Kant’s Approach to Ethics and the Issue of Suicide Essay Example for Free

Kant’s Approach to Ethics and the Issue of Suicide Essay The Renowned German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was one of the most influential philosophers of the modern age, whose thought, with its emphasis on the subject, turned the wheels of western philosophy to a new synthesis of idealism and realism in the form of transcendentalism. His ethical theory, developed in his reputed book The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, has to be taken along with the spirit of philosophy that enshrines his three Critiques whenever one attempts a critique on ethical issues like suicide as a gesture of self-love. Body of the Essay (Can suicide be ethical? ) Kant holds the theory of intrinsic morality based on the autonomy of human will. Good is good by itself, and the right is right by itself. It doesn’t depend upon the consequences or effects of the action for a human action to be right or wrong. According to Kantian deontological theory of ethics, committing suicide is wrong and unacceptable from any perspective since it is an action that goes against the categorical imperative he proposed as the norm for ethical decisions. His Categorical Imperative runs thus: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. † (Wolf Robert Paul (ed) Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals: text and critical essays. 1969. p. 44). Each individual subject should decide for himself and act in such a way that he wills that his maxim should be a universal law. (Wolf, p. 21). Let us now take up the issue of suicide. Suicide may be a personally-decided act, on selfish reasons, emotions or recommendations from physical situations (as in the case of euthanasia). In whatever respects it may be, it goes against the Categorical Imperative, and hence, it is inherently or intrinsically wrong to commit it. Kant argues that committing suicide out of self-love is contrary to the categorical imperative because there is a contradiction in a system of nature, whose law would be to destroy life by the feeling whose special office is to impel the improvement of life. (Wolf, p. 45). Rather he thinks that the destruction of life is incompatible with its improvement and that nature always chooses organs adapted to their purpose (p. 13), so that nature couldnt (or wouldnt? ) allow self-love to be used in a way contrary to its purpose which is improvement and nurture of life. In accordance with Kant’s intrinsic morality, the categorical imperative also supports a Practical Imperative, that one has to act so that one treats humanity, whether in his own person or in that of another, always as an end in itself and never as a means only. (Wolf, p. 54). One has to respect and support one’s life because of the dignity implied within. By dignity, he means, unconditional and incomparable worth (Wolf, p. 61). Kant supports this theory with his theory of incommensurability, which holds that moral virtue is infinitely better than anything else. From the perspective of human dignity as well, suicide seems to be an unbecoming action for humans. Conclusion For Kant, reason holds the supreme position (as elaborated in Critique of Pure Reason), and ethics as science, is not rooted in religion or metaphysics, but rather on the inherent worth of existence. Hence, suicide is an unacceptable mode of action even from the perspective of self-love. Love nourishes and does rarely destroy. And even when a bit of destruction is involved, it is only to nurture better that it destroys. Suicide is total destruction without nurture and thus contradicts the very nature of self-love. References Gregory, Mary (ed)(1998) Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. New York: Cambridge University Press Henson, Richards (1979). What Kant Might Have Said: Moral Worth and the Over-determination of Dutiful Action†, in Phil. Review, January, 1979, pp. 39-54). Smith, Norman Kemp (trans. ) (1965) Critique of Pure Reason. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Wolf, Robert Paul (ed. ) (1969) Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals: text and critical essays. trans. , by Lewis White Beck. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.

Stress Reduction - Music is the Best Medicine Essay -- Research Essays

Stress Reduction - Music is the Best Medicine Stress is something that I never really came across until college. In high school nothing really mattered to me, I was a very happy go lucky stress free child. I think I really took high school for granted though, I don’t think I took the time to sit down and think about my responsibilities and how they may affect my future. Instead I spent most of my time going out with friends after school and not coming home until late. My weekends were spent mostly drinking and sleeping. I guess I never had time for stress. I was always to busy having fun being a kid. As senior year came along I started dating my current girlfriend. She, unlike I, was very studious, had good grades, and was not much of a, â€Å"party on the weekend’s,† type of girl. I began to take plenty interest in her and we started hanging out a lot, almost to the point where I’d rarely ever see my friends. I began taking a lot more interest in my school work and even ran for student coun cil. As senior year went on I found my self getting much better grades than I had in the past, and I was starting to feel better about myself. I rarely drank on the weekends anymore and usually stayed in on school nights to do my homework. I also started to feel overwhelmed. It was a weird feeling like none other I felt before. This feeling was indeed stress. I started college in august of 2001. Ever since my first week here at IUP I’ve always felt stress; I can’t remember a time I haven’t. Living in the dorm was stressful enough not including classes, but it was also what gave me my chance to use my medicine, â€Å"music†. I found that every time I was stressed I could go to my computer and download a few songs, it was great. I pl... ...u can conclude that your hypothesis does in fact exist. College kids use music as an escape from reality because it makes them feel happy while in times of great physical and emotional stress. That’s definitely what I found out. I used the survey, interview and personal experience to help me prove this. Now, this is not to say that other things could not have been done. I could of used a experiment or a case study as well, which may have deemed different results. Of course my subjects were very limited being 10 but I also could have used larger amount of people. Maybe what I need to do now is research one of the facts I learned in order to narrow my thesis. The possibilities are endless; it’s all a matter of how interested I am in the subject to prove better, more accurate results, and also be able to see who else is prescribed to my musical stress medicine.

Argumentative Essay: A Change in Education System Essay

The Philippines educational system is undergoing a big change which follows the international educational system. The K-12 system is the system used by the United States and other countries. The K-12 system is started by the Aquino Administration. The government will add two year plus Kindergarten. Many people think that implementing the program in the Philippines will be insignificant and unnecessary but others think that it would improve the country’s educational system and the country as a whole. I agree with the K-12 system that will help students embrace a better quality education and will give them more job opportunities, especially abroad. There are many arguments regarding the K-12 implementation. I have chosen 3 arguments to talk about. First, parents are not financially stabled. Money would hinder the implementation of the system. The parents would pay two more years for the education of their children. Their children would learn more and gain more knowledge for those additional two year of education. The  money that the parents pay will be put into good use for their children’s future. But the parents would be spending a lot more than they expected for good quality education. The parents are not prepared to pay for two more years of education. The plan of the administration was earlier than expected. And some parents are not happy with this plan because of financial problems. Second, improve the quality education we have in our country. The Philippines need good quality education because we have a poor education system. The K-12 system will help the country to have a higher standard of education the government can add more to the curriculum. The advancement of having an improved quality education would lead to an earlier success in a student’s life. It may take him/ her long to finish high school but he/ she gained more knowledge than the student’s who prepared in 10 years. The student would take longer to finish his/ her basic education but will be more prepared. It is enough that the student is prepared when reaching the age of 18 after finishing the K-12. Their minds will be mature enough to think better than what is expected of them if graduated at the age of 16. Lastly, prepare the student for work after graduating. Not all students who graduated will automatically be sent to a university for college. Some students prepare themselves to look for a job for the sake of having money to study in college while some are forced to work for the sake of helping the family. The students who have accomplished the 12 year system will automatically be recognized professionals because we are following the international education standard. This will be good for our country. But, the student has not accomplished his/ her schooling. He/ she needs to be sent off to college because completing all levels of education would mean a better job in or out of the country. A student can earn more if he/ she finishes college and finds a good job. Based on the arguments stated, either good or bad, the K-12 system has a good point. I agree that the parents will spend more money for good education but their money won’t be put into waste. Their children will experience good quality education that will good for their future. Of course  parents want what’s best for their children in the quality of education because one day, their children will be the ones assisting them when they grow old. The old education system is done for 10 years and it can stress a student’s life if the system should have been 12 years. We all know that some people have financial problems that they go to work after high school. 12 years is longer than the 10 year system but the graduate students of the K-12 will automatically be recognized professionals because we are following the international education standard. The K-12 system will help students get a better job abroad because of the quality education that follows the international education standard.

Nursing Standard Principl - 1326 Words

If you would like to contribute to the art and science section contact: Gwen Clarke, art and science editor, Nursing Standard, The Heights, 59-65 Lowlands Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex HA1 3AW. email: gwen.clarke@rcnpublishing.co.uk Accountability and responsibility: Principle of Nursing Practice B Scrivener R et al (2011) Accountability and responsibility: Principle of Nursing Practice B. Nursing Standard. 25, 29, 35-36. Date of acceptance: January 20 2011. Summary This is the third article in a nine-part series describing the Principles of Nursing Practice developed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in collaboration with patient and service organisations, the Department of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, nurses and†¦show more content†¦However, practitioners have reported that they associate accountability with retrospective justification of actions, particularly ‘as a way of apportioning or accepting blame’ (Savage and Moore 2004). This association with a blame mentality is damaging and leads to a negative interpretation of accountability and its application in protecting patients and supporting staff. One definition of accountability is offered by Caulfield (2005): ‘A wider view of accountability is that it is an inherent confidence as a professional that allows a nurse to take pride in being transparent about the way he or she has carried out their practice.’ This definition captures the positive dimension of accountability and places the emphasis on the development and demonstration of competence in practice. It applies equally to any member of the nursing team. Measuring accountability It is vital that each member of the nursing team can demonstrate accountability. This may be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, it is important that staff can show evidence of competence. Job descriptions should state the range of duties related to the role. This ensures that there is clarity about roles in a nursing team. Ongoing professional development is key to all staff development. Registered and non-registered staff benefit from the availability ofShow MoreRelatedQuality Improvement Initiatives And Performance Management Systems980 Words   |  4 Pageshealthcare provider’s responsibility of their work to being held accountable for their work, as well as the emphasis on a team atmosphere to improve accountability. Responsibility and accountability, while meaning different things, together are important in advancing the quality of healthcare. 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