Humes Wide Construal of the Virtues Essay -- Hume Virtues Virtue Phil

Hume's Wide Construal of the Virtues ABSTRACT: The term "virtue" has traditionally been used to designate morally good character traits such as benevolence, charity, honesty, wisdom, and honor. Although ethicists do not commonly offer a definitive list of virtues, the number of virtues discussed is often short and their moral significance is clear. Hume's analysis of the virtues departs from this tradition both in terms of the quantity of virtues discussed and their obvious moral significance. A conservative estimate of the various virtues Hume refers to in his moral writings would put the number at around seventy, with the more untraditional ones including wit, good manners, and dialog. Unsurprisingly, Hume's critics have attacked him for making nonsense of the concept of virtue by construing it so widely. Hume was aware that his broad understanding of virtue was controversial and he offered several defenses for it. After presenting the neglected attacks of his contemporaries along with Hume's response, I argue that a problem remains: by failing to distinguish between degrees of virtue, Hume also fails to distinguish between degrees of vice. But, some vices (e.g., malevolence) clearly deserve punishment whereas other alleged vices (e.g., uncleanliness) clearly do not. Thus, for adequate retribution, a distinction is needed between important and less important virtues and vices. I conclude that Hume could have used his own account of instinctive vengeance as a natural indicator for distinguishing between important and unimportant vices. The term "virtue" has traditionally been used to designate morally good character traits such as benevolence, charity, honesty, wisdom, and honor. Although ethicists, past and present, do ... ...f John Leland's A view of the principal deistical writers..., in the Monthly Review, 1757, Vol. 14, pp. 465-477, and in the Critical Review, 1756, Vol. 1, pp. 193-208. (12) James Beattie, Essay on the nature and immutability of truth in opposition to sophistry and scepticism. 1770, Edinburgh, A. Kincaid and J. Bell, pp. 421-448. (13) "Character of the Works of David Hume Esq," in The Weekly Magazine or Edinburgh Amusement, 1773, Vol. 22, pp. 233-234. (14) "Tobias Simple," "Strictures on the account of the life and writings of David Hume," in Weekly Magazine, or Edinburgh Review, 1777, Vol. 38, pp. 289-292. (15) C. L. Stevenson, Ethics and Language, (New Haven: 1944), pp. 34-35. (16) Pall S. Ardal, Passion and Value, (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1966), pp. 160-161. (17) J. L. Mackie, Hume's Moral Theory, (London: Routledge, 1980), p. 129.

Science Processes

Module 1 Science Processes Scientific ProcessDefinitionScience Activity ObservingThe process of gathering information using all appropriate senses instruments that extend the senses. Collecting data on classmates, students walk around the classroom and make observations about eye and hair color of their classmates. ClassifyingGrouping objects or organisms according to one or more common properties. Classifying plants by features of plant life. CommunicatingRecord observations in multiple ways and present them to others.Students can record the data found in their observation activity and communicate the eye and hair colors they observed in the classroom. MeasuringMeasure variables using a variety of instruments and standard and nonstandard units. Give students various measuring tools and ask them to measure various things in the classroom. PredictingMake a projection of what the outcome of an investigation will be using data and patterns. Prediction worksheet: look at the pictures on the left side, draw a picture and write about what you predict will happen next.InferringDescribing a potential conclusion based on observation and prior knowledge. Science Mystery Bags: Students are asked to use sense of smell, hearing, and touch to infer what is in each mystery bag. Identifying & Controlling VariablesRecognizing a system’s variables and manipulating the variables to control the system’s outcome. Bread Mold Activity: Students will identify and control the variables that cause bread mold. Formulating & Testing Hypotheses Make a statement to guide and investigation.Test that statement for its truth. Formulate hypotheses for what conditions cause the bread to mold, and then test the hypotheses to see if they are correct. Interpreting DataRecognize patterns and associations within a system of data. Using scientific graphs to share data, as well as understand data represented in graph form. Defining OperationallyCreating a definition by describing an inter action or observation. How can you tell if plants are healthy? Students will define plant health in effective terms. ExperimentingScientific procedure used to test a hypothesis, make a discovery, or determine something. Students can take part in an experiment to see if they can balance eggs using salt. Constructing ModelsBuilding models to represent a mental, verbal, or physical idea or object. Students could participate in a physical science project where they are asked to make a water reservoir. In the chart above defining the twelve scientific processes, I included definitions of each as well as a science activity that students could participate in to support each process.These processes support inquiry learning, because they provide students with the opportunity to use problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and logical thinking skills all at once. Students are encouraged to apply their prior knowledge to their new problem, experiment, or questions, which incorporates what they are currently learning with earlier experiences. Inquiry learning in science gives students control of their investigation and enhances their interest in the subject. Inquiry learning involves all learning strategies, including but not limited to verbal, written, and hands-on activities.When students are actively engaged in the learning process they are more likely to stay attentive, which allows them to not only gain information, but also helps in retaining that knowledge and understanding. The teacher’s attitude toward science has a major impact on students and how they view science. In order for teachers to get students interested and involved, they must have a positive and inspiring outlook on the subject. When students see and feel that their teacher is excited about a subject and that he or she wants to share their experience, students are more likely to fully engage in learning.Teachers should share their knowledge by motivating students to want to learn scie nce, and getting them excited about learning by introducing science through observation activities and experiments. Students need to see that their teacher is enthusiastic about science, and that science is a learning process that can be fun and enjoyable for the entire class! Lesson Plan: Objectives Students will †¢work in groups to build catapults out of everyday objects (Constructing Models); and †¢Demonstrate their understanding of motion and forces by using the catapults to launch objects. Communicating) Materials †¢Motion, Forces, Energy, and Electric Current video and VCR or DVD and DVD player †¢Pictures of catapults †¢Computer with Internet access (optional) †¢Cardboard shoe box (1 for each catapult) †¢Rubber bands (4 for each catapult) †¢Popsicle sticks (2 for each catapult) †¢Masking tape (one 6-inch piece for each catapult) †¢Plastic spoon (1 for each catapult) †¢Rulers (1 per student group) †¢Scissors (1 per stu dent group) †¢Marshmallows (2 per group) †¢Masking tape (for launching competition) †¢Object of your choice to serve as a target Procedures . Begin the lesson by discussing motion and energy. Ask students: How do objects move? How do we calculate motion? What is acceleration? What is speed? What are some of the forces that act upon objects in motion? (Observing, Predicting, and Defining Operationally). A good way to introduce this information is to view portions of the Motion, Forces, Energy, and Electric Current video. 2. Tell students they are going to work in groups to create catapults out of everyday objects. Explain that catapults were often used as weapons of war during the Middle Ages.Show students some pictures of catapults and discuss how they work, making sure that students understand catapult designs and uses. (Classifying). A good animated illustration of a catapult can be found at http://en. bestpicturesof. com/pictures%20of%20how%20to%20make%20a%20catapu lt 3. Tell students that after building their catapults, they will compete to see whose catapult can fling a marshmallow the farthest and whose catapult can fling an object closest to a target. (Experiment). 4. Divide students into groups of five, and give each group the supplies they will need to make heir catapults (see materials list) as well as any other objects you wish to provide. Tell the groups that they can design their catapults however they please, but they can use only the materials you have provided-nothing extra. Give students time to design and build their catapults, and ask them to name their team. (Constructing Models, Identifying and Controlling Variables). 5. Once students have completed their catapults, clear an area in the classroom that can be used for the launching competition. Using masking tape, mark a starting line.Place the target object about 10 feet in front of the line. 6. One at a time, have the student teams place their catapults on the line and fling a marshmallow at the target-their goal is to hit the target. Mark where each team's marshmallow landed with a piece of masking tape that has been labeled with the team's name. 7. As a class, determine which team was the most successful in accurately hitting (or coming the closest to hitting) the target with its marshmallow. Talk about the design of the winning catapults. Why did this design work the best? Formulating and Testing hypotheses, Interpreting Data, Measuring, Communicating). 8. Have students again place their catapults on the starting line and fire a second marshmallow — their goal, this time, is to achieve the greatest distance. Again, mark where each marshmallow lands with a piece of labeled masking tape. Once all the catapults have been fired have students measure the distance from the starting line to where their marshmallow landed. (Measuring). 9. As a class, determine which catapult was able to launch a marshmallow the greatest distance.Ask students: Why did this catapult work best? What element(s) of its design do you think helped propel the marshmallow farther than the others? (Interpreting Data, Defining Operationally). 10. Have each student write a paragraph that answers the following questions. †¢What was your group attempting to achieve with its catapult design? †¢How did the catapult set the marshmallow in motion? †¢Which challenge did your catapult meet best, accuracy or distance? †¢What could you have done to make the catapult better? †¢What helped the catapult work as well as it did? What did this activity teach you about motion and forces? 11. Ask for volunteers to share their answers with the class. Discuss students' answers and the forces that work on objects in motion. Evaluation Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. †¢Three points: Students actively participated in class discussions; worked cooperatively in their teams; successfully created a tea m catapult; actively participated in the catapult launch; wrote a thoughtful paragraph that answered all six questions. Two points: Students somewhat participated in class discussions; worked somewhat cooperatively in their teams; needed help to complete their catapult; did not actively participate in the catapult launch; wrote an incomplete paragraph that answered only three or four of the six questions. †¢One point: Students somewhat participated in class discussions; were unable to use catapult materials without teacher guidance; created unfinished catapults; did not actively participate in the catapult launch; wrote an incomplete paragraph that answered only one or two of the questions.Credits Tamar Burris, former elementary teacher and freelance education writer References Bass, Joel E. , Contant, Terry L. , & Carin, Arthur A. (2009). Teaching Science as Inquiry, 11th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston, MA. Burris, Tamar. (2012). Discovery Education. Lesson Plan Libra ry: Motion, Forces, Energy, & Electricity. Retrieved on September 28, 2012, from http://www. discoveryeducation. com/ teachers/free-lesson-plans/motion-forces-energy-and-electricity. cfm.

An Argument Against Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve

An Argument against Drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve By: James Andrew Whitten Government Economics Heath Vincent March 5, 2013 America’s rank as the world’s leading superpower gives the nation unsurpassed clout throughout the rest of the world, but as the old saying goes â€Å"With great power comes great responsibility. † Many other nations not only rely on America’s economy for their own country’s survival, but they also look up to America with a hopeful sense for the future.The founding fathers of this great nation had excellent insight into the authority that America would one day possess, and thus they attempted to set many precedents that would lead the way for the nations that would choose to follow America’s example. Still today, every move that the American nation makes is carefully scrutinized by the other nations of the world. So, it is crucial that the United States ensure that as it moves forward, it does so with a noble and future oriented perception of its goals.Thus, drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve would be a colossal mistake for the United States, because drilling would be detrimental to the pristine indigenous environment, it would have little or no beneficial impact on the American or Global economy, and would poorly exemplify the ambitions that America should have. For the past century, the global dependency on oil has progressively increased each and every year. Now, the world’s need for a steady oil supply is at an all-time high, but oil supplies are slowly dwindling day by day.Oil prices have sky rocketed, the environment has been irreversibly damaged, and it is evident that this rate of oil consumption is completely unsustainable. So should America not be avidly searching for new sustainable alternatives to oil, rather than attempting to destroy land set aside for the very purpose of protecting it against such damaging procedures as oil drilling? The Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is one of the many wildlife preservation efforts that great men in America’s past developed in order to preserve both the natural beauty of this great land, and the natural environment and its resources.Humans are one of the few species that contribute nearly nothing to ecosystem in which they live, yet they devour gargantuan amounts of the resources around them. Gasoline is an excellent example of this. Americans are consistently obliterating the ozone layer through their emission of toxic pollutants from the gas they use every day in their cars. Yet, rather than address the unmaintainable way of living they have adopted by attempting to lower their consumption, they just expect more gas.The American government should not allow this mindset to continue, and should aid its people in having a better understanding of their effect on the environment. This same greed carries directly over into the economic side of this situation too. R ather than accepting that ANWR only has enough oil resources to last for six months if the nation were to rely solely on it, and that the oil drilled would at the very most impact the oil price by three percent, Americans fool themselves into believing that ANWR can offer economic salvation.The American people would like to believe that this oil will release the country from its unhealthy dependence on foreign oil, but the fact is there is nowhere near enough oil there to have any such affect. And, the only people who will find true economic gain from the oil will be the oil companies. Instead of being blinded by greed, America should fix the real problem, the inflated consumption of oil by the American people. Finally, as previously stated, many nations admirably look up to America’s great influence in hope of a better future for their own nation.America should utilize this power to ensure that other nations also follow in a direction that will lead the world to a future tha t this current generation can take pride in. Drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Preserve would have the exact opposite effect. By drilling in ANWR, America would be making a statement that it is perfectly acceptable to further destroy the world’s unstable environment all for the sake of greed. It would set a pattern that said no matter the circumstances of the area, no matter that it is a safe haven for animal breeding, and no matter that the people of the world need o truly reflect on the rate of their oil consumption, it is acceptable to drill anywhere that oil is found. Would the American people have been so ready to drill if the refinery were going to be in Yellowstone and the magnificent Sequoias would have to be demolished? No, it would be an abomination to even consider, and so the same mentality should be set for ANWR. Americans have always taken an abundant pride in their country. The founding fathers of the mighty nation developed a country that is far beyond what anyone could have imagined two-hundred years ago.However, they too realized that all resources are not infinite and that there is great need to protect certain pieces of land for the sake of the future. Thus, they developed national wildlife reserves in the hope of setting aside land specifically for the purpose of preservation. The American nation needs to remember this, and maintain the ideals of those who came before them by looking to the future, not just the present. ANWR is meant for conservation, not more devastation.

Who is the real Alcibiades?

According to Gribble (1999) Alcibiades is one of the most famous political people from Greece in the ancient history who came from a one of the powerful families in the ancient Greek.He is said to have been a very courageous man, ambitious but yet with bad morals Apart from being an active person in the political issues he was also talented in giving good speeches an art that he was taught by one of his great teachers who at that time was the Socrates.His life in politicsAlcibiades started his career in politics during the time of a war called the Peloponnesian war that involved the people of Sparta and Greece. In this war Alcibiades with his ambitions wanted to lead the army to continue fighting so that Greek would win over the Spartans because there were signs that the war was ending.Nicias who was representing and commanding the army in Greek had entered into peace deals with the people of Sparta. So one day some people from Sparta were sent to Athens the city of Greece to deliver a message of peace to the people of Greece going specifically through Nicias Gribble (1999).As discussed in Gribble (1999) while they were there Alcibiades through his sweet talk managed to convince them to oppose the idea of having peace between the two regions as it would only benefit Nicias. By doing all this he undermined the efforts of Athens and Sparta of wanting to make peace with the Spartans by giving false information to the people who had been sent from Sparta to negotiate with Nicias.Following the information that Sparta the war resumed with the people of Athens blaming Nicias who latter on lost political trust among the people of Athens and in effort to ensure that they maintained their powerful status that Greek was holding in the society they appointed Alcibiades to be the commander of their army starting a political career that led him to problems until his death at a war while he was still a commander.The other wars that he in participated in include the war agains t the Abydos, Chalydon and other wars that were outside the city of Athens in which his strategies were said to have succeeded in setting the enemies against the Athenians.Roles he playedAs summarized in   Gribble (1999) at the time he was the commander Alcibiades made so many enemies because of this habit of changing political stands and taking actions that cost the lives of people and some of his actions were considered not to be moral in the society.This was seen when at the start of his political life he led campaigns that were portraying Athenians as people who were so aggressive in using their power during the Peloponnesian war. He had used the Sparta people to achieve his own intentions in that manner made friends with them since they thought of him as being their true friend.In addition to that Gribble (1999) at the time Athens went to war with Sicily he was accused of disobeying the rules that had been set by the army and disobeying the other rulers which made the enemies in Athens wanting to kill him.He then ran to Sparta and from there he again incited the Spartan against the Athenians in the war that came afterwards. As an adviser to the Spartans he made them to withdraw the support that they were giving in aid for war that had just ended in Athens getting their support.Gribble (1999) he then went back to Athens by promising the people of Athens that he would facilitate a process that would ensure they get a new constitution. He also promised to take riches to them from Sparta and with all the sincerity they accepted him back. After he was taken back the military gave him a big position where he planned to undermine the commander by spreading information that the Athens military had persuaded him to return so as to bring change when he failed to fulfill his promises.How he looked as a traitorThrough all the actions that he led Alcibiades was always seen inciting many people who were against Athens. He used to draw the attention of those people by luring them through talks, using money, false promises among other favors.This made Greece to face a tough time in dealing with its enemies as given that there was someone like Alcibiades who had most of the information about Greece many of their war secrets were give out making them to be more cautious on the strategies that they were using. By doing all this evil deeds at the last minute he was disowned by the people when the war ended and he was left to the enemies who killed him Gribble (1999).

The Peon Perspective

Holly S. Organizational Communication Dr. S. June 26, 2012 The Peon Perspective â€Å"A â€Å"peon† is a worker at or near the bottom of the organizational ladder who does work that requires minimal skills. Everyone starts at the bottom, even those with college degrees. All of us, have been, or will be peons at one time or another. †(Richmond and McCroskey). The preliminary principles for peons are people who are at or near the bottom of the hierarchy that require minimum skills who need to demonstrate their value. The only way to no longer be in the â€Å"peon status† is to learn organization to find success.The one question to ask is, is the peon perspective biblical or unbiblical? I believe that the peon perspective is biblical. In 1 Corinthians 14:40 it says, â€Å"But all things should be done decently and in order. † Respecting the power placed over you defines the principle of power. To be considered a valuable employee you must learn formal and inf ormal norms. Norms such as, obeying the rules and doing your job as well as your superior would do it. Everyone is hired on a trial basis in any organization and it is the individual’s job to respect the power placed above him or her in order to succeed.Daniel 2:21 says, â€Å"He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding†. God clearly tells us to understand the knowledge of our authority and to submit to those above us. Never make a decision today that can be postponed until tomorrow defines the principle of decision-making. Although some decisions should be made immediately, the issue is not that you need to wait to make a decision but rather to make an informed decision.Those who make hasty decisions get into trouble. Taking the time to slow down and think about the decision could potentially keep your job. Proverbs 29:20 says, â€Å"Do you see a man hasty in his words? Th ere is more hope for a fool than for him†. Scripture clearly states that we must always think before we speak. The organization getting along without you defines the principle of self-importance. No matter how skilled or motivated you are, the organization can always move along without you. The organization does not have to have you in it to keep it going.The organization got along quite well before you were hired; it can get along quite well if you are fired. Proverbs 16:18 says, â€Å"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall†. Also, James 4:10 says, â€Å"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you†. The Bible proves the action of humility and the outcomes of being humble. The peon principles are no guarantee and their effect is not usually enough to achieve individual success. But because these principles are backed up with God spoken scripture, success is possible.In Philippians 4:8, it says â€Å"Finally, brothers, what ever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things†. Although these principles are true, God will grant you success if you simply listen to Him. â€Å"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand† (John 10:27-28).

Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Such an organization will have competitive advantages such as certified ISO 9000, reduction in costs, delivery on time, new technologies and CRM implementation. Marketing activities are important because they add value to CRM through tracking a customer’s activities. CRM, in current days, is considered a buzzword in selling and marketing activities (Bidgoli, 2010). There is tracking of cookies, which is similar to that of Google Analytics, which will allow an organization to build a digital trail of a customer interacting with the firm automatically. Google Analytics does provide the overall trends of the visitors while marketing automation will offer tracking at a micro level hence the organization is able to see the activities of its customers. For instance, a customer will open a paper, view the price information in the paper and this information is able to give sales representatives intelligence regarding their prospects. CRM can include capabilities of emails while market ing using automated software will offer comprehensive marketing system via the email. Most of the features of automated marketing include the abilities of sending blast emails that will display each sales representative, email resending tests among others. Traditional forms of marketing used to focus on the 4ps for increasing market share. The market share was increased through increasing the volume of transactions taking place between a buyer and a seller. On the contrary, CRM currently focuses on use of various strategies, procedures, tools and technologies available in promoting good relationship between customers and sellers for the purpose of increasing the sales volume, profit of the firm and creating customer satisfaction. Ways to Deploy CRM Solutions available for CRM today encompass more than just market automation and sales, but also building customer loyalty, mobile and internet business and Web 2.0 driven value of CRM in the society. Therefore, CRM has expanded to be a k ey predictor of the business activities done by enterprises. Options available for an enterprise to consider when deploying CRM include hybrid combination, RMS on the premise, on premise CRM that is managed by the vendors, etc. Organizations that employ o-premise deployment method lease infrastructure that include the operation systems. These applications will be installed in the organization’s data center and hence the entire package will be owned by the organization. The firm can customize the applications as needed because it has full control over all infrastructure and data. Siebel CRM product from Oracle Corporation uses this category and according to Gartner, this type of deployment makes up seventy percent of the total CRM market. Vendor Managed CRM deployment on the premise is similar to on-premise deployment although in this case, the vendor is responsible for providing the operational support for the entire application at the site hosting the application. The firm p reserves the ability of this application to function and they can customize the application to a specified extent. Modifications on this application can be done by mixing internal resources and resources supplied by the vendors. Use of server roles enables a company to deploy other servers to other servers for performance (Wolenik

Market princples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market princples - Essay Example Marketing strategies are especially important because they help businesses in maximizing performance of existing products as well as launching new products into new markets. McDonald’s has managed to establish and maintain a variety of marketing principles and strategies that comprises of four main elements, which are balanced to the benefit of the company. The first section of the essay addresses the elements of marketing and the benefits of the mode of orientation that McDonald’s adopted. The third part expounds on the business environment while the fourth section discusses the differences between international and domestic marketing in close relation to McDonald’s. Lastly, a concluding statement wraps the essay with a summary of all issues covered regarding McDonald’s. The marketing process can be defined as the procedure of assessing marketing opportunities, selecting markets to target, formulating the marketing mix, and management of the marketing effort (Marketing & Supply Chain Management, n.d). this process incorporates situation analysis, marketing strategy, marketing mix decisions, and implementation and control. Situation analysis includes a comprehensive analysis of a situation allows a business to identify the opportunities that could be exploited to satisfy unattended customer needs and wants. Marketing strategy involves developing a plan that can be used in fulfilling the identified opportunity. Marketing mix decisions incorporate detailed decisions that are made for controllable parameters in the marketing mix and include product development, pricing decisions, distribution contracts, and formulation of promotional campaigns. Lastly, the implementation and control step involves launching of the product or the service and close monitor ing. As the market continues to change, the marketing mix valuables can also be adjusted to accommodate any identified changes in the market. The place