Explain the theory of Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Explain the theory of Virtue Ethics Essay Aristotle originally introduced virtue Ethics to society in ancient Greek times. Virtue Ethics tells us that we should look at the character of the person instead of the actions or duties a person performs. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do, virtue ethics asks how you can be a better person. Aristotle claims that leading a virtuous life is easy, and those who do, do so to be happy. Happiness is the ultimate goal for everyone in life. To become a better person, you must practice virtuous acts regularly. After a while, these acts will become routine and so the virtuous acts will be nothing more than everyday life and the person a virtuous person. Aristotle said that although virtues should become a habit we must never forget that we behave in such a way because it is right. For example, if a singer practices singing everyday, they will become better at it and used to doing it. This is the same as people who practice their virtues and soon automatically act in the right way, by practicing our skills we improve them, becoming happier. Virtues should not be an effort, but simply a part of everyones personality. Aristotle says that virtue is something that we acquire and are not just born with, people are not inherently good or bad, but become good or bad according to the habits they develop. Aristotle said that a virtue was a Golden Mean in between to vices. These Vices are two extremes of a scale at opposite ends, one of excess and one of deficiency. For example the vices would be shamelessness and shyness, and the virtue modesty. Another example of this would be rudeness and a sense of humour as the two vices and the virtue as wittiness. Such virtues must be cultivated, we must learn when to use certain virtues and to what extent, for example we must not ever use humour in excess to act like a fool, but at the same time we must also not pass into rudeness. Two philosophers, Anscombe and MacIntyre say that there has been a mistake in how virtues have been portrayed. The majority of people look at the actions a person does to judge whether they are virtuous or not. The way in which we behave provides an opportunity for others to judge our virtues and vices. This however is not right. People should look at the character within and  look at what the person believes is right and how they think they should help people instead of what they do to help. A famous example of a virtuous person is Mother Theresa. She helped millions of suffering people across the world and for this became well known as a virtuous person. There are hundreds of other virtuous people who would have liked to have helped but were unable to do so in such a huge way who are not considered as virtuous, but these people are just as virtuous but not recognised for it. Aristotle tells us that we are most likely to learn virtuous behaviour from watching others. If we experience others being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to practice it then if we were just told to do it. For example, if we were told to be courageous we may occasionally stand up for small things that we disagree with, but if we see someone telling others off for not doing the right thing then we are more likely to not allow bad behaviour towards ourselves. Aristotle said that the best way of becoming virtuous was to follow in the footsteps of a virtuous person, e.g. Mother Theresa and do what they do. Virtue Ethics is relative; Aristotle recognised that virtues in one country may not be the same as virtues in another. He believed that there was no absolute platonic good beyond our world. As virtues have evolved through habits of society it is probable that different societies would deem different actions good or bad. However there is no difference between the virtues of a community and individuals within that community, the supreme happiness that Aristotle talks about is one for the community, and not just and individual. MacIntyre suggests that philosophy is too far removed from ordinary life and said that it is not good enough that philosophers spend their time debating the nature of ethical language or forming reasoned theories of morality in a way that is far removed from real people and real life. All actions are done in order to reach an aim. A successive series of actions are also for an aim, for example getting up in to morning to go to work, is to make money, is to feed our families is to go on nice holidays is to but them nice things etc. all ultimate aims is to make people happy, everything is subordinate to the supreme good, which is happiness. Everyone has  different ideas of what happiness is and different things all make different people happy, and Aristotle called this feeling of all round well being eudemonia. Therefore, Virtue Ethics concentrates on what a person is then what a person does. Its aim is to achieve something, which people genuinely want rather then being based on arguably incoherent ideas about the after-life. It is a system, which can be easily applied and understood by all. It fits into a variety of philosophies, and religions, which both do and dont include God. However, there are a few problems with Virtue Ethics. Ones of these which has been pointed out by MacIntyre is that although a virtue is the golden mean between two vices it cannot be applied to all virtues. Virtues such as promise keeping, loyalty, and compassion do not fall between any two vices and so Aristotles theory of this does not really work. Another problem with this theory is that it is of little help to people faced with a moral dilemma. It does not help them make a decision like other theories such a natural law or utilitarianism.

Remoteness and Loneliness in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Essay

Remoteness and Loneliness in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Emily Bronte loved nature and spent most of her childhood on the remote Yorkshire Moors near her home in Haworth. Emily found that the Moors were a place of peace and sanctuary where she could retreat to relax and follow one of her most favourite past times, which was writing. However she knew that in a matter of seconds the Moors could change into a wild and savage wilderness. Emily chose this ever-changing setting for her only novel "Wuthering Heights". "Wuthering Heights" tells the tale of two families living in and around the bleak Yorkshire Moors near a small village, very similar to Haworth, called Gimmerton. This setting mirrors the personalities of the savage and brutal characters. These characters live in a remote and weather ravaged working farmhouse called Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights acquired it's name due to the, "atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather" The inhabitants of Wuthering Heights need to be tough to survive and only those characters born in Wuthering Heights are able to survive within it. When Hindley returns from University with his wife Frances she dies rather quickly as she cannot survive the savage weather conditions. We do not expect Hindley to die but as he has been away from Wuthering Heights for so long he also cannot survive. However there are other reasons for his death. When Heathcliff returns from his absence he stays with Hindley, and gets his long awaited revenge by slowly luring Hindley into gambling and alcoholism. This is the main cause of his death. If Wuthering Heights was not set in such an isolated place Heathcliff would not have been able to torture and... ...alanced and would not have been as successful with Victorian audiences. Imagery using nature was not seen or heard of very much in large industrial cities such as London or Liverpool so a novel set in the remote Yorkshire Moors was inevitably going to be interesting for the inhabitants of the city to read. "Wuthering Heights" would be neither realistic nor interesting and would not have the excitement that it is famous for without it‘s setting. It would become boring and average and would not have made such an impact with its new ideas and scandals such as Catherine falling in love with her adoptive brother Heathcliff. However perhaps with a less savage and remote setting the characters would have been happier and most importantly the tragic yet futile love of Catherine and Heathcliff could have continued not only in their deaths but also in their lives.

Walmart vs Target

I decided to research the competing stores of Walmart and Target. Sam Walton opened his first store in Arkansas in 1962. His visions included helping customers and communities save money and live better. Walmart was considered the nation’s top retailer by the 90’s and enjoyed its first $100 billion sales year by 1997. In the New Millennium, â€Å"Walmart made a major commitment to environmental sustainability, announcing goals to create zero waste, use only renewable energy and sell products that sustain people and the environment. (www. walmart.com)† â€Å"In 2010, Walmart launched a global commitment to sustainable agriculture, aiming to strengthen local farmers and economies, while providing customers access to affordable, high-quality food. (www. walmart. com)† Walmart celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012 and currently employs over 2. 2 million associates worldwide and serves 200 million customers each week at more than 10,000 stores in 27 countri es. According to the Walmart website, their core beliefs are service to our customers, respect for the individual, and strive for excellence and to act with integrity.After some research, it appears that the organizational culture of Walmart is still subject to an authoritarian culture. Authoritarian means favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom. The culture is viewed this way after multiple lawsuits against Walmart from their employees regarding wages, work hours, and advancement opportunities. There are many female employees of Walmart that would like to be eligible for promotions to management, however Walmart has made it difficult for women to take those positions.They have created the management structure in a way that most women are simply unable to accept. They do this by making relocation a fixed policy for management positions. The Target Corporation began its history in 1902 in Minneapolis. In 1962 â€Å"Target† and be gan to campaign with the classic Bullseye logo. The reasoning was, â€Å"As a marksman's goal is to hit the center bulls-eye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, value and overall experience.(https://corporate. target. com/about/history/Target-through-the-years)† The Target Corporation appears to be continuing to have a history of giving and service. This commitment began in 1946. They strive to enhance the futures of their team members, communities and the world as a whole. â€Å"Supporting communities through giving has always been a cornerstone of our business and a belief that guides so many of our decisions. Each year, we’ve given 5 percent of our profit to communities, which add up to more than $4 million each week.We also believe that donating our time, talent and resources is equally important as the income we give. † They also try to meet corporate responsibility goals in the areas of education, environment, team member well-being and volunteerism Target also announced their goal to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015. In addition, Target’s giving program has reached $4 million a week to local communities. This money goes to communities to fight hunger, aid disaster preparedness and relief efforts, support the arts and put more kids on the path to graduation.It has also been claimed to be a great place to work. They also provide resources, services and benefit programs for eligible employees and their families. They are also many career development and networking opportunities. Target expresses its core values by continuing to make their contributions yearly with their giving program. That appears to be the norm for Target and its employees. Even the employees volunteer their time in many of Target’s community events.The culture of Target seems to be positive compared to the discrimination issues of Walmart. After all of this resear ch, I would definitely prefer to be working for Target because of their commitments to education and local communities. I have always felt the need to be involved in things of that nature and that would give me the push I needed. Work is work and there are days where we just don’t like our jobs but giving back can always help us feel better about what we’re doing.

Racial Stereotypes in TV Shows and Movies