although the statement â€Å"it is good to donate to charity† may on the surface look as though it is a factual description about charity, it is not.Instead, a moral utterance like this involves two things. First, I (the speaker) I am expressing my personal feelings of approval about charitable donations and I am in essence saying â€Å"Hooray for charity! † This is called the emotive element insofar as I am expressing my emotions about some specific behavior. Second, I (the speaker) am trying to get you to donate to charity and am essentially giving the command, â€Å"Donate to charity! † This is called the prescriptive element in the sense that I am prescribing some specific behavior.From Hume’s day forward, more rationally-minded philosophers have opposed these emotive theories of ethics (see non-cognitivism in ethics[->13]) and instead argued that moral assessments are indeed acts of reason. 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant[->14] is a case in point. Although emotional factors often do influence our conduct, he argued, we should nevertheless resist that kind of sway. Instead, true moral action is motivated only by reason when it is free from emotions and desires.A recent rationalist approach, offered by Kurt Baier (1958), was proposed in direct o pposition to the emotivist and prescriptivist theories of Ayer and others. Baier focuses more broadly on the reasoning and argumentation process that takes place when making moral choices. All of our moral choices are, or at least can be, backed by some reason or justification. If I claim that it is wrong to steal someone’s car, then I should be able to justify my claim with some kind of argument. For example, I could argue that stealing Smith’s car is wrong since this would upset her, violate her ownership rights, or put the thief at risk of getting caught.According to Baier, then, proper moral decision making involves giving the best reasons in support of one course of action versus another. iii. Male and Female Morality A third area of moral psychology focuses on whether there is a distinctly female approach to ethics that is grounded in the psychological differences between men and women. Discussions of this issue focus on two claims: (1) traditional morality is ma le-centered, and (2) there is a unique female perspective of the world which can be shaped into a value theory.According to many feminist philosophers, traditional morality is male-centered since it is modeled after practices that have been traditionally male-dominated, such as acquiring property, engaging in business contracts, and governing societies. The rigid systems of rules required for trade and government were then taken as models for the creation of equally rigid systems of moral rules, such as lists of rights and duties. Women, by contrast, have traditionally had a nurturing role by raising children and overseeing domestic life. These tasks require less rule following, and more spontaneous and creative action.Using the woman’s experience as a model for moral theory, then, the basis of morality would be spontaneously caring for others as would be appropriate in each unique circumstance. On this model, the agent becomes part of the situation and acts caringly within t hat context. This stands in contrast with male-modeled morality where the agent is a mechanical actor who performs his required duty, but can remain distanced from and unaffected by the situation. A care-based approach to morality, as it is sometimes called, is offered by feminist ethicists as either a replacement for or a supplement to traditional male-modeled moral systems. . Normative Ethics Normative ethics involves arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. In a sense, it is a search for an ideal litmus test of proper behavior. The Golden Rule is a classic example of a normative principle: We should do to others what we would want others to do to us. Since I do not want my neighbor to steal my car, then it is wrong for me to steal her car. Since I would want people to feed me if I was starving, then I should help feed starving people. Using this same reasoning, I can theoretically determine whether any possible action is right or wrong.So, based on the G olden Rule, it would also be wrong for me to lie to, harass, victimize, assault, or kill others. The Golden Rule is an example of a normative theory that establishes a single principle against which we judge all actions. Other normative theories focus on a set of foundational principles, or a set of good character traits. The key assumption in normative ethics is that there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles. Three strategies will be noted here: (1) virtue theories, (2) duty theories, and (3) consequentialist theories. . Virtue Theories Many philosophers believe that morality consists of following precisely defined rules of conduct, such as â€Å"don’t kill,† or â€Å"don’t steal. † Presumably, I must learn these rules, and then make sure each of my actions live up to the rules. Virtue ethics[->15], however, places less emphasis on learning rules, and instead stresses the importance of devel oping good habits of character, such as benevolence (see moral character[->16]). Once I’ve acquired benevolence, for example, I will then habitually act in a benevolent manner.Historically, virtue theory is one of the oldest normative traditions in Western philosophy, having its roots in ancient Greek civilization. Plato emphasized four virtues in particular, which were later called cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Other important virtues are fortitude, generosity, self-respect, good temper, and sincerity. In addition to advocating good habits of character, virtue theorists hold that we should avoid acquiring bad character traits, or vices, such as cowardice, insensibility, injustice, and vanity.Virtue theory emphasizes moral education since virtuous character traits are developed in one’s youth. Adults, therefore, are responsible for instilling virtues in the young. Aristotle[->17] argued that virtues are good habits that we acquire, which re gulate our emotions. For example, in response to my natural feelings of fear, I should develop the virtue of courage which allows me to be firm when facing danger. Analyzing 11 specific virtues, Aristotle argued that most virtues fall at a mean between more extreme character traits.With courage, for example, if I do not have enough courage, I develop the disposition of cowardice, which is a vice. If I have too much courage I develop the disposition of rashness which is also a vice. According to Aristotle, it is not an easy task to find the perfect mean between extreme character traits. In fact, we need assistance from our reason to do this. After Aristotle, medieval theologians supplemented Greek lists of virtues with three Christian ones, or theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity.Interest in virtue theory continued through the middle ages and declined in the 19th century with the rise of alternative moral theories below. In the mid 20th century virtue theory received special attention from philosophers who believed that more recent approaches ethical theories were misguided for focusing too heavily on rules and actions, rather than on virtuous character traits. Alasdaire MacIntyre (1984) defended the central role of virtues in moral theory and argued that virtues are grounded in and emerge from within social traditions. . Duty Theories Many of us feel that there are clear obligations we have as human beings, such as to care for our children, and to not commit murder. Duty theories base morality on specific, foundational principles of obligation. These theories are sometimes called deontological, from the Greek word deon, or duty, in view of the foundational nature of our duty or obligation. They are also sometimes called nonconsequentialist since these principles are obligatory, irrespective of the consequences that might follow from our actions.For example, it is wrong to not care for our children even if it results in some great benefit, such as fina ncial savings. There are four central duty theories. The first is that championed by 17th century German philosopher Samuel Pufendorf, who classified dozens of duties under three headings: duties to God, duties to oneself, and duties to others. Concerning our duties towards God, he argued that there are two kinds: a theoretical duty to know the existence and nature of God, and a practical duty to both inwardly and outwardly worship God.Concerning our duties towards oneself, these are also of two sorts: duties of the soul, which involve developing one’s skills and talents, and duties of the body, which involve not harming our bodies, as we might through gluttony or drunkenness, and not killing oneself. Concerning our duties towards others, Pufendorf divides these between absolute duties, which are universally binding on people, and conditional duties, which are the result of contracts between people. Absolute duties are of three sorts: avoid wronging others, treat people as eq uals, and romote the good of others. Conditional duties involve various types of agreements, the principal one of which is the duty is to keep one’s promises. A second duty-based approach to ethics is rights theory. Most generally, a â€Å"right† is a justified claim against another person’s behavior – such as my right to not be harmed by you (see also human rights[->18]). Rights and duties are related in such a way that the rights of one person implies the duties of another person. For example, if I have a right to payment of $10 by Smith, then Smith has a duty to pay me $10.This is called the correlativity of rights and duties. The most influential early account of rights theory is that of 17th century British philosopher John Locke[->19], who argued that the laws of nature mandate that we should not harm anyone’s life, health, liberty or possessions. For Locke, these are our natural rights, given to us by God. Following Locke, the United States Declaration of Independence authored by Thomas Jefferson recognizes three foundational rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Jefferson and others rights theorists maintained that we deduce other more specific rights from these, including the rights of property, movement, speech, and religious expression. There are four features traditionally associated with moral rights. First, rights are natural insofar as they are not invented or created by governments. Second, they are universal insofar as they do not change from country to country. Third, they are equal in the sense that rights are the same for all people, irrespective of gender, race, or handicap.Fourth, they are inalienable which means that I ca not hand over my rights to another person, such as by selling myself into slavery. A third duty-based theory is that by Kant, which emphasizes a single principle of duty. Influenced by Pufendorf, Kant agreed that we have moral duties to oneself and others, such as develop ing one’s talents, and keeping our promises to others. However, Kant argued that there is a more foundational principle of duty that encompasses our particular duties. It is a single, self-evident principle of reason that he calls the â€Å"categorical imperative. A categorical imperative, he argued, is fundamentally different from hypothetical imperatives that hinge on some personal desire that we have, for example, â€Å"If you want to get a good job, then you ought to go to college. † By contrast, a categorical imperative simply mandates an action, irrespective of one’s personal desires, such as â€Å"You ought to do X. † Kant gives at least four versions of the categorical imperative, but one is especially direct: Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end. That is, we should always treat people with dignity, nd never use them as mere instruments. For Kant, we treat people as an end whenever our actions toward someone reflect the inherent value of that person. Donating to charity, for example, is morally correct since this acknowledges the inherent value of the recipient. By contrast, we treat someone as a means to an end whenever we treat that person as a tool to achieve something else. It is wrong, for example, to steal my neighbor’s car since I would be treating her as a means to my own happiness. The categorical imperative also regulates the morality of actions that affect us individually.Suicide, for example, would be wrong since I would be treating my life as a means to the alleviation of my misery. Kant believes that the morality of all actions can be determined by appealing to this single principle of duty. A fourth and more recent duty-based theory is that by British philosopher W. D. Ross, which emphasizes prima facie duties. Like his 17th and 18th century counterparts, Ross argues that our duties are â€Å"part of the fundamental nature of the universe. † However, Ross’s list of dutie s is much shorter, which he believes reflects our actual moral convictions:  ·Fidelity: the duty to keep promises Reparation: the duty to compensate others when we harm them  ·Gratitude: the duty to thank those who help us  ·Justice: the duty to recognize merit  ·Beneficence: the duty to improve the conditions of others  ·Self-improvement: the duty to improve our virtue and intelligence  ·Nonmaleficence: the duty to not injure others Ross recognizes that situations will arise when we must choose between two conflicting duties. In a classic example, suppose I borrow my neighbor’s gun and promise to return it when he asks for it. One day, in a fit of rage, my neighbor pounds on my door and asks for the gun so that he can take vengeance on someone.On the one hand, the duty of fidelity obligates me to return the gun; on the other hand, the duty of nonmaleficence obligates me to avoid injuring others and thus not return the gun. According to Ross, I will intuitively kn ow which of these duties is my actual duty, and which is my apparent or prima facie duty. In this case, my duty of nonmaleficence emerges as my actual duty and I should not return the gun. c. Consequentialist Theories It is common for us to determine our moral responsibility by weighing the consequences of our actions.According to consequentialism[->20], correct moral conduct is determined solely by a cost-benefit analysis of an action’s consequences: Consequentialism: An action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable. Consequentialist normative principles require that we first tally both the good and bad consequences of an action. Second, we then determine whether the total good consequences outweigh the total bad consequences. If the good consequences are greater, then the action is morally proper. If the bad consequences are greater, then the action is morally improper.Consequentialist theories are sometimes called teleologic al theories, from the Greek word telos, or end, since the end result of the action is the sole determining factor of its morality. Consequentialist theories became popular in the 18th century by philosophers who wanted a quick way to morally assess an action by appealing to experience, rather than by appealing to gut intuitions or long lists of questionable duties. In fact, the most attractive feature of consequentialism is that it appeals to publicly observable consequences of actions.Most versions of consequentialism are more precisely formulated than the general principle above. In particular, competing consequentialist theories specify which consequences for affected groups of people are relevant. Three subdivisions of consequentialism emerge:  ·Ethical Egoism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action.  ·Ethical Altruism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that act ion are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone except the agent. Utilitarianism: an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. All three of these theories focus on the consequences of actions for different groups of people. But, like all normative theories, the above three theories are rivals of each other. They also yield different conclusions. Consider the following example. A woman was traveling through a developing country when she witnessed a car in front of her run off the road and roll over several times.She asked the hired driver to pull over to assist, but, to her surprise, the driver accelerated nervously past the scene. A few miles down the road the driver explained that in his country if someone assists an accident victim, then the police often hold the assisting person responsible for the accident itself. If the victim dies, then the assisting person could be held responsible for the death. The driver continued explaining that road accident victims are therefore usually left unattended and often die from exposure to the country’s harsh desert conditions.On the principle of ethical egoism[->21], the woman in this illustration would only be concerned with the consequences of her attempted assistance as she would be affected. Clearly, the decision to drive on would be the morally proper choice. On the principle of ethical altruism, she would be concerned only with the consequences of her action as others are affected, particularly the accident victim. Tallying only those consequences reveals that assisting the victim would be the morally correct choice, irrespective of the negative consequences that result for her.On the principle of utilitarianism, she must consider the consequences for both herself and the victim. The outcome here is less clear, and the woman would need to precisely calculate the overall benefit versus disbenefit of her action. i. Types of Utilitarianism J eremy Bentham[->22] presented one of the earliest fully developed systems of utilitarianism. Two features of his theory are noteworty. First, Bentham proposed that we tally the consequences of each action we perform and thereby determine on a case by case basis whether an action is morally right or wrong. This aspect of Bentham’s theory is known as act-utilitiarianism.Second, Bentham also proposed that we tally the pleasure and pain which results from our actions. For Bentham, pleasure and pain are the only consequences that matter in determining whether our conduct is moral. This aspect of Bentham’s theory is known as hedonistic utilitarianism. Critics point out limitations in both of these aspects. First, according to act-utilitarianism, it would be morally wrong to waste time on leisure activities such as watching television, since our time could be spent in ways that produced a greater social benefit, such as charity work. But prohibiting leisure activities doesnâ €™t seem reasonable.More significantly, according to act-utilitarianism, specific acts of torture or slavery would be morally permissible if the social benefit of these actions outweighed the disbenefit. A revised version of utilitarianism called rule-utilitarianism addresses these problems. According to rule-utilitarianism, a behavioral code or rule is morally right if the consequences of adopting that rule are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. Unlike act utilitarianism, which weighs the consequences of each particular action, rule-utilitarianism offers a litmus test only for the morality of moral rules, such as â€Å"stealing is wrong. Adopting a rule against theft clearly has more favorable consequences than unfavorable consequences for everyone. The same is true for moral rules against lying or murdering. Rule-utilitarianism, then, offers a three-tiered method for judging conduct. A particular action, such as stealing my neighbor’s car, is judged wrong sin ce it violates a moral rule against theft. In turn, the rule against theft is morally binding because adopting this rule produces favorable consequences for everyone. John Stuart Mill’s version of utilitarianism is rule-oriented.Second, according to hedonistic utilitarianism, pleasurable consequences are the only factors that matter, morally speaking. This, though, seems too restrictive since it ignores other morally significant consequences that are not necessarily pleasing or painful. For example, acts which foster loyalty and friendship are valued, yet they are not always pleasing. In response to this problem, G. E. Moore [->23]proposed ideal utilitarianism, which involves tallying any consequence that we intuitively recognize as good or bad (and not simply as pleasurable or painful). Also, R. M.Hare proposed preference utilitarianism, which involves tallying any consequence that fulfills our preferences. ii. Ethical Egoism and Social Contract Theory We have seen (in Secti on 1. b. i) that Hobbes was an advocate of the methaethical theory of psychological egoism—the view that all of our actions are selfishly motivated. Upon that foundation, Hobbes developed a normative theory known as social contract theory[->24], which is a type of rule-ethical-egoism. According to Hobbes, for purely selfish reasons, the agent is better off living in a world with moral rules than one without moral rules.For without moral rules, we are subject to the whims of other people’s selfish interests. Our property, our families, and even our lives are at continual risk. Selfishness alone will therefore motivate each agent to adopt a basic set of rules which will allow for a civilized community. Not surprisingly, these rules would include prohibitions against lying, stealing and killing. However, these rules will ensure safety for each agent only if the rules are enforced. As selfish creatures, each of us would plunder our neighbors’ property once their gua rds were down.Each agent would then be at risk from his neighbor. Therefore, for selfish reasons alone, we devise a means of enforcing these rules: we create a policing agency which punishes us if we violate these rules. 3. Applied Ethics Applied ethics is the branch of ethics which consists of the analysis of specific, controversial moral issues such as abortion, animal rights, or euthanasia. In recent years applied ethical issues have been subdivided into convenient groups such as medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics[->25], and sexual ethics[->26].Generally speaking, two features are necessary for an issue to be considered an â€Å"applied ethical issue. † First, the issue needs to be controversial in the sense that there are significant groups of people both for and against the issue at hand. The issue of drive-by shooting, for example, is not an applied ethical issue, since everyone agrees that this practice is grossly immoral. By contrast, the issue of g un control would be an applied ethical issue since there are significant groups of people both for and against gun control.The second requirement for an issue to be an applied ethical issue is that it must be a distinctly moral issue. On any given day, the media presents us with an array of sensitive issues such as affirmative action policies, gays in the military, involuntary commitment of the mentally impaired, capitalistic versus socialistic business practices, public versus private health care systems, or energy conservation. Although all of these issues are controversial and have an important impact on society, they are not all moral issues. Some are only issues of social policy.The aim of social policy is to help make a given society run efficiently by devising conventions, such as traffic laws, tax laws, and zoning codes. Moral issues, by contrast, concern more universally obligatory practices, such as our duty to avoid lying, and are not confined to individual societies. Fre quently, issues of social policy and morality overlap, as with murder which is both socially prohibited and immoral. However, the two groups of issues are often distinct. For example, many people would argue that sexual promiscuity is mmoral, but may not feel that there should be social policies regulating sexual conduct, or laws punishing us for promiscuity. Similarly, some social policies forbid residents in certain neighborhoods from having yard sales. But, so long as the neighbors are not offended, there is nothing immoral in itself about a resident having a yard sale in one of these neighborhoods. Thus, to qualify as an applied ethical issue, the issue must be more than one of mere social policy: it must be morally relevant as well. In theory, resolving particular applied ethical issues should be easy.With the issue of abortion, for example, we would simply determine its morality by consulting our normative principle of choice, such as act-utilitarianism. If a given abortion pr oduces greater benefit than disbenefit, then, according to act-utilitarianism, it would be morally acceptable to have the abortion. Unfortunately, there are perhaps hundreds of rival normative principles from which to choose, many of which yield opposite conclusions. Thus, the stalemate in normative ethics between conflicting theories prevents us from using a single decisive procedure for determining the morality of a specific issue.The usual solution today to this stalemate is to consult several representative normative principles on a given issue and see where the weight of the evidence lies. a. Normative Principles in Applied Ethics Arriving at a short list of representative normative principles is itself a challenging task. The principles selected must not be too narrowly focused, such as a version of act-egoism that might focus only on an action’s short-term benefit. The principles must also be seen as having merit by people on both sides of an applied ethical issue.For this reason, principles that appeal to duty to God are not usually cited since this would have no impact on a nonbeliever engaged in the debate. The following principles are the ones most commonly appealed to in applied ethical discussions:  ·Personal benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for the individual in question.  ·Social benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces beneficial consequences for society.  ·Principle of benevolence: help those in need. Principle of paternalism: assist others in pursuing their best interests when they cannot do so themselves.  ·Principle of harm: do not harm others.  ·Principle of honesty: do not deceive others.  ·Principle of lawfulness: do not violate the law.  ·Principle of autonomy: acknowledge a person’s freedom over his/her actions or physical body.  ·Principle of justice: acknowledge a person’s right to due process, fair compensation for harm done, a nd fair distribution of benefits.  ·Rights: acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free expression, and safety.The above principles represent a spectrum of traditional normative principles and are derived from both consequentialist and duty-based approaches. The first two principles, personal benefit and social benefit, are consequentialist since they appeal to the consequences of an action as it affects the individual or society. The remaining principles are duty-based. The principles of benevolence, paternalism, harm, honesty, and lawfulness are based on duties we have toward others. The principles of autonomy, justice, and the various rights are based on moral rights.An example will help illustrate the function of these principles in an applied ethical discussion. In 1982, a couple from Bloomington, Indiana gave birth to a baby with severe mental and physical disabilities. Among other complications, the infant, known as Baby Doe, had its stomach dis connected from its throat and was thus unable to receive nourishment. Although this stomach deformity was correctable through surgery, the couple did not want to raise a severely disabled child and therefore chose to deny surgery, food, and water for the infant.Local courts supported the parents’ decision, and six days later Baby Doe died. Should corrective surgery have been performed for Baby Doe? Arguments in favor of corrective surgery derive from the infant’s right to life and the principle of paternalism which stipulates that we should pursue the best interests of others when they are incapable of doing so themselves. Arguments against corrective surgery derive from the personal and social disbenefit which would result from such surgery. If Baby Doe survived, its quality of life would have been poor and in any case it probably would have died at an early age.Also, from the parent’s perspective, Baby Doe’s survival would have been a significant emotio nal and financial burden. When examining both sides of the issue, the parents and the courts concluded that the arguments against surgery were stronger than the arguments for surgery. First, foregoing surgery appeared to be in the best interests of the infant, given the poor quality of life it would endure. Second, the status of Baby Doe’s right to life was not clear given the severity of the infant’s mental impairment. For, to possess moral rights, it takes more than merely having a human body: certain cognitive functions must also be present.The issue here involves what is often referred to as moral personhood, and is central to many applied ethical discussions. b. Issues in Applied Ethics As noted, there are many controversial issues discussed by ethicists today, some of which will be briefly mentioned here. Biomedical ethics focuses on a range of issues which arise in clinical settings. Health care workers are in an unusual position of continually dealing with life and death situations. It is not surprising, then, that medical ethics issues are more extreme and diverse than other areas of applied ethics.Prenatal issues arise about the morality of surrogate mothering, genetic manipulation of fetuses, the status of unused frozen embryos, and abortion. Other issues arise about patient rights and physician’s responsibilities, such as the confidentiality of the patient’s records and the physician’s responsibility to tell the truth to dying patients. The AIDS crisis has raised the specific issues of the mandatory screening of all patients for AIDS, and whether physicians can refuse to treat AIDS patients. Additional issues concern medical experimentation on humans, the morality of involuntary commitment, and the rights of the mentally disabled.Finally, end of life issues arise about the morality of suicide, the justifiability of suicide intervention, physician assisted suicide, and euthanasia. The field of business ethics exami nes moral controversies relating to the social responsibilities of capitalist business practices, the moral status of corporate entities, deceptive advertising, insider trading, basic employee rights, job discrimination, affirmative action, drug testing, and whistle blowing. Issues in environmental ethics often overlaps with business and medical issues.These include the rights of animals, the morality of animal experimentation, preserving endangered species, pollution control, management of environmental resources, whether eco-systems are entitled to direct moral consideration, and our obligation to future generations. Controversial issues of sexual morality include monogamy versus polygamy, sexual relations without love, homosexual relations, and extramarital affairs. Finally, there are issues of social morality which examine capital punishment, nuclear war, gun control, the recreational use of drugs, welfare rights, and racism. 4. References and Further Reading Anscombe,Elizabeth â€Å"Modern Moral Philosophy,† Philosophy, 1958, Vol. 33, reprinted in her Ethics, Religion and Politics (Oxford: Blackwell, 1981).  ·Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, in Barnes, Jonathan, ed. , The Complete Works of Aristotle (Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press, 1984).  ·Ayer, A. J. , Language, Truth and Logic (New York: Dover Publications, 1946).  ·Baier, Kurt, The Moral Point of View: A Rational Basis of Ethics (Cornell University Press, 1958).  ·Bentham, Jeremy, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), in The Works of Jeremy Bentham, edited by John Bowring (London: 1838-1843). Hare, R. M. , Moral Thinking, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981).  ·Hare, R. M. , The Language of Morals (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952).  ·Hobbes, Thomas, Leviathan, ed. , E. Curley, (Chicago, IL: Hackett Publishing Company, 1994).  ·Hume, David, A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-1740), eds. David Fate Norton, Mary J. Norton (Oxford; New York: Oxf ord University Press, 2000).  ·Kant, Immanuel, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, tr, James W. Ellington (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1985).  ·Locke, John, Two Treatises, ed. Peter Laslett (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1963).  ·MacIntyre, Alasdair, After Virtue, second edition, (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1984).  ·Mackie, John L. , Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, (New York: Penguin Books, 1977).  ·Mill, John Stuart, â€Å"Utilitarianism,† in Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, ed. , J. M. Robson (London: Routledge and Toronto, Ont. : University of Toronto Press, 1991).  ·Moore, G. E. , Principia Ethica, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1903).  ·Noddings, Nel, â€Å"Ethics from the Stand Point Of Women,† in Deborah L.Rhode, ed. , Theoretical Perspectives on Sexual Difference (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1990).  ·Ockham, William of, Fourth Book of the Sentences, tr. 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