Comparison between Utilitarianism and Idealism Essay Example for Free

Comparison between Utilitarianism and Idealism Essay The two theories that will be compared and contrasted in this essay are Platos Idealism and Mill Benthams Utilitarianism. I chose these two theories because, to me, they are the ones that seem to be the most realistic and interesting. The way to get from the level of the is to the level of the ought of the Philosophers in these theories are the two bests. In this essay, it will be shown that the two theories are not so different in their relation between the level of the is and the level of the ought; it will be shown that Idealism would be a better theory for a society with highly intellectual people, and that a combination of these theory would be the best way for our society to evolve from the level of the is to the level of the ought. Platos way to go from the is to the ought is socratic questioning. He says that we should question ourselves on whether the moral views we have are ideal or not. He also says that the way of looking at things we have is wrong because all men are not the same, and so they do not have the same opinion of things. Part of his theory says that to get to true virtue (ideal moral views) we have to trim down all the false moral views we have and get to the basic, timeless, and unchanging patterns of the Good. With those ideal moral views we would be able to mirror the Good. Examples of false ideal moral views for Plato are seeking for selfish pleasures such as food, sex, and power. For Utilitarians, the way to get from the level of the is to the level of the ought is to reward or sanction a person for his or her actions. In Utilitarism people should choose actions that are the most utile for them but also for society. In other words they should choose the most pleasant and less painful actions and consequences for the greatest number of people. The degree of utility (degree of pleasure) is determined by what is called felicific calculus. This pleasure calculator is composed of different criterions that caracterise the pleasure provided by a certain action. They are intensity, duration, certainty, proximity, fecundity, and purity. These caracteristics of pleasure are calculated for ones self and for the population that his or her action concerns. If an action is said to have a fairly good utility to one but a very big disutility to society, it is said to be an immoral action. In that sense selfish pleasures are immoral. In these two theories, the socratic questioning and the felicific calculus almost play the same role in the way that the result (chosen action) should be the same if one is calculating the utility or one is referring to socratic questioning to take a decision. The socratic questioning of Idealism brings the person at the door of the right moral views by trimming all the layers of appearances and opinions over a concept. Even if one is not seeking those ideal moral views the felicific calculus should take one to the same ideal moral views if it is well performed. In that sense these two theories are the same because they give the same final result. But one of the theories seems harder to realize because everyone has to go through a long process that not every individual wants to perform or is able to perform. This theory is Idealism. On the other hand, in Utilitarianism a scale can be made out to lead people in the right way (and that scale is in fact present in our society). These theories are different in the sense that Utilirianism is easier for a society to perform well. To give rewards and punishments, society needs an authority outside the person who acts; this is why there are governements, theocracies and social opinions to guide people. Utilirianism is the most realistic because people do not have to think about what is right or wrong, they only have to follow the guides (rewards/sanctions). The society we live in is clearly Utilitarian. The many rewards (salary, respect, etc. ) and sanctions (prison, school failure, etc. ) reveal it. Everything works in function of rewards and sanctions. It implies that we only have to follow the rules given and no sanctions should be given to us. If our society was Idealist, it would imply that we would have to think and do the socratic questioning at each dilemma we have. This is impossible because not everybody is intelligent enough to do so, and most of the people would not be willing to go through that process. There is a danger in having a Utilirianism society. We just have to think of the United-States with the war they made to Irak. I believe that the population of that country trusted the felicific calculus scale (which was written by the governement) too much, because most of the population (of the USA, of course ) believed that war in Irak was a good thing. In that case the scale of that population was wrong because it did not care enough about what Irakians really wanted. If that dilemma had been well calculated, I am sure that they would let Irakians rebuild their country all alone and stop occupying the country. An Idealist society would take the time and think about that situation. They would have come to the conclusion that this war was not fair and they would have wanted to wait for real proofs of the presence of massive destruction arms before bombarding Irak. Another problem that Utilitarianism has raised is the sexual inequality. I believe that the situation we are in is caused by an error in the scale of the felicific calculus. The authority in place decided very long ago that women were inferior, and then nobody really thinked about it (or had the courage to change things) until the first feminists movements. With an Idealistic society that problem would never had occurred because Idealists always ask themselves if what they do is right. They would have understood long ago that this situation is completelly wrong. The best way to go from the level of the is to the level of the ought in our society would be to combine these two theories. First, Idealism should be used by a group of intellectuals to create a scale that would be used in felicific calculus. Then, felicific calculus should be used by the population. The scale from the felicific calculus should be adjusted as time goes on so that it evolves well with the new technological, economical and historical facts. But this is only an utopic idea because nobody would be able to create and maintain a fair felicific calculus scale since nobody can totally get to the basic principles of morality.

Individual Food Intake Essay Example for Free

Individual Food Intake Essay After using the food assessment tool at www.choosemyplate.gov I found that my daily intake of food was not sufficient for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Many of my goals were not achieved or were overachieved. This assessment revealed an imbalance in my eating habits. Like many Americans I am on the run and constrained by time. Going to school and working fulltime often forces me to eat quickly and make hurried choices. Often my choices are not in my best health interest but rather based on what is fast. When I have time, I tend to try to make better eating decisions but this is not sufficient for a good diet. In accordance with the Food Guide Pyramid I fell short in many areas of necessary consumption and went over in other areas. For the three day period I went over in grains (14.5 oz.) and over in proteins (10.5 oz.). I was insufficient with vegetables (1 cup), fruits (3/4 cup), and dairy (1 cup). What I found disturbing was that the bulk of the items I went over on was not balanced across three days but was instead committed on one to two days of the tracker. This means that on one day I had reached limits. This could be seen clearly on the third day and specifically with regard to lunch and my numbers jumped dramatically. I believe that I need to reshape my diet around the six classes of nutrients. The six nutrients include: 1. Water 2. Carbohydrates 3. Proteins 4. Fats 5. Vitamins 6. Minerals Each of the six nutrients is necessary in varying degrees in the body. Using the Food Pyramid I can identify the levels of nutrient intake and then  design my diet in accordance with balancing these numbers. For example, I eat a banana each day but this only provides me with a portion of the fruit intake I need and thereby cuts down on the vitamins and minerals I receive. By increasing my fruit intake I can increase this number but this is only part of the solution. I need to add more variety of food which will better encompass the wide range of nutrients needed. For example, strawberries and blueberries could be added to my diet and this would increase antioxidant intake as well as vitamins such as C. It is not just fruit intake that would need to be altered in this way; vegetables and meats also need to be examined. The intake of green vegetables would help to increase vitamin A, foliate, and iron, among other essentials. By expanding my varieties of foods I can incorporate this into my diet, as well as the elimination of certain types of foods could be used to increase nutrient intake such as removing the fast food burger in lieu of leaner fish which contains higher levels of Omega 3 and better quality proteins. Leaner meats that do not require heavy cooking also require less energy for the body to process and provide more useful calories. By modifying my diet in accordance with the Food Pyramid, I believe I can become healthier. The key is to determine the different foods that I will need to incorporate into my diet and to find the quantity that balances my caloric intake. For this I will need to do some research because I still need my diet to be somewhat convenient as well as nutritionally balanced. I believe it should also be mentioned that the level of fats that are taken in should be monitored as well, because almost a third of my diet was empty calories which had no nutritional value. There was also a very high sodium intake and my saturated fats were over the limit. These issues present many long term concerns which need to be addressed. This diet failure also explains my feelings of fatigue and my propensity for illnesses. My body has simply not been receiving the nutrients and levels that it needs to properly function. By watching these numbers I should be able to increase energy and make sure that my future health is strong. I also need to watch what I consume because my mother has had colon cancer, so the healthier I eat the  chances are less that I will contract that cancer. References Contemporary Nutrition, WileyPLUS ®, iProfile

The Rise of Playboi Carti

The Rise of Playboi Carti The music industry is at a constant change, with new artist coming and going everyday. Yet there are so many artist out there, you can only take the time to actually know of so many. Everyone has their own opinion of what a superstar is and what defines them as one. I believe Jordan Carter also known as Playboi Carti is a superstar that has yet had his big break. I have done tons of research about Mr. Carter that supports he is on the rise and should be a  superstar. For Jordan it all started at Ethereals bachelor pad in Atlanta, where he recorded some songs. Ethereal noticed right away that Jordan was different than just any rapper new to the game, and thats why he loved to work with him. At the time Jordan Carter was still in high school. He almost didnt graduate because he was skipping school all the time to go to the studio and record. Mostly everyone in his high school was enjoying his music, especially the girls. Playboi Carti and Ethereal went on to make many hits like   Lost and Broke Boi. After high school he moved from Atlanta to New York to focus more on his music and success. In March of 2015 Playboi Carti first met Asap Rocky at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Since then he has gone on tour twice, and is now signed to Asap Mob, and Awful Records. Surprisingly there is no mixtape in his career, he is working on an album now, but his success kicked off   from his few singles. I Actually went to one of his concerts in Houston this past November with my girlfriend for his Turnt and Burnt Tour with Asap Ferg and Rob Stone. He had so many fans come out to see him, with so much positive energy in the building, it was probably one of the best nights of my life. He definitely put on a performance I will never forget, and I hope to be able to watch him again live in person one day. Playboi Carti has gained most of his fans through his music, but he has also gained a huge chunk of fans from his clothing style. Some of his favorite brands are Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Supreme. For only being 20 he has modeled with multiple brands such as   Drakes OVO   Summer 2016 Lookbook, VLONE, Off-White, and the most recent Kanye West Yeezy Season. He is surely moving up and the best has yet to come. Not only has he modeled with many brands,   he has also collaborated with many artist such as Asap Mob, Frank Ocean, Skpeta, Lil Yatchy, and Lil Uzi Vert who he went on tour with. Playboi Cartis first music video along with his first top hit was WHAT with UnoTheActivist and Asap Rocky. Not including all of his features with other artist, his 18 songs on his Soundcloud all have over 1 million plays, some call him the god of Soundcloud. Growing up he listened to R Kelly, Lil John, Gucci, Young Jeezy, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Asap Mob is a big influence on Carti, he has always wanted to be surrounded by the group, he tries to learn from them. As of today he looks up to Bari, Nast,Michael Jackson, Asap Rocky, and Kurt Cobain. Every morning he gets in the mindset of Do I wanna show out or do I wanna be fly?. The thing about Playboi Carti is he is not afraid to test his limits with his music making ability. He is always listening and thinking about music, he describes his style as grind music, turn up, and flex music. All Playboi Carti wants to do is make people feel motivated by his music and inspire them to be like him. I have been a fan of his for almost two years now and he has yet to disappoint me. I will always look forward to his new music and seeing his face model high fashion brands. He is a superstar to me and I strongly believe Jordan Carter, aka Playboi Carti has everything if not more, to be a superstar to everyone. He started back in 2014 and already made a good name for himself. Playboi Carti is on the rise and will be a legend one day. Work Cited C.M, Emmanuel. Playboi Carti Prepares to Show You the Way With New Mixtape. xxlmag.com. XXL Magazine, 12 Jan. 2017. Web. 7 Feb. 2017. Nirui, Ava. Playboi Carti is Leading a New Generation Of Turn Up Rappers. Oystermag.com. Oyster Magazine, 19 Jul. 2016. Web. 7 Feb. 2017 Russell, Alex. Playboi Carti is Raps Young and Restless Prince.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Complex.com. Complex Music, 16 Sep. 2015. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Leaving the Cocoon :: Example Personal Narratives

Leaving the Cocoon I wasn't quite sure how to react. I had never been called a "white boy" before, especially by someone I hardly knew. As I turned my head not knowing what to expect, I found myself face to face with a grinning boy, whose crooked smile gave him an almost devilish appearance. This was my first encounter with Oscar Jovel, an El Salvadorian student on our trip to Thailand over the summer. You could imagine my delight when I heard that we would be living together with a Thai family and sharing the same bed for six straight weeks. During the next couple of days I was faint with apprehension. The first thing both of our eyes fell on when we arrived at our tiny Thai house was the five by four foot bed we would share. It was extremely small, in respect to both length and width, with a bright pink mosquito net hanging around it. That first night, we often woke up, cramped and hot, to discover ourselves literally on top of each other. Although initially embarrassing, we began to find the situation more and more comical. To our surprise and delight, we discovered that we had the same sense of humor. From then on, we discussed our sleeping habits openly and complained about the other's loud snoring. We began to stay up late into the night discussing our lives and the difficult issues we each had to deal with. One night we talked into the early hours of the morning about his life in San Francisco. I could only listen wide-eyed and in disbelief as he talked about how close he had been to joining an El Salvadorian gang. I watched him with intense curiosity as he slowly told his story. I noticed how he would almost squeeze his eyes closed with his large cheeks when he was remembering something that made him angry, or thrust his chin out in a clumsy manner when he was excited. He told me of how he had been ready to be beaten into the gang. When I asked him why he would be willing to do that, he responded by describing how vicious his world was, and then explained that the initiation was a tiny price for the protection he would get from the gang in return. My respect for him only increased when I sat silently as he told me of his best friend who had been shot in the head in a drive-by shooting.

Eulogy for Son :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Son During the last months, weeks and days of the life of Hays Johnson, during that hard time of his illness, he was not dying. He was living. This may seem to be a matter of semantics or playing with words, but I learned from him during that period a lesson which I had previously only perceived in a fragmentary fashion. When a newborn utters its first loud wail, a sound which touches the hearts of the bystanders, it is perhaps an expression of regret that its stay in this beautiful world is temporary. Perhaps the baby knows what we often forget, that we are all ultimately terminal. I do not think for one moment that in his last days on earth Hays was in a state of denial or rationalization. He knew how sick he was. But he was determined to take the advice of the song: I'm gonna live, live, live until I die. With one important difference. The implication of the song is that one should take from life whatever one can grab before it is too late. Hays wanted to give whatever he could, and it did not matter to him whether his life stretched before him for decades or for hours, he was going to be one and the same, a person who held fast to his integrity, who had a deep interest in everything going on around him, who wanted to be quietly involved, who wanted to contribute in whatever way he could. There was to be a meeting at the synagogue a few weeks ago. He said to me: "I won't be able to make the meeting, but I should like to know your thoughts on it, and I would like to hear what happens." It was not a dying man who could not make that meeting, it was a man who was fully alive, who, if he was impeded by circumstances from doing what he wished, could yet find ways of taking part. Just one week ago I spoke to him on the phone. He wanted to know what I was doing, and on Monday, as I promised, I put in the mail for him the text of some lectures that he wanted to see. He spoke little of sickness or discomfort, and was as pleasant and cheerful as always. It was fun to talk to him, a man a week away from a long anticipated death.

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbols in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Great Gatsby is based on a man named Jay Gatsby and his idealistic infatuation to a girl named Daisy that he met while he was young.   Gatsby was not of a wealthy family and therefore Daisy would not marry him. Gatsby devoted his life to getting what he needed to win Daisy.   After the war Gatsby became a bootlegger to attain what he needed to win Daisy.   In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objects, and gestures as symbols to portray the lack of moral and spiritual values of people and the different aspects of society in the 1920's.   The colors which are spread throughout the novel are green, white, gold, and others. F. Scott Fitzgerald provides a social commentary on the 1920's in this novel.   The Great Gatsby is an important American novel and not just a mere historical document depicting life in the 1920's.   Like other writers of the 20's   Fitzgerald was fascinated by the spectacle of what had become of the American Dream and how it had become corrupted by greed andmaterialistic possessions.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the end of Chapter One, Nick catches Gatsby stretching his arms out towards a green light. At the time it is not revealed to us that this is the light at the end of Daisy's dock.    he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling.   Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.   (Fitzgerald 26)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the novel Fitzgerald emphasizes the color green as a promise of hope.   Through Gatsby this promise is corrupted by the means that he tries to attain it.   By attaining material wealth to win Daisy, Gatsby also shows the corruption of the American Dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of Chapter Two, Fitzgerald describes the huge billboard that watches over the Valley of Ashes.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic---their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose.

How does Shakespeare compare and contrast the characters of Antonio and Shylock in the trial scene? Essay

Shakespeare portrays the characters Shylock and Antonio in the trial scene to be victims of the trial scene. In my opinion, Shylock is the main victim as he is discriminated for following a different religion to everyone else in the court. Being a Jew meant that the other people in the court were racist against Shylock meaning that they treated him unfairly in comparison to Antonio; who was helped in every way so that he could win the trial and Shylock would not get his pound of flesh. Shakespeare uses language to create an impression of what the characters are like for the audience so they consider what the situation is like for both of the characters. Continuing with language, Shakespeare uses violent, strong and hateful language when Shylock is speaking to show that he is very strong willed and confident when claiming something that is his own. Shakespeare also focuses mainly on law when Shylock is speaking to show that Shylock depends on the law to make his case for his pound of flesh. However Shakespeare uses softer, calm and passive language when Antonio is speaking to get across to the reader that Antonio is very resigned and defeatist in the trial; it makes him seem resigned and that he doesn’t have any hope anymore. Shakespeare doesn’t so much focus on the law when Antonio is speaking but of the good will of Shylock and if he will show mercy. In spite of this, Shylock does not show mercy and tries to convince the duke to grant him his pound of flesh. Shakespeare uses comparison between Christians and Shylock as a way of convincing the duke. In line 89 – 103 Shylock talks about the slaves that the duke a nd many other Christians have. ‘You have among you many a purchased slaves’ is a line Shakespeare uses when Shylock is talking. These slaves that the duke and other Christians have purchased belong to them and so they can do what they please with them. This is the same with Shylock’s pound of flesh; it belongs to him and therefore he can do whatever he wants with it whether he chooses to cut it off or not. On the other hand Antonio does not fight for his case as hard as Shylock does. In lines 114 – 118 Shakespeare writes in such a way that the audience thinks that Antonio has given up. ‘Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit’ this means that Antonio is prepared for death and that he calls himself the weakest of all Christians. These lines simply explain that Antonio is weak and he has no hope of living. Shakespeare uses words like ‘tainted, drops earliest and weakest’ to make the audience feel sorry for Antonio because there is  nothing a weak Christian could do in his situation. In lines 117 and 118 Antonio says to Bassanio that it is better that you live so yo u can remember me. Shakespeare does this to show the audience that he is, in a way, saying goodbye to his friend. Following on from this, Antonio has many people in the court who are friends of his so they stay bias towards him. Unlike Shylock who has many enemies in the court who detest him for mainly his religion but also for the bond he has over Antonio. In lines 128 – 138 Shakespeare uses harsh language to depict Gratiano to have a monumental hatred over Shylock. Line 128 ‘governed a wolf, who – hanged for human slaughter’, Shakespeare makes the audience realise that Gratiano sees Shylock as no more than a vile wolf who should be hanged for the bond he has over Antonio. Throughout the whole of lines 128 – 138 Gratiano expresses his hatred by comparing Shylock to ‘inexecrable dog’ and wolves to show the audience that he thinks Shylock should be treated as these animals are treated. Antonio too is treated poorly, but instead of the court treating him unfairly, Shylock treats him unfairly. Too often is Antonio victimised by Shylock because Shylock feels he has a hold over Antonio because of the bond he agreed to. In line 139 Shakespeare makes the audience feel sorry for Antonio by making the other characters in the court refer to him as ‘a pound of flesh’ and a ‘bond’. This gives the impression that Shylock has control over Antonio and that Antonio is only there for so that Shyloc k can take his pound of flesh. Shakespeare makes the audience feel that Shylock does not see him as an ordinary Christian but he sees him as his own bond and his own pound of flesh that is rightfully his by law. However, unlike Shylock, Portia doesn’t use law when she first arrives at the court; instead she pleas for mercy from Shylock. In lines 180 – 201 Portia presents her speech about how Shylock should be merciful towards Antonio as he is offering to pay more than his original price of ducats. But also Portia says that he should try to be a good Jew and allow mercy on Antonio so that his life will not be lost. Shakespeare gives Portia this thoughtful speech to show the audience how desperately she is trying to find a way to keep Antonio alive. Shakespeare also uses words like ‘heaven’ and ‘god’ to show that Shylock’s religion has a lot to do with the mercy he should give Antonio. Unfortunately Shylock does not care for mercy, love or friendship; instead the most important things to Shylock are his money and possessions. Shylock  is very different to Antonio and Bassanio as they care about each other through love and friendship. In lines 26 0 – 277 Antonio says goodbye to Bassanio his dear friend; Shakespeare uses language to prove Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship. ‘Give me your hand, Bassanio. Fare you well’, Shakespeare gives the affect that Antonio is talking soft and calm to his friend so that he can say goodbye properly. ‘To let the wretched man outline his wealth’, Antonio says this to Bassanio to say that Shylock is an evil man who has favoured wealth and possession over an innocent life. Luckily Antonio did not have to say goodbye to Bassanio as Portia found a pothole in the bond meaning that Shylock was not allowed to take a Christian citizen’s blood or take more or less than the pound of flesh; so Shylock said that he would not take the flesh and leave. In lines 343 – 359 Portia is not merciful to Shylock to let him walk free as he was not merciful to Antonio even though he had many chances to be. Shakespeare does this to teach a lesson so that the audience knows that they should treat others how they would like to be treated. In this case Shylock should have been merciful so that the duke and Portia could be merciful back. Ultimately I think both characters were victimised in the trial scene but for different reasons. Shylock was victimised for being a different religion to those in the court whereas Antonio was victimised just for being hated by Shylock. I think the main problem is racism between the two religions that causes unfair treatment; but m ost of the racism was put on Shylock. All in all, Shakespeare successfully manages to make the audience sympathize for both characters throughout the trial scene.