Abstract This paper examines Japanesereligious characteristics within the context of the rapidly evolving Asia-Pacific Rim in terms of culture and society. It discusses how Japanese society can be thought of as very religious to the degree that its religions are intertwined with its cultural roots, making them influential even if not consciously practiced. The paper also discusses how, politically, Japan has a tendency to restate history in terms that bring various elements of its society and culture into line with the official conception of homogeneity that is essentially a worldview based on Shinto heritage.
From the Paper "Japanese cultural resistance to outside influence is all the more surprising given that it itself, though most Japanese would never acknowledge this, was formed through the amalgamation of various cultures and societies in the region. Japan is an archipelago or island nation which is a geography that is conducive to developing a variety of localized cultures and languages: "It cannot be denied, however, that, from past to present, Japan has come into being as a multicultural society through the complex interaction of various cultures...". The researcher intent on illuminating the religious character of the Japanese will understand this rational dichotomy between self-conception and actuality and use it to commercial or interpersonal advantage. "
Abstract The paper relates that the Japanese and American corporate cultures utilize different image protecting values. The paper looks at the Japanese Boshido Codes of Honor, which instills a more individualistic type of corporate image and is extremely important to the success or failure of the leader or employee. The paper then compares this to America's more secular or more "practical" ethical approach to protecting corporate image. The paper shows how these differing views highlight the contrasting elements of ethical values instilled within the modern Japanese and American corporate identity.
From the Paper "The Japanese culture is often been for centuries a country that has been isolated from the rest of the world due to extreme nationalism and resentment toward western imperialism. In the past, a distrust of "outsiders" such as Americans and Europeans has led to an individualistic process within Japanese business culture that rejects outside secular belief systems. Although modern Japanese society has recognized business ethical models through European identity (Kantian Philosophy) in modern times, there is a general tendency for Japanese business leaders and employees to follow their duties, yet not dishonor their own individual role within a particular organization."
Abstract This paper evaluates the Japanese culture through interviewing a young woman who attends graduate school at the University of Notre Dame. Through the course of the interview, a number of personal and culturally sensitive factors, including socio-economic factors, lifestyle, family values, religious preferences, health beliefs and practices and childbearing and parenting practices are assessed in order to provide for a cultural assessment. In doing so, culturally competent nursing interventions are introduced to provide for a positive health experience.
From the Paper " In the 2000 census, 796,700 residents of the U.S. identified their "race" as Japanese (Reeves and Bennett, 2004). When the question of identifying her race was introduced, Ms. J identified herself as Japanese. She expressed a strong cultural bond to the Japanese culture even though she and her family have been living in the United States for some time now. Although Ms. J is from a relatively affluent Japanese home, and is 23 years old, she is still living with her parents, and intends to do so until she married. This is quite common in Japanese culture and not seen as evidence of immaturity, but respect, regardless of her own personal state of affluence (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003). She stated that her parents became angry at any attempts upon Ms. J to share an apartment with a friend, even though Ms. J's friends were 'nice girls,' according to the admittance of her parents."
Tags:japanese, english, united, states, parents, grandparents, elders, honor, old, age, care
This paper discusses European religious and economic missions in the 17th and 18th centuries as depicted in Shuzaku Endo's book "Silence" (1969) and Rolfe Joffe's film "The Mission" (1986).
Abstract This paper explains that both Shuzaku Endo's novel "Silence" and Rolfe Joffe's film "The Mission" suggest that European trade and religion, which had seriously conflicting objectives, came into contact with the peoples of Japan and the Americas respectively. The author points out that these forces, including those of the Catholic Church, were disruptive and invasive; however, in the film "The Mission", the Catholic Church was shown as bringing about some tangible benefits in terms of shelter and safety to the indigenous peoples they sought to convert. The paper relates that, on the other hand, in "Silence", the Portuguese missionaries and those who had come before them, seriously misunderstood the inherent reasons for the non-acceptance of Christianity by the Japanese.
From the Paper "This is a far different sort of opening than Roland Joffe's film "The Mission", in which we see, first-hand, the enormous initial fear in the Colombian Indians' eyes when the first of the Jesuits arrives, but then, subsequently, how the Indians come to trust and even love the Jesuits. In this region, the Jesuits eventually come to represent a benevolent force against the Portuguese and Spanish tradesmen who would hunt and capture the Indians, and sell them for slaves. "The Mission" explicitly contrasts the conflicting interests of the Jesuits and the other European groups of tradesmen who come to the area, and shows how the Jesuits sought to convert, but also to protect the lives of the Indians of Colombia, while the tradesmen who hunted them sought only to exploit them for profit."
Abstract This ethical study analyzes the current issues that involve both religion and medical science in relation to developments in human cloning. This medical issue is pertinent to ethics, since it involves a great deal of scientific questions as to how science is "playing God." This religious perspective is analyzed through Roman Catholic arguments against human cloning to better understand how this conflict is developing between both factions. In essence, this paper analyzes the two sides of the "playing God" issue in relation to the medical scientific advancements of human cloning. The first issue surrounding a social threat to human order in cloning is how cloning threatens a 'natural' order of birth in the human condition.
Abstract The paper relates that it is not legal in the United States to use any federal funds in the production of stem cells that were gleaned from human embryos. The paper explains how this law is controversial because many researchers believe that stem cells' unique ability to be converted into other cells is important in the ongoing search for cures for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases that presently have no remedy.The paper then discusses the religious viewpoints of cloning of the Roman Catholic Church, Jews, Protestants and Muslims. In addition, the paper points out five ethical issues relates to cloning.
Outline:
Scientific and Political Aspects of Cloning
Religious Issues Related to Cloning
From the Paper "Meanwhile, an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education (Monastersky, 2006) points out that research is continuing, and privately-funded labs are using stem cell lines from leftover embryos "produced during in vitro fertilization procedures at fertility clinics." Those embryonic cells are thought "to hold such promise because they are pluripotent," Monastersky writes; that means, the article continues, that they "have the ability to develop into any one of the more than 200 different types of cells in the adult human body.""
Abstract This paper argues that the role of religiousethics in public and economic life is the glue that gives men the reason to be economically prosperous and the element that holds societies together, rather than pull them apart. The writer believes that the religious principles espoused by Smith, Jefferson, and Winthrop created the social foundation on which America has been built. The writer states that to suggest that we can eliminate religious thought from public life and from economic behavior is to suggest that we can be our own god. Like Marx, such a philosophy is destined for a page in the history books, but it will not build lasting prosperity or success.
From the Paper "In our nation, the current politically correct cry is to separate moral issues from the public arena. The affairs of church and state should be forever separated. The associated corollary, one which is likely not spoken but clearly assumed by those who propagate the separation doctrine is that religious thoughts, morals, and ethics should also not be present in the market place. The assumption is that moral reasoning is only a bigoted and discriminatory belief system which seeks separate people, and is therefore harmful to the harmonious development of a nation."
Abstract The moral and religiousethics surrounding pornography. The writer uses several biblical passages to outline the Christian views on the subject and discusses how society reacts to and handles it as well.
From the Paper "Lobbyists against pornography maintain that youngsters often get a hold of material in stores that are supposed to keep it behind the counter but are not. Those who ware against pornography point to the violence against women in the world and believe that pornography lessens the horror of such acts by desensitizing it and making it seem acceptable. There are many moral and ethical questions about the topic and while the battle rages on the religious sect comes down firmly on the side of the opponents to the industry."
Abstract This paper first outlines John Stuart Mill's theory of utilitarianism and contrasts it to Immanuel Kant's belief of the categorical imperative. The paper then discusses the theory of ethical relativism, which is the idea that moral absolutes do not exist and there is no predetermined right and wrong way of behaving. According to the paper, people alter their religious guidelines for living to fit their present situations and way of living. The paper therefore concludes that, as situations change and laws are passed and beliefs are updated, ethics change as well and will continue to do so until the end of time.
From the Paper "The theory of utilitarianism is based around morality and the determination of what is right and what is wrong. In chapter one of John Stuart Mill's paper, "Utilitarianism," he recognizes the exactness of mathematics as a science (1863). The comparison to mathematics is made in most of the reading material presented for discussion. There are a set of rules defined for mathematical processes and when followed by any person the result will be the same. However, this systematic methodology for dealing with problems is not translatable to ethics and morality. All other sciences and aspects of human knowledge are based on the "general principles of moral judgment" (Mill, 1863). Basically, the utilitarian theory outlines a formula for happiness."
Abstract This paper looks at a case of teen pregnancy from the point of view of the 15-year old girl who comes from a conservative, religious family, her parents and the doctor in whom she confides. It looks at the medico-legal and ethical issues of the case; whether the doctor should tell the parents; what he should suggest the girl do; and should she go through with an abortion.
From the Paper "In its policy statement in the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP reaffirmed its position that the rights of adolescents to confidential medical care when considering an abortion should be protected Adolescents'. The AAP recommended that adolescents ...."
Abstract In this article, the writer summarizes and gives opinions on an essay by Sidney Callahan on the 'Ethical Challenge of the New Reproductive Technology'. The writer describes how Callahan looks at what should and should not be allowed from a religious viewpoint. Further, the writer discusses Callahan's views against reproductive technology.
From the Paper "In his essay 'The Ethical Challenge of the New Reproductive Technology', Callahan argues that there ought to be a restriction on the types of medical technology used to aid couples with fertility problems in conceiving a child. He believes that this technology has forged ahead with no thought to the ethical problems it engenders and no consideration given to the welfare of the child conceived by artificial means. Callahan begins by dividing the approaches to alternative reproductive technology into two basic types. The first type he considers is what ... "
Tags: artificial insemination, surrogates, in vitro fertilization, ethics
Abstract This paper considers the ethics involved in a new show for Comedy Central, featuring a character called "The Great Gandhi," a Hindu super hero who works at a telephone bank. The paper predicts possible objections that may arise from the structure of the show, the nature of the main character and the kind of concerns people have raised in the past about media depictions of different cultural backgrounds, including the Islamic concerns about a series of cartoons depicting Muhammad, when in Islam Muhammad is never pictured in any way.
From the Paper "Several objections are likely to be raised to this program if it is put on the air. The three most likely objections are: That the show takes an Indian national hero and commercializes him performing acts he would never perform in real life. That the show skirts a number of Hindu issues in a way that might be deemed to be against the religion and so insulting to adherents of Hinduism. That the emphasis on the main character answering telephones for an outsourced customer service system is stereotypical and plays into the concerns of Americans about people in the Third World taking their jobs. These objections arise from the structure of the show, the nature of the main character, and the kind of concerns people have raised in the past about media depictions of different cultural backgrounds, including the Islamic concerns about a series of cartoons depicting Muhammad, when in Islam Muhammad is never pictured in any way."
Abstract This paper examines the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II by comparing this action with the freedom experienced by German-Americans during the same period. The author questions the inherent racism of Americans that enabled such an occurrence to be legally sanctioned, while German-Americans lived their lives freely, although Hitler and Germany were also enemies of America during World War II. The paper then presents a detailed background of the Japanese immigrant experience in America, contrasting this with the American ideal of freedom and the reality of racism. The experiences of African and Native-Americans are also considered. The paper then describes the actual Japanese internment, which was unprecedented event in American history. The paper further states how the Internment still has an effect on the psyche of the Japanese-American population today. The author concludes that the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War was one of the great tragedies of American history.
Outline:
Introduction
Background: The Japanese Experience in America
Prejudice Unleashed: The Internment Experience
Conclusion
From the Paper " Naturally, the situation was worse the further removed from the Anglo-Saxon ideal a group might chance to be. After the Civil War, the newly reunited nation demanded a huge supply of cheap labor to build its rapidly expanding railroad network. In the West, this labor was provided, to a large extent, by settlers from Japan and China. Labor Contractors, generally Japanese or Chinese themselves actively recruited these workers and brought them to America. They helped to lay the foundations of America's industrial prosperity. White American racial attitudes combined with a nationwide railroad strike in 1877 to create the necessary conditions for a crackdown on Asian immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was soon followed by other, stricter acts, in 1892, 1902, and 1904. And as White America saw little, if any difference, between Japanese and any other Asians, the anti-Chinese immigration laws were followed by a Japanese Exclusion Act in 1907. By 1924, the United States had imposed an almost total ban on all immigration from East Asia, ..."
Tags:Japanese-Americans, internment, World, War, II, immigrant, experiences
Abstract This paper focuses on two chapters from Brett De Bary's translation of 'Origins of Modern Japanese Literature' by Karatani Kojin. This paper introduces a distinctively Japanese regard for landscape in relation to literature, and discusses what Kojin referred to as the 'discovery of Interiority'. The paper reviews these chapters as they are a helpful introduction to other trends in modern Japanese literature before the rise of militarism.The rise in militarism heralded the War in the Pacific that brought the destruction of the Japanese'modern' order as it is known.
From the Paper "Foreign influence of the later 19th century inspired reflection on Japanese literature hitherto shaped by Confucian/Chinese literary culture. Several reformers appeared, esp. Soseki of early 20th century to inspire a strongly Japanese expression; focus on landscape as background for human activity, and conveying of human psychology. Expression then delayed by rise of Japanese militarism in 1920s and 1930s; much of what we understand, now, did not surface strongly till after 1949. Mainly course material references."
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."
