Sam Harris Thesis Review

â€Å"Morality and values depend on the existence of conscious minds—and specifically on the fact that such minds can experience various forms of well-being and suffering in this universe. Conscious minds and their states are natural phenomena, of course, fully constrained by the laws of Nature (whatever these turn out to be in the end). Therefore, there must be right and wrong answers to questions of morality and values that potentially fall within the purview of science. On this view, some people and cultures will be right (to a greater or lesser degree), and some will be wrong, with respect to what they deem important in life. (Harris, 2011) This is Sam Harris’s thesis in his book The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values. This proposition purports science can answer questions about morality. Science is about empirical evidence not social norms or accepted moral standards (morality). His stance on morality is centered on naturalistic fallacy. It is the thought that morality is the result of evolution and social conditioning. (Craig 2012) The laws of nature do not determine right or wrong behavior with relativity to the conscious mind. We as humans do not become more moral as we evolve. As situations around us change our morals change based on what’s more beneficial to us. â€Å"We are selfish to one degree or another; we lack complete information about the consequences of our actions; and even where we possess such information, our interests and preferences often lead us to ignore it. † Harris states. (Harris, 2011) However, his thesis contradicts this statement. I agree with many other critics of Harris† regarding his idea of well being. He does not define well being or what justifies it. If well being is a part of the science of morality what can increase or decrease well being? How can well being be the foundation for morality? I do agree with him that our minds can experience much suffering. However, the measure of suffering is not a science. The laws of nature do not determine if our response to unpleasant situations or suffering is right or wrong as he suggests. Philosophers believe morality comes from the soul. Scientist believe morality comes from certain areas of the brain. There are many tests out to study brain functions. These tests display activities in certain areas of the brain that respond to an emotional stimulus. Although scientist continues to research this issue, no network of nerves has been found to determine the process of moral cognition. (Young & Dungan, 2011) Science does not tell us how to live or explain the differences between right and wrong. Morality is based on a school of thought. Morality does not appear in any type of science. Our morals change as our culture change. Right and wrong is determined in the court of public opinion.

Works of Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne was born in 1839 in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence. He was the son of a wealthy banker. He became interested in art at an early age, which did not please his father. Cezanne was educated at the College Bourbon at Aix, where he befriended Emile Zola. Both Cezanne and Zola decided they would like to devote themselves to art. Zola settled down to a literary career in Paris, but Cezanne, after a short period as a law student, decided to go with his father†s wishes that he should carry on the management of the family bank. He failed in this however, and was allowed to settle in Paris and attend the Atelier Suisse, where he was expected to prepare for the examinations of the Ecole des Beaux – Arts, which coincidentally, he never passed. He became known as one of the most extreme revolutionary painters. He became acquainted with the group of painters who encircled Manet and were later known as the Impressionists. During this period, he was most influenced by Delacroix and by the baroque painters that Delacroix studied, by Rubens and Tintoretto. The â€Å"color† theories of Delacroix combined with the â€Å"law of simultaneous contrast† formulated by the chemist Michel Chevreul, by the end of the 1860†³s were beginning to be taken up by the young artists that Cezanne was familiar with. Cezanne†s ambition was to create grandiose compositions of a purely imaginative description, expressive of his own moods, using either violently dramatic themes as he did in â€Å"Les Assassins† or â€Å"L†Autopsie†, or lyrical motifs, such as â€Å"Le Judgement de Paris,† or â€Å"Dejeuner sur l†herbe. Cezanne also painted a series of portraits in which dramatic and psychological effects were undertoned. In all these early works, the color is reduced to a few simple notes in which black, white, earth reds, and yellows predominate. He showed at this stage nothing of the curiosity about natural effects of color which distinguished the Impressionist group. During the years 1872-1873, a great change came over Cezanne. He spent the summers of these years at Auvers-sur-Oise in the company of Camille Pissarro, one of the foremost Impressionistic painters. Pissarro was older than Cezanne and had already discovered his personal style and perfected a methodical and precise technique adapted to it. For the first time Cezanne learned to look on nature with a curiosity and learned the process of recording the results that were obtained. And above all, the whole world of atmosphere color was revealed to him. Certain pictures painted by Cezanne in these years resemble very nearly Pissarro†s work, but they show Cezanne†s reater power over organizing form. For these years, Cezanne may be In the last decade of the 19th century belong some of Cezanne†s most celebrated works. These include the portrait of Geffroy, which could be unequaled in modern art for the completeness of its realization and the complexity and assurance of harmonies, several pictures of men seated at a cafe table and playing cards, and a series of landscapes dominated by the mass of Mont Sainte-Victoire. At the very end of his life, there seems to have been a reappearance of the romantic tendencies of his youth. His paintings became more richer, more intense, and vivid in color. In the 1880s and 1890s, his name had become almost unknown in the larger art circles of Paris. However, his fame began to gradually circulate among artists, and in 1904 an exhibition of his works in the Autumn salon revealed to the public this unknown genius. Most of his fame came posthumously, as Cezanne died at Aix in 1906.

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example For every group of data, the points on the X-Bar usually represent its average. The range chart on the other hand displays the difference between the lowest and the highest dimension in the group (SPC 2013). Statistical control limits also known as confidence band is normally attached to the weakening line so as to reduce the unexplained error. The confidence interval in the regression is normally based on past data. Control limits are expressed in terms of positive or negative mean absolute deviation (MAD). MAD is normally simple and useful when obtaining tracking signal. It is used to denote the average error that is in the forecasts. It measures the dispersion of the observed values from the expected values. When sign is put in consideration in the computation of MAD, the control limits are obtained. MAD is calculated by obtaining the sum of absolute deviations and then dividing it with the number of data points. Control limits can also be expressed in form of standard deviations. Standard deviation relates to mean absolute deviation when the errors in the project are usually dispersed. ‘The standard deviation’ is normally a bigger measure. For instance, if the MAD of a set of points was estimated to be 60, then the measure for the standard deviation would be 75. ... It is used to indicate whether the average of the forecast is keeping pace with any upward or downward genuine changes A typical control chart has two horizontal lines that are called ‘upper control limit’ (UCL) and lower control limit (LCL). If the process happens to be in control, almost all the samples fall between them and hence no action needs to be taken. If a point plots outside of the control limit it is taken that the procedure must be out of control and hence investigation is necessary and corrective action should be taken in order to find and eradicate the possible causes for the behavior. The sample points that are on control chart are normally connected with a straight line to make it easier to visualize how the sequence of those points has been evolving over time. Even if all the points happen to plot inside of the control limits and they act in a non-random approach then this is a signal that the procedure might be out of control. These limits are calculat ed from Range and ‘SPC X-Bar’ values. They are plus/minus three standard deviations from the average calculated and represent 99.97% self-assurance factor that any of the reading that falls between the limits can is an attribute of the regular process discrepancies (Confidence intervals: how they work, 2013). Effect of Seasonal Factors Using Process Performance Data Control: Measurement will help in reduction of variation. They help reduce overruns in expenditure so as the objectives agreed on can be achieved. Management assessment: The concept for process performance involves meeting the planned established operating goals, detecting of deviations from the planned performance levels and then restoring these performances to the levels planned or even

Proto-Miob Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Proto-Miob - Essay Example Herein, both sides of the arguments will be considered with the intention of proving to the reader that the removing the smoking ban is a better option than maintaining it. According to Singleton, a spokesman for Reynolds American, it should be the decision of the establishment owners to decide if they want to uphold the rules on the environment (Winslow). The anti-smoking ban group â€Å"NYC Clash, Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment† stated after the ban was upheld by as new york judge that these laws are vague and infringe the smokers’ rights by violating the 1st and 14th amendments. It denies them the freedom to choose how they live since smoking is a personal choice and since the smokers are aware of the risks; the government has no business dictating how and when they smoke. Furthermore, according to Winslow, several thousand nonsmokers die due to conditions attributed to second hand smoke hence giving credence to the argument that cigarette smoking harms not just the smokers but their neighbors. Statistics show that bans on cigarette smoking have caused drastic reductions on the levels of cancer by an average 17% with the greatest drop being witnessed in nonsmokers (Winslow 2009). This is ample evidence that smoker do not only jeopardize their health but that of those who do not smoke hence the need for a ban. Notwithstanding, many people claim that smoking is their right, and any attempts to ban them from engaging are tantamount to infringing their freedom because they believe they should be able to move anywhere they want, more so in public, and restrictions on this are unconstitutional. Smokers hence claim that, banning smoking in public is an infringement on their freedom. However, proponents of the ban argue in the opposite direction they hold that it the rights of nonsmokers which will be infringed upon if they smoke bans are disallowed they will lose their right to live in a clean and healthy environment due to the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke. In addition, the city health officer, Thomas Friedman argued that, the â€Å"Smoke Free Air Act† was intended to protect the city resident’s health from the effect of secondhand smoke. To this effect, arguments have been made to prove that workers in bars and restaurants are vulnerable to the effects the many cigarettes being smoked in the premises. Therefore, as a potential health hazard in the workplace, the ban on public smoking is very much justified. Cigarettes pose a health threat not only because of the diseases they can cause but also as a fire hazard, since poor disposal of glowing butts can lead to fires resulting in the destruction of life and property (Dillenberger 1). On the other hand, several NYC claim that smokers’ personal lives are private, and the government has no right to interfere with it. Those in support of this argument state that people who are banned from public smoking are being marginalized by these bans. They state that it is wrong for the government to interfere with liberty and personal freedom of an individual all in the name of protecting the health of the public when many nonsmokers do even worse to their own bodies’ every day through other activities (Saulny 2004). In addition, the other argument against public

Consider bauman's idea that central features of modernity underpinned Essay

Consider bauman's idea that central features of modernity underpinned the possibility and actuality of the holocaust - Essay Example Out of job, Bauman had enough spare time in his hands and completed his masters in philosophy from Warsaw University where he remained as a lecturer till 1968. With the outbreak of public protests in Poland against the ruling communist government and subsequent fanning of anti-Semitic sentiments by the government to deflect public criticism, Bauman shifted to Leeds University after briefly teaching in Tel Aviv University. Bauman faced anti-Semitic sentiments twice in his life and both were from non-Nazi state machinery. This experience led him to form an opinion that modernity, bureaucracy and social exclusion creates a situation where an extreme phobia against those social groups that cannot be neatly categorised and slotted into predetermined and well established hierarchical superstructure prevalent in the society. This in essence is the beginning of a potential holocaust that will inevitably result if this xenophobic attitude towards those social sub-groups that cannot be effectively analysed according to existing social norms is not brought under control. Such social mores can be brought under control only if the authority is aware of the potential dangers and initiates strong measures to counter such a mass phobia against so-called outsiders. History, however, has witnessed several instances of cynical exploitation of the deep seated distrust among Europeans against so-called killers of Christ by governments of several European nations, Poland and Soviet Russia being the main culprits, to further their narrow and selfish class interests. Bauman has worked extensively on these issues where he has clearly laid bare the intrinsic interconnection between modern society where people wilfully forego several facets of personal freedom (both in the realm of actions and in thoughts) and the inherent distrust of the ‘outsider’ who does not conform to the established mores of the society. His contention is

English Criminal law Problem question - Discuss the criminal Essay

English Criminal law Problem question - Discuss the criminal liability, if any, of Bruiser for the murder of Dot - Essay Example In the event the actus rea and the mens rea are concurrent, then the accused person will be deemed fully liable for the act and be penalized for first degree murder. The establishment of mens rea is particularly important to establish guilt, since according to Edward Coke who first proposed the theory of mens rea, â€Å"an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty.†2 When a criminal act – especially murder – has occurred, it is also necessary to establish a concurrence with the mens rea.3 The case of R v Lamb4 set out the precedent that mens rea â€Å"is an essential ingredient in manslaughter†. The criterion that is used is by assessing whether a reasonable man would have been able to assess the risk inherent in his actions that caused harm, which will be sufficient to establish mens rea5. However, a recent significant development in this area is the case of R v Andrews6 (2003), wherein the Court upheld a conviction for manslaughter although it was a strict liability offense. The prosecution was not required to prove mens rea in that case7. This could impact significantly upon the extent of Bru iser’s liability and the possibility of conviction. The context within which an offense occurs forms an important part of the sentencing and in making a determination of the extent of liability of a person when mitigating circumstances exist, the accused could be deemed to have a diminished responsibility for his actions and will be liable for the lesser charge of manslaughter. However, there is also provision in English law for transferred malice, whereby a person intending to cause grievous bodily harm to one person may actually cause it to another by some slip or change in circumstances, nevertheless the accused will be deemed to be as guilty as if he had intended to carry out the damage on the second person. Moreover, in making the determination about whether grievous bodily harm has taken place, the Court will also

For developing nations, tourism has been seen as the road to Essay

For developing nations, tourism has been seen as the road to development. Choose one area and identify the specific benefits and cost of tourism to the area. Th - Essay Example The income generated from these tourists, in turn, facilitates the countries to meet the conservation costs of these cultural assets. However, an accelerated development in the tourism leads a country to pay great costs associated with the sustainability of its national heritage. Therefore, tourism brings both benefits and costs to a country. Singapore is one of those developing countries that are benefiting a lot from the growth of tourism industry. This paper sheds light on various costs and benefits associated with the cultural tourism in the country, in particular, the costs that the country is paying for its quest to commercialise the industry in the competitive tourism market. Cultural tourism is one of the rapidly growing fields of tourism that are becoming more and more attractive for travellers across the globe. Tourists’ destinations in the developing world such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, India etc are especially known for their cultural attractions for the visitors coming from the developed world. The profound importance of culture in the tourism lies in the innate quest of human beings to inquire into cultural assets and values of different countries, in particular, those that serve to be the remnants of historical traditions. There happen to two general categories associated with cultural attractions at a tourist’s destination. The first one refers to ‘tangible heritage’ that includes landscapes, physical assets and properties, whereas the other one falls into the category of ‘intangible heritage’ constituting norms, values and mixes that various cultures shares (Saunders, 2004). Developing countries, in particular the Asian region is richly endowed with cultural heritage that attracts tourists from different corners of the world to these places. This has particularly led to the enormous development of countries in the East Asian region. However, as tourism leads to modernisation, this development is