Thomas Hobbes vs. Immanuel Kant free essay sample

â€Å"Everyone is governed by his own reason, and there is nothing he can make use of that may not be a help unto him in preserving his life against his enemies (Hobbes, 120). † Thomas Hobbes, who is a considered a rational egoist, makes this point in his book Leviathan. Hobbes believes that the means of person’s actions can only be amounted to how it ultimately affects that person. Our moral duties that we perform in the end, all stem from self-interest, rather than being justified as morally right or wrong. Hobbes states that our desires pit us against one another, and the only way to protect our self-interests is to create a common power that protects the people who consent to it. Hobbes begins by describing society as being in a â€Å"state of nature†, or a constant power struggle. All resources are limited, so when people want the same means to an end they are in competition with one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas Hobbes vs. Immanuel Kant or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page People are all equally equipped, with a skill set so to speak, that aids them in their endeavor to defeat others with the same purpose. This continuing competition between people is only offset by our passion to sustain peace, maintain life, and acquire commodities necessary for survival, which ultimately supports Hobbes’ theory that people only act out of self-interest. This condition of peaces or liberty from endless turmoil is only met when there is a common power that people agree to follow. Without common power, everyone acting out of self-interest creates a world he describes as, â€Å"no place for industry†¦no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short (Hobbes, 118). † To support this idea, Hobbes employs the use of contracts, and natural laws. In his first Natural Law he states to â€Å"seek peace and follow it (Hobbes, 120)†, meaning life is all about self-preservation, and we must do what is necessary to retain it. This leads to his second law that states, a person must defend themselves by any means and by doing so we act out of self-interest. Thus, to remove society from this state of nature people must consent to covenants governed by Leviathan, which facilitates the performance of the contracts. For this to work properly each person must give up some rights to an authority. So if one person breaks a contract; lets say people agreed not to steal from one nother, the Leviathan has the power to discipline the person by endangering their way of life, or even by death. And therefore not keeping a covenant is harmful to our self-interest because â€Å" we are forbidden to do anything destructive to our life, and consequently this is a law of nature (Hobbes, 124). † Hobbes believes that man act based on self-interest motivated by two ideas. Fear, which, â€Å"makes natural man want to escape state of nature and reason, shows him how to escape (Hobbes, 122). Using these two ideas if a person does not act out of self-interest to preserve themselves through a contract, or follow a covenant we form with others ultimately everyone that is governed by that third party will not want you to be apart of the society they have formed. This will result in a person being placed back into a state of nature. 25 PART 2: Immanuel Kant When Thomas Hobbes states that â€Å"our moral duties must provide each of us with excellent reasons to obey them, and that these reasons must ultimately stem from self-interest (Hobbes, 115). He fails to account that our actions posses moral worth solely when they are motivated by the good will. Immanuel Kant argues that our moral acts are only done apart from our gains in the end. Its to say if everyone acted out of self-interest, committing murder because of the fear of being toppled from the top would be morally right. â€Å"A human being however is not a thing and hence not something that can be used merely as a means, but in all his actions always be regarded as an end in itself (Kant, 113). † It is our inclination, not duty, to commit acts based on self-interest or self-preservation. Therefore using anything at your disposal as a means would have no moral worth. â€Å"It is not enough that the action does not conflict with humanity in our person as an ends in itself; it must also harmonize with it†(Kant, 113). People must act not according inclinations or rules, but it involves performing acts that have no gains for us, and that is the only way to preserve humanity. Although Kant agrees with Hobbes that a state of nature does exist without proper authority, he counters, saying it does not exist because everyone is acting out of duty. Stating self-interest is the motivation for our actions and ultimate end conflicts with the principle of forming a covenant to protect our self-interests. We would still be in a state of nature, due the â€Å"fool† who does not obey his covenant. Thusly, making a covenant out of self-interest can lead to people in society breaking this contract or making empty promises, as a result of later gains they may receive by not abiding. Instead, when acting out of duty â€Å"I must reflect carefully whether this lie (broken covenant) may later give rise to much greater inconvenience (Kant, 107),† which ultimately can harm our inclination to self-preserve. Before one can act they must ask the question would they want others to act in that manner? This sets a maxim for each individual to follow, so a covenant is formed that society will not break because it our duty, and acting out of from this principle conforms to good will. The only way for society to not be in a state of nature is for everyone to be socially conscious. No one wants to be in conflict with each other and in a constant power struggle, people acting out of duty, even if calls for actions that have no means or gains to oneself is the only maintain contract. Acting out of self-interest creates turmoil, and only through good will can people conform to their duties and feel a sense of moral worth through their actions. 20 PART 3: Thomas Hobbes Hobbes over comes Kant’s criticism that people should act out of good will by arguing that people never act purely with altruistic motives. If society as a whole acted based on what actions have moral worth, and had no means to an end, society could never prosper. People are instinctively always looking to better themselves and Kant can agree, â€Å"Persevering one’s life is a duty (Kant, 105)†. As our duty, whether it is morally right or wrong we must do what is necessary. This agrees with Kant’s idea that if everyone’s maxim agrees to self-preserve, it is ultimately a universal law to act out of ones self-interest to do so, in the end contradicting his idea that we must exclusively act out of moral goodness. Kant also states that good will must be good in itself, but does not define what is truly morally good or bad. If a person is a volunteer firefighter, Kant can say that this person is acting out of self-interest (feel good about helping others), so his actions have no moral worth. By stating this he claims that people in society acting with conformity to their duties rather than from duty alone have no moral value, therefore their actions cannot be just or unjust. This idea in itself is flawed, because people’s actions whether they are of self-interest or good will can be seen as morally right or wrong, because they serve to better the covenant, which they consented to. Hobbes dismisses Kant’s idea that a covenant formed from self-interest will ultimately be broken by people who seek gains by not following it, or who do not consent to the societal agreements by simply stating, those â€Å"fools† will have no part in that society. Acting out of self-interest better preserves a covenant because when we do not follow this principle we are no longer socially accountable. Therefore, through the fear of hurting our fundamental duty to self-preserve by any means possible and reason we consent to maintain our covenant. 23 PART 4: Immanuel Kant While Hobbes addresses that acting out of good will leads to a society that cannot prosper, he is wrong because if society as a whole is working together and acting out duties based on good will, there will be no continual struggle for power (motivated by self-interest) allowing the covenant of man to prosper as a whole. This will eliminate the individualism and personal self-motives of man that can hold back society from making gains aimed at the whole. Hobbs misunderstood the nature of the maxim, when he states that it is solely motivated by self-interest. In regards to the idea that all men should act out of goodwill, this leaves only one viable option for a true maxim. That maxim is the only choice that disregards means to an end. With this in mind no choice for or against our moral self-interest but for the duty of acting on good will. In Hobbs statement he leaves much to be desired in the definition what serves as goodwill. When a covenant is formed from self-interest, members seeking internal justification will slowly pollute and over destroy the covenant as a whole. The only way to maintain authority among men is to work without regard to personal goals and aspiration and only out of goodwill, which conforms to duty.

Kamala Das Essays

Kamala Das Essays Kamala Das Essay Kamala Das Essay Programme: MEG Course Code: MEG-07 Dear Student, You will have one assignment for the Masters Degree in English MEG-07), which will be a Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) and will carry 100 marks. It will be based on blocks I to 8. Aims: This assignment is concerned mainly with assessing your application and your understanding of the course material. You are not required to reproduce chunks of information from the course material but to use the skills of critical appreciation that you may have acquired during the course of study. This assignment aims to teach as well as to assess your performance. Instructions: Before attempting the questions please read the following instructions carefully. . Read the detailed instructions about the assignments given in the Programme Guide for Elective Courses. 2. Write your Enrolment Number, Name, Full Address and Date on the top right corner of 3. the first page ofyour response sheet(s). Write the Course Title, Assignment Numbe r and the Name of the Study Centre you are attached to in the centre ofthe first page ofyour response sheet (s). The top of the first page of your response sheet should look like this: Enrollment No. : .. Name: Address: Course Title: Assignment No. : Studv Centre: Date: 4. Use only foolscap size paper for your response and tag all the Pages carefully. 5. Write the relevant question number with each answer. 6. You should write in your own handwriting. 7. Submission: The completed assignment should be sent to the Coordinator of the Study Centre allotted to you by 31st Nlarch, 2013 (for July, 2012 session) and 30th Sept 2013 (for January 2013 session). Please read the instructions given in the Programme Guide. Now read the following guidelines carefully before answering questions. 1 46 GUIDELINES FOR TMAS You will find it useful to keep the following points in mind: t. lanning: Read the questions carefully. Go through the units on which they are based. Make some points regarding each question and then rearrange these in a logical order. And please write the answers in your own words. Do not reproduce passages from the units. outline 2. Organisation: Be a little more selective and analyic before drawing up a rough of your answer. In an essay-type question, give adequate attention to your introduction and and conclusion. The introduction must offer your brief interpretation of the question how your propose to develop it. The conclusion must summarise your response to the question. In the course of your answer, you may like to make references to other texts or critics as this will add some depth to your analysis. Make sure that your answer: a) is logical and coherent; b) has clear connections befween sentences and paragraphs; c) is written d) correctly giving adequate consideration to your expression, style and presentation; does not exceed the number of words indicated in your question. 3. presentation: Once you are satisfied with your answers, you can write down the final ersion for submission, writing each answer neatly and underlining the points you wish to emphasize. You may be aware that you need to submit your assignments before you can appear for the Term End Exams. Please remember to keep a copy of your completed assignment just in case the one you submitteil is lost in transit. Good luck with your work! precondition of permission of appearing in examination. you have not submitted the assign ment in time you will not be allowed to appear in examinution. If 36 ^L MEG-07: INDIAN ENGLISH LITERATURE ASSIGNMENT (Based on Blocks 1-8) Programme: Mf,G Assignment Code: MBG -7 ITN{A 2012-2013 Maximum Marks: 100 From among the following non-fiction passages enunciate Two writers ideas of Indian culture and tradition. (250 words each) (10) (i) Swami Vivekanandas Welcome. addresses at the Parliament of Religions Response (ii) Sri Aurobindos, Is India Civilized? (iii)Anand Commaraswamys The Dance of Shiva. Write down the plot of (Jntouchable. (450 words) Discuss Midnights Children as a landmark in the history of Indian Novel in English (450 4. 5. 2. -t (10) words) ) (10) (10) Critique any one short story of a woman writer prescribed in your course. 450 words Discuss any two poets of the Indian English poetry in your course justifuing your liking for them (500 words) 6. 1. (10) (10) Discuss the themes inDattanis Tara. Annotate the following in 250 words each (5X5 = 25) (i) (ii) Why hangst thou lonely on yon withered bough? Unstrung for ever, must thou there remain; Thy music once was swegt- who hears it now? Life, death, -death, life; the words have lead for ages Our thought and consciousness and firmly seemed Two opposites; but now long-hidden pages Are opened, liberating truths undreamed. Life only is, or death is life disguised, Life a short death until by life we are surprised I grew in terror ofthe strong But undernourished Hindu lads, Their preposition always wrong, Repelled me by passiviry. One noise day I used a knife (iii) (iv) Be Amy, or be Kamala. Or, better Still, be Madhavikutty. It is time to Choose a name, a role. Dont play pretending games. 36 al (v) . -8. he popped a stone in his mouth and spat out gods. Write short notes (250 words each) on the following: (1s) (i) (ii) (iii) Structure of Clear Light of DaY Element of romanticism in the early English poetry Stagecraft ofTara. ; q( 3e

Proposal #1 Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

#1 - Research Proposal Example Natural oils- linseed, tung, and fish were used as binders until the 1960’s (Schuerman George and Bruzan Raymond 327). Currently, alkyd resins, vinyl and acrylic emulsions, epoxy resins and polyurethanes are the primary binders used in paints. Solvent chosen must be one in which the binder is soluble in and dries evenly. Most emulsion paints use water as the solvent while resin-based paints employ the use of mineral turpentine as the solvent. Pigments are finely divided, and insoluble powders dispersed in the paint that not only give paint its opacity and color, but also help to hold the paint together as well as protect the surface underneath from corrosion and weathering. Inorganic and organic substances are used as pigments with the inorganic ones being cheaper but with fewer clear colors. The tiny solid particles of pigments (≠¤ 1 µm in diameter) enables them to refract light (light has wavelengths between 0.4 µm and

Motivation and how management can use it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Motivation and how management can use it - Essay Example The late Marvin Bower, who transformed McKinsey & Co. into one of the best management consulting firms in the world, said that the "ability to inspire and require workers to be their best is the greatest resource of any business, and that the rewards for doing so include growth for the business itself, and growth in competitive position, size, and profits" (Edersheim, 2004, p. 65). Much literature about theories of motivation and work relate to the subject of inspiring employees to be their best (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Ambrose and Kulik, 1999). This paper explores how managers can use theories of motivating employees to make the workplace better, more profitable, and efficient. A manager's job is to get things done through their employees, so knowing how to motivate employees is always a challenge that has never been easy and is not getting any easier. Many changes driven by worldwide social and economic forces are happening in the workplace and in the workers themselves. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s and the globalization of businesses are transforming corporations - public and private, large and small - in a radical way (Stiglitz, 2002). Global competition and the rise of democracy are pressuring companies to be more competitive, agile, and lean, changing the nature of organizational structures and the relationships between managers and workers (Micklethwait & Wooldridge, 2000). Another change agent is the progress of information and communications technology, especially the Internet and mobile computing, which has altered the nature of communication within the organization and the quality of the workforce. Workers are more educated and knowledgeable, able to gain quick access to information and perform knowledge-based tasks in an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration (Heerwagen, Kelly, & Kampshroer, 2005). As the workplace structure and the workers themselves change, management faces the problem posed by Gerstner (2002) after a successful ten-year effort to bring IBM Corporation out of a crisis: How do you pull the levers of motivation to change the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of a population Of course, different people are motivated by different things. Some by money. Some by advancement. Some by recognition. For some, the most effective motivation is fear - or anger. For others, that doesn't (sic) work; it's learning, or the opportunity to make an impact, to see their efforts produce concrete results. Most people can be roused by the threat of extinction. And most can be inspired by a compelling vision of the future. Over the past ten years, I've pulled most of those levers (p. 203). Effectively changing the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of workers demands that a manager knows what levers of motivation to pull in the first place. Theories, Concepts, and Practices Much research has been done to identify empirically-proven theories and methods that managers can use to motivate their

Intelligence Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Intelligence Analysis - Assignment Example Revelations have been put forward by experts amidst the lack of evidence to prove it. They have only been major suspicions with no supportive evidence. In the midst of these allegations, the western media has built up pressure by its view on Iran. A mock US aircraft carrier has been the source of media frenzy in the West with claims that its purpose was to initiate â€Å"black propaganda† and a means to signify mistrust. On the other hand, Iranian media clarified what it was stating that it was just a movie prop. In the continuing face of the ongoing negotiation over Iran’s contentious nuclear program, allegations that have long been running under have come into the limelight. The allegations are that Iran is a major player in the acts of terrorism targeting Western nations. However, analysts say that it has never gotten much of the U.S. government’s attention at all. The issue is quite intriguing as the two, Iran and terrorists are deemed enemies, but on the other hand, in the eyes of the West, terrorism provides a platform for the two to work in association. These allegations have been put forward by the 9/11 investigating commission, Canadian investigators with the commission recommending that the U.S. government investigates further the ties between Iran and al –Qaida and the investigators alleging that two men involved with plans to derail a train had been receiving guidance for al – Qaida members in Iran. All these have been allegations. However, the only U. S. government to present a concrete case linking Iran to terrorism is the Treasury Department that connected an Iran – based terrorist as a main al – Qaida facilitator (Seldin, Iran’s Ties To Terror Shadow Nuclear Talks). As for the manner in which Western media views Iran, Iran is portrayed in a negative manner. CNN claimed that the mock carrier been built Iran is been done intentionally at a time when negotiations are ongoing over

Morally Ambiguous Characters in Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishmen

Often times in literature, we are presented with quintessential characters that are all placed into the conventional categories of either good or bad. In these pieces, we are usually able to differentiate the characters and discover their true intentions from reading only a few chapters. However, in some remarkable pieces of work, authors create characters that are so realistic and so complex that we are unable to distinguish them as purely good or evil. In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky develops the morally ambiguous characters of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov to provide us with an interesting read and to give us a chance to evaluate each character. Svidrigailov is one of the most unfathomable characters in Crime and Punishment. As the novel goes on, Svidrigailov’s pursuit of Dunya progresses into sheer harassment. After eavesdropping on Raskolnikov’s confession to Sonya, he uses his newly acquired information to lure Dunya into his room. Svidrigailov proceeds to promise help to Raskolnikov if she will give him her hand in marriage. He then threatens to rape her when she tries to run away. Right when Svidrigailov appears to be purely evil, he surprises us all when his rational side kicks in and allows Dunya to leave. Although he may seem to be the cold-hearted villain of the book, his good deeds cannot go unnoticed. It cannot be forgotten that he is willing to give Dunya the three thousand rubbles in his wife’s will and offers ten thousand rubbles to help Dunya because he thinks her marriage will be a disadvantage to her in the end. Once Katerina Ivanonva dies, Svidrigailov also promises to pay for t he funeral arrangements and to provide for the children, who will be sent to an orphanage. Although... ...ing to compensate for them. As his guilt is almost done eating him inside and out, Raskolnikov finally admits and with a new love, he points his life in a whole new direction. Svidrigailov’s moral ambiguity seems to play a smaller part in the whole picture than Raskolnikov’s, making a subplot for the story and adding details to make it more exciting. If these characters were both purely evil, and had no guilt whatsoever, this would be simply a boring story of unhinged men. Adding both good and evil sides to an individual adds a little something extra to the story that distinguishes it from many other pieces of literature. Aside from adding to the storyline, these morally ambiguous characters give students a chance to practice their skill at analyzing characters and think for themselves, forming their own outlooks on the characters and the book as a whole.

The eminence of Candide is connected

Candide, the prognosis of Voltaire accomplished incredible goal and status. Candide achieved heroic tasks.   He always preferred to do ‘the right’, rather easy and enjoyable things. He was not following what everyone prefers to do.Though he liked what his metaphysics teacher Dr. Pangloss preached him; the usual ‘because’, ‘therefore’ ‘so’ explaining discourses. Though, Candide found it difficult to understand.The eminence of Candide is connected with relationship that man holds with his companions. Candide makes us sensitized to insights of human sufferings. He finds in his extensive journeys through Europe, Surinam, and Paraguay that journey with good companions is always reduces the burden of boredom.A hero looks for society in any ongoing public crisis that Candide looks for. A hero is more practical and looks for existential matters and gives less importance to metaphysical matters that Candide does. Candide is compensate, gen tle, discerning, and benevolent.â€Å"Candide† has established that practically everyone is a hero; this is well established more often by the emergence of â€Å"middle class† hero.The hero looks for overcoming dullness vice our work keeps at bay the three great evils: boredom that is dullness, vice, and needs or wants†. Candide the hero like to work for making life tolerable and manageable, not struggle to prove things.Candide passed through the disturbance near Portugal coast, then he got into the earthquake when he reached Lisbon, and was among plague epidemic in Algerian, he was not upset in theses tumultuous sufferings he passed through, a real hero exhibits such heroic courage.Candide choose to get into sufferings rather avoiding them for an easier path. Human beings are overwhelmed by jealousy, desire, greed, worry, concern, and fear than all the tribulations visited upon a citadel under siege, their Personal sorrow is grief harsher compared to the communi ty misery.Candide finds himself into many situations which expect him to be a hero. He is found making advances towards Cunegund and so was thrown out of Thunder-ten-tronckh castle. Then he bumps gets into captivity of Bulgarians, he selects to run gauntlet and then where he requests them to kill him. Only a hero can ask to be killed normal people are afraid of death and would suffer anything to live. Candide showed different attitude to Bulgarians.Candide passes through the misery of worst earthquake in Lisbon, and comes out unshaken of it, a hero. Another heroic action is Candide’s marries Cunegund to respect his promise though he is not interested in marrying her now.But a hero Candide marries Cunegund to respect his commitment.   Candide got threats from the â€Å"Inquisition and Jesuits† to jail him in Paris, Candide remained unruffled. Paris is the City of chaos, where all are searching for happiness that hardly any one finds. Candide has shown qualities of her o that are regarded heroic even today.