Act Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Act Utilitarianism Essay I believe torture is morally justifiable/permissible only with situations, in which you can guarantee the best possible outcome. In this particular situation with the bomber, I believe we should take the Utilitarian-Act Consequentialism approach; and torture the bomber as an attempt to get him to reveal the location. Simply because, Act Consequentialism will focus more on the overall happiness that it will bring to all those involved. Seeing as how they have apprehended the bomber, and interrogated him to no avail. It is the police commissioners only hope to confirm the publics’ faith in the system; which should clearly be capable in making decisions that are ugly but necessary, for securing the safety of others. I believe that Act Consequentialism allows for the attempt to torture both the bomber alongside his wife, if it leads to the discovery of the bomb. An excerpt in which describes my reasoning in the belief that Act Consequentialism will allows this notion is: Act Consequentialism holds that the good determines the right the only consideration relevant to the rightness of an act is the amount of goodness it produces. 1 (McNaughton and Piers Rawlings pg32) from David McNaughton and Piers Rawlings essay on Deontology. Versus the Kantian and Rule Consequentialism of utilitarianism which would believe that this is morally wrong, despite of the lives that could be saved. Rule Consequentialism and Deontology are very similar in their beliefs. For example, this was said in regards to Rule Consequentialism: In particular, rule consequentialism is likely to include constraints, options, and special obligations. There will, for example, be a fairly simple rule against killing the innocent, since the adoption of a more complicated rule that allowed killing in pursuit of the good would be hard to follow. 2 (McNaughton and Piers Rawlings pg34) An example written in regards to Kantianism, the foundation of Deontology states the idea: We are not morally bound by any alleged requirement unless it is backed by principles that we can recognize as what we ourselves, as a rational, self-governing persons, will for ourselves and others. 3 (Kantianism pg237) Showing that the Kantian and Rule Utilitarianism, uses the same filter in most situations to determine the best action. The main idea at the core is still a form of the Golden Rule, do onto others as you want done unto you. For who would make a moral law to torture humans? Therefore it is not morally permissible from a Kantian and Rule Utilitarian approach, because it is clearly immoral to torture people for any purpose. Therefore this belief will lead to the murdering of hundreds of innocent people. Thus leading to a very catastrophic situation; not only for those involved, but as well as the world. Do we remember the effects of terrorism in a free country? Not to mention the main medium affected in making this decision will be the police commissioner. Will he live in a perpetual state of what if if he doesnt act? Seeing as how he is the person who decides to make this call. This is the reason I feel the Act Consequentialism approach is necessary in this scenario. Just the sheer fact that these people are once again, innocent and have done no crime; therefore should not have to suffer because of the bomber decisions or point he may be proving. The Act Consequentialist may take into account, the overall possibility to effect more than just the hundred people, but the effect it would have on the rest of the world (the universal outcome). Meaning we have to understand the consequences that this will have not only on the victims but also the rest of the world who witnesses these acts. This to me would morally be the right thing to do regardless of the Kantian approach. Simply because, this outcome may be more beneficial to people, thus promoting happiness and safety to more people. Although my solution will still give us fear in the name of terrorism; it will however instill the belief in the protection police provide, not to mention their ability to make great choices, thus leading to a stronger and safer country. We can see an example of this in our own society daily. For example, you have some military soldiers who have killed many people in the sake of good, yet feel no guilt. Possibly because they are reminded of the overall benefit they provided to our nation, as well as the safety that they have provided; which may not have been possible, if they enacted upon that situation differently. So this is the main reason why I believe torture would be morally justifiable in this situation to torture the bomber as well as the wife; in a desperate attempt to save innocent people. Clearly because it could lead to the safety of more people and the security of a nation, in which we are all tied in together. This still can be seen as a good outcome because of the attempts taken. Or better yet assuming that this decision will actually work in the discovery of the bombs saving the people would still be a good outcome. However I can truly understand that the unpredictability of the situations outcome, is yet another motivation that would encourage a Kantian or Rule Consequentialist to stand its moral ground; however, differing from my own ideas of this situation. Feeling, that something needs to be done, instead of watching such an injustice.

Automotive Energy Consumption Essay examples -- Automobiles Transporta

Automotive Energy Consumption In the United States, the automobile has come to be more than simply a means of transportation, but also a status symbol and a symbol of autonomy. As a status symbol, automobiles have gotten larger and more expensive, with little or no regard for efficiency or environmental impact. With the proliferation of the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), the average fuel efficiency of cars in the United States has begun to fall from a peak over a decade ago. With technological and material advances made in the last decade, it seems counterintuitive that average fuel economy had begun to decline. In order to understand the advances made in internal combustion engine technology, one must have a basic understanding of engines and the fuels they burn. Four Stroke Internal Combustion Engines The 4-stroke, internal combustion engine at the heart of most automobiles on the road today is relatively inefficient and produces high levels of pollutants. Even the most efficient gasoline burning internal combustion engines convert only 30-40% of the energy available in the fuel in to work. The rest of the energy is lost to heat, and is thrown away into the environment through a heat exchanger (radiator) or through exhaust gases. Exhaust gases account for much of the pollution generated by internal combustion engines. Gasoline, for example produces Greenhouse gases such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx’s) and releases unburned hydrocarbons (fuel) into the atmosphere. Greenhouse Gases are responsible for much of the depletion of the ozone layer, lead to global warming and pose health threats to humans. In addition to these drawbacks, fossil fuels are not in endless supply and co... ...ssil fuel supplies. In order for any course of action to have widespread success, the people must stand behind it. In the case of this investigation, the citizens of the United States need to understand the necessity of conservation and the consequences of non-conformance. This may require government- imposed penalties to businesses and individuals who don’t do their part to conserve. The exact details of such a system are not crucial at this moment, but rather a simple understanding of the outlook for the future. Without swift action in the near future to curb hydrocarbon consumption, both the environment and the world economy stand to suffer significantly. Sources http://www.gm.com/ http://www.energy.gov/ http://www.epa.gov/ http://www.fossilfuels.org/ http://www.thinkmobility.com/ http://www.afdc.doe.gov/ http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Lighting in the Office Enviroment

In the developed countries the number of people who do the office work is great nowadays and it’s rapidly increasing. The U.S is not an exception, thus millions of Americans spent one third of their lifetime in the office environment. They are usually the most active consumers of painkillers, and the favorite clients of the companies producing glasses and contact lenses. Numerous researches proved that office work is one of the most harmful for the workers health, as it doesn’t provide the needed amount of physical activity, in the same time making the employee spend great amounts of time in a place where some vital for health conditions, like airing, the level of noise or level of lighting are not appropriate. The doctors consider poor lighting one of the main reasons that leads to the excessive eyestrain, muscle fatigue, headaches and poor posture, the article about the lighting in the office from the Officinado Website says. Except for this it lowers the effectiveness of the employees’ labor due to the visual and muscle stain the office workers experience when the lighting conditions are poor. The researches found the roots of this problem. The thing is that the level of lighting is excessive in most of the offices due to the fact that the appropriate level was calculated proceeding from the assumption that paperwork would be the main activity of the workers. But time passed, and more and more offices began to refuse from the pen and paper methods. Instead the computers appeared which completed the needed tasks more quickly and effectively, and without the piles of paper lying everywhere. But the thing is that the level of lighting intended for paperwork is excessive for the PC users. Thus the employees have to work in the accommodations with the inappropriate lighting conditions, which causes discomfort to them, and, of course, makes their labor less effective than it could’ve been if the lighting was proper. To make their work more comfortable and effective the intensity of general lighting should be reduced, and the desk lights should be put for the pan and paper tasks. One of the visual effects that appear because of the excessive lighting and improper disposal of the lighting sources is glare. The article Ergonomics in the Office by Bryan Galloy defines glare as the â€Å"visual effect caused by large differences in brightness between an object and its surroundings†. He advises several methods for reducing it, which are: Positioning light sources outside the employee's visual working field; Covering light sources with glare shields; Using matte finishes to reduce the reflectance of surfaces; Installing glare screens on the VDT; Covering windows or skylights with blinds or films. The doctors say that in some extreme cases the glare can even impair vision temporarily, but in the office environment it’s usually not that intensive. Nevertheless, it can cause visual fatigue and eyestrain. One more factor that causes visual discomfort for the office workers is the light reflected from the shiny polished objects. The PC users suffer from it much more than other workers, as the monitors reflect the light from the sources that are located behind the user or above him. To reduce this effect the specialists advise to put the computer workstations between the rows of overhead lights instead of stationing them directly below them in order to reduce the intensity of light. The specialists also advise to put the computers in such a way for the person who operates the computer would not face the window or sit back to it, to make the light   fall at the right angle and to move the source of light from the line of sight of the person who operates the PC. Two primary types of lighting exist in the office, which are task lighting and ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is for satisfying the needs for general lighting and for low visual-demand tasks, while the task lighting is used for completing the tasks that demand certain preciseness. The specialists advise that the task lighting should be three times the intensity of ambient lighting. The authors of the Office Ergonomics say that the lighting for the offices that use the PC together with completing the paperwork should be about 300-400 lux (30-40 footcandles). For the offices where the paper documents are not used it shouldn’t be more than 200 lux (20 footcandles). It is also useful to minimize the outside lighting with the help of drapes, dark film, blinds or louvers, as it reduces the strain on the workers’ eyes. One more way to reduce the light reflections on the monitor screen exists which is the monitor filter. It is a good idea to replace the light office desktops with the reflective finishes with the darker ones whose finishes are matte. The specialists also advise the computer users to adjust the screen's brightness and contrast controls to reduce the strain on the eyes. As we see, proper lighting is very important for creating a comfortable and stimulating working environment for the employees. This goal can be reached by regulating the level of artificial lighting in the accommodation, reducing the outer light with the help of the drapes, dark film and blinds and proper disposition of the computer workstations. Works Cited n.d. Lighting Your Office. Officinado Website, 2004. < http://www.officinado.com/user-articles/Lighting-Your-Office.html > Galloy, B. Ergonomics in the Office.   Rice University Website. < http://www.rice.edu/projects/depts/ehs/ergo.htm > Kroemer, K. H. E. Kroemer,A.D. Kroemer Karl H. E. Office Ergonomics. CRC Press, 2001

Effective Communication in Criminal Justice Settings Essay

A caution gunshot shot into the air, a verbal demand to get down on the ground, and a sign applied on a correctional facility wall that flows, ‘warning: you are under arrest,’ all have to forms of interaction. Communication involves individuals vocally and nonverbally. Verbal concerns words, and non-verbal concerns written or actions performed. The subjects of conversation for this article includes how verbal and non-verbal interaction impact aspects of juvenile delinquent officers when approaching the public through the press, and its impact in a court proceedings when the officers testifies under direct or oblique evaluation. An additional evaluation into the effects interaction has within modification features as it concerns workers,†¦show more content†¦Depending on the laws in a certain area, the young offenders can be as old as 21 years old. The general duties of the juvenile detention officer involves the care for the child, custody of the child, control as well as the safety of all the persons in the given facility. There are other positions where the sanitation in each facility is included as well. The interaction with the young offenders is one the most important responsibilities of the juvenile detention officer. The detention officer must relate to them in an approachable yet professional manner. This is pretty difficult to balance. He is accountable for offering safety, keeping self-discipline, managing actions, performing head number or looks, escorting or moving juveniles to needed sessions, offering First Aid and CPR, disseminating foods, patrolling the ability, tracking visitation rights, advertising child health and well-being, and confirming difficult conduct to the proper government bodies. Facility acceptance can terrify a younger generation who may have never before been in detention. 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