Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essays

Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essays Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essay Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essay Essay Topic: Claim Of Fact Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well? Name: Course: Date: Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well? Socrates claims that a wise person will always act accordingly. The question of right and wrong has been a question man has attempted to answer for a long time. It has been argued many a time that the ability to tell right from wrong lies within the man. Right or wrong actions are issues determined by social ethics and morality in this regard. According to Socrates, wisdom guides man to make the right choices. In this, he believes that a wise man can never act wrongly. However, the question is how true this is. It is therefore important to interrogate this claim by finding out what exactly Socrates is proposing. It might be that wisdom or understanding of right or wrong comes from what society stipulates through law and other societal guiding principles. While, on the other hand, it might be within the man to determine what is right and what is wrong. Socrates maintained that no one willingly did wrong since wrong acts will always hurt the wrong doer. The claim here is that an unwise decision to act in a certain manner predisposes one to wrongdoing that is essentially ignorance. This in actuality is very true. People claim to have been unaware of the wrongful nature of their actions. In this sense, one should not commit to doing something without understanding the consequences that may follow such action. If one understands that, something is wrong, therefore as a matter of self-interest or self-preservation for that matter one is capable of preventing oneself from engaging in wrongdoing (Manuel 2010). However, experience will prove Socrates’ stance wrong. There are people who do wrong with full knowledge of their consequences. The necessity for doing such is usually to benefit oneself at the expense of other people. Nonetheless, Socrates’ belief is true in an obvious and straightforward way. It is right to claim that people have the capacity to choose to do things they understand people may find to be wrong. It is also correct to say that people may do things they consider immoral for others in a quest to benefit themselves. However, people never choose to perform acts they thought in the instant that they are making the decision to be wrong or even harmful to themselves. In this sense, it is evident that humanity has a strong sense of benefiting themselves. In cases where there are obvious implications for achieving harm in the action, man still goes to great lengths to cause and do harm in the hope of achieving the good they believe will benefit them (Rae 2000). While man has the capacity to objectively look at wrong in actions about to be performed, they have an intuitive sense of self-preservation and selfish gain. Our intuitive nature for serving self-interests push humans to do wrong even when they are aware of the grave consequences that may accompany such decisio ns. Take an example of a troubled man with the obsession of wounding himself through cuts. Such a person is merely intending to relieve psychological stress. This man has discovered that cutting his flesh acts as a relieving agent. It is vital that a clear-cut distinction is established between means and ends. This person does not cut his skin to harm himself; rather, it is a means to achieve relief from stress. This person rationalizes that the overall outcome of cutting himself is worthwhile as long as he has managed to avert psychological torture. Though, one may want to question the efficiency of this method, the underlying principle is that this person has relieved a stressful situation thus benefiting him. From Socrates perspective, choices, right or otherwise, achieve the ends the doer or chooser hopes to obtain and not the methods that have been used to achieve these ends (Lee 2002). The distinction arising from objective knowledge or wisdom according to Socrates, and human personal intuitive insights is essential. People can comprehend the wrong in stealing, but stealing predisposes them to experience benefits in which they find their lives improved in one way or the other. The assumption in this statement is that there is no motivation for doing right or wrong if there is no benefit from such actions (Hildebrandt 2010). Humans need to keep a clear distinction between means and the prospective ends. As a result, it will be clear that people not do wrong things for perceived good and benefits that result from the wrong action. When one benefits from the actions that are clearly horrific, people still have an inner conviction of benefiting for themselves. It is also possible that people can act wrongly without expecting benefit from whatever they do (Rae 2000). For example, a serial killer does not benefit from the death of the victims but still derive a distorted sense of satisfaction. Socrates claim about wisdom and doing right is an idyllic projection of human nature. Everyone has powerful instincts to benefit him or herself. This characteristic forms the basis of natural morality. The question of right and wrong is determined by the extent to which actions benefit people. It is also naturally ingrained in humans to consider all that harm them as being wrong. One may objectively recognize the harmful nature of some actions. However, the decision of moral inappropriateness of an action is can only be left to the person or persons the decisions affect. A non-partisan person is incapable of understanding what is right and what is wrong in a moral sense. Morality and ethics come from a point in which one is self aware of the benefits or harmful nature of actions being performed. People expectations always govern the choices that they are going to make. This is not to say that ethic and morality are concepts wholly determined by human thought. In fact, structures of ethical and moral thinking are independent of self-motivations (Lee 2002). However, res ponding to self-interests that people can fully embrace morality and ethical ideals, and it is also true that morality and ethics are concepts that have come about by virtue of self-interests. Therefore, self-interest builds human capacity to be moral. Socrates does not claim that doing wrong to others is ever correct, but the motivation behind such actions is a determining factor to the character assigned to the intentions of the doer. Socrates believed that bad decisions bring harm to individuals who make them. Therefore, the ability for one to be right lies in examining the moral standards of society. Wrongdoing is a mistake in the judgment of the doer and expresses his ignorance. A wrong doer is ignorant of the fact that bad actions make them appear pitiable and enhance a delusion that wrong doing is beneficial. One who has been able to commit the most terrible of actions without incurring any consequences is considered as the most harmed person since wrong doers only harm themselves. The heart of a wise man is pure, one who is accustomed to injustices is dishonorable, and their character is greatly diminished. From Socrates point of view, harm to the soul and to ones character is the greatest harm a person can suffer. In this light, he proposes that man should be able to ensure that they do right every time. One who understands this wisdom will always do right henceforth. A wise person is not susceptible to moral weakness. Moral weakness is the point at which one is aware of the wrongful nature of an act but lacks the strength and will power to do the right thing. Even in cases where one is overpowered by moral weakness, the lack of moral strength for benefiting oneself without wrongdoing is in itself a form of ignorance. In this case, one is being ignorant of the right means of achieving the desired ends and is ignorant of what is most beneficial and important (Hildebrandt 2010). It does not matter that ones ignorance is constructed out of deficiency in the right knowledge or ill-conceived priorities, ones decisions will always be determined by ones knowledge or ignorance. The wise man makes knowledge-based decisions that have been geared toward making the right decisions at all times. If moral weakness is the basis of ones priorities, it results in the contradiction of ones better judgment to do the right thing (Rae 2000). It is either those priorit ies agree to the knowledge of moral principle or that priorities agree to ignorance that disregard the benefit of morally correct decisions in the society. Socrates was right in saying that a wise man does no wrong. The decisions of a wise man are informed by knowledge and the desire to do right. Wisdom according to Socrates is analyzing the consequences of actions and applying this analysis in the decisions one make. Wisdom gives an actor a moral conscience to do what is right as is expected from society. It has been recognized that morality is driven by people’s self-interests (Lee 2002). It is in the interest of individual to live in society that uphold moral standards that recognize the importance of community and ensuring harm does not befall the community. Such expectations from each other have formed the basis of ethics and morality. It is therefore, everyone’s prerogative to ensure that actions are socially acceptable and geared toward enhancing progress in the community. The major advantage of the Socratic point of view is that everyone should seek to achieve wisdom. It has been established that the lack of wisdom distorts our ability to make the right choices whose consequences cause harm. The harm caused is not only to society but also to self. The potential for human good lies in the wisdom that actions should benefit the whole society and not just the self. Such thinking has the potential of permanently eradiating evil in the society. It necessary then, that people understand that wisdom is a person’s interpretation of what is good or wrong while paying attention to the need for society to maintain its sanity. References Hildebrandt, Joshua K. (2010). The Knowledge of Good and Evil: Who Decides What Is Morally Right and Wrong?. Authorhouse. Lee, D. E. (2002). Navigating right and wrong: Ethical decision making in a pluralistic age. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield. Manuel, V. (2010). Philosophy: A text with readings. S.l.: Wadsworth Pub. Co I. Rae, S. B. (2000). Moral choices: An introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub. House.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Globalization - Essay Example It has enabled the business houses to diversify themselves and enjoy the benefits of working in different emerging economies. Companies which are operating in the stage of maturity or decline of a particular industry of a country or region but their products have higher or sufficient demand in the other parts of the world often takes the advantage to move or penetrate in the new markets which in turn enhance the life of the product line. Globalization has paved the way for international investment across the world. Business activities are generally affected by a number of factors like the political condition of the foreign country, the economic situation of the prospective region, the legal issues or the laws regarding the business or other related issues, technology availability, environmental issues of the country, social norms, local customs and rituals, cultural, aspects of the country, the other aspects influencing the cross culture management etc. Therefore apart from financial viability of the investment, these factors have to be analysed in detail before making any decision. Wrong assessment of any of the criteria mentioned above could lead to the failure of the project. The present case of La Napoli restaurant highlights the flaws in cross culture management and overall mismanagement in managerial functions of the restaurant which has declined the overall performance of the restaurant. The case focuses how the failure of managing the cross culture issues and other basic managerial issues has adversely affected the organisational performance in terms of profitability, managerial efficiency and revenue. The Cultural Issues The case highlights the major flaws which resulted in to the decline of restaurant of an established business chain. Though the idea of Compia (a renowned Italian-American chef) of setting an authentic Italian restaurant was fair but it bumped off because of ineffective and inefficient management of cross culture issues which are very important for international investment. This segment highlights the cross culture issues which adversely affected the performance of the restaurant. The cultural dimensions of a country or region have a major impact on the organisational performance especially on the human resource activities. As per Greet Hofstede there are four cultural dimensions that are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism & collectivism, masculinity & femininity and short term versus long term orientation (Heidtmann, 2011, p. 41). In order to identify and assess the problem and symptoms of cross culture issues, it is very important to analyse the cultural dimensions of the host country Hong Kong. Figure 1: Cultural Dimensions of Hong Kong (Source: itim, n.d) The power dimension signifies the extent of expectation and acceptance of unequal distribution of power. The power distance dimension of Hong Kong is 68. This signifies that the people of Hong Kong believes in superior subordinate relations hip and accept unequal distribution of power as per the organisational hierarchy. The individualism dimension of Hong Kong is very low. This signifies that the people of Hong Kong, works for the group’s interest instead of working for themselves. They believe in working collectively. The 57 score in masculinity dimension index shows that the people there are success driven. As per the score of uncertainty avoidance index it can be said that the rules and regulations are quite flexible and can be adapted as per the situations. People there are long-term oriented which means that people there worries for future which in turn signifies that job security is a major concern for them. The major cultural issues which have been identified while analysing the case are as follows: The first major issue

Chrysler Electrical Cars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chrysler Electrical Cars - Essay Example It uses a 268 horsepower electric motor and has a gas tank that can hold 10 gallons of gasoline for providing an extended range. The Chrysler town is powered by a 255 horsepower electric motor and a two-cylinder gasoline engine. It has a gas tank that can hold up to nine gallons of gasoline. The fiat 500 E which was launched in Los Angeles Auto show in the year 2012 has an electric battery propulsion control system, High voltage battery plus in charging system, an advanced thermal management system and air bags. It was designed so as to improve the performance of the electric cars and competition to the General Motors Volt and Spark and the Ford Focus electric. Several changes were made including changing the 500 ICE powering unit, fitting a new chassis and suspension for the improvement of the driving dynamics and enhancing the aerodynamics. The aerodynamics of the Fiat 500 E was improved by re-sculpturing the front and the rear fascias. The quarter panels feature concave dimples and the rear fascia includes several round holes. The rear spoiler was tested for over 140 hours in a wind tunnel so as to cut the drag and add five additional miles of the mile per gallon range. The Fiat 500 E features a Smartphone application that is available for both android and apple oper ating systems. The Smartphone application is aimed for managing the charging, tracking energy usage, locating the vehicle and charging stations that are nearby. The Smartphone application also provides real time status of the vehicle and text message notifications, tracks the use of power and the user or driver can plan and send routes to vehicle (Journal of the ATA electric vehicle interest groups Geelong and Melbourne, issue 45 December 2012) The Iconic Italian design of the Fiat is driven by an 83-Kilowatt electric motor and a Lithium-ion battery (24kw) that is mounted to the floor of the car. The electric motor delivers 147

Electoral Systems Essay Example for Free

Electoral Systems Essay Critically evaluate the argument that electoral systems can produce effective (decisive) government, or representative government, but not both. New Zealand’s current electoral system is MMP or Mixed Member Proportional; this is the system which will be used to evaluate the question. A comparison of MMP and FPP or the First Past the Post system will also be included, since it is being debated as to which is better for New Zealand. MMP is an appropriately representative government which also creates a rather effective government at the same time. On the other hand FPP causes a seemingly effective government but is far less representative. Some electoral systems can create effective and representative government while others may not. This will be shown by; firstly detailing how these systems of governance compare under effectiveness and representativeness, followed by an explanation as to why electoral systems can be both effective and representative and why they cannot. For a government to be classified effective it must sufficiently achieve its objectives as a governing body. It also must create a strong impression on the community (dictionary. om, 2011). MMP tends to have a less efficient form of law making than FPP. Under MMP the major parties must form coalition governments with the smaller parties to form a fifty per cent majority over the house. These coalitions may cause a time delay in passing legislation, as the major supporter of the bill tries to convince their support parties to agree with the legislation. MMP may take time to make decision but this doesn’t mean that the government is less decisive although; Many people argue that proportional forms of government lead to a less decisive and durable government. Their argument is based on the fact that the decisions must gain the support of coalition parties which cause a lower quantity of bills passing. However it is not the quantity of laws which cause an effective government it is the quality. MMP due to its more timely approach to law making allows time for scrutiny within a bill meaning any flaws which lie dormant in a bill may be fixed before the legislation is passed. A contrast to this is FPP with its single party majority which works very efficiently to pass laws rapidly. This is because there is no need for a compromise with its support parties since none are required. The effect of this rapid law making ability gives the community a view of effectiveness however the validity of the laws has been compromised. The laws passed may be riddled with flaws which really show the government is un-effective as the laws have no real impression on the community. Effective government is based around three criteria government durability, decisional efficacy and responsiveness (Boston, Church Bale, 2003). From these three different terms of effective government we can see how different opinions on the idea of effective government can differ. For a government to be classified representative it must consist of many individuals who represent a variety of different constituencies (dictionary. com, 2011). Also there must be some form of diversity among the constituencies such as race or gender differentiation. (Royal Commission, 1986) MMP is a highly representative form of governance as it uses a two votes system; this allows minor party representatives to gain a seat in the house if they gain a majority vote among their constituents. The fact an MP has to win their constituency causes a close link to the electorate as they will more likely than not represent the major view of the region. This single MP vote allows the house to represent the community from a broader aspect while still having the majority party in power with the 2nd vote, the party vote. This causes a greater diversity among the house. When MMP was adopted â€Å"Maori representation increased from 5-7% to 16%† and â€Å"the number of women of women doubled to 34%† (Haddon, 2011). This increasing diversity has continued as the royal commission predicted. New Zealand’s house of parliament has become more representative and diverse as shown by the 39 women, 21 Maori, 4 Pacific Islanders, and 2 Asian MPs out of the 121 in the house (Elections Commission, 2006). Also under MMP campaign promises of minor parties tend to not get placed on the new government agenda. The minor parties must rely on negotiation with party leaders in order to get their main policies on the agenda or must wait for the bill to be drawn from the ballot box in parliament, which may never come. This causes a slight decrease in the diversification of the legislation passed. This lack of diversification can decrease the representativeness of the majority. However this does not decrease the overall representativeness of the government. The diversity of MMP is contrasted by FPPs system where there are only electorate votes so people tend to vote solely for the major parties that are likely to get into parliament. The winning party in a FPP election will get a proportionally larger share of the seats that its share of the votes this has the opposite effect for minority parties whom gain a lesser proportion of the seats that their votes. This lack of proportionality is a major flaw in representation as there is very little diversity among the house. Electoral systems can be both effective and representative, â€Å"The best voting system for any country will not be one which meets any of the criteria completely but will be one which provides the most satisfactory overall balance between them† (Royal Commission, 1986). Although systems cannot be highly representative and highly effective they still can be both. MMP shows this, it may not be highly efficient at creating effective legislation but it creates quality legislation which is effective governing. Also MMP shows its representativeness by having a largely diverse house of representatives but due to the need for coalitions loses some of the broader views of the minor parties. â€Å"A proliferation of minor parties actually increases stability and effectiveness† (â€Å"NRT on MMP threshold,† 2011). This shows how a representative government actually helps to form an effective government. The increase in the number of coalition majorities available will help to reduce the ability for any party to have strong bargaining power over another. This was shown in our most recent parliamentary election by ACT and the Maori party not having a large bargaining power with National as they both had possible coalitions with National. They were acting as a check on the other so neither gained an arbitrary power over Nationals decision. This allowed for national to make what they saw as the best decision. This shows that MMP is representative as well as being effective even if it is not top in each discipline. Many critics of MMP have agreed that MMP does lead to a government reflecting the views of New Zealander’s and supporters of MMP conceded to agreeing that it leads to a more unstable government which can infer that it may be not highly effective (Palmer Palmer, 2004). While FPP contrasts MMP it shows the opposite idea. It shows that there is a tension between effective and representative government. This tension causes a highly representative government to have a very low effectiveness and vice versa. The tension has large effect on how the government operates and this can put a strain on which system will be best. FPP shows how a system cannot be both effective and representative whereas MMP seems to have the balance between being both an effective form of governance while still being rather highly representative. My research has shown that MMP is both an effective form of government and a representative form of government. However it is neither the most representative nor the most effective. The research has identified that an electoral system can be both as I have explained above. This is not to say all electoral systems are. There are always going to be strengths and weaknesses to an electoral system and a compromise between effective and representative will always be required, FPP for example is much more effective than it is representative. The tension between these two disciplines will always have an effect on how the system operates and which system is best suited to the situation. FPP is clearly a system which cannot be both while MMP is the perfect example of a system of governance which is both representative and effective.

An Analysis of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart :: Things Fall Apart essays

The Importance of Things Fall Apart The novel "Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe, was an eye-opening account of the life and eventual extinction of an African tribe called the Ibo. It focuses on one character, Okonkwo, who at a very early age set out on a quest of self-perfection. Coming from a family ruled by a man who was lazy and inconsistent with everything he did, Okonkwo vowed to never accept the fate of his father. Okonkwo and his family suffered through many hard times in their lives, but usually managed to come out on top. Through terrible crop seasons and bad judgement calls, Okonkwo usually prevailed, until the day came when he was faced with a situation that could not be resolved by his strength and character alone. This novel also provided a very detailed, and seemingly accurate, account of the lives of the Ibo. The Ibo were an extremely spiritual people who answered to their gods daily. A hardworking people who based their personal worth on their community and crop achievements. Their yam crops were the backbone of the community and he who possessed the largest crops were usually respected by all in the community. The Ibo were a very gendered people. The men normally made all the rules and the woman were taught to respect their husbands decisions. In particular, Okonkwo ruled his household with an iron fist. He often beat his wives for small reasons and felt little to no remorse for doing so. While it was not uncommon for the men of the Ibo tribe to beat their wives if they disobeyed orders, Okonkwo was a character that oftentimes took it too far. In one point in the novel he badly beat one of his wives, Ojiugo, during the sacred week. During this time no one in the tribe is to com mit such acts, as it is a time for peace. By beating his wife, he defied the gods and was forced to offer up animal sacrifices and payment to them. This one of Okonkwo's major character flaws, he is stubborn and self-righteous, and wishes to answer to nobody but himself. This even leads to eventual fate, when he refuses to join the Christians when most everyone else of the tribe gave in to their ideas.

International Financial Policies Essay

International Financial Policies determine how firms in international market work because if respective governments of the countries put restrictions on doing trade, it may be relatively difficult to trade. One of the most important advantages of international financial policies is the fact that such policies often get the backing of the government therefore international firms find it relatively easy to have access to different resources besides availing different types of concessions in duties and taxes. On the other side, due to such international financial policies, international firms may have to work with relatively inefficient organizations due to contractual requirements. Most of the countries often attempt to bring in public owned entities to work with international firms therefore given the traditional bureaucratic inefficiencies of such public institutions, resources may not be efficiently utilized and firms may not be achieving their strategic objectives in real term. Trade Agreements The trade agreements are formed based on the assumptions that the countries attempt to take advantage of their relative comparative advantage. Trade Agreements are often formed between two or more countries to agree together to offer certain trade concessions to each other. Trade agreements are often formed at the government level and countries to the agreement often offer tax concessions, duty rebates, removal of trade quotas etc so that trade integration can take place and countries can actually benefit from the comparative advantages of each other. Trade Agreements have greater influence on the financial management policies because if favorable, trade agreements can relatively save lot of costs i. e. duty and tax concessions, lower interest rates etc. for the firms therefore they really have to devise policies which can allow them to manage their financial resources in most efficient manner.

Definition and Examples of Delivery in Rhetoric

One of the five traditional parts or canons of rhetoric , concerned with the control of voice and gestures when giving a speech. Known as hypocrisis in Greek and actio in Latin. Etymology:  From the Latin  de  away   liber  free (to give away) Pronunciation:  di-LIV-i-ree Also Known  As:  actio,  hypocrisis Examples and Observations of Delivery It should not be surprising that it was professional actors who gave a special impetus to a study of delivery, for all the spell-binding orators in history (men like Demosthenes, Churchill, William Jennings Bryan, Bishop Sheen, Billy Graham) have been, in a sense, great actors.  (Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 1999)[Aristotle] compares rhetorical delivery to theatrical performance and emphasizes the effect of delivery on different audiences; the effectiveness and appropriateness of delivery make a speech successful or not.  (Kathleen E. Welch, Delivery. Enclopedia, 2001) of RhetoricAll these parts of oratory succeed according as they are delivered. Delivery . . . has the sole and supreme power in oratory; without it, a speaker of the highest mental capacity can be held in no esteem; while one of moderate abilities, with this qualification, may surpass even those of the highest talent.  (Cice ro, De Oratore)Before you can persuade a man into any opinion, he must first be convinced that you believe it yourself. This he can never be, unless the tones of voice in which you speak come from the heart, accompanied by corresponding looks, and gestures, which naturally result from a man who speaks in earnest. (Thomas Sheridan, British Education, 1756)The behavioral biologists and psychologists call [delivery] nonverbal communication and have added immeasurably to our knowledge of this kind of human expressivity. (Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed., 1991) Senator John McCain's Delivery [John] McCain moves awkwardly through complex phrases, sometimes surprising himself with the end of a sentence. He regularly leaves his audience without any cues to applaud. Despite years in public life, he makes bumpy transitions from personal anecdotes to broad policy pronouncements... McCain needs all the help he can get, said Martin Medhurst, a communications professor at Baylor University and the editor of Rhetoric and Public Affairs, a quarterly journal... Such a weak delivery affects viewers’--and voters’--perceptions of the speaker’s sincerity, knowledge, and credibility, Medhurst said. Some politicians just don’t understand that they must devote a certain amount of time to their communications, or it’s going to hurt them. (Holly Yeager, McCain Speeches Dont Deliver. The Washington Independent, Apr. 3, 2008) Regendering Delivery [A]lthough the physical and vocal concerns of delivery initially appear relevant to all public speakers, closer scrutiny of the canon soon reveals masculinist biases and assumptions. Delivery has not pertained equally to both men and women because, for millennia, women were culturally prohibited from standing and speaking in public, their voices and forms acceptable only in the spectator role (if at all). Thus, women were systematically discouraged from the very actions that constitute delivery, a matter unrecognized in the traditional fifth canon. . . . Indeed, I would argue that when researchers attention is focused too narrowly on the voice, gesture, and expression of the good woman speaking well, much that is germane to her delivery is overlooked. Clearly, the traditional fifth canon is in need of renovation. (Lindal Buchanan, Regendering Delivery: The Fifth Canon and Antebellum Women Rhetors. Southern Illinois University Press, 2005)