Essays on Altruism

It’s rather usual relatively chilly autumn day in London and to the world a major event has caught the attention of viewers across the world. Pictures of two dark skinned men wielding a machete, a revolver and a cleaver and a Caucasian male lying prostate. A red sedan is also parked next to the three men. There is nothing unusual in having three men near a busy road in London, however, what could have transpired to bring about the circulation of the pictures of the three men?
Dressed in a black hoodie, Jake (not his real name) was Continue reading...

Altruism according to Vonnegut entails the devotion to see others make it through situations difficult for them at the expense of the one assisting them in the move. Notably, altruism in nature and in human society may not be possible since it is impeded by aspects which are specific in nature and in human society. In most cases, altruism will not be practiced in human society owing to the interests that different people have which may conflict hence placing a barrier to its dispensation. Nevertheless, different individuals or groups have different takes on this aspect and will act according Continue reading...

Located outside Target store location

The observation is a study of altruistic behavior of adults toward strangers. One goal in the study is to determine if the presence of an audience motivates a person to be charitable. Hudson and Bruckman (2004) theorized an individual of a particular personality will respond more to the opportunity to participate in a charitable contribution if others are aware of the donation. This may be evidenced in a donation when the plate is passed n church when a person feels others are watching. Some religious organizations include an envelope to conceal the amount of the donation. In this way, Continue reading...

Frederick Nietzsche is perhaps among the most controversial philosopher and thinker of his time. Mostly remembers for his highly scandalous declaration that God is dead, Nietzsche explored the concept of will to power in his book The Gay Science. The concept that Nietzsche was driving at with this concept is that men by nature has that instinctive drive that urges him to insist his ways and values to other people . Nietzsche was trying to suggest that regardless of the superficial intent in one’s action, whether it is by virtue benefiting or harmful to another person, the motive of Continue reading...

The best arguments I would give to my colleague for sharing the vaccine with others would be one of either the thought of the repercussions of not doing so would be more distressing weighed against the possibility of contracting the deadly disease. Psychologists call this punishment-reward. When faced with a situation where behavior is both detrimental and gratifying to one, the course of action is determined by the measure of how gratifying the positive consequences would be, versus how harmful the negative consequences would be. Naturally pain is avoided, and gratification is sought.
Since, as is the assumption, no Continue reading...

Despite of living in a world that has extensively benefited from the capitalist production system, it still seems necessary to make questions about its ethics. There is no doubt that since its adoption and generalization, people around the world has experimented unprecedented wealth and freedom, but there are still issues that plague the world where capitalism has had no power to solve. Many even find the cause of said problems in the capitalist system. This paper will analyze the definition, elements and criticism of capitalism as exposed by William Shaw in his book Business Ethics to find out if Continue reading...

It was a relatively chilly day in London. Three dark skinned men appear holding two machetes and two revolvers. Everyone watching these scary men got nervous and took cover in shops. Dressed in a black hood; Jake (not his real name) was jogging back to the military barracks just outside London. He is wiping goblets of sweat on his brow as he sighs to the accomplishment of completing his usual 5 mile morning run. He seems lost in his own world, maybe thinking of his young, newly-wedded wife who must mean much in his life especially at this stage Continue reading...

Many schools of thought have been debating over several centuries as to what exactly it means to be a good person. Philosophers have also given many answers over the years about their general description of a good person. Many varying responses have been issued to give satisfactory definitions. While others state that it is respecting the law of the land; others argue it is dedicating their lives to helping others, while others believe being good is dictated by being religious. This paper will use the characters and events from the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni as well Continue reading...

“There is a way to be good again” ( Hosseini K. 2003) a line delivered by Rahim Khan to Amir in order to encourage him to help Hassan’s son escape Afghanistan and finally free him from the guilt of his past. The powerful quotation showing how personal salvation can be achieved through saving another person, but the case of Amir in the Kite Runner is complex because before he did something good, he once did something he regretted. In the case of Amir, the main character in the Kite Runner, did saving his nephew be enough to consider him Continue reading...

A human life can be viewed in various ways, but the most common way to describe and understand it is as a path towards one's fate and self-realisation. The book "Sky Burial" by Xinran Xue tells the story of Chinese woman Shu Wen, who on the path of searching for her husband has found herself and realised new ways in life. Although the book might seem quite simple in its narration and plot, the message indented behind is quite complex and aims to reach a wider audience.
First of all, Xinran aims at the description of one's love story Continue reading...

Philosophy

The self-interest of person is itself a relative term as it is defined by various factors for example culture, religion, level of education and personal interests. Self-interest can also be defined as narcicism. Self-interest can vary as far as saddicism as long as it serves the personal interests of the sadist
Philosophical egoism can be proven to be true through thorough dissection and in-depth analysis of actions that are thought to be the most selfless ever committed. All actions serve to suit personal interests. A person giving a beggar money in the streets may seem selfless but they are Continue reading...

Hamilton’s rule states that social behavior of organisms is supported by natural selection but only if rb-c>0, where r represents the genetic relatedness between actors and beneficiaries, b denotes the benefit that the social behavior confers on the beneficiary, and c is the cost that the social behavior imposes on the actor (Alonso, 2002). It is important to note that the rule suggests that the cost will most certainly diminish the appropriateness of the agent and on the other hand that the benefits will increase the suitability of the agent. Although this is the case, the rule Continue reading...

1) “Shirts & Skins: The Sociology of Basketball” is a documentary that highly emphasizes the importance of teamwork, community and togetherness which comes about from team sport. The subjects of the documentary surprisingly cover all ethnic and gender backgrounds, showing a sense of camaraderie that seems to transcend their normal sociological differences. One of the biggest unifying elements in basketball seems to be a need to subsume one’s ego in order to meld together into a whole; to that end, any prejudices or biases these people have against each other normally would simply be surrendered for the sake of Continue reading...

- Bibliographical Entry of the assigned reading

Temporality and Personal Identity in the Thought of Nishida Kitaro by Gereon Kopf

- What does the assigned reading cover?
The reading covers an analysis of Nishida’s conception of an individual in terms of self-determination from the concept of contradictory self-identity compared to the models of personal identity. Some of the models that are mentioned in the reading include monadology and selfless continuity. The author makes an attempt to address the question by analyzing the theory of essentialism developed by Leibniz’ along with theory of reductionism developed by Derek Parfit’s. He introduces a third theory by the name personal nonduality that derives its Continue reading...

Based on the social integration, Durkheim identifies several types of suicides that occur in different societies. Each classification of suicide is based on how an individual relates and interacts with the society around him or her. Lack of sufficient social integration may result in egoistic suicide. This is due to an individual’s development of a feeling of isolation from the rest of society. This means that such an individual feels different and neglected by society such that he ceases to have a meaningful purpose in that society. It is common among individuals who lack social guidance and support, Continue reading...

Altruism is the act of devotion for the wellbeing of others. Since it involves practices of selfless concern, altruism has been associated with increased happiness and health. A study by Otake et al. (2006) on the roles of altruism revealed that individuals who have consistently practiced altruism end up with satisfying lives than their counterparts. In addition, these studies have noted that these individuals are not likely to suffer from conditions like somatization, anxiety or depression. Besides mental health, altruism has shown improved physical health due to the rigorous community services that an altruistic person engages in. additionally, improved Continue reading...

Introduction

Ethics is explained by the adherence of certain socially acceptable behaviours and practices. This subject deals with the goodness of the society and individuals. Ethical theories on leadership stress on the character and personality traits of leaders and the behaviours and actions of leaders. There are various definitions of ethical leadership and these have mainly focussed on behaviours, values and traits of leaders. Professionals have identified several motives and traits which are associated with ethical leaders. These qualities are honesty, fair, altruistic and trustworthy (Dierendonck, 2010).
The importance of ethical leadership is growing as certain renowned organizations like Lehmann Continue reading...

Altruism is the genuine and selfless concern for the wellbeing of others. It centers, on a predisposition among individuals, to collaborate with others, as well as to punish those who act contrary to the norms of cooperation. This gets done at a personal price, even while it is improbable that the costs will ever be recovered. It is altruism that can create a harmonious society in which every single person feels secure. One of the major questions that the Stanford prison experiment set out to answer was: what will win between an evil situation and trustworthy people when the Continue reading...

The exploration of the meaning of life is done through many different ways, one prevalent route being religion. In attempting to determine exactly where we fit in from our perspective in the universe, we have taken a plethora of roads toward that end - some believe that we need to connect more deeply with the universe around us, while others believe we need to be saved through an outside force that can only help us through complete abandonment of our agency. These two different, yet equally compelling, perspectives are outlined in Karen Armstrong's "Homo Religiosus" and Robert Thurman's essay " Continue reading...

Thesis

Helping someone is all about inner conviction rather than expecting favor in return. It is all about doing the necessary to save a critical situation. The occurrence of this opportunity is called Altruism, it may also be defined as an activity repaid with an intrinsic reward and extrinsic gain. This is related to role taking in the sense that it involves a form of responsibility. In some cases, this exchange may be unfulfilled yet it does not make it any less of an altruistic relationship but does press for the reasons of human behavior.
People tend to help others Continue reading...

1. It has been argued that it is "irrational" to vote and "irrational" to become informed about politics. Explain fully how these conclusions are derived. What factors, e.g., political factors or behavior, promote voting and/or reduce the costs of voting and getting informed? Use concrete examples to explain if, why and how people become informed about politics and vote.
There have been several arguments about voting and some people have argued out that it is unreasonable to vote and become informed about politics. Such arguments are based on the nature of politics and the occurrences of events in the Continue reading...

As an act of altruism, I donated a sum of money to Commit2Africa. This is a charity which helps children in Africa to access education (Clover, 2010). However, I gained pleasure from knowing that my money was going to help other people. I also knew that I would feel this before I made the donation and, therefore, it was not a truly selfless act.
“Altruism is helping behaviour that is motivated by a selfless concern for the welfare of another person” (altruism). Altruism differs from personal and social responsibility as both of the latter are motivated by a sense Continue reading...

Introduction

The social psychology of altruistic actions impinges on values embodied in love and selflessness. As often as we interact with each other, daily, there is the tendency to forget how important acts of kindnesses are towards ourselves and then others. The truth is that if we are not kind to ourselves it is extremely difficult to be kind to others since psychologically every action we take initiates from memories stored within the Continue reading...

Introduction

The process of decision making faces ethical dilemmas that require the application of relevant theoretical foundations. The most common theoretical foundations of ethics include utilitarianism, Kant’s categorical imperative, justice as fairness and altruism. Utilitarianism theories require decisions to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Johnson, 1952, p.154). Kant based his theory of categorical imperative on the premise that decision makers should focus on right decisions regardless of their costs (Johnson, 1952, p.158). The proponents of the theory of justice as fairness propose that decision makers should guarantee equal rights and opportunities even in the Continue reading...

Introduction

The issue with blood donation in Canada, as well as around the world, is that the supply of blood peaks during times of crisis when the need for blood is at the forefront of the public’s attention. This often outpaces the demand and goes to waste due to the small shelf life of blood. There is a steady demand for blood donation year-round and is often under-supplied. Should Canada use a monetary incentive to improve the supply and demand imbalance for blood donation?Blood Donation In Canada Canadian Blood Services (CBS) looks after the blood donation efforts within all Continue reading...

Abstract

Spirituality is an essential part of people and yet most of them tend to poorly understand it. The concept of spirituality is quite difficult and must be accepted, and unless people address their spiritual needs they cannot achieve well-being. People are spiritual beings, regardless of their beliefs, because they are humans. This paper relies on previous literature on the subject of spirituality and well-being to in order to take a well-informed approach to explain the correlation of the two. Based on research, this paper suggests that spirituality contributes towards well-being, and spiritual well-being is an important part of emotional, Continue reading...

Question 1

Discuss in detail, from the Manifesto of the Communist Party how the social relations of production will become a fetter or obstacle to the continued development of the means of production. Make sure to use specific quotes from the Manifesto to support your discussion.
According to the concept of social relations, means of production can be privately or publicly owned depending on the order established in a society. For Marx and Engels (1848), capitalistic structure suggests concentration of means of production at the hands of bourgeoisie and continuous exploitation of working class while socialism presupposes public ownership of the Continue reading...

Ever since Georg Wilhelm Hegel’s death in 1831, the concepts and ideas that he had articulated in his political philosophy has continuously remained the crux of modern philosophical, moral, and ethical discussion. Hegelian schools – both ‘Old’ and ‘Young’ – emerged as propagators of the philosopher’s Hegelian system, and imbued it with controversy and a distinctive dichotomy. With the emergence of socialism in the early 1900s, thinkers such as Moses Hess, Karl Marx, and Ferdinand Lasalle began relating their works with that of Hegel, as did a significant number of liberal and conservative philosophers. Much of the impact that Continue reading...

Introduction

In his book 'The Rules of Sociological Method', French sociologist Emile Durkheim purports to promote sociology as a science to derive knowledge. In sociology, social facts are identified as a set of values, social conventions and social structures that impose social constraint on an individual. As per Durkheim, "The first and fundamental rule is to consider social facts as things" (Emile Durkheim, p 64). These 'things' are the core of sociology. In his book, Durkheim gives various explanations of social fact but the best definition lies in his last line: “A social fact is every way of acting, fixed Continue reading...

Introduction

Thesis: The French Revolution transformed not only the French society, but also had a huge influence and marked impact on what the purposes of the arts and their expression were now, making profound changes in what they would supposed to be used for, in the form of the Neoclassic works of art that made their appearance prior to the French Revolution, in which very special emphasis is given to the patriotic, the nationalist feeling, together with a strong sense of self-sacrifice that should be present in every person’s heart.
The French Revolution, indeed, changed the structure of economics Continue reading...

- What is professionalism?
The oxford dictionary (n. d. as cited in Mitchell, 2009, p. 668) defines professionalism as an occupation in which a person professes to be skilled in. The Webster International dictionary of English language (n. d. as cited in Mitchell, 2009, p. 668), on the other hand, defines professionalism as a calling that requires special knowledge and long intensive educational preparation that includes instruction in methods and skills as well as instruction on the scientific, scholarly, and historical principles that inform the methods and skills; and that maintains high standards of conduct and achievement for its Continue reading...

Rice hybrid is one possible method, which was invented by a Chinese man called Yuan Long Ping. Rice hybrid is the method of using two genetically dissimilar crops in a field. Also, male sterility of the seed is necessary in growing the rice (Hybrid Rice India). This invention shows a major breakthrough in growing rice to harvest. According the Hybrid Rice Indian, the harvest has increased by 15-20%. However, some people argued about the result of the food (Hybrid Rice India). They did not believe there was enough nutrition in the rice that was grown in this way. Therefore, Continue reading...

Faith is an important component of belief. A belief develops only when one has a strong faith upon a certain concept. Different people hold different beliefs; therefore, the question of a true believer arises. Eroc Hoffer identifies the true believer as an individual who relies solely on the knowledge obtained from scriptures and draws conclusions from the scripture rather than personal observations or experiences. The true believer also does not relent to face the society’s cruelty. This paper focuses on the actions of Simone Weil using Hoffer’s definition of a True Believer to establish whether Weil qualifies Continue reading...

Introduction

The validity of the law cannot be associated with morality though; there are many instances where moral norms becomes important when formulating laws but still the society can change them if needs be. This concept clearly shows the power of moral decadence and offensive laws existing in legal systems. The dignity in the society continues to depreciate since the law does not take its validity from morality. There are many actions disallowed in the past, but in the current times, they are the most praised acts. The human rights organization plays a major role in disregarding a moral society Continue reading...

Evolution is gradual. The changes that come with it are long lasting and in addition have long term effects on different morals. Just like anything else, morals too have evolved over time. For instance, in the beginning what used to be right and sound can never be said to be so today. It is not so long ago that man walked on all fours. Nowadays, such a scenario would be treated as medical case. When people are born, they have an empty brain that is ready to take in everything that is on display. This through the surroundings (cultural Continue reading...

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Introduction
Hazel Grace Lancaster is the narrator and also the central character of the novel, The Fault in Our Stars. She is a sixteen years old and suffers from a terminal Stage IV thyroid cancer. The cancer has affected her lungs due to which she has to carry an oxygen-tank as an obligation. Although the doctors successfully removed the cancer from her body, Hazel has no hope of living a complete life due to her damaged lungs. Despite the fact that Hazel is adamant that her illness does not define her personality, the thyroid cancer has Continue reading...

The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini revolves about the life of the protagonist-Amir, who is struggling with a huge load of guilt since childhood. In his endeavors to counter this guilt that was born from his childhood years, more guilt stems from his efforts to redeem his face before his father. Amir is ever in a tussle to gain his father’s attention and develops a self-centered approach whereby he views any competitor for his father’s attention as a threat. This selfish nature continues to exacerbate his efforts and subsequently, his journey to redemption. Symbolically, the story infers Continue reading...

Introduction

This research paper investigates the meerkat, a mischievous-looking and charismatic mammal related to the mongoose. Meerkats have been the subject of four TV documentary series entitled “Meerkat Manor” – originally screened on UK TV but since re-broadcast in 160 countries (“From the makers of Meerkat Manor” n.d.). The focus of this paper is the intricately-organized and fascinating social lifestyle of the extended meerkat family community, which was also featured in the TV programmes.

The World of the Meerkat

Meerkats are quite small and cute animals, weighing about one kilogram – about the same as a squirrel. They are of variable color, from silver or gold to Continue reading...

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Introduction

Dooms day for mankind has been one of the most famous themes in science fictions whether in movie or in print. Such themes create interesting scenarios on how society would react when it faces extinction. As depicted in the novel World War Z (WWZ), the threat of human extinction was characterized by an infectious disease that turns normal people into flesh eating zombies. Just like most zombie genres, the infection can only be transmitted through biting and perhaps intravenously. Fear factor is also apparent since zombies can only be terminated when their brain is destroyed. The zombie is Continue reading...

Introduction

One of the definitions of terrorism is use of unexpected, unlawful, and shocking violence against noncombatants or any other targets by members of a secret group or agents for the purpose of making public a political or religious agenda and /or coercing or intimidating a government or civil group into giving in to the demands that are inline with their agenda (Hudson, Mageska, Savada and Metz 1999).
The theoretical literature on the study of terrorism has not received the full attention of sociologist. However, in three decades, the subject is increasingly gaining attention following increased acts of terrorism across Continue reading...