The Parable of the Sandhu
Ethos is a Greek term which refers to guiding ideals and beliefs that form the basis of a community, nation, or ideology. In its current usage, this term refers to the force that impacts people’s ideas and customs. In the first half of the parable, McCoy talked about the difficulties that he encountered on his trek to Himalayan villages. Further, he talked about his colleague, Stanley, who told about the past of those cultural villages. He also complained about how worn out they felt to continue their hike after reaching an altitude of 16 500 feet. They were afraid that they would have problems if they further continued with the trek because the writer had experienced a pulmonary edema earlier.
After being puzzled by this issue for some time, they were later joined by four backpackers from New Zealand and they got motivated to continue their trip to the highest altitude of 18 000 feet. McCoy illustrates the power of team work, cooperation, and harmony within an organization. Though he thought that he would not make it, he later realized that it was possible despite his condition. This illustrates how fear and poor decision making may hinder an organization from achieving its goals. This is how McCoy appealed to ethos. He sought to express his disagreement with the common belief that people must follow generally accepted trends in doing things, acquiring information, and solving issues. He also illustrated the power of team work in solving problems and achieving set goals.
After reading the first half of the story, my assumption was that the author was an explorer, a researcher, a geologist, or a biologist because these people engage in activities such as mountain climbing even in those areas which seem unsuitable. They are people who get very far to conduct research required by their professions and persevere till they acquire the information they are searching for. I was, however, surprised when I later found out that the story teller was an investment banker. This supports the notion that it is on very rare cases that people from these fields engage in tiring activities such as mountain climbing to search for information.
Distinction between Property and Propriety
According to my understanding, property refers to material possessions of an individual which include land, buildings, machines, and other general assets.Propriety, on the other hand, refers to appropriateness and adherence to the norms and regulations set by the society. It, therefore, encompasses conforming to prevailing regulations and rules. Though many people misinterpret the way in which they are supposed to handle their affluence, individuals must understand the fact that they should not do whatever they want with property. This is because other humans need peace and privacy which might be interfered with if everyone has the authority to do whatever they wish. People should realize that they might do whatever they want with their property on condition that they do not interfere with the freedom and comfort of others. If this basic rule is violated, human beings might find themselves in an unstable society, where only the affluent live and the rest merely exist. This is the consequence that is likely to follow, not mentioning oppression, discrimination, and violation of human rights among many others.
What It Means to Be an American Soldier
Being an American soldier is not an easy task as many people might assume. It demands not only the attention of the candidate but also absolute devotion to develop desirable qualities that a competent soldier should possess. Michael Cain is described as one of the most renowned soldiers in American history due to his insights on joining the army. There are some features that each aspirant must possess in order to join the army. To start with, an American soldier must be restful. This is a very important quality that will undoubtedly be required through the course of military service. One is required to show respect to seniors and to comply with instructions given by them without objection.
Another quality that American soldier ought to have is competence. Competence refers to being able to handle issues effectively without failures as well as without creating inconveniences to others. Competent person is one that is able to perform his or her responsibilities properly making this person at hand a professional. A soldier must also be persevering. Bearing in mind all hardships associated with this profession, perseverance is undoubtedly one of the most crucial elements that any aspirant should develop. Perseverance means self-devotion and, thus, implies living a selfless life offering one’s help to overcome afflictions and tribulations of other people whom one may not even know.
Skill of proper time management is yet another quality that an individual would be expected to have in case he or she wants to become a competent soldier. Bearing in mind all responsibilities of a soldier, time normally becomes a limiting factor. Procrastination would, therefore, mean failure to achieve an objective and hence would result in incompetence. Soldiers should, therefore, be excellent time managers in all they do in order to meet deadlines and expectations of their seniors. This virtue leads to the next component: precision. Precision means performing all duties accurately and on time, irrespective of any hindrances. As such, there are no “healthy excuses” in this profession since one is expected to fulfill his or her obligations on time. Failure to do this may result in a situation in which the entire operation might be maimed by a single person.
Finally, one must be ready to perform his/her best in a group of individuals. It is widely believed that unity is essential in the army. Career of a soldier is one of the most sensitive careers that demands proper team work skills. This is because a single soldier cannot complete projects effectively. One must cooperate with the rest and try his best. Michael Cain thinks that being a soldier is a career that will earn him respect, better reputation, and a good status in the society. He thinks that with his humility, attractive looks, and training he has all it takes to be a good soldier. This is, however, contrary to what becoming an American soldier is all about.
Lifeboat Ethics
This essay gives the actual representation of the situation of countries in the world. The first reaction after reading the essay is that of anger and hatred for capitalism. I totally agree with what author says concerning the current system that exists in the world. It is a reflection of the system of capitalism that has been adopted by all nations in the world. This implies that every nation acknowledges that only a small minority benefits from distribution of resources and ownership of assets. The current social system of the world requires the biggest number of people to exchange their skills and capabilities for salary.
The working group of people receives payment after they produce goods or services, which are traded for profit. This profit belongs to capitalists and, therefore, this system results in exploitation of people in the working class. I feel daunted by this system because it has changed the world into a ‘man-eat-man society’. The worst happens when those in the safe boat decide to stretch the limit of their resources and accommodate others who are almost drowning in the sea. The boat becomes too small to accommodate all of them and, therefore, it capsizes. I agree with author’s argument that in case someone wants to save another one who is drowning, he should give up his place in the boat for him.
The Singer Solution to World Poverty
The author gives two illustrations of hypothetical scenarios to persuade readers to be compassionate with the less fortunate people in the society, especially needy children. Scenarios present a moral question to readers about what is acceptable and what is not. In the first scenario, Singer describes Brazilian lady named Dora who enters in a 1000 dollar deal with a wealthy American family. She is only required to deliver the boy to the family and get the money. However, after she does this, she is informed that the boy is too old for adoption and, therefore, he will be killed to provide organs for transplantation. This makes Dora to revoke their agreement and she takes the boy back. The second setting involves a man named Bob who has invested in an uninsured vehicle. He parks his Bugatti car close to a railroad and leaves it there to take a walk. When he sees a train approaching, he can choose to either let his luxurious car be crashed and save the boy, or he can let the boy be run over by train and leave his car unscathed. However, Bob decides to let the train kill the boy and spares his Bugatti. Perhaps he did it because there was no relationship between him and the boy. Through his story, the author shows that just like Bob, most of people do not adhere to their moral responsibilities.
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
The following are sentences that show the unusual eloquence of Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid” (Luther-King Jr, 1963).
- “We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community” (Luther-King Jr, 1963).
- “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood” (Luther-King Jr, 1963).
- “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children…then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait” (Luther-King Jr, 1963).
- “Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice” (Luther-King Jr, 1963).
Moral/Ethical Problems Addressed by Gladwell
Ethical norms in business are not different from any other field. Any entrepreneur, despite having the freedom and do anything, is responsible for all consequences of his or her actions. These are major principles of ethics and they apply to virtually every field in which human beings interact. This means that in the business platform, one should be responsible in relation to customers, him or herself, and the society in order to maintain high organizational reputation. This forms the base for trustful relations with existing customers, colleagues, potential customers, and other main stakeholders.
In his exploration, Gladwell sought to establish whether Ford’s wish to come up with an efficient automobile would materialize. It turned out that despite Ford’s efforts to come up with a product that would be proficient, the result was a “heavy and rigid and not particularly safe” automobile. If commercial ethics were to be taken into consideration, the product would not have been released to the market because it was not safe for usage. On the contrary, the company went ahead to make the automobile, while customers, embraced it warmly without realizing the danger that they were putting themselves into.
There are many reasons as to why ethical norms are important to the business in the contemporary society. One of these reasons is the fact that ethical norms guide people not to say wrong things, make them treat all stakeholders fairly, make them be honest with themselves. This ensures prosperity of the business by eliminating business malpractices and strengthening relationships between individuals involved in business. These are some of the main reasons why ethics in business are not only important but essential for the existence of the business.PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET AN AMAZING DISCOUNT!
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