Different Views
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Baltimore Riots
I cannot comprehend why these people in Baltimore are rioting. There needs to be change, but how do you intend to build peace and equality with the same tools and methods that you feel oppressed by. The violence you are committing is adding to the destruction of your community. I agree with the voices of dissent, but there must be a change in your methods. Dr King did not take up the banner of equality under the guise of violence. He shunned it, even when the establishment used violence against him and his own. He abhorred it. His peaceful leadership during the Civil Rights movement created more equality for a group of people then all other methods. The intelligent voice raised in solidarity has more strength then the base tools of the mob. I understand that there is anger and frustration at the chronic injustice that is in this country, yet when you use destruction you justify it for those to use it against you. To those of you who support this movement of violent mobs throughout the country, your ignorance shames the cause in which you hope bolster. Instead of raising the cause to a point of effectiveness, you are demolishing the foundation in which the cause is built. Equality and peace cannot be built on the sands of violence, destruction, and ignorance.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Doctrine of the Mean: Not Likely
In this
paper I will argue that the doctrine of the mean is too demanding, and not
plausible. Using Wolf’s view on moral saints to demonstrate precision, I will
demonstrate Curzer’s view of hitting the mean after which I will show that this
way is too demanding and not plausible. This paper
will then show an objection using phronesis as a plausible way to hit the mean
without being too demanding. I will then respond by saying that
phronesis requires impossible actions, and if this ideal is impossible then it
is too demanding. This paper will then conclude with the results of the paper
by accounting for all of the objections.
There is a
dispute between Hursthouse and Curzer about the interpretation of Aristotle’s
account of what a virtue is. Is it a quantifiable heuristic definition of a
virtue or is it a metaphorical definition with many ways of getting at a
virtue? Aristotle states, “Now virtue is concerned with passions and actions,
in which excess is a form of failure, and so is defect, while the intermediate
is praised and is a form of success; and being praised and being successful are
both characteristics of virtue. Therefore virtue is a kind of mean, since, as
we have seen, it aims at what is intermediate (1106b-25, Ross 1980)
Curzer
argues that Aristotle’s account should be taken literally. “If a quantitative
doctrine of the mean offers a plausible picture of the virtues rather than a
silly picture, then a literal doctrine of the mean is preferable to a
metaphorical, heuristic one.” (Curzer, 129) Curzer accepts that there are many
parameters to hitting the mean. Courage is found exactly between fear and over
confidence, but there are ways to find the mean by hitting it at the right
time, with the right aim, with the right way, and the right thing. Just because
there are multiple ways of being confident, it does not take away from the
doctrine of mean. One must still hit the center of all the fore mentioned
parameters. Curzer also references Aristotle’s view that temperance is a way to
hit the mean. “Excess with regard to pleasures is self-indulgence and is
culpable; with regards to pains one is not, as in the case of courage, called
temperate for facing them or self-indulgent for not doing so, but the
self-indulgent man is so called because he is pained more than he ought at not
getting pleasant things… and the temperate man is so called because he is not
pained at the absence of what is pleasant and his abstinence from it.” (118b-25,
Ross) “These passages also indicate that temperance is medial, self-indulgence
is excess, and insensibility is deficiency… With respect to courage and
temperance, the two virtues Hursthouse discusses… Aristotle sometimes takes the
doctrine of the mean heuristically or metaphorically, but he gives no
indication of doing so in his accounts of courage and temperance. Here he takes
the mean to be straightforwardly quantitative. (Curzer, 132) According to
Curzer Aristotle accounts for a quantitative doctrine of the mean that is a
plausible picture of the virtues. Therefore, a quantitative interpretation
should be accepted over a metaphorical, heuristic one.
I
hold that if a doctrine of the mean is too demanding then it is not plausible.
Wolf backs my argument with her picture of the moral saints.”By moral saint I
mean a person whose every action is as morally good as possible, a person, that
is, who is as morally worthy as can be.” (Wolf, 419) She believes that this
moral saint is not an ideal person because this person must strive to be
morally perfect by helping everyone around them to be happy. Whether that
person does it out of a desire to be happy by making all others happy (loving
saint) or the person attaches a higher importance on everyone’s welfare above
their own (rational saint), this person loses out because they do not have time
for non-moral goods. Non-moral goods include personal likes of cooking,
watching basketball, or having a sarcastic sense of humor. “A moral theory that
does not contain the seeds of an all-consuming ideal of moral sainthood thus
seems to place false and unnatural limits on our opportunity to do some moral
good and our potential to deserve moral praise.” (Wolf, 433) Not only must this
person give up their own attachments to non-moral goods, but they also have to
have a high level of rationality to make everyone’s welfare better. Moral
saints must live like phronimos. They must hit the mean every time. Their
reasoning has to be precise. This precision attaches a level that seems to be
too demanding. Not everyone has the high intellectual level it would take to be
a phronimos. “Brannmark: “… the only way in which the phronimoi are extreme is
in their precision. Thus, while it might be difficult to live like a phronimos,
it is not the kind of difficulty involved in running marathons every day but
rather the kind of difficulty involved in hitting the bull’s eye all the time.”
(Wolf handout, 2) This level of rationality is not plausible. According to
Driver virtue must be accessible not to those that are wise, but to those that
are kind. Greatness of soul is another
virtue that makes the doctrine of the mean not plausible. The individual that
is considered a great soul is compared to the moral saint. It is viewed that
greatness of soul is the mean between vanity and smallness of soul. This virtue
is a crown to all the other virtues and all the virtues cannot exist without
it. Unless one has certain amount of external goods they cannot have greatness
of soul. Not everyone has the resources to attain such a virtue. One cannot
quantifiably attain the mean even though they meet the requirements of the
other virtues. Lacking in one of virtues robs the individual of the capability
to become greatness of soul. Individuals will therefore be restricted from
attaining greatness of soul. The doctrine of the mean is not plausible due to
the fore mentioned demandingness. This
argument directly attacks Curzer’s second premise that a quantitative doctrine
of the mean offers a plausible picture of the virtues.
Nussbaum
brings up this idea of virtue as a sphere that represents the context of a
people. Demandingness disappears due to people’s definition of what the virtues
are, and some of the virtue spheres can be dropped according to the societal
context. It is not necessary to hit the mean according to Aristotle’s
definition based upon a ancient Greek society because the virtues have now
become attainable through our society’s context. I am not convinced that this
line of argument does away with the doctrine of the mean because one must meet
the mean despite the context of a culture. Demandingness disappears in one
aspect of attainable virtues, but resides because the virtues that are
culturally acceptable still need a mean. Her argument only allows for the
greatness of soul virtue to change in context but not in quantity. I have shown
that the doctrine of the mean has such high level of demandingness that it
cannot be plausible.
There are
major problems with prior argument. First the account does not allow for a
moral sainthood that could be attainable, secondly there are artificial limits
on morality. The moral sainthood argument does not provide an answer; it
provides only a criticism of Curzer’s argument. The argument also allows for
the opportunity for one to choose non-moral goods over morality. How do we
decide what is best? Since there is no other answer presented it does not
discount the argument’s plausibility despite its demandingness. Aristotle seems
to answer the question. “And, if, further, virtue is more exact and better than
any art, as nature also is, then virtue must have the quality of aiming at the
intermediate.” (1106b13-1106b15) The doctrine of the mean is demanding but
still plausible because there is no solution to attaining virtue besides the
mean of two related vices. This argument deals precisely with prior argument’s
premise that if a doctrine is too demanding then it is not plausible.
The
prior argument seems to suggest that just because there is no other answer
presented that the doctrine of the mean must be correct. This cannot be true
because the answer to attaining virtues is an attainable. If something requires
impossible actions then that action is too demanding. The doctrine of the mean
requires impossible actions. The doctrine of the mean is too demanding. Through
previous parts of this paper I have shown that attaining phronesis, greatness
of soul, or moral sainthood requires impossible actions. Not everyone can have
the right rationality all of the time, they cannot attain greatness of soul if
they do not have certain amounts of external goods, nor can they attain moral
sainthood without phronesis. Because of these impossible demands the doctrine
of the mean is too demanding. This deals specifically with the premise that
demandingness is not a strong enough reason to do away with a doctrine. The only
answer known to a problem does not conclude that it is the correct or only
answer knowable.
The
doctrine of the mean is too demanding despite Curzer’s attempt to show that the
heuristic view of the Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean is silly and that the
precise use of the doctrine of the mean is a plausible way to interpret
Aristotle. I showed that demandingness puts virtue too far out of reach of the
majority of humans. Then I demonstrated that the doctrine of the mean can still
exist despite its demandingness. Then I responded by showing that impossible
actions are enough to determine whether something is too demanding. The
doctrine of the mean is too demanding.
Bibliography
1. Ross, David. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford University Press,
1980
2. Curzer, Howard. A Defense of
Aristotle’s Doctrine that Virtue Is a Mean. Mathesis Publications, 1996
3. Wolf, Susan. Moral Saints. The
Journal of Philosophy, 1982
4. Hursthouse, Rosalind. A False
Doctrine of the Mean. Blackwell Publishing, 1980
5. Nussbaum, Martha. Non-relative Virtues: An
Aristotelian Approach. Oxford University Press, 1993
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Religion and Feminism
A
representation of religion biased against women would be the Catholic religion.
Recently there has been controversy in the news about privately owned
hospitals, Catholic owned, not accepting the ruling that they should pay and
provide women with contraceptives. The Catholic Church believes that abstinence
is commanded by the Bible, therefore it is an infringement of the government on
their religious liberties to make something available for women to have access
to sex outside of marriage more easily.
The
main argument I see for allowing religions to abstain from participating in
providing contraceptives is two fold. First these religions own these hospitals
outside of government funding. If the government has given no support to these
people then they have no right to enforce practices within these institutions
as long as they are safe practices. Secondly the idea of consent plays a large
part in how people interact with their religion. In America people are allowed
to choose what moral authority they adhere to. When one chooses to live by
certain code in a certain society then they have opted to abide the privileges
and the rules of that society. People who use Catholic Hospitals must submit to
their code of living, if not choose a public institute. A government in America
cannot infringe on a religious institute if they are not harming any one. Hence
a religious organization, such as the Catholic Church, have the right not to
provide a service that goes contrary to their beliefs.
A
contrary argument would be that if the Catholic Hospital is working within a
country and a society than it should provide for the community in a way that
best fits their needs. Women should have a choice whither or not they want to
behave according to the Bible. The religious organization should not dictate
the terms of the participants. The Catholic Church is consenting to operate
within a certain field that the government has tight demands over to ensure the
safety of those who use hospitals. Since the government has a strong presence
within this business the government should be able to dictate that women have
the choice to use contraceptives. In this instance the religious organization
is abusing women’s right to choose whither or not they have the right to
choose, therefore taking away people’s liberty of choice. The government should
protect the rights of those women to choose.
I
personally agree with those who say that the freedom of religion should be
protected. A larger group of people fall under the protection of religion then
that of those individuals who wants the right to free contraceptive. People who
want contraceptives have other choices besides that of the Catholic Church’s
resources. Their rights of choice are not being affected because they can
search else for it. Once you challenge one right of religion you open the door
to challenge all of them. Therefore the opposing argument looses water due to
the fact that there are other options and there is more at risk when
challenging the rights of all those within religion.
This paper talks about racism in our culture not as an
institutionalized idea but rather an undercurrent idea that drags society along
with it. We are not faced with open hate
that those of the black community dealt with back in the early 1900’s. Now it
is an accepted concept that floats below the surface. It’s almost as if racism
has turned into a pacifist-aggressive form. We see in media how the white man
is always exaggerated in his heroic qualities and when he is the villain, his
evil traits are underplayed. On the
other side of the coin, we see that the minorities experience the opposite.
Their good qualities apply to good home-keeping skills, and their evil sides
are dramatized to a picture of a super deviant. These are something that we as
a people don’t even second guess. We sit in front of our televisions and don’t
even realize the stereotypes and innuendos coming across our eyes. Our subconscious
is taking it in. We are so inundated with these ideologies that we begin to act
out and live the parts without ever realizing that we have changed the
perspective with which we see the world and people who live in it. We begin
attaching the wrong meanings to the wrong symbols, for example: black man=
gangster, Asian=electronically attuned, and white man=suppressor of all that he
sees. We have to be careful that we give them their right meanings and their
right places. If we don’t we are only adding to the disease that’s eating away
our society. We are mudding the water of
our beliefs with falsities and there is going to come a time when our willful
indifference will swallow us whole. We know that it is wrong to think that
other races are meant for mean and debased positions in society. We wont say
that an Asian woman is supposed to be serving us our tea or that a Mexican man
should be out mowing our lawns. We wont say those things but we accept it as
part of our ideologies. And these ideologies are bring us down and increasing
the divide between us and our brothers and sisters. Racism is no longer
supported on an open battle field. It is not coming out in a heated voice with
screaming hatred. It is not rearing its ugly head with prevalent lynching. It
is taking place in the privacy of our homes, it happens every time we laugh at
a joke, accept that someone is abased to certain positions in society, and
every time we sit back and allow it to pervade through society. It is happening in the individual’s beliefs.
It’s out of our laws now we most extract it from our hearts.
different statements
A patriot who loves his country must be prepared to defend his country from his government
Should a government exist when it lies to its people...the government is here to serve the people not deceive them.
Let justice be done, though the heavens fall
Power is a resource..you can't share it equally or it will lose its effect
dont ask for somthing you have not earned. do not defame those who have earned, do not call them the oppressor because they have more. you can have more if you stop complaining about it. this is not a communistic society, you can not have the equal amount as everyone else and work less.
Should a government exist when it lies to its people...the government is here to serve the people not deceive them.
Let justice be done, though the heavens fall
Power is a resource..you can't share it equally or it will lose its effect
dont ask for somthing you have not earned. do not defame those who have earned, do not call them the oppressor because they have more. you can have more if you stop complaining about it. this is not a communistic society, you can not have the equal amount as everyone else and work less.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Post Racial?
Highline Community College is a very diverse
school. We have many international students, diverse cultures, and an
open-minded administration that works to create a campus safe and equal for all
students. Despite the many culture awareness programs and events, there is
still a divide in the student body. It takes one trip to the balcony above the
cafeteria to see the seperation. Even though there is a seperation admist the
students, it does not reflect an attitude of racism. If you have taken Dr.
Baugher's Psychology: Human Relations class, you would know that one of the
attributes for attraction is similarity. People tend to gravitate towards
others with matching traits of their own. We went around HCC asking people how
they felt about racism and if they felt that our campus was
"Post-Racial". We asked Yoshiko Harden, Director of Multicultural
Services, if she has experienced racism here at HCC. She said,"Yes".
She said she was onced stopped when she parked in the faculty parking area. She
felt that the security personnel stopped her because she was a woman of color
and that the individual automatically assumed she wasnt a teacher. When
confronted the member of security said that he hadnt recognized the car. When
Yoshiko was asked if we had a "Post-Racial" campus, she said most
emphatically, No. No because racism is to dynamic. It is overt and covert. Just
because it is not blaring at us in hate, it still lurks under the surface
affecting us. Ranging from black to white, hispanic to asian, the general
concensus we got from students was that they have not experienced racism here
on campus, but they feel that there is too much diversity for us to be
"Post-Racial". In general the students said that they do not feel
intimidated or afraid of other races. There were a couple students who said
that when they saw black men with baggy clothes or were "thugged
out", they were uncomfotrtable and sometimes fearful. There were some
students who even felt that some of the teachers were biased on what students
they liked based on their race. They felt that special leniency was given to
students with the same ethnicity as the teachers. Our campus is a good example
of where our country is. We are making the right steps towards a
"Post-Racial" society but we're not there yet. The nation as a whole
is going through turbulent times realating to race. On one hand we have our
first black President, which shows that the majority of the country agreed upon
this one man to lead us. On the other hand our imigration policies are in
disarray. Arizona has new laws that discriminate against individuals of
Hispanic descent. Americans can be carded if they look like an illegal
immigrant. Although there are new laws and new programs that provide equal
opportunities for all races there still remains racism in our society and our
schools. Although racism is not as overt as it used to be, it still remains as
lethal as ever.
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