Philosophical Ethics Final Project Research Paper

Philosophical Ethics Final Project - Research Paper Example However, the current society has witnessed high levels of abortion because moral standards have gone down. Additionally, laws that permit abortion have been enacted in several countries especially when the mother’s life is threatened. Abortion in ancient history In the ancient era, abortion practices were tolerable in Greece and Rome. Safeguarding of the unborn life was a matter of consideration only if the father was interested in the child. Children conceived outside wedlock, or bore to prostitutes or with other men other than their husbands were killed pre and post birth. Several western countries held the belief that abortion was acceptable between 18-20 weeks or before embryo movement. As a result, most women who fell in these categories procured abortions to save themselves from anguish and embarrassments. Abortions and contraception were unsafe. In pre-colonial America, there were strict laws regarding pre marital sex. Consequently, abortions were procured and the issue kept secret. Only in cases where the mother’s life was at risk was abortion legal. In 1973, the Supreme Court judgment legalized abortion in America in the case of Roe vs. Wade (BBC journal 23) Philosophical Aspects of Abortion Aristotle In order to understand Aristotle’s view on abortion, one has to understand his nature. He was a kind, hardworking and devoted man. In his quest for knowledge and information, he observed practicality and societal processes using a keen eye. Many people described him as fair and calm. Most Aristotle’s views were rooted in his belief for equality among all people and the need to follow natural law. He said that abortions performed before the onset of life and sensation are permissible. According to him, the onset of sensation and life begins forty days after conception for males and eighty days for females. He iterated that abortions procured before forty days after conception are allowed and those after are illegal and inhuman. Many scientists said that his remarks are pro life because he focused on embryo development at that time. They also argue that had he understood the scientology behind embryo development as the current society does now, he would have been against abortion. He stated that, â€Å"As to the exposure of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live. However, let no child be exposed because of excess population, but when couples have too many children, let abortions be procured before sense and life has begun† (Pangle 5) John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham The two renowned philosophers, Mill and Bentham justified abortion using the idea of utilitarianism. John Stuart Mill came up with the happiness principle. It states that the most desirable things are pleasurable and free from pain. Utilitarianism is based on the consequences of human actions. The philosophers advocated for actions whose consequences are good irrespective of the motive. Bentham was a principled hedonist who thought that pain is quantifiable using calculus calculations. In his calculations, the tendencies of committing an action are measured using seven different factors. For Stuart Mill, the quality of pleasure was the defining factor. He believed that the good can only be defined using the level of pleasure. Utilitarianism supports abortion and concentrates on the outcome and not action. In this approach, a woman who conceives through rape has the choice of terminating the pregnancy or keeping it to term.

How motivation can affect employees' commitment and performance at Essay

How motivation can affect employees' commitment and performance at work - Essay Example Motivation is a weapon – if used correctly. It is a fact within the domains of an organization that motivation brings out the best within the employees and offers the organization a host of incentives and longstanding results.On the flip side, lack of motivation means that the organization would lose out on this count and the work processes would get delayed as a result of the same. There is a good amount of evidence available which suggests that motivation must come out in the open and bring out the best time and time again so that the employees are on their toes all the time, and that success must be achieved when it is most desired, i.e., always. Researchers have long studied and analyzed upon the fact as to how motivation has been the key in finding out the unique points within the working ideologies of the organizations, and how these have been the basis of incentives and benefits for the sake of the business processes in the very end. This paper identifies how motivation can be used to full extent within an organization and how employees must put their foot down and achieve the very best on a proactive basis.The encouragement is indeed the motivation that one has, which is either derived from his own self (self-motivation) or by embedding the same through his co-workers or top management realms. Here an effort has been made to incorporate as many real life examples as possible to bring the best results in the open. Motivation is central to the premise of employee performance within a management scenario. This is because motivation can be the cornerstone of success or the lack thereof if seen within the correct perspectives. Motivation is intrinsic to an employee as it asks of him to give his best in both the trying circumstances as well as the better off ones. It asks of the organizational top domains to encourage and motivate their own employees so that they could offer the best and thus do the same time and again. This is a very essential aspect of understanding how motivation comes about in full circle, and how important a role it plays within the global dynamics of business performance and the attached commitment that is a part of the same (Geen 1994). In essence, motivation is central to any productive undertaking that employees ask of their own selves. What this means is the fact that commitment must remain supreme at the end of the day as this will derive performance and get the best out of the employees on a consistent basis. If performance has to be tapped, the best way in which the same could be done is to find out how motivated the employees are and how well they will shape up within the changing times and scenarios. Motivation is central to the premise of a positive change – a change which is more helpful for the organization as it brings in value in the name of commitment and ultimate performance. A few pertinent theories that pinpoint the role of motivation within the lives of the employees are significan t to mention and understand here. One such theory is the Theory of Needs coined by Abraham Maslow which takes a deep look at how people’s attitudes and behaviors are shaped up, both within their personal life domains as well as at work. Maslow stated that the most important needs for a person to remain motivated are when he receives the most basic necessities of life. These include the housing, clothing and food intakes that he acquires. After these needs have been properly met, he goes after looking for employment and interacting with the people that live around him. After the same have been fulfilled, he can now go ahead and acquire societal needs of being praised within the different norms of the society that he lives within. This is indeed regarded as the need to be taken as a respectable person. The self-esteem needs are therefore important and thus lead one towards the self-actualization requirements where a person wants to explore new things and