Is Weed As Bad As They Say? Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is Weed As Bad As They Say?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Illegal drug use is a major problem in the world today. Millions of dollars are spent every year to prevent the distribution of drugs. All drugs is smuggled into the United States concealed in false compartments, fuel tanks, seats, tires of private and commercial vehicles, pickup trucks, vans, mobile homes, and horse trailers (Pierson. 12-8-01) Large shipments is usually smuggled in tractor-trailer trucks in false compartments and in bulk shipments, such as agricultural products. The government has created ways to cut down on drugs. Yet the drug crisis is greater today then ever. Marijuana is one the most widely used illegal drug. Over the past thirty years the government has condemned Marijuana. So in this paper, I will be describing the pros and some cons about the use of Marijuana. Marijuana use should be legalized because of the beneficial uses that our economy can gain from weed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana, also spelled Marihuana comes from the Indian hemp plant, cannabis sativa (Gwinn. Pg.764). It is a crude tobacco like substance produced by drying the leaves and flowery top of the cannabis plant. It is put into pipes or formed into joints, similar to a cigarette, for smoking. Recently, it has appeared in cigars called blunts. The drug is a mild hallucinogen meaning that it distorts sensory perceptions. Marijuana has a wide variety of street names including pot, tea, grass and weed (Dudley. pg. 21) Marijuana can also be added to foods such as brownies and beverages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The intoxication part of the plant is mostly in its strong-smelling, sticky, golden resin. The hemp flowers, especially those of the female plant, gives the strong smell off. Many users describe two phases of marijuana effects as initial stimulation, giddiness, and euphoria, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes can often accompany altered perceptions of time and space of one's bodily dimension (Gwinn. pg.765). The hemp plant can be found growing as a weed or as a cultivated plants in peoples homes. Marijuana can survive in almost any soils and climates. And the more potent varieties grow in dry, hot, and wasteland type environments (Pierson. 12-8-01)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana varies in potency, depending on where and how... ...nbsp;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it is true that there has been no proven studies that marijuana is indeed a life threatening drug (O’Brien pg. 70) But it has been proven that marijuana is a safe, versatile, and inexpensive medicine (Nahas. pg. 58-59) And what makes it even better is that it has been proven that marijuana is less toxic and dangerous than most of the prescriptions drugs given to you by your doctors which you trust (Nahas. pg. 111)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana is a useful and misunderstood substance. If more studies are done, it can be a helpful assistance to the economy (Skidmore. 12-7-01) Marijuana was legal for many years and we didn't have a big drug problem like today. Marijuana laws, the threat of jail and fines will not stop drug use. All they do is make it harder to help people (Skidmore. 12-7-01) As to me, I respect the right of people to control their own bodies. I believe we should legalize weed, and help those who need it, and let the police spend their time protecting us from real crime. I also believe our society should have a more opened mind on the hemp plant and really see the up side uses of marijuana.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is Weed As Bad As They Say? Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is Weed As Bad As They Say?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Illegal drug use is a major problem in the world today. Millions of dollars are spent every year to prevent the distribution of drugs. All drugs is smuggled into the United States concealed in false compartments, fuel tanks, seats, tires of private and commercial vehicles, pickup trucks, vans, mobile homes, and horse trailers (Pierson. 12-8-01) Large shipments is usually smuggled in tractor-trailer trucks in false compartments and in bulk shipments, such as agricultural products. The government has created ways to cut down on drugs. Yet the drug crisis is greater today then ever. Marijuana is one the most widely used illegal drug. Over the past thirty years the government has condemned Marijuana. So in this paper, I will be describing the pros and some cons about the use of Marijuana. Marijuana use should be legalized because of the beneficial uses that our economy can gain from weed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana, also spelled Marihuana comes from the Indian hemp plant, cannabis sativa (Gwinn. Pg.764). It is a crude tobacco like substance produced by drying the leaves and flowery top of the cannabis plant. It is put into pipes or formed into joints, similar to a cigarette, for smoking. Recently, it has appeared in cigars called blunts. The drug is a mild hallucinogen meaning that it distorts sensory perceptions. Marijuana has a wide variety of street names including pot, tea, grass and weed (Dudley. pg. 21) Marijuana can also be added to foods such as brownies and beverages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The intoxication part of the plant is mostly in its strong-smelling, sticky, golden resin. The hemp flowers, especially those of the female plant, gives the strong smell off. Many users describe two phases of marijuana effects as initial stimulation, giddiness, and euphoria, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes can often accompany altered perceptions of time and space of one's bodily dimension (Gwinn. pg.765). The hemp plant can be found growing as a weed or as a cultivated plants in peoples homes. Marijuana can survive in almost any soils and climates. And the more potent varieties grow in dry, hot, and wasteland type environments (Pierson. 12-8-01)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana varies in potency, depending on where and how... ...nbsp;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it is true that there has been no proven studies that marijuana is indeed a life threatening drug (O’Brien pg. 70) But it has been proven that marijuana is a safe, versatile, and inexpensive medicine (Nahas. pg. 58-59) And what makes it even better is that it has been proven that marijuana is less toxic and dangerous than most of the prescriptions drugs given to you by your doctors which you trust (Nahas. pg. 111)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana is a useful and misunderstood substance. If more studies are done, it can be a helpful assistance to the economy (Skidmore. 12-7-01) Marijuana was legal for many years and we didn't have a big drug problem like today. Marijuana laws, the threat of jail and fines will not stop drug use. All they do is make it harder to help people (Skidmore. 12-7-01) As to me, I respect the right of people to control their own bodies. I believe we should legalize weed, and help those who need it, and let the police spend their time protecting us from real crime. I also believe our society should have a more opened mind on the hemp plant and really see the up side uses of marijuana.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Ptlls Equality and Diversity.

Throughout this essay I will look at and discuss the issues of equality and diversity. I will also look at ways to promote inclusion with the learner, and how to meet their needs; I will provide evidence and give examples of this. ‘Each of your learners is an individual who should be treated as an equal and with respect’ Wilson, L. (2008. pg. 27) As a lecturer it is essential to show equality in the learning environment. A lecturer must always treat all learners equally and try not to show favouritism. All learners should treat each other with professional courtesy and respect due to learners themselves needing to feel safe in the environment and feel like they too are being treated with respect. Also, both learners from different backgrounds and with different personalities need to be accepted within the learning environment. It is also important that when displaying any posters or using any learning materials that you do not stereotype people and that it is free from inappropriate use of language that may cause offence . For example you would avoid using words like ‘manpower or ‘blackboard’ as this may offend a learner of certain race or gender in the class. ‘Teachers must know how to treat individual children; and there is great skill and subtlety in knowing when to confront or when to ignore certain behaviour’. Cullingford, C. (1995. Pg. 109) Diversity is to know and value the differences between individuals and ensuring they are not being excluded and participating within the classroom. You are then including everyone; this will then show good practice of inclusion. For example if you have a learner with special educational needs; to help the inclusion of that learner, a use of an LSA to help support that learner may be appropriate. The lecturer must have a positive attitude and have willing staff to be activity involved with the learners. As a lecturer you should set targets that suit the individual learner’s needs. Also, the learner should have a key person with who they can go to, for extra support. The lessons must be also be planned with flexibility to allow for all different types of learners you may have. As a lecturer you must meet the potential needs of your learner. For example, if you have a learner in a wheelchair then you need to adapt your lesson to suit. You could do this by ensuring that the learning environment has been customized to facilitate the needs of that learner; for example, a lower-ground classroom could be used. To summarise, it is very important that the lecturer and the learners treat each other equally and with respect. The lecturer must understand the individual’s needs and accommodate the learning environment to suit them in a way to promote inclusion. Therefore, all learners should be included and have the additional support when needed.

Northern Rock Plc

Northern Rock Plc Contents Page 1Report2 1. 1Audit Committee and Auditors2 1. 2Experience:4 2Comparison5 2. 1Chief Executive and Chairman5 2. 2Audit Committee5 2. 3Risk Management Committee6 2. 4Remuneration & Nominations Committee6 3Chance of another failure6 4Conclusion:8 5References8 Report In this report I am going to highlight the weaknesses in the corporate governance code of Northern Rock that lead to its downfall. Audit Committee and AuditorsAccording to the UK Corporate governance code the board should set up formal and obvious arrangements bearing in mind how to apply the corporate reporting internal control, and risk management rules for keeping the right relationship with the company`s auditors. The board should make up an audit committee of at least three non executive directors in the case of smaller companies at least two NEDs. The chairman can be a member in smaller companies but cannot chair the committee unless he or she was considered independent on appointment as chairman.The board should make sure that at least one the member should have recent and relevant experience in the audit committee. The board’s responsibilities are to lay out all the terms in writing and monitor the financial statement of the company, to review the financial performance and reporting. It should also review internal financial control, risk management system if not in place separately to check the effectiveness and internal function of internal audit.The board should also be review and monitor the external auditors work their appointments and re appointments, their remunerations, and more importantly the non audit services should be checked very closely. In the case of Northern rock the board and the audit committee failed to implement the above mentioned guidelines. In July 2007 the chief executive published on the website that operationally Northern rock’s first half of 2007 was a good one. He mentioned that mortgage lending in particular was strong.I f that was the case then how did Northern Rock end up being nationalised in just over 7 months? Was someone checking and verifying the statements of the chief executive. The external auditor’s complacency was another issue. In their report of 2006 they gave a clean bill of health. This was later investigated by the House of Lords economic affairs committee which found that the auditors had performed their job carelessly. An effective audit committee could have spotted these problems well in advance.The reason for PWC’s complacency might either be because of the presence of Rosemary Radcliffe on the audit committee who was previously a partner of PWC or maybe they were providing other non audit services to the company and did not want to upset the board. As per the corporate governance code the number of audit committee’s members was according to the code but none of the NEDs had any financial experience. Nichola Pease had experience of fund management but not in the banking industry even that experience was not a recent one as required by the code.It seems that at Northern Rock the audit and risk committees were not taken very seriously as Rosemary Radcliffe only attended two out of four audit committee and one out of three risk committee meetings. Experience: Northern Rock appointed a Senior Independent Director with over half the board being non-executive directors- following the combined code 2 and Basel 2 recommendations. However none of the directors were experienced enough in the field of banking not even building society.This in fact does not support the idea of having good corporate governance as it does not ensure failure or success. The above factors raised questions as to why the company’s shareholders did not question the risky business model or was it because of outstanding profits seen as the reward for taking such risk. The remuneration committee can also be held responsible for the failure as both the chief executive and the company took on the gamble for the high risks which in turn questions the values of the shareholder and executive. As mentioned above there were so many factors involved . i. e. he lack of experience, the chairman of the board and nominations committee Dr Ridley had no prior financial experience and even the subject that he has studied is far different to the role he was responsible for. The other four non executive directors Fenwick, Gibson, Pease and Queen also did not have recent relevant experience. Sir Derek Wanless with a good education background but unfortunately with some negative history while working in NatWest where he got paid ? 3M having lead a disastrous acquisition strategy. If the company was aware of the history then why was he appointed as a chairman of the Audit and risk committee?All of the above points indicate that it was really poor corporate governance in place which neither of the committee paid attention or lack their experience in the case of chi ef executive`s appointment cannot be said that much as he was internally promoted it is sometimes good so he knew about the company from scratch to the top but in some case it is better to have an experience person from a different companies so that they can bring new ideas and innovation. The audit committee had to review what they have been there for the monitoring of the internal financial control, the services, remuneration, re appointments of the external auditors.If the corporate governance were strong in the company there would not be any mis representation of the financial reporting neither by the chief executive nor by the external auditors and also they would have known the consequence of the failure before it had happened. Comparison In this question I am going to compare the governance arrangements noted in the case study with the current version of the UK corporate Governance code. Northern rock had applied most of the governance code but there were some weaknesses in s ome of the areas. Chief Executive and ChairmanAs per the UK governance code the chief executive and the chairman should be separate, their re-appointment and remuneration will have to be approved by the board. In Northern Rock the above codes were applied properly. Chief executive and chairman were two different individuals and their appointment and re appointment were also approved by the board. Audit Committee As mentioned above Northern Rock’s audit committee failed to comply with the UK Corporate Governance code on more than one count which led to the auditors not performing their job properly. Audit committee should act as a watch dog in an organisation.Risk Management Committee UK corporate governance says that the board should conduct a review of the risk management committee’s effectiveness at least on a yearly basis. The review should cover almost everything including financial, operational and compliance controls and should be presented to the shareholders. L ooking at the timeline of collapse of Northern Rock it seems that the risk committee was not very effective in identifying risks faced by the organisation and hence failed to perform its duty properly which led to the collapse of UK’s 5th largest lender in within one year.Remuneration & Nominations Committee According to the UK corporate governance code the company should have a remuneration and a nomination committee which should determine the salaries of the board members and should nominate suitable individuals for appointment. The nomination committee should be made up of non executive directors who should be independent members of the committee. The chair or non executive director should chair the committee but he or she should not chair the committee when appointing the successor to the chairmanship.The committee should also evaluate the skills, experience and knowledge of the candidate when making recommendations. It seems that northern rock’s nomination committ ee failed in doing their job properly according to the UK corporate governance code. If they had fulfilled the above requirements in accordance to the UK code then the inexperience of the NEDs would have not been an issue. Chance of another failure Generally, organisations with relatively poor governance don’t succeed as uch as those with high standard corporate governance aided by investors. Northern Rock proved this statement when worries about corporate governance resulted in poor performance. This came about 4 years before it was nationalised when shareholders were concerned in the kind of bonuses which were being paid to executives. This develops another understanding about the theory that governance drives performance rather than performance driving governance. Non-executives improve performance and the balance between executives and non-executives is very vital.Considering both the internal and external factors affecting the failure of northern rock it was mainly cause d due to its internal disability of managing crisis. It was the very flawed legal regulation and the poor corporate governance of Northern Rock that let itself down during the tough mortgage crisis in the US. The business model of the company worked for a number of years but despite the risk involved the non-executive directors cared less of the actual risks to the company’s model.Lesson can be learnt from the Northern Rock fiasco by other businesses regardless of their size or profitability. If any business does not implement the corporate governance codes properly they are guaranteed to have problems sooner or later. Similar failure happened to the fourth largest American bank Lehman brothers due to poor corporate governance as their systems were very weak. The key areas of the failure were Corporate risk management, Board of directors, remuneration committee and nomination committee.The board of directors included nine retired four of them 75 years old one a theatre produc er and another navy admiral with no banking industry experience. In the board of directors the directors were paid well for their work each in the range $325,000 to $397,000 even after getting high return from the company they were not seriously taking care of the company due to having other responsibilities. Their risk management were also a failure because their executive committee the CRO and the CFO meeting were every week but instead they meet only twice in both 2006 and 2007 which was very outrageous.The failure of the remuneration committee was that only $1 billion were paid in cash bonuses in just matter of 8years which is a big failure. Other than that $500 million was paid to the chairman. Out of the ten board member four of them were 75 years old and only one had the recent knowledge of financial sector. If in the future any other bank or business will not make their corporate governance strong I am afraid there will be more cases like in the future. Conclusion: After all I have mentioned above it was a poor corporate governance that led the bank to failure.Northern rock had all sort of weaknesses in their corporate governance code it will be a good lesson for the other banks to learn if they have any sort of weaknesses in their corporate governance they should amend those before it will be too late. References 1. Treanor, J. (2008). Poor governance reduces profits, says ABI. Available: http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2008/feb/27/executivesalaries. insurance. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 2. Roman A. Tomasic . (2009). Corporate Rescue, Governance and Risk Taking – Northern Rock and Its International Context.Available: http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=1417953. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 3. The Financial Reporting council. (2012). The UK Corporate Governance Code. Available: http://www. frc. org. uk/Our-Work/Publications/Corporate-Governance/UK- Corporate-Governance-Code-September-2012. aspx. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 4. Agha, M G and Qatinah, A. (). Lehman Brothers and Corporate Governance Failure. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/adnanqatinah1/lehman-brothers-case-study2. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013.

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay

Abstract : . Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. The philosophical views from one of the greatest German philosophers to ever live continue to interest and influence scholarly opinions all around the world. Immanuel Kant was one of those brilliant thinkers or philosophers that were able to give valuable insight that surround many different ethical values of morality. Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. Just because one person may will a certain thing does not mean that the majority of people will follow suit. For example a key element of Kant’s theory is the concept of intentions or intent. To him the actual outcome or the consequences of a particular action doesn’t matter at all, it’s the intentional aspects he is concerned with. Imagine that you are a serial killer just walking down the street and you see a defenseless elderly woman walking in front of you. It’s no one else around and it’s very dark on the streets. You also have a knife to ensure a silent job and a very easy kill. Now let’s say you decide not to kill this elderly woman and spare her life, but not because you are worried about acting immorally but you did not want to risk her screaming and alerting anyone else that she was being attacked. In the end u decided not to act on your will then according to Kant you have not acted ethically. That’s where I find flaw in his analysis and theory. So our actions according to Kant’s philosophy doesn’t make us a better person because when you acted or (chose not to act), you weren’t considering action in terms of its morality. You actually abandoned the ideas of moral choice, and merely acted out of a sense of self preservation. However if you did chose not to kill the elderly woman because you suddenly realized that it was wrong to do so, then you would have acted morally according to Kant’s theory on Categorical Imperative. Can the Categorical Imperative even accurate enough and practical to be applied into a personal real life ethical dilemma? I do not believe that it could. My interpretation of Kant’s theory was the he thought that if everyone just used reason when trying to figure out their ethical duties, then everyone would come up with the same rules to follow. This may be true but I would say that it is very unlikely that humans will ever be unbiased enough to do this, and the Categorical Imperative fails to take into account the complexity of human beings and their relationships to one another. The formula that Kant used was the concepts surrounding universal law. By this universal law formula he was able to capture the concept that a maxim will work for everyone who it is applied too. The next formula Kant used was the end in itself which occurs when people try to use maxims, (rules that suit themselves) this formulation states that we must not treat others as if they do not have their own life, and respect their acts regardless of ethical belief. It may be my duty to give a small contribution of my earnings to charity, church, or to the homeless indeed, but a homeless man cannot demand that I do so for him because I am not a means to his end, and he has to respect that concept. The key thing to keep in mind here is that you can’t use people just as a means to an end because people are ends in themselves. For example you couldn’t kill a baby Hitler just because that will save a thousand Jews, according to Kantain perspectives. With the baby Hitler example the maxim would be â€Å"killing babies that will commit genocide when they grow up†. On the contrary what if that was a moral rule; like you must kill any babies that will grow up and commit genocide. If the maxim could function as a rule, then actions based on it will be morally right. These maxims also serve as a way to better understand the rigidly parameters that surround ethical issues. Now as I said earlier on I have a foot-hole in both aspects of this topic. I have done things to receive rewards especially when beautiful women are around. And I have also just given a pure stranger a ride home in the rain after seeing them struggle with groceries. And I never told a soul it was just a mere act of kindness and the ethical thing to do as far as good will goes. That is what makes Kant’s theory in my eyes as secondary to my individuality. I do not agree with him on some aspects of his analysis and some I can relate too. We all are presented with these scenarios and many of us as typical human beings tend to neglect the infrastructure behind morality of ethical issues. I would say that ethical theory must have examples attached to them; otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good ethical theory. These theories can never be applied practically if one could not imagine using them in different circumstances. The Categorical Imperative does sort of show any rational thinking person both how to tell the difference between right and wrong, and the moral necessity to choose to act in accordance with what’s right. Personally I fall right in between when it comes to this as I said I have done a little of both sides, being superior( acting out of principles), and I have acted to gain reward but not as much as I have been considered superior. I try my best to act accordingly with morality, and being a dedicated Christian this isn’t that hard. My main source of morality stems from the Bible. I use the Bibles principles as a guideline to how to act morally. I believe that this is the only true source of ethical acts, and that there is no man made doctrines or philosophies that can properly address this complex issue. As long as I understood Gods Laws and follow a righteous path, morality or acting morally comes like second nature. So to sum it all up about Kant’s perspectives I believe he was a little more concerned with a person’s intentions than a consequentialist with utilitarian views, but Kant did feel that if you didn’t act according to the Categorical Imperative you could be accused of acting unethically. It was clear that Kant like me was not content with the popular moral philosophy of his day. According to Kant, when we act upon a maxim that can’t be universalized or (willed by everyone else) we are contradicting ourselves. Meaning that without a will that everyone else views as objective then any action taken can potentially contradict one’s self. To further understand Kant’s philosophy I will walk you through a series of scenarios that I have experienced in my life. I can recall several occasions where the categorical Imperative aspect of Kant’s philosophy has shed light on my ethical or morally based actions. One afternoon I was riding down the street and I noticed a few guys struggling with groceries trying to get back to their school. I could have kept going and actually I did, but I decided to turn around and offer them a ride to their destination. Now according to Kant’s good will I acted on a matter of principle, and not to gain reward. There was nothing I expected to gain from my actions. Now if I had asked them for gas money or maybe some sort of payment for the ride then at that point I become inferior according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative. There was another instance when I acted morally and ethically in Kant’s eyes and that was the time I acknowledged an older woman attempting to put air in her tire at Kroger grocery store. Actually at the time I was in need of air for my tire too and the clerk had turned on the machine but before I got there to it she came and was experiencing trouble getting the air in her tire. I politely offered her assistance and she was very grateful and she insisted that I take five dollars for my actions. Now I in fact was not expecting to get paid for this, but she insisted that I take it. I made it very clear that I felt that this was a universal duty of mine to assist at a time when my assistance was clearly needed. She was older and having trouble with the air pump so I felt an obligation to assist her so I did so. Now did I act morally according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the good will? Was I superior or inferior? Yes I acted morally because Kant was not concerned with outcome or consequences he only focused on the intent of that particular action. Kant also emphasizes the absolute necessity of separating genuine morality from all empirical considerations. I find Kant’s formula to be a valuable tool but it neglects to define moral law as God-given.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 41

How Is She? My birthday falls on a Friday. December 29. In the afternoon, Mom helps me tape trash bags around my cast so I can take my first shower since I broke my leg. This is sort of embarrassing to talk about, but Mom has to help me keep my cast out of the shower, so she holds the shower curtain for me, protecting the cast, as I straddle the edge of the tub, trying to keep my weight on my good leg. Mom hands me the soap when I need it and also the shampoo. She pretends not to look at my naked body, but I am sure she gets a glimpse at some point, which makes me feel strange. I haven't worked out in days, so I feel very small and weak – but Mom doesn't say anything about my diminished girth, because she is a kind woman. After my shower, Mom helps me put on a pair of sweatpants she has modified, cutting one leg off at the thigh so my cast can fit through. I also put on a button-down shirt from the Gap and my new leather jacket. I hop down the steps, crutch my way out the door and into the backseat of Mom's car, sitting sideways so my cast will fit. When we arrive at the Voorhees house, I crutch my way into Cliff's office, pick the black recliner, prop my cast up on the footrest, and tell Cliff everything. When I finish my story, Cliff says, â€Å"So you've been in bed since Christmas?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"And you have no interest in reading or watching television?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And you're not working out your upper body at all? No weights?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you do all day?† â€Å"I sleep, or I think. Sometimes I write, but Danny has been coming to visit me too.† I had already told Cliff all about God reuniting Danny and me, which even Cliff had to admit was a bit of a miracle and maybe the silver lining to my awful Christmas. â€Å"What do you and Danny do when he visits?† â€Å"We play Parcheesi.† â€Å"Parcheesi?† â€Å"It's the Royal Game of India. How can you not know it?† â€Å"I know Parcheesi. I'm just surprised you and Danny play board games together.† â€Å"Why?† Cliff makes a funny face, but doesn't say anything. â€Å"Danny brings his Parcheesi game all the way from North Philly. He rides the trains.† â€Å"That's good, right? It must be nice to see your old friend.† â€Å"I was sorry to learn that he still can't rap, even after a second operation, but his aunt got him a job doing the janitorial work at her church, which is also a day-care center. He wipes down the pews with pine oil and mops the floors and empties the trash and vacuums every night – stuff like that. He smells like pine trees now too, which is sort of a nice bonus. But Danny is quieter than I remember him being in the bad place.† â€Å"Did you tell Danny about what Tiffany did to you?† Cliff asks. â€Å"Yeah, I did.† â€Å"What did he say?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"He didn't give you any advice?† â€Å"I didn't ask him for any advice.† â€Å"I see.† Cliff grabs his chin, which lets me know he is going to say something my mother has told him. â€Å"Pat, I know how you lost your memory. Everyone does.† He pauses here, gauging my reaction. â€Å"And I think you remember too. Do you?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you want me to tell you how you lost your memory?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why?† I don't say anything. â€Å"I know Dr. Timbers used to tell you the story every day as part of your therapy. That's why I never brought it up. I thought maybe you would talk about it when you were ready, but it's been almost five months – and now you have a broken leg, and things seem to have gotten worse. I can't help feeling as though we need to start trying other tactics. What Tiffany suggested about closure is true. I'm not saying her methods were honorable, but you really do need to come to terms with what happened, Pat. You need closure.† â€Å"Maybe my movie isn't over,† I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the movie is going to end badly, something dramatic happens, which leads to the happy ending. This seems like a good spot for something dramatic to happen, especially since it's my birthday. â€Å"Your life is not a movie, Pat. Life is not a movie. You're an Eagles fan. After watching so many NFL seasons without a Super Bowl, you should know that real life often ends poorly.† â€Å"How can you say that now, especially since the Eagles have won four straight and are headed into the play-offs – even after McNabb went down!† Cliff just looks at me, almost as if he is scared, and suddenly I realize that I was just yelling. But I can't help adding, â€Å"With a negative attitude like that, it will end poorly, Cliff! You're starting to sound like Dr. Timbers! You better watch out, or you're going to be defeated by pessimism!† There is a long silence, and Cliff looks really worried, which begins to worry me. On the drive home, Mom tells me that people are coming over for my birthday. She is making me a birthday dinner. â€Å"Is Nikki coming?† I ask. â€Å"No, Pat. Nikki is never coming,† Mom says. â€Å"Never.† When we arrive home, Mom makes me sit in the family room while she cooks meat loaf and mashed potatoes and green beans and an apple pie. She keeps trying to talk to me, but I really do not feel like talking. Jake and Caitlin arrive first, and they try to cheer me up by talking really enthusiastically about the Birds, but it doesn't work. When Ronnie and Veronica arrive, Emily climbs onto my lap, which makes me feel a little better. Caitlin asks Emily if she wants to draw a picture on my cast, and when she nods, Mom finds some markers and we all watch little Emily draw. She starts off by making a wobbly circle, which is understandable, since the cast is not perfectly flat, nor smooth. But then she just scribbles all sorts of colors everywhere, and I cannot tell what she is up to until she points to her creation and says, â€Å"Pap!† â€Å"Did you draw a picture of Uncle Pat?† Ronnie says, and when Emily nods, everyone laughs because it looks nothing like me. When we sit down at the dining-room table, my father is still not home. Even after the win over Dallas, he has been pretty distant lately, hiding in his study again. Nobody mentions my dad's absence, so I don't either. Mom's meal is delicious, and everyone says so. When it is time for pie, they sing â€Å"Happy Birthday† to me, and then little Emily helps me blow out the candles that make the shape of the number 35. I hardly believe that I can actually be thirty-five, because I still feel like I am thirty – maybe I only wish I were thirty, because then I'd have Nikki in my life. After we eat our pie, Emily helps me open my presents. I get a brand-new wooden hand-painted Parcheesi board from Mom, who says she invited Danny to my party, but he had to work. Ronnie, Emily, and Veronica give me an Eagles fleece blanket. Jake and Caitlin give me a membership to a gym in Philadelphia. The brochure in the box says the club has a pool and a steam room and basketball courts and racquetball courts and all types of weight-lifting equipment and other machines that build muscles. â€Å"It's where I work out,† my brother says. â€Å"And I was thinking we could start working out together once your leg mends.† Even though I'm not all that interested in working out so much anymore, I realize that the membership is a nice present, so I thank Jake. When we retire to the living room, I ask Veronica about Tiffany. â€Å"How's Tiffany?† I say. I'm not really sure why I ask. The words just sort of slip out of my mouth, and when they do, everyone stops talking and a silence hangs in the air. â€Å"I invited her to your party,† Mom finally offers, probably just so Veronica will not feel badly about her sister being excluded. â€Å"Why?† Jake asks. â€Å"So she can lie to Pat again? Set him back a few more years?† â€Å"She was only trying to help,† Veronica says. â€Å"Your sister has a funny way of helping.† â€Å"Stop,† Caitlin says to Jake. And then the room is silent again. â€Å"So how is she?† I ask, because I really do want to know.

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