Ethics Test Two

Posted: October 17th, 2013

Ethics Test Two

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Ethics Test Two

1. 1.                   

The term benevolence refers to, the state of being charitable. It encompasses an individual’s acts towards showing charity. The concept of animal rights brings the idea of giving animals the basic necessities that are accorded to human beings. Animal rights activist argue that animals should be perceived as non-human persons. This is to imply that they are to be viewed as members of the moral community and therefore they should not be use for clothing, food or experiments. Hubris is a term used to describe a person’s state of immersion in complete pride. The pride disconnects the individual from reality and they believe in an overestimated perception of their abilities. Euthanasia refers to, the intentional act of killing of an animal or human being in order to relieve them of pain and suffering. Compassion is the virtue that allows one to recognize the sufferings of others and allows them to act in response to these sufferings. Media ethics are the set of principles that govern the actions in the field of media. They are used as the standards for judging whether an action is right or wrong.

2.  In the Chinese culture, a lot of respect is accorded to the old members of the society. The respect is evident in their cultural practices and it is justified by various beliefs and values that are embedded in the culture of society. Such beliefs hail from the teachings of Confucius. According to a Confucius proverb, the Chinese believe that those in their old age should live in comfort provided by other members of the society. In the Chinese culture, the oldest members in society are the most honored, respected and dignified.

The practice of honoring and respecting the old people is a noble practice.  This is because it eliminates the burden experienced when old people are left with the responsibility of catering for themselves. The Chinese culture dictates that the responsibility of the old people is in the hands of their children. The implication of this is that the children in a particular family have to personally care for the old members in their family. Old members of a family can therefore age in the comfort and care of the people they relate and have bonded with. This is contrary to the practice of taking old members of the community to nursing homes where they are most of the times deprived of the care and love of their very own family.

Care for parents in their old age should be done by their children. This is because the early life of parents is dedicated to taking care of their children. They spend their accumulated resources in educating and enriching the lives of their children. For the children, taking care of their parents is the only way to show their appreciation and gratitude. However, it is not an obligation or mandate that is imposed on the children. The practice should stem from a genuine desire to appreciate the older members of the community. Members of the society should bear the burden of caring for their parents so as to ensure that they are also taken care of during their old age.

6. Aristotle suggests that the pursuit of man through out his life should be the search for supreme Good. Man is called to give exemplary performance in his area of expertise for him to be considered good. One’s pursuit for the supreme Good should be a rational act in accordance to virtue. He says that the though good may be relative, depending on the different situations that man is faced with, it is an undisputed fact that common good of man is happiness. According to Aristotle, supreme Good is the ultimate end that man desires. The actions of man are teleological and they are to maintain his happiness. Happiness can therefore be seen as the virtue, activity and rationality in a man. Happiness is then described as an activity and not a state. Happiness is the essence of a man.

The success of a man is dependent of his level of personal fulfillment.  This fulfillment is what many may term as happiness. I agree with Aristotle that the essence of man is to live in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is a result of man’s virtuous act in response to his beliefs and values. I believe that man should lead a selfish life in relation to guarding his values. Aristotle talks about the search for the supreme Good that is achieved through man’s ability to carry out his activities in the best way possible. An individual’s standards are dictated by the values that he up holds. This means that one is only able to achieve personal fulfillment when he acts in accordance to his virtues. However, unlike Aristotle, I believe that personal fulfillment is a state. One’s state of being fulfilled is equivalent to his happiness. Nevertheless, this only proves Aristotle’s point that man’s actions are teleological. The essence of man is to seek the supreme Good and achieve a state of happiness.