Moral Absolutes free essay sample

Why are Christian ethics and theology inseparable? What did Francis Schaeffer mean when he said that not all things are the same to God? Christian ethics is inseparable from theology because it is grounded in the character of God. Francis Schaeffer said that not all things are the same to God and means that God exists and has a character, but not all things are the same to him. Some things conform to His character, and some are opposed to his character. 2. What did Schaeffer conclude about a society without moral absolutes? Do we see this in society? Schaeffer concludes that if a society has no moral absolutes then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. There will be no standards and only conflicting opinions. 3. On what authority do Christians base their belief in moral absolutes? How specific is this authority? Christians base their beliefs in moral absolutes through the Bible. We will write a custom essay sample on Moral Absolutes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Of course, you cannot solve all moral decisions by referring to the Bible but there sufficient guidelines provided to give us a sense of what is morally right. These guidelines are the Decalogue also known as the Ten Commandments and tat is how specific the authority is. 4. Ethically speaking, what are Christians called to do? Christians are called to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul, and with all their strength and with their entire mind and love your neighbor as yourself. 5. What did Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean by the question, â€Å"Where are the responsible people? He meant Christians, who are willing to treat God’s moral order with the same respect they show His physical order; who love God with their whole body, soul, spirit, mind and strength; who treat others as they desire to be treated. Ethics 3. 2 6. Why do Muslims view Muhammad as morally exemplary even though the Hadith does not paint a flattering portrait of his life? Muslims are conditioned to look at the whole picture through the eyes of faith. Certain things that the Prophet did do not conform to ordinary ideas of morality and may be considered sensual and cruel, but believers look at the whole thing differently. To them morality derives from the Prophet’s actions; the moral is whatever he did. Morality does not determine the Prophet’s actions, but his actions determines morality. 7. How do Christianity and Islam differ in relation to their beliefs about ethical absolutes? Christianity and Islam differ because Christianity is based on the Bible and Islam is based on the Qur’an and the Bible grounds morality in God’s essential character; the Qur’an teaches that God cannot be ultimately known. 8. In what two ways is the term jihad used? First: the battle against temptation and sin for the sake of self-control and the development of virtue; Second: the battle against any and all who oppose Islam. 9. What motivates Muslims to behave ethically? They are motivated by several fronts like: to develop personal virtue and spirituality, to better the state of others, to strengthen relationships, and to anticipate the coming judgment. 10. Which motivation is strongest? The anticipation of final judgment. Ethics 3. 3 11. What is the ultimate ethical question for a Secular Humanist? What questions did Morris B. Storer outline in his book Humanist Ethics? The ultimate ethical question for a Secular Humanist is Can morality be achieved without the foundation of absolute religious beliefs? Who makes the rules, God or men? Morris B. Storer outlined: Is personal advantage the measure of right and wrong or the advantage of all affected? Is there truth in ethics? Are right and wrong expressions of heart or head? Do people have free wills? Do you measure morality by results or by principles? Do people have duties as well as rights? 12. Why are there such diverse views and conflicts regarding humanistic ethics? There are diverse views and conflicts because there is a lack of consensus about the foundation of ethics and that is problematic for the whole concept of Humanistic ethics. 13. Who proposed the â€Å"no-truth thesis† and what does it state? Kai Nelson and it states that no question of the truth or falsity of moral values can sensibly arise. 14. How do most humanists attempt to dodge the â€Å"no-truth thesis†? How does Corliss Lamont address this issue? They attempt to doge it by claiming that they use reason to determine right and wrong in the context of ethical relativism. Lamont addresses the issue with optimism stating that as long as we pursue activities that are healthy, socially useful and in accordance with reason, pleasure and happiness will accompany us and the supreme good will the eventual result. 15. What did Arthur E. Gravatt, Joseph Fletcher, Herbert W. Schneider, and Paul Kurtz have to say about Ethics? Dr. Arthur E. Gravatt: Moral behavior may differ from situation to situation. Behavior might be moral for one person and not another or moral at one time and not another. Joseph Fletcher: Rights and wrongs are determined by objective facts or circumstances, that is, by the situations in which moral agents have to decide for the most beneficial course open to choice. Herbert W. Schneider: Morality is â€Å"an experimental art† and is the â€Å"basic art of living well together. † Moral right and wrong must therefore be conceived in terms of moral standards generated in a particular society. Paul Kurtz: Moral principles should be treated as hypotheses, tested by their practical worth and judged by what they cause to happen. Ethics 3. 4 16. How did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels view the issue of morality? Marx and Engels denied that moral ideals, moral considerations, are central in human life and social evolution. Rather, it is biological and social evolution that determines their definition of morality. What is right and wrong is determined by what is best for evolution. 17. What is the Marxist-Leninist morality of the future? How will it be determined? Their morality of the future is when the proletariat finally destroys the bourgeoisie. The new classless society will determine the new morality, just as this evolution toward a classless society is dictating today’s morality. 18. What is the Marxist-Leninist view of â€Å"old morality?They view old morality as products of the bourgeoisie invented and used by the propertied class to oppress the propertyless proletariat. 19. What is the Marxist code of ethics according to the book Scientific Communism? â€Å"Devotion to the cause of the working class, collectivism, mutual aid, comradely solidarity, hatred toward the bourgeois ie and toward traitors to the common cause, internationalism, and stoicism in struggle are traits which not only define the content of proletarian ethics, but also characterize the moral image of the typical representatives of the working class. 20. What means have Marxists historically believed would bring about a society without class distinction? What have been the results of such an ethical system? They believe that revolution is the most efficient means for creating a society without class distinctions. This system is responsible for 83 million deaths between 1917 and 1964. But from a Marxist-Leninist point of view, it is worth the price if people die to abolish social classes and private property.

How Does Regenerative Braking in Hybrid Cars Work

How Does Regenerative Braking in Hybrid Cars Work Hybrids and all-electric vehicles create their own power for battery recharging through a process known as regenerative braking (regen mode). Weve explained what regenerative braking is and how the process works in general terms, but many folks are interested in the deeper nuts and bolts of electricity generation. They understand that in a hybrid or all-electric vehicle the word regenerative, in terms of regenerative braking, means capturing the vehicles momentum (kinetic energy) and turning it into electricity that recharges (regenerates) the onboard battery as the vehicle is slowing down and/or stopping. It is this charged battery that in turn powers the vehicles electric traction motor. In an all-electric vehicle, this motor is the sole source of locomotion. In a hybrid, the motor works in partnership with an internal combustion engine. But that motor is not just a source of propulsion, its also a generator. Any permanent magnet motor can operate as either a motor or generator. In all-electrics and hybrids, they are more precisely called a motor/generator (M/G). But the technologically curious want to know more, and theyll often ask How, and by what mechanism or process, is the electricity created? Its a good question, so before we get started explaining how M/Gs and regenerative braking work in hybrids and electric vehicles, it is important to have basic knowledge about how electricity is generated and how a motor/generator functions.   So How Does a Motor/Generator Work in an Electric or Hybrid Vehicle? No matter the vehicle design, there must be a mechanical connection between the M/G and the drivetrain. In an all-electric vehicle, there could be an individual M/G at each wheel or a central M/G connected to the drivetrain through a gearbox. In a hybrid, the motor/generator could be an individual component that is driven by an accessory belt from the engine (much like an alternator on a conventional vehiclethis is how the GM BAS system works), it could be a pancake M/G that is bolted between the engine and transmission (this is the most common setupthe Prius, for example), or it could be multiple M/Gs mounted inside the transmission (this is how the two-modes work). In any case, the M/G has to be able to propel the vehicle as well as be driven by the vehicle in regen mode. Propelling the Vehicle with the M/G Most, if not all, hybrids and electrics use an electronic throttle control system. When the throttle pedal is pushed, a signal is sent to the onboard computer, which further activates a relay in the controller that will send battery current through an inverter/converter to the M/G causing the vehicle to move. The harder the pedal is pushed, the more current flows under the direction of a variable resistance controller and the faster the vehicle goes. In a hybrid, depending upon load, battery state-of-charge and the design of the hybrid drivetrain, a heavy throttle will also activate the internal combustion engine (ICE) for more power. Conversely, lifting slightly on the throttle will decrease current flow to the motor and the vehicle will slow down. Lifting further or completely off the throttle will cause the current to switch direction - moving the M/G from motor mode to generator mode - and begin the regenerative braking process. Regenerative Braking: Slowing the Vehicle and Generating Electricity This is really what the regen mode is all about. With the electronic throttle closed and the vehicle still moving, all of its kinetic energy can be captured to both slow the vehicle and recharge its battery. As the onboard computer signals the battery to stop sending electricity (via the controller relay) and start receiving it (through a charge controller), the M/G simultaneously stops receiving electricity for powering the vehicle and starts sending current back to the battery for charging. Remember from our discussion on electromagnetism and motor/generator action: when an M/G is supplied with electricity it makes mechanical power, when its supplied with mechanical power, it makes electricity. But how does generating electricity slow the vehicle? Friction. Its the enemy of motion. The armature of the M/G is slowed by the force of inducing current in the windings as it passes over the opposing poles of the magnets in the stator (its constantly battling the push/pull of the opposing polarities). It is this magnetic friction that slowly saps the vehicles kinetic energy and helps scrub off speed.

Definition and Examples of Narrative Climax

Definition and Examples of Narrative Climax In a narrative (within an essay, short story, novel, film, or play), a climax is the turning point in the action (also known as the crisis) and/or the highest point of interest or excitement. Adjective: climactic. In its simplest form, the classical structure of a narrative can be described as rising action, climax, falling action- known in journalism as BME (beginning, middle, end). EtymologyFrom the Greek, ladder. Examples and Observations The Climax of E.B. Whites Essay Once More to the LakeOne afternoon while we were there at that lake a thunderstorm came up. It was like the revival of an old melodrama that I had seen long ago with childish awe. The second-act climax of the drama of the electrical disturbance over a lake in America had not changed in any important respect. This was the big scene, still the big scene. The whole thing was so familiar, the first feeling of oppression and heat and a general air around camp of not wanting to go very far away. In mid-afternoon (it was all the same) a curious darkening of the sky, and a lull in everything that had made life tick; and then the way the boats suddenly swung the other way at their moorings with the coming of a breeze out of the new quarter, and the premonitory rumble. Then the kettle drum, then the snare, then the bass drum and cymbals, then crackling light against the dark, and the gods grinning and licking their chops in the hills. Afterward the calm, the rai n steadily rustling in the calm lake, the return of light and hope and spirits, and the campers running out in joy and relief to go swimming in the rain, their bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke about how they were getting simply drenched, and the children screaming with delight at the new sensation of bathing in the rain, and the joke about getting drenched linking the generations in a strong indestructible chain. And the comedian who waded in carrying an umbrella.When the others went swimming my son said he was going in too. He pulled  his dripping trunks  from the line where they had hung all through the shower, and wrung them out. Languidly, and with no thought of going in, I watched him, his hard little body, skinny and bare,  saw him wince slightly as he pulled up around his vitals the small, soggy, icy garment. As he buckled the swollen belt, suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.(E.B. White, Once More to the Lake. Essays of E.B. White, 1941. Rpt.  Harpe r Row, 1977) Climaxes in AnecdotesAnecdotes are really miniature stories with all the appurtenances of same. They must lay the groundwork so the reader can follow the action. They must introduce characters with clear objectives, then show the characters striving toward those objectives. They usually have conflict. They move toward a climax, then usually have a denouement, just like a short story. And they have to be structured; the raw material from which theyre built is seldom in final form when you get it. Warning: Structuring does not mean changing facts, it means perhaps rearranging their order, cutting nonessentials, emphasizing the quotes or actions that drive home the point.(Andrà © Fontaine and William A. Glavin, The Art of Writing Nonfiction, 2nd ed. Syracuse University  Press, 1991)Climaxes in Nonfiction- My nature essays have . . . been fairly conventional to date. Every essay has some sort of hook to catch the readers attention in the opening . . .; consists of a beginning, middle, and end; includes significant amounts of natural history information; moves toward some discernible climax, which can take the form of a revelation, an image, a rhetorical question, or some other closing device . . .; and strives at all times to keep the personal presence of the narrator in the foreground.(John A. Murray, Writing About Nature: A Creative Guide, revised ed. University  of New Mexico Press, 1995)- The essay, unlike the article, is inconclusive. It plays with ideas, juxtaposing them, trying them out, discarding some ideas on the way, following others to their logical conclusion. In the celebrated climax of his essay on cannibalism, Montaigne forces himself to admit that had he himself grown up among cannibals, he would in all likelihood have become a cannibal himself.(Thomas H. Eriksen, Engaging Anthropology: The Case for a Public Presence. Berg Publishers, 2006) Ayn Rand on the Climax in a Nonfiction ArticleThe climax in a nonfiction article is the point at which you demonstrate what you set out to demonstrate. It might require a single paragraph or several pages. There are no rules here. But in preparing the outline, you must keep in mind where you start from (i.e., your subject) and where you want to go (i.e., your theme- the conclusion you want your reader to reach). These two terminal points determine how you will get from one to the other. In good fiction, the  climax- which you must know in advance- determines what events you need in order to bring the story to that point. In  nonfiction  too, your conclusion gives you a lead to the steps needed to bring the reader to the  climax.The guiding question in this process is: What does the reader need to know in order to agree with the conclusion? That determines what to include. Select the essentials of what you need in order to convince the reader- keeping in mind the context of yo ur subject.(Ayn Rand,  The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers, 1958.  NAL, 2000) Charlie Chaplin on Comic ClimaxesBesides [Douglas] Fairbanks pool one day, the playwright Charles MacArthur, who had lately been lured from Broadway to write a screenplay, was bemoaning the fact that he was finding it difficult  to write visual jokes.Whats the problem? asked [Charlie] Chaplin.How, for example, could I make a fat lady, walking down Fifth Avenue, slip on a banana peel and still get a laugh? It’s been done a million times, said MacArthur. Whats the best way to get the laugh? Do I show first the banana peel, then the fat lady approaching; then she slips? Or do I show the fat lady first, then the banana peel, and then she slips?Neither, said Chaplin without a moments hesitation. You show the fat lady approaching; then you show the banana peel; then you show the fat lady and the banana peel together; then she steps over the banana peel and disappears down a manhole.†(David Niven, Bring on the Empty Horses. G.P. Putnams Sons, 1975) Pronunciation: KLI-max

Obligations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Obligations - Case Study Example In five different examples we shall try to explain complexity of issues that they cover. According to US Senate "obligation is an order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period." (US Senate reference glossary) Bravo Shearing Ltd (BSL) are manufacturers of tube cutting machinery and have advised in Tube World their latest tube shear at 980.000 Laurel and Hardy Ltd (LH) are manufacturers of welded stainless steel tubing and on seeing the advertisement request further information from BSL, who send a brochure complete with price list. On the price list the shear is listed is listed at 900.000. L&H dispatch a letter stating that they wish to purchase the shear for the list price. BSL have now contacted L&H and advised them that the price in the list is incorrect and that the correct price is 980.000 L&H insist that they have a contract at 900.000 Commercial ads are not considered valid offers, same as general price lists. Obligational offer is document which is obligational for the seller of the product. "There are also obligations in other normative contexts, such as obligations of etiquette, social obligations, and possibly the obligation to spell words correctly" (Law Dictionary and Research guide). On the other hand, if price list is sent specifically on request of potential customer requesting the offer for specific product, than it can be considered as valid offer, and at that moment mailer of the offer or price list has become obligatory document. Therefore, L&H has right to buy tube shear for 900.000 EXAMPLE 2 Dispute L&H have made an offer to PW Metals for the sale of 500 lengths of tube at a price of 1.85/meter. PW Metals have faxed back asking if L&H "may accept a price of 1.80/meter."L&H did not respond, and a week later sold the material to Premier Ltd. PW Metals have now contacted L&H requesting a delivery date for the tubes. Solution PW Metals are right when claiming that they have valid contract for delivery of 500 lengths of tube at price of 1.85/meter, unless that date of validity expiration has been clearly stated on the offer that has been sent by L&H, AND that validity period has expired on the moment when PW requested delivery date for the tubes. The fact that PW Metals asked for price reduction does not have any effect on the validity of previous offer. EXAMPLE 3 Dispute L&H have made an offer by fax machine for 100 lengths of tube to Whitehouse Stockings Ltd (WSL) at 2.30 pm on Monday, 19th of November. After consideration WSL decide to take up the offer and fax back an acceptance at 5.12 pm on the same day, and place a copy of the acceptance in the post that night. Unknown to the either party the fax acceptance falls down a gap in the desk behind the fax machine and is not seen by anyone at L&H. The following morning L&H sell the 100 lengths to Pentagon Steel and there will be no replacements available for several months. At 10 am the post is opened at L&H and they notice the acceptance, upon which they advise WSL of what has happened. WSL claim that they

Court Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Court Observation - Essay Example In the year 1978, five boys were reported missing and were presumed dead. The suspects that were captured at the time, Lee Evans and his cousin, Philander Hampton could not be held due to the absence of credible evidence. However, as time went by, the court found something to link Lee with the murders of the five teens. The issue that arose during the case was the linking of Lee to all the murders (Henry, p. 20). Questions as to why he would do such an act were asked. The public was very interested in the closure of the case. To this day, the bodies of the teens have not been recovered. Families of the deceased are appealing to the accused to disclose the location of the bodies. This is to allow them to be at peace and have the ability to let go of the memory of their lost ones. Facts reveal that Lee Evans and his cousin led the teens into a vacant house, put them in a closet, poured gasoline and lit it. They then left. It is believed that the teens were forced to the abandoned house at gun point (Henry, p. 22). First, three were taken by Lee then two followed later. When asked the reason he was doing this by his cousin, Lee said it was payback since the boys had stolen his marijuana. The case came to a close as the jury found Philander Hampton guilty of the five counts of murder. This is because he had pleaded guilty to the charges. The case had gone cold and had been put under missing persons. A confession from Hampton helped law enforcement agencies to start the case again. This time they had a witness. Lee Evans still has not pleaded guilty to these charges (Henry, p. 23). There was a plea made by Lee’s defence for a mistrial but the judge, Patricia Costello, denied the motion for the mistrial. If the case was considered a mistrial, then the case would have to start all over again. Beside Hampton, Lee Evans is the only other person who truly knows what happened. This means that the prosecution is heavily reliant on his account of what happened. Since the fire destroyed the credible evidence, the prosecutors have nothing else to go by. Lee’s defence asked the witness why he did not stop the accused from doing what he allegedly did. The answer Hampton gave was that he did not know Lee was going to do it (Henry, 25). He is the one who allegedly gave Lee the matches to use to set the place on fire. The prosecution in this case has a hard time since the evidence produced by their only witness is being questioned. With his tenth grade education, Hampton seemed confused with the account of what actually happened. Hampton, in his testimony, claims he fled from the scene of the crime before it was set on fire. He explained to the jurors in the case how the accused, Lee Evans, led the victims into the deserted building and carried out the actions (Millman, p. 15). Lee acted as his own defence at the beginning but later on, he decided to involve a public defender. The credibility of the key witness was also questioned. This was bec ause of his past criminal record. He had been arrested on several occasions and charged with drug possession. He was also charged with shoplifting. The defence thinks that Hampton was coerced into agreeing to testify against his cousin. They also think that if he is the key witness, why did he have to wait this long to decide to testify (Millman, p. 25). As a witness, Hampton had a lot on his plate. Family members claim that they suspected Lee Evans from the start. This is because, at the time of the

Introduction to Organizational Politics Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Organizational Politics Essay This piece consists heavily of quotations from and adaptations of material from several sources (see references at the end). There still may be some unreferenced quotations because I have lost track of their genesis over many years of moving content through various notes. I dont claim originality, other than the choice and organizing of material Rex Mitchell. Pfeffer (1992, p. 30) defined politics as the processes, the actions, the behaviors through which potential power is utilized and realized. Another author (Dubrin, 2001 , p. 92) defined organizational politics as informal approaches to gaining power through means other than merit or luck. It could be argued that politics are used primarily to achieve power, either directly or indirectly, e. g. , by being promoted, receiving a larger budget or other resources, or gaining desirable assignments. Many people regard organizational politics as something negative (e. g. , pursuing selflnterests at the expense of others) and something to be minimized. Consequently, although most people know that organizational politics are common, they avoid saying so when it concerns one=s own ehavior. It is more common to talk about politics when complaining about a loss to a friend than it is in the context of ones own political maneuvering. When we win on an issue, we call it leadership; when we lose, we call it politics. In many organizations, politics is a taboo subject, which makes it difficult for individuals to deal with this crucially important aspect of organizational reality. I believe a leader must skillfully use organizational politics to acquire and retain power and to accomplish major goals. Therefore, it would be a mistake to pretend that politics does not exist or to antasize that a leader can be effective without appropriate (and ethical, I would add) use of politics. As Pericles wrote over 2500 years ago, Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesnt mean politics wont take an interest in you. I regard organizational politics as neither good nor bad, per se, although it is important for us to distinguish between ethical and unethical political behavior.

Child Observation Report Essay -- Adolescent Behavior

Confidential Material Detailed report of five observations. The names used in this Observation Report are fictitious. This is absolutely necessary to protect the privacy of the children being observed. Observation #1: Ron and aggression Date and time: Wednesday April 16, 2014; 11:25-12:50 Setting: Playground for 1st/2nd grade recess 11:25-11:50, 3rd/4th grade 11:55-12:20, Kindergarten recess 12:25-12:50 Activities observed: Children climbing across the climbing rings, watching children pretend play at the tire mountain and under the large wooden play structure with the blue plastic slide. My interaction with the children: I spent a lot of time answering questions about my name and where I am from for the children. Example A: There was one child named â€Å"Ron† on the first recess who was racing across the rings with another child, lost the race and fell to the ground. He then started to cry and called himself a loser. I pulled him aside to try to talk to him to find out what was wrong. He kept telling me that he was a loser because he didn’t win the race and he never wins, and that â€Å"all my friends think I am a loser because I cry all the time. They make fun of me because I cry. They beat me up. I am a loser.† I tried to reassure him and tell him I did not think he was a loser. I explained how I thought one of the reasons he lost the race was because he had been climbing across the rings for most of recess was tired from racing. He continued to cry even after his friends came over and tried to get him to play. He just sat in the sand sobbing, so I tried to tell him that his friends came over and asked him to play so it did not appear that they think he is a loser. He said they would beat him up. I tried to get him to go and see if they would play; initially, he refused to interact with his friends but then he got up and tried to find his friends. He searched for a few minutes and when he could not find them he started crying again and walked away from me. Date and time: Monday, April 21, 2014; 11:25-12:50 Setting: Playground for 1st/2nd grade recess 11:25-11:50, 3rd/4th grade 11:55-12:20, Kindergarten recess 12:25-12:50 Activities observed: Chi... ...g & Homer, Bruce. (1999). Children as folk psychologists: The developing understanding of the mind. In A. Slater & D. Muir (Eds.), The Blackwell reader in Developmental Psychology (pp. 228-252). Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers. Pepler, Debra, Craig, Wendy M., & O’Connell, Paul. (1999). Understanding bullying from a dynamics systems perspective. In A. Slater & D. Muir (Eds.), The Blackwell reader in Developmental Psychology (pp. 440-451). Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers. Putallaz, Martha, & Wasserman, Aviva. (1990). Children’s entry behavior. In S.R. Asher & J. D. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 60-76). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Rubin, Kenneth H., Burgess, Kim B., Coplan, Robert, J. (2002). Social withdrawal and shyness. In P. K. Smith & C.H. Hart (Eds.). Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development (pp. 329-352). Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers. Seifert, Kelvin L., Hoffnung, Robert J., & Hoffnung, Michele. (1997). Play. In Lifespan Development (pp. 221-228). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Shaffer, David R. (2000). Social & Personality Development (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth: Thomas Learning.