Abstract The paper discusses the continuing pro-life versus pro-choice arguments surrounding abortion in the United States. It examines both sides of the debate including the ethics involved. It shows that the notion of legal abortion as a necessary evil is based on a series of myths widely disseminated since the 1960s. These myths captured the public mind and have yet to be rebutted. It shows as an example of one of these myths, where it is believed that one to two million illegal abortions occurred annually before abortion legalization, when in actual fact there were far fewer.
From the Paper "It seems that Americans want to oppose abortion and yet keep it legal. The public debate on this subject has reached an impasse, yet the issue continues to be debated (Kavanaugh 1997). While there is little change in public opinion, it does not mean that the abortion issue is going to lessen in intensity any time soon. There are many reasons for this, but the abortion issue is not going to recede in intensity any time in the near future. While there are many reasons for this, the most important might be simply that "the majority of Americans morally disapprove of the majority of abortions currently performed," as University of Virginia sociologist James Hunter concludes in his path-breaking 1994 book, Before the Shooting Begins: Searching Jar Democracy in America's Culture Wars."
This essay discusses the ethical dilemna that the abortion issue presents using the arguments of three philosophers, Judith Jarvis-Thompson, Mary Anne Warren and Don Marquis to analytically discuss and debate each of their individual positions.
Abstract Examined here is the seemingly intractable debate that has garnered much debate and philosophical discourse. Is abortion unethical? If so, on what grounds? Does a fetus have an unquestionable right to life? The arguments of three philosphers, Thompson, Warren, and Marquis attempt to construe argument devoid of appeal to religious sources. Actual logical arguments are put forth and then dissected by the author. Instruction of Informal fallacies also included, as well as topics such as debate through analogies, Criteria of Personhood, and Potentiality theories: FLO theory.
From the Paper "First let us begin with an argument derived from the article by Judith Jarvis-Thompson entitled, ?A Defense of Abortion.? She starts of with explaining the common pro-life argument, which relies heavily on the premise that a fetus is a human being and a person at the moment of conception. While examining the continuous expectancy that the fetus constantly develops into a child, she from this judges that to draw a line of personhood from this point or another is to exemplify the argument with an arbitrary carelessness. She makes no attempt to refute a fetus as a person or otherwise. To do so she deems as participation in a ?slippery-slope argument.? Thompson acknowledges that the fetus is a human well before it's birth, for it would be biologically unsound to state otherwise. Based on her take of the anti-abortionist's argument an acorn (a potential oak tree) would be viewed in the same way as an Oak tree is, even though that this is an incorrect and rather crude observation. From this basis, she says on cannot make a good examination until a better counter-argument is examined and then she says we will have more sufficient grounds on which to reject it or not."
Abstract This paper discusses the types of discriminatory actions that have taken place against the Arab and Muslim communities in America since the events of September 11th. The paper examines why this type of discrimination exists and provides suggestions as to what can be done to remedy the issue.
From the Paper "Since the events of September 11th many Arab Americans have experienced discrimination in their mosques?, on their jobs? and in the communities in which they live. Many have been beaten, robbed and some have even lost their lives because of the ignorance of others. Discrimination against different ethnic group is not a new social issue it has existed for generations. However, for the Arab and Muslim community this issue has been of special concern in lieu of the terrorist attacks."
Abstract This paper is a detailed descriptive, argument paper about the effects of stem cell research. It is more of a pro stem cell research paper than a con. This term paper discusses stem cell research and clearly defines many difficult biological terms.
From the Paper "Can you imagine a world where very few genetic disorders and an abundance of organs for donation exist? Fortunately, this will be the scenario if scientists keep advancing in the field of stem cell research. Many people, when they think of stem cell therapy, think of humans creating embryos in vitro just to use them for stem cell research. This is simply not true. Stem cells should continue to be researched because the potential benefits of a medical breakthrough can benefit humans in many ways. According to Jessica Reaves, a columnist for Time Magazine, ?The development [of stem cell technology] could, one day, lead to the mass production of blood for use in transplants or transfusions, blood that is totally indistinguishable from what is coursing through our veins. We could all say good-bye to blood supply shortages and blood drive mobile units.? Bio-technology has advanced so much, that ethics concern scientists and the people that fund their research. Scientists have to make sure that they do not "play God" and that their research has some significance to it, but much of the general population wonders if stem cell research needs to be conducted. People think that scientists are performing these stem cell experiments just because they have the technology to do so and the projects have no significance to them whatsoever. This is a common misconception that the average person has. Many people will be willing to accept the concept of stem cell research and its role in the benefit to the human race if they knew just a little more about the subject. "
From the Paper "This introduction to law, legal institutions and the legal environment will focus on the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case of Roe versus Wade. After describing the case, the effect of the case on religions in the United States will be discussed. This will be followed by discussion of the effects of this case on the freedoms enjoyed by Americans, particularly the rights of privacy and freedom of choice for the individual.
Roe versus Wade was the outgrowth of an unmarried pregnant woman filing a class action suit in the Dallas, Texas, federal district court. Wade is the name of the District Attorney involved in the suit, while Roe is a pseudonym used by the plaintiff in filing suit. The suit sought a declaratory judgment that the Texas criminal abortion laws were unconstitutional. Texas enacted its law in 1854, and the laws stood unchanged since (...)"
From the Paper "Thomas Bell, in Out of This Furnace, published in 1941, presents a fictional portrait of the life of three generations of Slovak immigrants in the United States of the early 1900s, emphasizing the struggles of these people as they carved out their existence in the steel mills of America.
The life of these struggling immigrants is so difficult that they inevitably find sense and comfort in their existence primarily in their families, in their communities. They have left the old country behind in order to pursue the American Dream, but they quickly discover that the dream is more of a nightmare.
Bell writes that George Kracha "came to America in the fall of 1881 . . . It may be that he hoped he was . . . leaving behind the endless poverty and oppression which were the birthrights of a Slovak peasant . . . He was bound for the hard-coal country of..."
This paper discusses the ramifications of smoking cigarettes in public places: Dangers of secondhand smoke, history, health effects, deaths, counter-arguments, tobacco industry views, lawsuits, regulation and legal ban.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 12 sources, 1995, $ 79.95
From the Paper "This paper will discuss the ramifications of smoking cigarettes in public places. The thesis of-this paper is that smoking tobacco in public places is detrimental to everyone's health. This paper will point out how secondhand, or passive, smoke is dangerous and adversely affects people's health. This paper will also discuss the hazards smoke from cigarettes poses to nonsmokers. The discussion will be divided into the following five parts: the first part will introduce the paper's thesis; the second part will present the arguments against smoking and secondhand smoke; the third part will refute the arguments against smoking; the fourth part will present responses to the arguments against smoking; and the conclusion will take the ... "
Abstract Speculates that Arittotle and Plato would likely have been opposed to abortioin as not morally permissable. Discusses the ethical arguments of Aristotle, and his moral philosophy: good of the individual vs. good of the community. Plato's moral philosophy. His emphasis on community over the individual. What determines moral and just acts. Role of the State.
From the Paper "Both Plato and Aristotle would likely be opposed to abortion, based on The Republic and Nicomachean Ethics, respectively. There are ideas in Aristotle's ethical arguments which might allow more leeway for the act of abortion than is found in Plato, but in general the great weight of both philosophers' arguments would seem to be against abortion as not morally permissible.
Neither man discussed abortion directly, which makes this study speculative. Considering Aristotle's golden mean, and his greater emphasis on freedom for the individual as opposed to the power of the state, one might find room for some behavior which would not be permissible in the more strict moral world of Plato as described by Socrates. In addition, a feature of Aristotle's moral philosophy is the tenet that every individual believes his..."
Abstract This paper applies the identity theory to the case of immigration in the United States. It asks if the United States should continue to allow Immigrants to enter the U.S. seeking refuge and citizenship, when the nations states are already overly populated? It questions whether immigrants should be allowed to enter the U.S. and work when there are hundreds of citizens and native-born Americans already unemployed and desperately searching for work. It uses these questions as example of the conflicting messages immigrants and their children face in modern day society, and explains how they add to the increasingly complex problem of finding identity in a torn nation.
From the Paper "The United States is world known for its ethnic diversity, due in part to the immigration allowed over several years. Many people however, fail to find a means to foster inter-racial and ethnic identities, thus causing much conflict and a lack of a uniform sense of identity. The social issue relates to finding a common identity in a nation of multi-ethnicities. Children of immigrants are now coming of age, and from a social psychological stand will make the most lasting impression on society. The character of society will be shaped by their experiences."
Tags: ethnic, diversity, america, racial, employment, population
Abstract This paper discusses the many uses of stem cells, especially in the area of juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cell regeneration. This paper explains how the fertilized human egg develops into stem cells and their various biological sources and how they are acquired for use in research, including the NIH guidelines. The author believes that stem cell research is so new that the scientists can only guess at what it will be able to achieve as well as what it will not be able to do.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Acquisition of Stem Cells
Opposition to Stem Cells Research
Limitations of Stem Cells Research
Conclusion
From the Paper "Early research into the use of stem cells focused on two separate approaches. One involved the "control of gene expression", or determining when genes were active or inactive. The other involved the generation or new cells. Some recent research has combined the two approaches, looking at the possibility that gene manipulation could be combined with cell growth, further broadening the potential applications for gene therapy."
Abstract This research examines the subject of gay and lesbian marriages. The research sets forth a working definition of the subject and then makes a balanced presentation of the issue fronts involved in advocacy and opposition to it, with a view, however, toward demonstrating the basis for support for such marriages as a matter of sanctioned public policy.
From the Paper "Background for discourse of same-sex marriage can be dated from 1969, the year of the now-famous Stonewall riot in New York City, which fostered a generation of social activism and group advocacy on the part of homosexuals. Massachusetts U.S .Representative Barney Frank, a self-identified homosexual, has been quoted on the issue in this way: "I don't understand how it hurts anybody else if two people want to be legally . . . responsible for each other" (Pearcey & Colson, 1996, p. 104). Pearcey and Colson, who oppose homosexual marriage chiefly on religious grounds, note that private acceptance of homosexuals "is not the same thing as normalizing homosexuality by granting homosexuals a legal right to the public institution of marriage" (p. 104). Arguments for and against same-sex marriage made on religious grounds alone appear to be irreconcilable."
Abstract This paper examines the validity of both the arguments for and against stem cell technology, based on Ronald Dworkin's ethical writings on "The Sanctity of Life" and John Rawls? ?Theory of Justice.? It puts forward the argument that because of the potential for stem cell research to benefit millions of people, the ban on creating stem cells for research should be lifted and that the government should extend federal funding for this potentially life-saving research.
Outline
Overview of Stem Cell Technology
Arguments for Stem Cell Research
Argument Against Stem Cell Technology
Evaluating the Moral Arguments
Conclusion
From the Paper "Aside from regenerative medicine and curing disease, stem cell research also has the potential of helping humans better understand human developmental biology. This has several important implications regarding questions like the causes of premature birth, genetic diseases and infertility, to name a few. Many proponents of stem cell research argue that harvesting cells from embryos is ethical because an embryo is not a human being. Ethicists Helga Kuhnse and Peter Singer contend that early embryos do not have the mental capacity of a human being. As such, the rights of an insentient embryo should not be allowed to prevail over the rights of, for instance, a patient with Parkinson's Disease (Kuhnse and Singer 1990)."
Abstract This paper discusses the controversial policy of the U.S. government regarding Taliban prisoners kept in the Guantanamo Bay camps without trial. This paper explores the conditions under which the prisoners are kept, their rights under international and U.S. law, the possibility that some of them may be innocent, the U.S. administration's view point about the issue and what options are being considered for their future.
From the Paper "These prisoners have not been granted the status of prisoners of war, despite criticism by various governments as well as the Amnesty International (AI). ("the Wire" Amnesty International) The AI believes that prisoners captured during the conflict in Afghanistan should be considered prisoners of war. If there is any dispute about their status, the US authorities must allow a "competent tribunal" to decide, as required by the Third Geneva Convention. (Ibid.)"
Abstract This research paper examines and analyzes the economic costs and benefits of gun control in the United States. The positions of gun control advocates and the gun lobby are compared and conclusions reached accordingly.
Abstract This paper is on "Rogerian argument on Gun Control". It includes that how according to Carl Roger all of the approaches to argumentation collected here offer some form of alternative to the argument as war metaphor and how in each approach, argument is redefined as one or another form of negotiated inquiry into common grounds for belief.
