Free Essays on Kant Freedom Of Will

KANT & FREE WILL Cherian Koshy In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet, Polonius utters the ironic phrase, â€Å"for brevity is the soul of wit.† The irony resides in Polonius’ inability to concisely describe Hamlet’s madness. While humorous in some settings, irony is disastrous when dealing with complex moral decisions. In the case of Immanuel Kant’s writings, several passages are littered with irony and contradictions, which he vehemently despises rhetorically. While Kant is often labeled as a difficult writer because of the language he selects and in part to the imperfect translation from German, Kant is strictly liable for his inability to rectify one particular inconsistency in his theory. This question of whether Kant believes there is free will, is wholly inconsequential to a more complete understanding of the Kantian ethic or moral philosophy in general. However, it is obvious that Kant presumes a free will and falls prey to tautologies and vague definitions to support a more general thesis. It is the intention of this essay to briefly establish that free will can not exist in the Kantian ethic in order to preserve the logical and structural integrity of the theory when dealing with purely moral decisions. While the general profundity of this claim may be minimal, the implications on Kant’s deontological approach and specifically upon the Categorical Imperative are evident. In establishing the absence of free will within the Kantian ethic, two approaches are necessary: the definitional prohibition of free will and the philosophical inconsistency of free will. Before delving into the thesis, however, one caveat is necessary. By freedom and hence free will, it is meant to say that an action is uncoerced and is based on one’s options. In essence, a free decision is one that an agent makes absent any interference from any other agent and is made when a possibility of a choice exists. The essay also assumes that K... Free Essays on Kant Freedom Of Will Free Essays on Kant Freedom Of Will KANT & FREE WILL Cherian Koshy In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet, Polonius utters the ironic phrase, â€Å"for brevity is the soul of wit.† The irony resides in Polonius’ inability to concisely describe Hamlet’s madness. While humorous in some settings, irony is disastrous when dealing with complex moral decisions. In the case of Immanuel Kant’s writings, several passages are littered with irony and contradictions, which he vehemently despises rhetorically. While Kant is often labeled as a difficult writer because of the language he selects and in part to the imperfect translation from German, Kant is strictly liable for his inability to rectify one particular inconsistency in his theory. This question of whether Kant believes there is free will, is wholly inconsequential to a more complete understanding of the Kantian ethic or moral philosophy in general. However, it is obvious that Kant presumes a free will and falls prey to tautologies and vague definitions to support a more general thesis. It is the intention of this essay to briefly establish that free will can not exist in the Kantian ethic in order to preserve the logical and structural integrity of the theory when dealing with purely moral decisions. While the general profundity of this claim may be minimal, the implications on Kant’s deontological approach and specifically upon the Categorical Imperative are evident. In establishing the absence of free will within the Kantian ethic, two approaches are necessary: the definitional prohibition of free will and the philosophical inconsistency of free will. Before delving into the thesis, however, one caveat is necessary. By freedom and hence free will, it is meant to say that an action is uncoerced and is based on one’s options. In essence, a free decision is one that an agent makes absent any interference from any other agent and is made when a possibility of a choice exists. The essay also assumes that K...

International Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Security - Essay Example Protection is also provided by PMCs nationally and internationally. They also give their services to supplement those services given by armed forces. They provide these services in places where there are no security details that are personal are involved. This means that the state actor is not involved in this case. 1 The PMCs work in conjunction with states. This is in line with providing training in military matters and national defence issues. They tend to be located where the conflict intensity is quite low. In these places it is usually risky to deploy armed forces to them. This is in terms of economics, diplomatic and politics. At Guantamano Bay, they help in setting up camps for detention. The Afghani president has benefited by getting bodyguards supplied to him from the PMCs. Colombia has in the past been given helicopter gunships which assisted in destroying coca crops. George H. W. Bush really influenced the privatization of these enterprises. The PMCs can be grouped generally to mean contractors of defence. Tactical skills and specialised operations are provided by PMCs to their personnel. Combat experience is also included in this. This is unlike what the other contactors of defence do. The PMCs provide their services to state forces, business corporations and non-governmental organizations that are internationally based. The difference between PMCs and defence contractors is not recognized by (GCIII) The Geneva Convention. They term them as supply contractors. They are termed as war prisoners when issued with identity card that is valid. They are termed as mercenary when they engage in combat. Demand of private military companies There is a likely hood that there will be an increase in the demand for the private military companies. Governments usually employ the private military companies to help solve conflicts. This has been done by Angola. These companies are contracted to give logistical help. Most of the states that contract the private military companies cannot afford to sustain big militaries. For example private military companies were employed to do recruitment in Balkans. International organisations also highly demand the services of private military companies. The PMCs are also contracted or employed by the UN to provide security. Once a private military company is reputable and strong, it normally has very high demand. The UN usually compares the costs incurred in having armed forces and that of employing the PMCs. It is usually very cheaper to employ the PMCs than to have the armed forces in the nation. It is estimated that there are many private military companies that operating in Africa. This is even up to 100 private military companies in operation. The African countries that have benefited from this include Indonesia and Colombia. The PMCs are mostly contracted by countries that are in very remote areas. Such places are usually very dangerous. The PMCs are mostly from the UK and the United States. Recruitment Many private military corporations are recently attracting people and the entire personnel from Special Forces. This is because the private military companies pay the employees well compared to the salaries paid by Special Forces.2 UK private military companies There are many private military companies in the United Kingdom. They include Adson Holdings, registered in Guernsey. Aegis Defence Services, AKE Group and

What You learned in this class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

What You learned in this class - Assignment Example Graduate students should use MLA style to reference their assignments. Business letter is a portrait of a company, thus it has to look distinctive and present the high quality nature of the business. Business letters have a standard format and template. The most commonly used format is the block style with text in single space and double space between paragraphs. In addition, the letter must have the sender’s address, inside address, salutation, body text, signature block and an enclosure if there is one. Research paper writer must have the objective of focusing on the research topic. The outline of the research with the thesis statement is included in the paper. The research paper should have the introduction, body, discussion and conclusion. Movie review assists the learner in understanding the artistic creation work. In addition, movie review enables the learners to be creative and establish new and improved movies. In conclusion, a good paper should have an excellent format and grammar to enhance its presentation. Formatting the paper is important in business letter writing, research paper writing and establishing a movie review. Moreover, referencing and citing all sources used are vital in avoiding plagiarism

Production of a Database of Styles and Guidelines for the Mountain Collegian Essay Example for Free

Production of a Database of Styles and Guidelines for the Mountain Collegian Essay This study was conducted primarily to produce a database of styles and guidelines for Mountain Collegian (MC) that would aid the publication in making its own stylebook. In the realization of this study, first, a survey questionnaire was floated to identify the areas needed by the publication. Based on the data gathered through the said survey questionnaire, the 10 areas identified by the respondents, the current members of the publication, were capitalization, abbreviation, acronyms, bylines and credits, names and titles, italicization, numerals, dimensions, punctuation, and reported speech. After the ten areas of style needed by the publication were identified, issues of MC from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed for the determination of consistent and inconsistent styles practiced by the publication. Two issues for each editor-in-chief were used. Thus, a total of 20 issues and 340 articles were used for the analysis. The analysis showed that many consistent styles are practiced by MC in areas of capitalization, abbreviation, acronyms, and punctuation. The consistent styles identified were automatically included in the database as these are manifestations of the practice and journalism culture that MC has. However, despite the many identified consistencies in styles, many inconsistent styles were also noted. With these inconsistencies, a survey questionnaire was created to determine the preference of MC on styles that are inconsistent. It is recommended that the other areas of journalism styles of Mountain Collegian be looked into and analyzed for consistency. The Mountain Collegian (MC), the official student publication of Benguet State University, believes in the virtues of clear and effective communication. Thus, it constantly strives to uphold accuracy, precision and consistency in writing for it believes that these are stamps of professionalism in the practice of campus journalism. Existing under this principle and guided by the importance of sharpening the meaning of facts and news stories, MC relentlessly reminds its student journalists not to be casual about language usage, English for that matter, and to exercise precision of language. However, there are strong oppositions regarding this matter. Writers and even some academicians themselves claim that the constant stress on proper English is merely a form of snobbery and has no place in the fast-paced world of journalism. Also, adhering to rules of a constantly evolving language in the practice of journalism is deemed irrelevant as many writers- particularly the young blood of journalists- think of these rules and styles as suppressive forces obstructing their creativity. However, Stovall (2002) said that style is not a rigid set of rules established to restrict the creative forces in the writer. Style imposes a discipline in writing that should run through all the activities of a communicator. It implies then that the communicator is precise not only with writing but also with facts and with thought. Paying attention to the details of writing – and getting those right – means that a writer is likely to be paying attentions to facts, context, and meaning. Style, as pointed by the United Press International Stylebook, is the intangible ingredient that distinguishes outstanding writing from mediocrity. In addition, Stovall said that adherence to a constant style is vital to the society. He quoted Thomas W. Lippman in the preface of The Washington Post Deskbook on Style saying, â€Å"A newspaper is part of a society’s record of itself. Each edition lives on in libraries and electronic archives to be consulted again and again by the scholars and journalists of the future. The newspaper is thus the repository of the language, and we have a responsibility to treat the language with respect. The rules of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and usage set down here are our way of trying to meet that responsibility. Thus, clear story-telling and language is at the heart of good journalism. Theodore M. Bernstein said that writing should be treated like a precision instrument; it should be sharpened and it should not be used carelessly. Since consistency and precise word usage are also utterly important in communication, perceived misuse of English, which is the language of international journalism, and inconsistencies in style then shall not cause readers to veer away and be distracted from what is more important – the creative and focused aspects of the message. Furthermore, according to the BBC News Styleguide (2010), the best journalists appreciate that writing well is not a tiresome duty but a necessity. Consistency. Precision. Accuracy. These therefore are the fundamental reasons why it is vital for a publication, for MC for that matter, to have a set of rules, styles, and guidelines. Since its establishment in 1965, MC has not produced its official style book yet although attempts were made to do so. The style book, though, just what it is – is merely a guide. It is not a collection of rules and regulations. It is not a dictionary and it is not a list of what is acceptable and what is not. In a world that’s awash with poor usage, a stylebook sensitizes the writer to the use of language toward achieving the nobility of the practice of journalism. For The Mountain Collegian, a stylebook will serve not only as the brick and lumber of its house but also most importantly as an archive of decades of not only responsible but also language sensitive practice of journalism. This shall serve as a record of MC’s editorial practice handed down by generations of student journalists that have shaped MC to what it is today.

I Am Forty-seven and I Wish to Study Law Essay -- Law College Admissio

I Am Forty-seven and I Wish to Study Law "If I had it to do over again, I would go to law school." That has been my response for the last fifteen years whenever I was asked if I felt fulfillment in my chosen profession. The truth is, I never felt fulfilled because I never really chose a profession. As did many working-class people with no advanced education, my parents believed that the road to success was through education. Hence I was encouraged to pursue an academic education in high school and to attend college. Beyond that point, there was no plan. My career planning process resembled the path that a pin-ball experiences during its descent through a maze of bumpers, obstacles and flippers. Considering my financial status (I had no money for college) and my vocational preference or suitability (I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I was mechanically-oriented and "good with my hands") my guidance counselor, using all the diagnostic skills and insights he could muster, advised that I consider either engineering or dentistry. His list of candidate institutions included Drexel Institute of Technology and Temple University, each of which was local and had arranged a program so that a student could work full-time to earn tuition while attending college. Upon receiving letters of acceptance from both schools, a flip of a coin at the counselor's desk cemented the lifetime decision: engineering it was! Almost immediately after starting Drexel, I was certain that I had chosen incorrectly. My father was of the strong opinion that one completed what one had started, however, and being a reasonably obedient son, I completed five years of arduous undergraduate engineering school. ... ...ssful real estate development and management firm. I never had a business or project repossessed by lenders or creditors, and I never experienced any bankruptcy or debtor's action against me. Along the way, I found time to fit in twenty five years of active Barbershop Quartet and Chorus singing which allowed me to serve in every major chapter officer's position, make enough significant administrative contributions to be elected to the honorary fraternity within our singing society (100 out of 6000 men), earn medals in several international competitions and appear on the stage at Carnegie Hall. So I guess in today's world I would be considered successful; however, something has been missing. If I had it to do over again, I would go to law school. Now that my children are grown and my family's finances are secure, I have the opportunity to do it over again.

How accurate is the film Gladiator Essay

Gladiator is a wonderful story and won Best Picture in 2000. Even though the movie is so well done it does not mean that the story is historically accurate. The movie includes many historically accurate facts ranging from some of the characters to the society of Rome. However, Gladiator is for pure entertainment, and just like the real gladiator battles, it is for the enjoyment of the viewers. The film added to the cinematic categories such romance and intrigue but at the same time took away from many historical aspects. Even though the movie is on the whole historically inaccurate there are a few historically accurate details. In Gladiator, the hugeness of the Coliseum is very well and accurately portrayed. The Coliseum is larger then Shea Stadium, and that greatness and grandeur is shown correctly in the film. Also, the movie correctly portrayed the armory of the times. The breastplates were correct and so too were the facemasks and other such battle suits.( http://www.online-shrine.com) The movie shows these true details in order for the viewer to think that the other more amazing parts of the plot are true. Also, by adding the truths it makes sure that the movie will not seem neither phony nor cartoonish. The reason Gladiator can not be considered historically accurate is because of the glaring errors in the characters and the emotions and actions of the characters. Firstly, Crowe’s General Maximus Decimus Meridus is a total fake. He is not a real person nor is he very similar to any one else in history. Maximus is instead a hodgepodge of many other people. The one true person who is totally shown incorrectly is Commodus. Commodus is shown as a grownup that never outgrows his childhood. However, he in fact was not like that at all. In the film Commodus is shown killed is father because his father believed he wasn’t fit to rule. In truth Commodus did not kill his. Historians generally agree that, Marcus Aurelius died of the plague in Vienna on March 17, 180 CE (www.nmia.com). It is also untrue that Marcus found his son unfit to rule. He had Commodus named Caesar when he was 5 years old, and named Commodus as his successor when he was seventeen. As a Roman father he undoubtedly loved and spoiled his son terribly. Gladiator is not a historically accurate film and is filled with hogwash. The film can not be used to study that time period and can only be used as a great Hollywood film but nothing more. Gladiator deserved all of its accolades because of the film in its own right but not because of the history it used to tell the story. Gladiator 28 Feb. 2004 < http://www.online-shrine.com/reviews/gladiator.php> Is Gladiator true 28 Feb. 2004 < www.nmia.com/~pslock/r_glad.htm>

Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Financial Report Free Essay Example, 1500 words

It is essential to state that the assets entail plastic bottle equipment, closure line machines, filler line machines, computers, furniture, office equipment, delivery trucks, and bottling machinery. FAS Report Writer is an option that provides the user with batch, drill down, and graphical reporting capabilities. It saves time on reporting and lets the user get information about things such as detailed asset analysis, acquisitions, accumulated decreases, and depreciation for any period of time. Assets in Pepsi-Cola Jamaica is recorded in Jamaican dollars and then converted into United States dollars when the data is moved to the headquarters (SAGE FAS, 2008). FAS Asset Inventory offers Pepsi-Cola Jamaica an automated fixed asset tracking system. The tracking system is composed of a state-of-the-art bar code technology. FAS Asset Accounting is integrated within the system, and it allows modified or new physical inventory data to be simply reconciled with the present asset data. FAS Asset Accounting is utilized at the main office in Pepsi-Cola Jamaica and in other seven distribution channels across the island (SAGE FAS, 2008). The methods of costing products in Pepsi-Cola are divided into two, and they include manufacturing costs and non-manufacturing costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Financial Report or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Direct materials used in the production of Lay s include potato, oil, seasoning (flavor), film (packet), and carton. Direct labor is reserved for labor cost that can be traced back to the distinct units of products.