Analysis Of Ian Mcewen 's Amsterdam

I agree with the author’s main message of making tough decisions through ethical thinking. Having ethics such as core values allow people to differentiate right from wrong, and these choices that people make can be categorized as ethical dilemmas or

In this paper, I will explain John Stuart Mill’s moral theory of Utilitarianism, what I think it means, and how it works. I will also explain the Dax Cowart case, and determine if Dax’s choice to die was morally right or wrong. In order to fully understand the implications of Dax’s decision, and to accurately determine its affect on those his decision involves, I will break down and analyze the affect of Dax’s decision for Dax, his mother, Ada, and the Doctor. Lastly, I will gather prior evidence and form a valid conclusion of whether Dax’s choice was morally right or wrong.

Jonathan Bennett argues that we should learn to find a balance between sympathy and morality. That is where we will find peace. If we always make decisions based on what is considered morally correct or always based off of sympathy, that would be considered bad

Ayn Rand has an attitude of condemnation towards the practice of this type of ethics, as it’s fallible when its seems intuitively right that the agent of an action should have some precedence when it comes to acting in their life. She calls those who subscribe to this moral theory “psychopaths who do not challenge altruism’s basic premise”, and also notes that there is an intuitive contradiction, whereby a person in a close relationship

Throughout life, one might observe the different ways that people act. Even though every individual might have his or her own interpretation of the word ethics, it is commonly referred to as a set of morals for people to live by. Every individual has the choice to make ethical or unethical decisions when reacting to a situation. In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, a noble Scottish general acts unethically when he makes the decision to kill his own king (Macbeth 54). The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Alexandre Dumas, contains many characters who decide to act unethically for a plethora of reasons. What most people forget when acting unethically are the consequences that are soon to follow.

Iyer has written the essay in an informal style in a tone that is subjective. It is the author’s personal opinion, written from his point of view and interpretation. The essay is descriptive and written for a broad general audience. He describes persons, places, and things in a way that forms a picture in the readers mind: minute details are used that appeal to the reader to use their five senses. Particular attention was paid to compare the two different lifestyles existing within the country. The author used many comparisons/contrasts to make his point: past and future; silence and frenzy; maiden aunt and bar girl are good examples. His point was that Vietnam is like two countries; Saigon and the rest.

“The Night in Question” by Tobias Wolff and “Should the Numbers Count” by John Taurek are both critical analyses that argue against the moral principles of utilitarianism. This theory is used to make decisions by calculating the consequences of an action in terms of how much pain and pleasure it causes the world. Wolff and Taurek both believe that this principle is too calculating, and does not take into account the emotions of the decision-maker. Both essays use examples that involve choosing between killing one person you know and many people you don’t know. Taurek uses the example of having a pill that can save one person he knows, or five strangers. Wolff tells a narrative about a man choosing between killing his only son, or a hundred people on a train.

Buruma provides detailed insight into each character allowing the reader to contemplate the motivation behind actions of each one. Buruma describes Theo Van Gogh, the assassinated, as a “ubiquitous figure” in Holland, but is quick to point put out he is better known for his provocative public statements than his films. Van Gogh’s family was made up of Calvinists, Socialists, and Humanists all of which had an influence Theo Van Gogh in one way or another. Buruma emphasizes Van Gogh’s “desire to shock, to stir things up”, a desire developed at a young age and carried into his adulthood and films known for the shock value. There were to sides to Theo Van Gogh the first characterized by his ability to be generous and gracious and the

"The Art of Living Consciously: The Power of Awareness to Transform Everyday Life," Nathaniel Branden challenges his readers to turn up the light of consciousness, explaining that consciousness exists on a continuum, and our choice is between living more or less consciously. Consciousness is our basic tool for successful modification to reality. The more conscious we are in any situation, the more possibilities we tend to notice, the more options we have, the more powerful we are, even the longer we will live. To deny oneself of consciousness is to live unconsciously, "in a life drained of color, excitement or passion." Living consciously means seeking to be aware of everything that abides on our actions, purposes, values, and goals;

I initially tended to consider that Welcome to Holland" is a dehumanizing story where a writer failed to understand that one needs to involve a great deal of emotion in raising a disabled child. However, as the story progressed I learnt that strength of will is one of the most important things that one needs when coming across such a situation. The writer wanted people to comprehend that it is very important for them to be able to react effectively in critical conditions. Losing your temper or simply considering that life is uncruel to you can reflect negatively on your personality and makes it more difficult for you to make the best out of a situation.

Hypocrisy is simultaneously one of the most shameful and identifiable character flaws. Although it is fairly common to experience feelings of resentment toward a person who believes (or claims they believe) one thing and then acts incongruently with that belief, to accuse that person of being a hypocrite requires examination of one’s own inconsistencies before pointing a finger. Mark Twain, a brilliant and iconoclastic classic author, manipulates the paradoxical nature of hypocrisy in telling the story of Huckleberry Finn, an innocent-minded protagonist who encounters hypocritical characters frequently along his journey. When Twain’s reader notices through Huck’s eyes that an otherwise God-fearing, honorable person does something immoral

In Jonathan Bennett paper he presents the conscience of Huckleberry Finn, Heinrich Himmler, and philosopher Jonathan Edwards. Each one of these characters exemplifies how duty, self-interest, and sympathy can be mutually supportive. Bennett begins his paper discussing bad morality. He defines bad morality to be bad when set aside to the values you follow it is the antithesis.

In The Moral Instinct, Steven Pinker cites Haidt’s “primary colors” of the moral sense (329). Pinker believes that all moral decisions can be categorized with these primary colors and, though everyone can see these colors, they are prioritized differently by different people. Haidt identifies five primaries—harm, fairness, community, authority, and purity—all of which make up the moral spectrum. These recurring moral themes can be found everywhere from cultural norms to the decisions and beliefs of individuals. Though the themes can be identified in works regarding ethics and morality, they—if applied correctly—can also give insight into the way the author prioritizes the moral colors.

In the adventures of Huckleberry finn there are many points in the story that shows how good intentions only serve against Huck and Jim and how doing the right thing actually leads to the hypocrisy of some characters. Good actions can consequently have a bad end result. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn you can see how Huck helps Jim escape from being sold to New Orléans even though the result would lead badly for him , Judge Thatcher wanting to improve Paps moral condition towards Huck and himself, but it seems to only drive Pap to further torment Huck in the end, and the hypocrisy of Widow Dougulas scolding Huck on proper manners . First prime example in this essay is how Huck guides alongside Jim as he helps Huck toward their great escape.

Making consistently ethical decisions is difficult. Most decisions have to be made in the context of economic, professional and social pressures, which can sometimes challenge our ethical goals and conceal or confuse the moral issues. In addition, making ethical choices is complex because in many situations there are a multitude of competing interests and values. Other times, crucial facts are unknown or ambiguous. Since many actions are likely to benefit some people at the expense of others, the decision maker must prioritize competing moral claims and must be proficient at predicting the likely consequences of various choices. An ethical person often chooses to do more than the law requires and less than the law allows.