Ethical Dilemmas Facing Social Workers Social Work Essay

Ethical Dilemmas Facing Social Workers Social Work Essay Social workers face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis, Banks illustrates this in her quotation ethical dilemmas occur when the social worker sees herself as facing a choice between two equally unwelcoming alternatives, which may involve a conflict of moral values, and it is not clear which choice will be the right one (Banks 2006:13). Banks implies that social workers are often involved in personal and even painful issues and ethical judgements in social work that are about human welfare (Banks 2006:155). This poses many challenges as decisions made are likely to be life changing for service users. It is therefore important for a social worker to be able to justify action (or inaction) accordingly. The facts of a case alone cannot determine what action must be taken, it would be impossible to make choices without values (Beckett and Maynard 2005:7). It is essential for a social worker to have a strong value base from which they work. In some instances problems may arise as social wor kers come into the profession with their own set of personal values and these may conflict with their professional values. Hence what Banks refers to as conflict of moral values (Banks 2006:13). Personal values cannot simply be eradicated because they conflict with professional values, but we must keep our values and assumptions under review, and be open to other arguments and other ideas (Beckett and Maynard 2005:17). In the case scenario of the Bertrams the alternatives are unwelcoming and in order to navigate the value maze in social work (Wilson, Ruch, Lymbery and Cooper 2008:92) social workers use various theories to inform practice. Kantism also referred to as deontology was derived from the ideas of philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Kant believed people should be treated as an end and not a means to an end. By this Kant meant people should be valued and respected as an individual and not used for the benefit of others. Hence, Kant believed that everyone should be treated equally. Kants ideology was to set aside peoples view of religion and spiritual beliefs and move to the idea of being rational. Rationality enables people to understand what their duties are and how their duties enlighten what they do in the world (Parrott 2010: 500). Kant also believed that by using reason this would develop a consistent moral system. In the case of the Bertrams if the social worker were to use the deontological perspective to guide her decision-making it would be important to value Mrs Bertram as a person because the core of this perspective is respect for persons (Beckett Maynard 2005:35). This goes hand in hand with t he British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Code of Ethics key principles: Respect for human dignity; Value for every human being, their beliefs, goals, preferences and needs; and Respect for human rights and self determination (BASW 2010). Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) developed the philosophical theory of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism looks at the consequences of actions balancing the relative advantages and disadvantages of a particular course of action, (Parrott 2010: 54) Therefore one persons suffering is acceptable as the greatest number of people is happy. There are two principles of utilitarianism, the principles of justice and utility. The principle of justice is about being equal and fair as the value of everyones happiness should be the same. The principle of utility signifies the greatest good for everyone. In many cases these two principles clash as the minority of people are unhappy. In the case scenario of the Bertrams her happiness should be valued and it would be important to consider the repercussions of going against her wishes if it were considered in her best interests. A social worker would be expected to balance Mrs Bertrams right to self-determination, her safety and the concerns of her family for her welfare as it is often the social workers job to assess the whole situation and work for a solution in the best interests of all concerned (Banks 2006:167). Virtue ethics is a theory that looks into an individuals character. Ones virtue ethics are developed by their personal belief system and this determines their character. Virtue ethics is an approach according to which the basic judgments in ethics are judgments about character (Statman, 1997:7). Ethical issues are embedded in relationships and responsibilities. An individual may lie to be seen as virtuous because they want to be seen as an honest person.   Ã‚   Radical social work is seen as belonging to an area of social work which can also be known as critical or activist social work. The radical position takes a transformational view of social work, and as such is concerned with transforming society to benefit the most oppressed rather than focusing on the individual (Hill, 2010). Payne (1997) suggests some typical views are that; problems are defined as social and structural rather than individual. McIntyre (1982) cited in Payne (1997) summarises the radical approaches criticisms of traditional social work as; traditional social work reduces complex social problems into individual psychological ones, it cuts service users off from others who may share the same problem and it reinforces the capitalist social order that is oppressive. The radical position sees the professionalisation of social work as alienating workers from service users. Praxis is the process of thinking and acting. It is like a spiral of thought and action, or a praxis spiral. Praxis is integral to social work practice and comes in the form of reflection. In social work theory, praxis is the reflexive relationship between theories and action. It describes a cyclical process of social work interactions developing new theories and refining old ones. In order to work anti-oppressively social workers need to reflect on factors that influence their practice; they then need to incorporate the results of this reflection into their practice (Lee, 2001). Downie and Telfer (1969, 1980) state that respect can be regarded as an active sympathy towards another human being (Banks S, 2006: 29). Darwell (1995) outlines two types of respect, recognition respect and appraisal respect. Recognition respect is in essence when a human being is worthy of respect whether it is for something they have communicated verbally or through their actions. Appraisal respect is acknowledging ones qualities. The level of respect would reflect on the qualities shown. Kantism has had an influence on the moral principle of respect in a relationship between a social worker and the service user. (Banks S, 2006: 31) In order for a social worker to show full respect there are four key elements that have to be met, these are, acknowledgement, preservation, non-destruction and engagement (Banks and Gallagher, 2009). Relativism suggests that all points of view are equally valid and the individual determines what is true and relative for individuals. Relativism theorises that truth is different for different people, not simply that different people believe different things to be true. Subjective relativism allows us to be rulers of our own principles and how we chose to live our lives. Cultural relativism is the view that moral beliefs and practises vary with and depend on the human needs and social conditions of particular cultures so that no moral belief can be universally true. (A E Holmes 1984). is this a direct quote? Descriptive Ethical relativism believes that different cultures have different moral values and normative ethical relativism suggests that each culture is right unto itself. The Collins English Dictionary (2009) defines values as the moral principles and beliefs of a person or group and ethics as a social, religious or civil code of behaviour considered correct, especially that of a particular group, profession, or individual. Therefore values can be seen as the fundamental beliefs that an individual or group holds to be true and ethics the more formalised rules or guidelines of an organization or society. Banks (2010) states that values are regarded as particular types of belief that people hold about what is regarded as worthy or valuable. (direct quote ?need pg number) Although values are personal to us as individuals, they may also be shared by the society or culture in which we live. Our values are formed through personal development and socialisation and will be influenced by both past and present experiences. (Parrott, 2010) Dubois and Miley (1996) state ethics are concerned with what people consider right while values are concerned with what peop le consider good. Most moral philosophers would define ethics as a singular term, which is used to describe a branch of philosophy concerned with the study of Morality, moral problems and moral judgements (Frankena, 1963 cited in Banks, 2006: page number). According to Parrott (2010), ethics can be seen to guide an action and are there to inform and influence any judgements made according to the professional value base of social work. Reamer (2006) provides an insight into the historical origins of values and ethics in social care and states that they have been at the foundation of social cares mission since its inception. He suggests that social work values and ethics come from four distinct stages: the morality period; the values period; the ethical theory and decision-making period and the ethical standards and risk management period (Reamer, 2006). These have culminated in the General Social Care Councils (GSCC) code of conduct that is in place today (Barnard, 2008). Social workers are duty bound to adhere to the GSCC codes of practice which acts as an ethical framework. A written code of ethics enables social workers to judge their practice against an ethical standard and enables service users to understand what conduct they should expect from their social worker. If social workers are considered to be in breach of the GSCC codes they can be removed from the social care register and no longer practice. Professional social workers must take responsibility for their actions as they hold a position of trust and power that is legitimised by the state making ethics an important factor in accountability. The impact of all practice on service users can be said to be powerful and therefore the ethics and value base emphasises the importance that the moral standing of service users is equal to that of the professional (Hugman, 2008). The National Occupation Standards (NOS) for Social Workers state clearly that values and ethics are central to being a competent practitioner. Parrott (2010) suggests that values are important to social work as they provide a common set of principles, which social workers can use and develop as a means of working in an ethical way with service users.(direct quote ? pg number) He goes on to say that they guide professional behaviour, help maintain a professional identity and protect service users from malpractice. It is important to clarify ones personal values in order to increase ones awareness of the potential conflicts and the impact these may have on ethical decision making. A persons cultural experiences and background will affect the decisions they make and may bias their behaviour. Social workers must first clarify their own value stance in relation to value-laden issues they meet in practice situations if they want to be true to themselves and to their profession (Dolgoff, 2009:54). When linking moral philosophy and ethical dilemmas to social work practice it is important to acknowledge that no one theory provides an answer. Traditionally social work has taken the Kantian approach and focused on the social worker / service user relationship. The need for social work to challenge inequality and oppression on an individual and structural level means radical social work is also still relevant. An overall Kantian Utilitarian Radical approach may be better. (Banks, 2006) The right of a service user to self determination may conflict with a social workers statutory duty if they are potentially endangering their own life or that of others (Clifford and Burke, 2009). Neil Thompson (2006, p40) defines oppression as inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; hardship or injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another; the negative and demeaning use of power. It often involves disregarding the rights of an individual or group and is thus a denial of citizenship. Service users will predominately come from oppressed and marginalised groups and it is crucial that social workers acknowledge institutional discrimination and avoid inadvertently stereotyping service users, compounding existing oppressions. (Thompson, 2008) Social workers need to be aware of the unequal distribution of power within organisations and decide how best to advocate and negotiate within these organisations for the best interest of the service user, even if it involves challenging the structure and values of an organisation from within (Dominelli, 2002). Paternalism focuses on the right for social workers with knowledge, authority, and skills to go into the lives of those who need their help, either by self referral or referrals from other professions. Mrs Bertram has been referred by another professional because of her Alzheimers. Ethical awareness is an important part of social work as it gives the social worker the ability and commitment to work alongside other professionals and service users. The Utilitarian view is consequential with the results given as much consideration as possible. Therefore when thinking about practice this approach would say to think of the persons outcome (future) when dealing with the present situation. This would mean weighing the good with the bad. The radical approach would empower the service user into change enabling them to overcome problems and equip them with techniques to deal with these independently in the future. Social workers should involve the service user in the decision making process, working in partnership and keeping them fully informed about their case. The starting point of dealing with this case would be an assessment of the Bertrams situation. The assessment task when undertaken in a professional and informed manner is rewarding and sets the foundation for further interventions (Wilson, Ruch, Lymbery and Cooper 2008:269). The Bertrams financial situation is unclear as it appears that Mr Bertram doesnt have much inheritance money left which has led to rent arrears. This situation would need to be resolved soon as their landlord is threatening to evict them for rent arrears and the state of the flat, which could render them both homeless. Mrs Bertrams insight appears to be severely impaired by her end stage Alzheimers and an assessment of the health risks may require securing detailed information from the GP about Mrs Bertrams Alzheimers and other health issues, and the likely prognosis. Mr Bertram is believed to be an alcoholic and this could have implications for his health. The likelihood of a positive outcome would perhaps be i ncreased if Mr Bertram could be offered help for alcoholism as well as a carers assessment to ascertain what his needs are. He spends considerable time at his club, leaving his wife alone in the house vulnerable and at risk. Mrs Bertrams daughters distrust Mr Bertram and believe its in her best interest to be moved into residential care. Before her illness advanced Mrs Bertram stated she wanted to stay with her husband. Possible options to consider after the assessment would be providing support for Mr and Mrs Bertram at home, moving them into sheltered accommodation together or moving Mrs Bertram into residential care. All these alternatives may be unwelcoming to the Bertrams therefore in order to bring about any change it would be important to first build a relationship with both Mr Bertram and Mrs Bertram and her daughters applying the Kantist view that the truth is told. This could mean trying to communicate with Mrs Bertram at select times when she is more lucid and can partici pate as much as possible. It is important to develop/construct a shared understanding of the problem(s) being faced (Wilson, Ruch, Lymbery and Cooper, 2008:282). Judgements should be informed directly by what Mr and Mrs Bertram say about their circumstances. Mr and Mrs Bertram must have a key part in the assessment of their situation, and any issues should be shared allowing them to continue to have as much choice as possible. The strengths of this plan are that Mr and Mrs Bertram will be involved in the care plan and will be able to express their views, as well as Mrs Bertrams daughters being able to contribute towards the care plan. This may build a strong relationship with the family and build on trust so they do co- operate and consider all the options as they will understand that the strategy would be for the health and well being of both Mr and Mrs Bertram. As social workers we need to have a basic understanding of what the Bertrams values are as it would be difficult to empathise and get the necessary understanding of their wishes if we do not. As social workers we could then possibly struggle to make progress when trying to help the Bertrams. This professional development is important as we will use this type of growth everyday in the workplace. In this case the main value/wish seems to be that the Bertrams stayed together in their home. A social workers personal values may inform their understanding of practice. However, a social worker needs to follow the broader framework provided by anti-oppressive social work ethics. The framework provided allows a place for personal values but challenges social workers to place them within the wider framework where they are accountable to others and they must desist from imposing their values and in fact question them. (Clifford and Burke, 2009) Different contributions are made by various ethical perspectives in any given situation and these must be considered. Ethical perspectives must be considered in light of an anti-oppressive approach to practice and in relation to each other as there are occasions when the different perspectives conflict. Social workers have an obligation to work in a way that demonstrates not only knowledge of relevant ethical concepts and local laws but also a broader awareness of how ethical values are related to social inequalities and diversities (Cl ifford and Burke, 2009:203) Word Count: 2993 (including author details in brackets)

Betrayal in Hamlet

It is said that â€Å"To be betrayed by ones own blood is unforgivable and one must get revenge. † Betrayal plays a very important role in the Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. Throughout the play, Hamlet is betrayed by his own mother, Gertrude. She betrays her son and her late-husband, the king by immediately marrying Claudius, the king's own brother. Hamlets girlfriend, the lady Ophelia, even breaks the heart of the prince and deludes him. Even Hamlet betrays several people: he misleads Horatio, his friend. He betrays Ophelia by convincing her that he does not love her.Finally, King Claudius betrays his brother, the late king, by murdering him, marrying his wife, and taking his crown. Also betraying Hamlet and Gertrude. Hamlets mother Gertrude betrays her first husband, the first king of Denmark. This betrayal comes in the form of a hasty marriage to the king’s brother Claudius, who we find out later murdered his brother in an attempt to acquire the crown. This is an act of betrayal on Gertrude’s part, because she should be in mourning of the her first husband’s death, but she immediately enters another marriage, with the kings brother.This is a betrayal to Hamlet because his father was killed, and his mother soon marries the man who we find out is responsible for it. We find out that Claudius killed his brother and Hamlets father with poison, we find this out when Hamlet is visited by a ghost in which Horatio cannot identify but shows itself to Hamlet as his father, it is at this time that the ghost tells Hamlet how he really died and who was responsible . When Hamlet learns of this news, he is enraged with the news and he begins looking to get revenge on the murderer Claudius.Hamlet throughout the play begins to doubt his sanity and if he should kill his uncle Claudius or himself â€Å"To be or not to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † (Hamlet), this is an act of betrayal on Hamlets part. As much as Ophelia really loves and cares about Hamlet, she betrays his trust. This was not all her own doing, she was influenced by others around her. She betrays his trust by co-operating in her father's scheme to spy on Hamlet for the king. Ophelia betrays Hamlet because Laerates and Polonius were worldly wise and poisoned her mind.Whenever Hamlet comes nearer to her, she remains silent and then discloses all to her father whatever happened. Simultaneously Hamlet’s behavior is very strange. He is depressed and abhorred his life. The world to him was weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. I believe that Ophelia really loves Hamlet and did not want to do this to him but she didn’t want to betray her brother and father, Laertes and Polonius. Claudius is an extremely shady character. Claudius killed his brother by pouring posion into his ear. He would’ve gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for his brothers ghost.Claudius then quickly married Gertrude and became king. Hamlet knows none of this however, yet already despises his mother and step-father/uncle. In scene 2, Claudius gives a very sly speech, avoiding the fact that he is in the middle of a very incestuous relationship. Claudius tries to beat around the bush and not really explain anything about his marriage to Gertrude. No one questions him because he is King, but the people are not happy about this situation anyway. Claudius’s slick nature somewhat surfaces when he is speaking to Hamlet also.He is obviously uncomfortable with the fact that Hamlet is still mourning the death of his father and almost seems to bully him to stop. Claudius, of course, seems to say this with a face full of smiles as if politely correcting Hamlet, but it seems obvious that he is downright afraid of what Hamlet could do if he discovered the truth. Keeping his enemies close seems to be his plan. Not only will Claudius be able to keep his eye on Hamlet, but he can be sure that Hamlet won’t be able to rise up against him if he stays. Claudius has much to lose if anyone finds out his terrible secret—that he killed the King, his brother.The main characters that betrayed others were Gertrude, Claudius, and Ophelia. Gertrude betrays her late husband, and her son Hamlet by marrying Claudius. Claudius betrays his brother by murdering him, taking his crown, and marrying his wife. Finally, Ophelia betrays Hamlet by listening to her brother and reporting Hamlets actions back to her father. Betrayal plays a huge role in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Pretty much every character betrays someone and is betrayed by somebody. Some may say that the characters actions were justifiable but I feel like they were all wrong.

Romanticism in Mark Twains Tom Sawyer Essay - 1935 Words

Mark twain was an Interesting man who wrote about many books some about boyhood tales about adventure like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. The book is full of Romanticism as the young boy Tom sawyer does his mischievous deeds like playing hooky from school and avoiding punishment by tricking his friends to white wash the fence in the beginning of the story. ‘’I have never let my schooling interfere with my education`` by mark Twain show the humor and depth behind his words. It illustrates how individuals learn the basics in school and do their real learning outside through experiences and trying new things. In the Mark Twain he became an apprentice ‘cub’ river pilot under Horace Bixby, earning his license in 1858. In that his†¦show more content†¦This lead to more rural people who did not usually take to book more inclined to make a more formidable library for their homes. The printing press help make books more available to the wider market during that time combined to make great literacy levels because there were more books. The romantic era of writing started in the 1830-1865 in America stemming from European Romanticism caused by the Civil war. Mark Twain simply wanted to improve on his book huckleberry Finn. His books were mainly realism but in this Novel it classifies as Romanticism. The major Authors tat influenced the genre were Edmund Burque, William Blake, Lord Byron, Francisco de Goya, Theodore Gericault. Romantic pieces consisted of heavy emotion and had its plot loosely reality based. Mark Twain had an interesting life. Mark twain was from Florida Missouri where he was surround by racism and cruelty like racism. He was born to a poor family and when his Father died in 1847 when young Samuel Langhorne Clemens left school in 5th grade he became a newspaper apprentice to provide income to the household. He also started writing his first stories A Gallant Fireman in 1851 and The Dandy Frightening the Squatter in 1852 along with little exerts here and there in the newspaper. Samuel didn’t really like his job at the newspaper all the well and became a steamboat pilot in 1858. Samuel became a very skilled Steam boat pilotShow MoreRelatedResearch Paper Mark Twain1306 Words   |  6 PagesIsabella Thomaz Donna Hunter - Period 2 Research Paper - Mark Twain October 26, 2012 MARK TWAIN: A REMARKABLE MAN WHO PAINTED THE WORLD â€Å"Classic - a book which people praise and dont read.† When Samuel L. Clemens (more often referred to as Mark Twain) said this, he meant it in a humorous sense, but he also wanted people to understand it’s meaning. People call books like Huck Finn and Gatsby classics, yet the idea that these books are actually read by everyone isn’t so. Twain isn’t justRead MoreRealism In Huck Finn Essay876 Words   |  4 Pagesthis literary style are the insistence upon and defence of the â€Å"commonplace†, characters being more important than plot, attacks upon romanticism and romantic writers, an emphasis on morality, which is often self-realized and upon an examination of realism, and the concept of realism as a realization of democracy. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , written by Mark Twain, is a perfect archetype of a novel written in the style of realism, as it satisfies all of the aforementioned principles thatRead MoreMark Twain s The Racism Of His Time1358 Words   |  6 Pages In response to the racism of his time, Mark Twain uses The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to contend that racism is an artificial, manufactured product of civilization that supplants the ingrained, human resistance to injustices like racism. 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He explains that man is cut off from immediate contact with anything abiding and therefore worthy to be called real, and condemned to live in an element of fiction or illusion, but he mayRead MoreEssay about Mark Twain1654 Words   |  7 PagesMark Twain Mark Twain is believed to be the father of all American literature. Twain was known for writing about issues of his time such as slavery, due to his style of honesty and truth he was known as one of the very first modernist writers. Mark Twain had many inspirations that motivated him to write his novels. The inspirations varied from events that he witnessed and experienced, people he met in his lifetime, other stories he read or heard about, and his environment. The writer knownRead More Escaping Reality in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1306 Words   |  6 PagesRunning From Reality in Huckleberry Finn        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a main target of satire is the romantic view of life. Though the characters and symbols, it is evident that the idyllic views are being disparaged. Some of the people in this book are simply deluded, while others cause major tribulations during their lives. Literary romanticism can be pleasant, but it is not real and can confuse those not sage enough to distinguish the difference between a writers

Analysis of the Relationship Between Weight Loss and Health - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 565 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Weight Loss Essay Did you like this example? Nowadays, we are involuntarily under the social pressure to be similar with celebrities. From the covers of magazines to the mainstream social platform, celebrities are showing people great lives with thin and healthy body. Size zero models still dominate the catwalks and the trends like #thinspiration, #proana, which means pro-anorexia, are teamed with the stereotyping objectification of women in todays popular culture. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of the Relationship Between Weight Loss and Health" essay for you Create order From teenager to adult, people, especially girls are universally trying to become thinner by dieting, exercising and other programs. However, are they getting healthier after losing weight? Are they really making changes that are good for themselves? With the improvement of peoples health awareness and the emphasis on weight management, dieting and other weight loss behaviors are popular in the general population and widely encouraged in public health policy and health care practice as a solution for the problem of obesity. (Tatiana Andreyeva PhD, Michael W.Long MPH, Kathryn E. Henderson PhD, Gabrielle M. Grode MPH, 2010) However, many researches show that these approaches reliably induce short term weight loss, but the majority of individuals are unable to maintain weight loss over the long term and do not achieve the putative benefits of improved morbidity and mortality. (Linda Bacon, Lucy Aphramor, 2011) Concern has arisen that this weight focus is not only ineffective at producing thinner, healthier bodies, but may also have unintended consequences, contributing to repeated cycles of weight loss and regain, reduced self-esteem, eating disorders, weight stigmatization and discrimination and distraction from other health goals and wider health determinants. Such view is popular in the mainstream media that the pursuit of weight loss is a practical and positive goal. (Rena R Wing, Suzanne Phelan, 2005) However, when you admire the people who look great after losing weight, do not forget that weight cycling is the most common result of engaging in conventional dieting practices and is known to increase morbidity and mortality risk. ( Linda Bacon, Lucy Aphramor, 2011) In addition, research suggests many other contraindications to the pursuit of weight loss. For example, dieting is known to reduce bone mass, increasing risk for osteoporosis. Research also suggests that dieting is associated with increased chronic psychological stress and cortisol production, two factors known to increase disease risk. ( Linda Bacon, Lucy Aphramor, 2011) From my point of view, people can be healthy at every size and we should shift the paradigm from weight to health. We should encourage body acceptance as opposed to weight loss. Besides, we should support reliance on internal regulatory processes, such as hunger and satiety, as opposed to encouraging cognitively-imposed dietary restriction. For the sake of the people who want to lose weight, they should focus on health, not weight and should promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity. I believe that as long as we change our culture, value individuality, diversity, inclusion, everyone at every size could be free to become the better visions of themselves and their weight would never hold them back from being who they are. Reference List [1] Linda Bacon, Lucy Aphramor, 2011. Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift [online] (24 January 2011) Available at: [Accessed 12 Jun.2017] [2] Rena R Wing, Suzanne Phelan, 2005. Long-term weight loss maintenance [online] (01 July 2005) Available at: [Accessed 12 Jun.2017] [3] Tatiana Andreyeva PhD, Michael W.Long MPH, Kathryn E. Henderson PhD, Gabrielle M. Grode MPH, 2010.Trying to Lose Weight: Diet Strategies among Americans with Overweight or Obesity in 1996 and 2003[online] (30 March 2010) Available at: [Accessed 12 Jun.2017]

Buddhism And Its Impact On The World - 882 Words

Buddhism is a well-known religion that has taken the world by storm. With 300,000,000 believers worldwide. According to the 2006 census 2.6% of Australians are Buddhist. It originated in an area of Nepal that was originally part of Northern India. Although there are 300 million Buddhists worldwide, they all share the same core beliefs. Instead of an afterlife, Buddhists believe in Reincarnation, the cycle of birth, death, and being reborn again as either a plant, animal, or human. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Guatama. Siddhartha was born the son of a king, who ruled over the Shakya clan. In an attempt to make sure his son would be a great king, he shut his son away in a life of luxury. At the age of twenty nine Siddhartha visited a†¦show more content†¦When worshiping, Buddhists sit on the floor, facing an image of Buddha and chanting. If at a temple, they listen to the chanting’s of monks, reading from religious texts. Unlike other religions, Buddhists do not consider the Buddha a god, but instead worship him out of respect. Most world religions have one sacred text. Unlike these religions, Buddhism has more than one sacred text. Each group of Buddhists have a different set of scriptures. The main Buddhists belief is that of the four noble truths. The first is Dukkha (life is suffering). The second is Tanha (the cause of suffering is the desire for the pleasures of life). The third is Nirvana (The way to end suffering is by overcoming desire and experiencing enlightenment). The final one, is that to overcome desire, one must follow the principles of the middle way or the eightfold path. There are three main religious buildings for Buddhists. A temple contains a shrine and meditation often takes place here. The second is a monastery. This is where a group of men or woman who are so devoted to their religion that they have chosen to withdraw from everyday society. These men and woman are called monks or nuns. The final type of building is a Stupa or a pagoda. These monuments are very decorative and are built over the remains of nuns or monks. The main celebrations of Buddhists is Vesak. Other festivals include the Buddhist New-Year and Losar. There three major groups of Buddhists are Mahayana

Life and Circumstantial Luck Free Essays

Tic- toc. Tic- toc. Do I go left or do I go right? All these years I have been following the road of life and now it is in my power to take the road that leads to my final destination. We will write a custom essay sample on Life and Circumstantial Luck or any similar topic only for you Order Now Along the way, I have traveled on many types of surfaces, but now I face my greatest challenge. I am stuck between two paths. One path leads to eternal happiness and other leads to eternal sadness. Is it in my destiny to choose the right path? Or will it just be my luck to choose the wrong path? Do I go left or do I go right? Tic- toc. Tic- toc. Life. It is such a simple word, yet the meaning is nothing close to simple at all. We all take a journey on the fabulous road to life, yet does anyone even know what life is? I mean we all live it, but what is it? Anyone know the definition? ( I’d surely would like to know. ) Well if no one truly doesn’t know the answer to life then how can we know for sure why things happen the way they do? Is there some kind of spiritual force out there? Is there some person or thing controlling our every move? Or do things just happen just because they do; coincidences and forces that we have no control over? No one really knows if a god really exists, so things just happen because they just do. Things happen because of coincidences and forces we have no control over. Our life is then based on luck, isn’t it? Think about it this way, luck refers to something that which happens beyond a person’s control. This view incorporates phenomena that chance happenings, a person’s place of birth for example, but where there is no uncertainty involved or where uncertainty is irrelevant. (Huh? English please. ) In other words, luck is just something that we have no control over and just happens. However, there are a few different types of luck. Constitutional luck, it is luck with factors that can’t be changed. Circumstantial luck, it is luck with factors that are haphazardly brought on. Lastly ignorance luck, it is luck with factors one doesn’t know about. (So, where does this luck come in play? ) Luck can be seen everywhere, whether it be in movies, books, paintings, or reality. We live our lives experiencing luck every day. As we step foot into a casino or acquire a lottery ticket, we unlock the emerald doorway to our chances. Chance is the key to any time of game. We spin the wheel of fortune hoping that it will land on something pleasant. Often in literature, luck plays a significant role. When we think of luck, we think of lucky number 7 or the colour green. But in reality, luck isn’t that clear. It is a mystery hidden behind the shadows. Some people are blinded by the concept of destiny that they don’t realize that it is luck that is aiding them. In one of the greatest plays written, Othello, the main character is a person who you would think is unaccepted by society, but is loved. Othello is a moor and a Muslim from Africa. He is this dark angel that many are afraid of, yet love. During the 1600s, only men of noble decent became generals with a few exceptions here and there. But a Moor becoming a general was just a preposterous idea. Regardless of this fact, Othello thinks that it was because of his accomplishments that made him become who he is. He had fought in many wars and then Brabantio had invited him to stay with him and â€Å"still questioned [him] the story of [his] life from year to year, the battle, sieges, fortune that [he had] passed. (Othello, 1. 3, 128-130) A white man had shown interest in a black man regardless of the racism in the world at that time. (How does that happen? ) Nevertheless, Othello somehow becomes a general before even meeting Brabantio and coming to Venice. How became a general, is a question no one has an answer to. We can accept the belief that his accomplishments made him successful, but with racism being a major factor no thing seems to add up. We can say that it was in his destiny to become a general, but really is that really the case? It is more of a matter of pure luck that Othello obtains such a high rank in society. Overcoming such obstacles especially in the 1600s was simply impossible. A black man could never have a higher rank than even a white surf. White was always greater than black. Goodness always prevails. (Well back then it did. Now does it? Yeah, not so much). So for Othello to have become a general it could not have been because of his accomplishments, it had to have been of random occurrence that made him just a bit better than a white surf and to move up the chain of success. To have luck take control of your life, neither wits nor feelings are involved- just possibility. We depend on random occurrences to aid us for the better. â€Å"Luck never gives; it only lends,† (E. B. White) If life does revolve around luck then you must pay a price for the goodness. You may get lucky for a while, but since luck never gives, it takes back the luck and it is why we experience karma. Luck may give us marvellous things, but sometime along the road all of it gets taken back. Yet the whole concept of luck doesn’t seem to quite add up. Random occurrences and things happening beyond a person’s control do exist, but not everything is random. Life on earth couldn’t have begun randomly. There must have been something that created all of this and luck- just doesn’t seem to quite explain why. Many religions in the world either agree or disagree with the concept of luck. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, taught his followers not to believe in luck. The view which was taught by Gautama Buddha states that all things which happen must have a cause, either material or spiritual, and do not occur due to luck, chance or fate. The idea of moral causality, karma is central in Buddhism. In the Sutta Nipata ,the Buddha is recorded as having said the following about luck: â€Å"Whereas some religious men, while living of food provided by the faithful make their living by such low arts, such wrong means of livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, interpreting dreams†¦ bringing good or bad luck†¦ invoking the goodness of luck†¦ picking the lucky site for a building, the monk Gautama refrains from such low arts, such wrong means of livelihood. † Lakshmi, is the Hindu Devi of money and fortune. It is said that by proper worship, with a meticulous prayer procedure the blessings of this powerful deity may be obtained. However, the Catholic Church excludes chance or luck as an explanation for creation. As well, there is no concept of luck in Islam other than actions pre-determined by God and that God alone has power over all things. It is stated in the Qur’an that one’s sustenance is pre-determined in heaven when the Lord says: â€Å"And in the heaven is your provision and that which ye are promised. † However, one should supplicate towards God to better one’s life rather than hold faith in un-Islamic acts such as using â€Å"lucky charms†. Religion is the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. (Thank you dictionary. com) Whether one be atheist or follow a certain religion, one still has a belief in something. Many follow religions so they can give the creator of life a name; God. Many believe that God is the spiritual being that has created what we call the universe. No one knows for sure if he exists or not, but many want to believe that he does. In addition, throughout humanity, many messengers of God have walked the surface of the Earth and this gives more of a reason for people to believe that God exists. If God really does exist, then he must be the Supreme Being that had created life for us humans. Hence, he has already planned our life in a way, but in order to fulfil our life we have to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The bits and pieces are scattered everywhere and it is not easy to find them all nor is it to put them together. Along the way pieces can get damaged or lost. When pieces of the puzzle get damaged it means that your life is going bad or something is not going good, but can still repair your life. Sometimes pieces can get lost to the point where you have not enough pieces to complete the puzzle. In that case you make bad decisions and then something tragic happens to your life, which can result in death. This can be seen as how people die at a young age. Some young individuals make the wrong decisions and then it ends up costing them their life. Searching for the pieces is not as easy as it sounds. The pieces can be right in front of us, but we second guess ourselves and don’t know where to look. Often times we seek advice from fortune tellers and prophets. We go to seek for any clues of the future and hope that we can find our right path. And other times, people tell us what our destiny is and it is what we believe and try to achieve. This is most often seen in movies and books about heroes. Many character archetypes are based on the concept of a hero. The hero is a larger-than-life character that often goes on some kind of journey or quest. In the course of his journey, the hero demonstrates the qualities and abilities valued by his culture. How to cite Life and Circumstantial Luck, Essays

Great Gatsbys Report Essay Example For Students

Great Gatsbys Report Essay CHAPTER 1:Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota who recently moved to New York to learn about the bond business, opens his story by describing himself. He is tolerant, slow to judge, and a good listener. As a result, people tend to share their secrets with him, including someone named Gatsby. Gatsby, Nick says, had a beautiful dream, but the people surrounding him ruined that dream. Nick is so disgusted with these people and their New York lifestyle that he has left New York and returned to Minnesota. In the summer of 1922, however, Nick had just arrived in New York and rented a house on a part of Long Island called West Egg. Unlike the conservative, aristocratic East Egg, West Egg is home to the new rich, those who, having made their fortunes recently, have neither the social connections nor the refinement to move among the East Egg set. West Egg is characterized by lavish displays of wealth and garish poor taste. Nicks West Egg house is next to Gatsbys mansion, a sprawling Gothic monstrosity. Nick is unlike his West Egg neighborshe graduated from Yale and has social connections on East Egg. One night, he drives out to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, a former member of Nicks social club at Yale. Tom, a powerful figure dressed in riding clothes, meets Nick on the porch. Inside, Daisy lounges on a couch with her friend Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer who yawns as though bored by her surroundings. Tom tries to interest the others in a racist book called The Rise of the Colored Empires, by a man named Goddard. Daisy teases Tom about the book, but is interrupted when Tom leaves the room to take a phone call. Daisy follows him, and Jordan tells Nick that the call is from Toms lover in New York. After an awkward dinner, the party breaks up; Jordan wants to go to bed because she has a golf tournament the next day. As Nick leaves, Tom and Daisy hint that they would like him to take a romantic interest in Jordan. When Nick arrives home, he sees Gatsby for the first time, standing on the lawn with his arms reaching out toward the dark water. Nick looks out at the water, but all he can see is a distant green light that might mark the end of a dock. CHAPTER 2:Halfway between West Egg and New York City sprawls a desolate plain, a gray valley where New Yorks ashes are dumped; the men who live here work at shoveling up the ashes. Over the valley of ashes, two huge blue eyes stare down from an enormous sign. These spectacle-rimmed eyesthe eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburgare the last vestige of an advertising gimmick by a long-vanished eye doctor, and they watch unblinking over everything that happens in the valley of ashes. Tom drives Nick to George B. Wilsons garage, which sits on the edge of the valley of ashes. Toms lover Myrtle is Wilsons wife, and lives there with him. Wilson is a lifeless, yet handsome man; Myrtle has a kind of desperate vitality. Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to New York, to the Morningside Heights apartment he keeps for his affair with Myrtle. Here they have a party with Myrtles sister Catherine and a couple named McKee. Catherine has bright red hair, wears a great deal of makeup, and tells Nick that she has heard Gatsby is the nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm, the ruler of Germany during the first World War. The McKees, who live downstairs, are a horrid couple: Mr. McKee is pale and feminine, Mrs. McKee is shrill. The group proceeds to drink to excessNick claims that this party is only the second time in his life that he has been drunk. The ostentatious behavior and conversation of everyone at the party repulses Nick, and he tries to leave. At the same time, he finds himself fascinated by the lurid spectacle of the group. Myrtle grows louder and more obnoxious as she drinks, and shortly after her new puppy arrives, she begins to talk about Daisy. Tom responds by lashing out with his open hand and breaking her nose, which brings the party to a screeching halt. Nick leaves, drunkenly, with Mr. McKee, and ends up taking the four a.m. train back to Long Island. CHAPTER 3:Gatsby has become famous for the elaborate parties he throws every weekend at his mansion, and now Nick receives an invitation. At the party, guests mill about exchanging rumors about their hostno one seems to know the truth about Gatsbys wealth or personal history. Nick runs into Jordan Baker, whose friend, Lucille, speculates that Gatsby was a German spy during the war. Gatsbys party is almost unbelievably luxurious: guests marvel over his Rolls Royce, his swimming pool, his beach, crates of fresh oranges and lemons, buffet tents in the gardens overflowing with a feast, and a live orchestra playing under the stars. Liquor flows freely. In this atmosphere of opulence and revelry, Nick and Jordan set out to find Gatsby. Instead, they run into Owl Eyes, a middle-aged man with huge spectacles who sits poring over the unread books in Gatsbys library. At midnight, Nick and Jordan go outside to watch the entertainment. Suddenly, a young man with a magnificent smile appears and introduces himself as Gatsby. Gatsby looks like a roughneck, but his speech is elaborate and formalhe has a habit of calling everyone old sport. As the party progresses, Nick becomes increasingly fascinated with Gatsby. He notices that Gatsby does not drink and keeps himself separate from the party, standing alone on the marble steps watching his guests. At two oclock in the morning, as husbands and wives argue over whether to leave, Gatsby goes inside to take a phone call from Philadelphia, and Nick starts to walk home. On his way, he sees Owl Eyes struggling to get his car out of a ditch. Nick then proceeds to describe his everyday life, to prove that he does more with his time than simply attend parties. He works in New York City, through which he also takes long walks, and he meets women. After a brief relationship with a girl from Jersey City, Nick follows Daisy and Toms advice and begins seeing Jordan Baker. Jordan is dishonest; Nick even knows that she cheated in her first golf tournament. Nick feels attracted to her despite her dishonestyeven though he himself claims to be one of the few honest people he has ever known. CHAPTER 4:Nick lists all the people who attended Gatsbys parties that summer, a roll call of ridiculous names including the Cheadles, and the O.R.P. Schraders, and the Stonewall Jackson Abrams of Georgia. He then describes a trip to New York with Gatsby for lunch. As they drive, Gatsby tells Nick about his past, but his story seems highly improbablehe claims to be the son of wealthy, now deceased parents from the Midwest, but when Nick asks which Midwestern city he is from, he says San Francisco. He then claims to have been educated at Oxford, collected jewels in the capitals of Europe, hunted big game, and been awarded medals in the war by multiple European countries. Nick is skeptical, but Gatsby produces a medal from Montenegro and a picture of himself playing cricket at Oxford. Vineland, a novel by Thomas Pynchon, tells the story of a tumultuous p EssayIn the oppressive New York City heat, the group decides to take a suite at the Plaza Hotel. Tom begins his confrontation with Gatsby by mocking his habit of calling people old sport. He accuses Gatsby of lying when he claimed to have attended Oxford. Gatsby responds that he did attend Oxfordfor five months, in an army program following the war. Tom asks Gatsby about his intentions with Daisy, and Gatsby replies that Daisy loves him, not Tom. Tom claims that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could not possibly understand; he then accuses Gatsby of running a bootlegging operation. Daisy, who began the afternoon in love with Gatsby, feels herself moving closer and closer to Tom as she watches the confrontation. Tom realizes he has won, and sends Daisy back to Long Island with Gatsby to prove Gatsbys inability to hurt him. As the confrontation ends, Nick realizes that today is his thirtieth birthday. Driving back to Long Island, Nick, Tom, and Jordan discover a frightening scene on the border of the valley of ashes. Someone has been killed by an automobile, and Michaelis, the Greek who runs the restaurant next to Wilsons garage, tells them it was Myrtle, run down by a car coming from New York. The car struck her, paused, then sped away. Nick realizes Myrtle must have been hit by Gatsby and Daisy, driving back from the city in Gatsbys yellow Rolls Royce. Tom thinks that Wilson will remember the yellow car from that afternoon. He also suspects that Gatsby must have been the driver. Back at Toms house, Nick waits outside, and finds Gatsby hiding in the bushes. Gatsby says he waited to make sure Tom would not hurt Daisy. He tells Nick that Daisy was driving when the car struck Myrtle, but that he, Gatsby, will take the blame. Still worried about Daisy, Gatsby sends Nick to check on her. Nick finds Tom and Daisy eating cold fried chicken and talking. They have reconciled their differences, and Nick leaves Gatsby standing alone in the moonlight. CHAPTER 8:Late that night, Nick goes to visit Gatsby at his mansion. Gatsby tells him about courting Daisy in Louisville in 1917. He loved her for her youth and her vitality, and idolized her social position, wealth, and popularity. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but after he left, she married Tom. Early that morning, Gatsbys gardener tells Gatsby that he plans to drain the pool. Yesterday was the hottest day of the summer, but this morning autumn is in the air, and the gardener worries that the falling leaves will clog the pool drains. Gatsby tells the gardener to wait a day; he has never used the pool, he says, and wants to go for a swim. Nick tells Gatsby good-bye, but as he walks away, he turns back and shouts that he thinks Gatsby is worth more than the Buchanans and all their friends. Nick rides the train to New York, but feels too distracted to work, and he even refuses to meet Jordan Baker for a date. Riding back to West Egg on the train, he looks out at the valley of ashes. He tells us what George Wilson was doing at that same moment, which he learned later from Michaelis and the newspapers. Wilson stayed up all night talking to Michaelis, and in the morning he was overwhelmed by the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg illuminated by the dawn. He believes they are the eyes of God, and leaps to the conclusion that whoever was driving the car that killed Myrtle must have been her lover. He decides that God demands revenge, and leaves to track down the owner of the car. He looks for Tom, because he knows Tom knows the cars ownerhe saw Tom driving the car earlier that day, but he knows Tom did not kill his wife, because Tom arrived later with Nick and Jordan. Nick hurries back to West Egg, and finds Gatsby floating dead in his pool. After Tom told Wilson that Gatsby was the owner of the car, Wilson went to the mansion, shot Gatsby, then shot himself. Nick imagines Gatsbys final thoughts, and pictures him disillusioned by the meaninglessness and emptiness of life without Daisy, without his dream. CHAPTER 9:Nick tries to hold a large funeral for Gatsby, but all of Gatsbys former friends and acquaintances have either disappearedTom and Daisy, for instance, move away with no forwarding addressor refuse to come, like Meyer Wolfsheim and Klipspringer. The latter claims he has a social engagement in Westport, and asks Nick to send along his tennis shoes; outraged, Nick hangs up on him. The only people to attend the funeral are Nick, Owl Eyes, a few servants, and Gatsbys father, Henry C. Gatz, who has come all the way from Minnesota. Henry Gatz is proud of his son, and saves a picture of his house; he also fills Nick in on Gatsbys early life, showing him a book on which a young Gatsby had written a schedule for self-improvement. Nick is sick of the East and its empty values, and decides to move back to the Midwest. He breaks off his relationship with Jordan, who suddenly claims that she is engaged to another man. Just before he leaves, he encounters Tom on Fifth Avenue. Nick first refuses to shake Toms hand, but eventually he accepts. On his last night in West Egg, Nick walks over to Gatsbys empty mansion and erases an obscene word someone has written on the side of the house. As the moon rises, Nick imagines the island with no houses, and thinks of what it must have looked like to the explorers who discovered the New World centuries before. He imagines that America was once a goal for dreamers, just as Daisy was for Gatsby. But Gatsbywhose wealth and success so closely mimic the American dreamfails to realize that the dream has already ended, that his goals have become hollow and empty. Nick imagines that people everywhere are motivated by similar dreams, and by a desire to move forward into a future where their dreams are possible. Nick pictures their struggles to create that future as boats moving against the current of a rivera river which inevitably carries them back into the past.