Aristotle Alchohol Abuse

An ethical issue that is debated in our society is the concern of driving while intoxicated.   Although this was naturally not the case during Aristotles time, many of his ethical beliefs can be applied to refute this dilemma.   I will prove the standing issue to be unethical through Aristotles discussion of virtue and his concept of voluntary/involuntary actions in the Nicomachean Ethics. Plagiarism Detection >Aristotle believed that of the virtues learned in our youth, each has a respective excess and deficiency.   The virtue is the mean (or midpoint) of the excess and deficiency.   The mean can be thought of as just right, and the extremities can be labeled as vices.   The mean should not be thought of as the geometric middle of the two vices- it varies between the vices, depending on the person.   Aristotle believed that the mean and the vices are within our control and of the two extremes (vices) we should choose the less erroneous.   It is not always easy to choose the less erroneous of the two.   For example, Bill decides he wants to drink this Friday night, but he has to drive himself home.   His choice of how much to drink lies between two vices: sobriety and drunkenness.   Although neither may be his intention for the evening, it is obvious that the less erroneous of the two is sobriety.   So much, then, makes it plain that the intermediate state is in all things to be praised, but that we must incline sometimes towards the excess, sometimes towards the deficiency; for so shall we most easily hit the mean and what is right   (Aristotle 387).Aristotle defines virtue (also known as excellence) of humankind as living in accordance with reason in the best kind of way.   Simply put, doing what is characteristic of a thing to do.   He argues that our reasoning, which is the foundation for our virtues, derives from habit and not from nature.Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do excellences arise in us; rather w e are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.   Again, of all the things that come to us by nature we first acquire the potentiality and later exhibit the activity(Aristotle 376)    Hence, all of the virtues that we believe are what we practice.   The point in mind is that all of our morals are instilled in us through the process of learning.   What we see others (whether adults, teachers, etc.) practice when we are children has a direct bearing on our thoughts and opinions.   We simply practice these thoughts and opinions in our day to day lives.   Thus, in one word, states arise out of like activities (Aristotle 377).   This may be the case with a child who is reared in an alcohol abusive family.   Say the childs father frequently drove while intoxicated and the child was lead to believe that this was okay.   Although this does not make it ethical, or lawful for that matter, for the child to drive drunk, it simply may have been a rea son why.   It makes no small difference, then, whether we form habits of one kind or of another from our very youth; it makes a very great difference, or rather all the difference   (Aristotle 377).   Although this may be the reason why in this situation, it does not justify the learned activity; this is the rationale of Aristotle.   Aristotle believed that although our actions are the results of our learning, virtue still involves rational choice.   He is saying that if we have not been taught what is the moral excellence (the midpoint of the two vices), of a particular action or behavior, we still have the ability to attain excellence through choice.   If a drunk driver chooses to continue driving drunk (the vice), he will never attain moral excellence.Aristotle believed that practicing virtue leads to a virtuous circle, in which the more you abstain from a vice, the easier it becomes to abstain.   Eventually, performing virtuous activities becomes habit.   Thi s again can be related to the topic at hand.   If an alcoholic (I am not assuming a person is an alcoholic simply because of driving drunk) decides to quit drinking, the first few months may be hard to cope with since the alcohol was the former solution to a problem.   As time goes on, alcohol is less and less thought of and has become easier to abstain from.   Sometimes there is not a mean for an action or passion because its name already implies its badness.   This is the case with drunk driving.   There is no moderate way to drive drunk, its name implies that it is an extremity.   By reason of being an extremity, Aristotle would condemn drunk driving:   It is not possible, then, ever to be right with regard to them (the extremities); one must always be wrong   (Aristotle 383).Further illustrating belief that driving drunk is not virtuous, Aristotle discusses the concept that in the case of drunkenness, an individual chooses the actions which affect his state of consciousness.   The choice to drink alcohol is voluntary because it involves reason and thought.   Therefore, virtue, and the vices of this virtue are within our power.   While our actions are labeled as voluntary, the outcomes can either be involuntary or non-voluntary.   Involuntary actions involve regret for actions done out of ignorance, while non-voluntary actions do not involve regret for actions done out of ignorance. Plagiarism Detection >Indeed, we punish a man for his very ignorance, if he is thought responsible for the ignorance, as then penalties are doubled in the case of drunkenness; for the moving principle is in the man himself, since he had the power of not getting drunk and his getting drunk was the cause of his ignorance.   (Aristotle 396)    If a man is knowing of what he does when he is sober, the very state of drunkenness makes him unjust (in respect to virtue) since he is ignorant in this state and he has voluntarily brought himself to drink .   Thus, if a man knowingly acts in a way that will result in his becoming unjust, he must be said to be voluntarily unjust   (Aristotle 396).Alcohol abuse is not debated in our society-we know it is wrong, yet this does not seem to stop our actions.   Aristotles view of alcohol abuse in the fourth century BC is the same as the outlook of the modern world but todays technological advancements have drastically increased the dangers of abuse.   Driving while intoxicated is a deep concern that is not taken lightly.   I have discussed why his ethical system proves that this is wrong, even though we know it is wrong.   The point in mind is that the problem will never cease to exist, we can only derive solutions and/or repercussions to deal with it.    Bibliography      Aristotle, A New Aristotle Reader.   Trans. J.L. Ackrill.   Princeton:   Princeton University    Press, 1989.

Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business Essay

Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business - Essay Example Denmark has flat organisational structure and informal work culture that facilitate in creating a comfortable working environment. The people of Denmark are straightforward in nature and wish for morality and honesty. The cost of living is quite high in Denmark due to its high salary structure. Furthermore, Danish managers generally have good understanding about satisfying the employees’ requirements. These are major internal aspects which influence on the business of Denmark. The external influences on businesses in Denmark include its strong regulatory system, good economic condition and stable political state. The tax structure in Denmark is comparatively high as the government of Denmark spends considerable money on social welfare activities. Globalisation has also influenced Denmark in numerous aspects. Globalisation is an unavoidable phenomenon which has both positive as well as negative influence on Denmark. On one side, globalisation has generated new prospects for con temporary business, but it also brings in challenges for organisations with respect to requirement of skilled workforce and capability for coping up with the competitors. However, Denmark is quite capable to manage the challenges of globalisation and take advantages of it. The influence of globalisation has been found on employment market, administrative policies, educational system, trade policies and business decision making. Denmark has effectively responded to globalisation’s impact. Due to globalisation, Denmark has reformed the monetary strategies. It has also reorganised the administration by reducing number of states and developing new regulations. Denmark’s entrepreneurship policies are also affected by globalisation with constant focus on entrepreneurial teaching and education. In order to maintain its position in the international economy, Denmark has close relationship with numerous international organisations. The immigration policies of Denmark have also changed considerably with increased focus on Danish language. The government has developed many new educational strategies in order to increase the competitiveness of people. Nevertheless, Denmark requires constant reformation of policies and strategies to get complete benefits from globalisation and tackle every challenge effectively. The government needs to ensure education for every Danish citizen. There is need for upgrading the educational curriculum. Furthermore, the government of Denmark must spend more on research and development functions to preserve the competitiveness of organisations. Strong regulations and effective policies are significant for Denmark to maintain its position in the world as a wealthy nation and retain the desirability of foreign companies. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 5 Literature Review 5 Critical Analysis 11 Conclusion and Recommendations 21 References 23 Bibliography 29 Introduction The report has been developed for analysing the contemporary business in Denmark. The aim of this report is to generate understanding about various internal as well as external factors of Denmark which can influence the business. The report includes position of Denmark in the world economy and influence of globalisation on its policies and decision making. Furthermore, the report also focuses on the effectiveness of Denmark in

Enterprise ebusiness strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enterprise ebusiness strategy - Essay Example This will also ensure attendant benefits for the economy. The main impediment to the takeoff of B2B in the today's world is inadequate information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, as well as shortcomings in physical infrastructure, logistics and trade facilitation. A rapid growth in both e-commerce and Internet use is expected to continue. This applies especially in context to the developing world with low penetration rates. Internet use recorded a growth of 30% in 2001. It should be noted here that one third of all new users belong to the developing world. E-commerce is increasing in these countries at a very slow rate especially in the case of B2B comprising around 95% of all e-commerce. Source: PRESS RELEASE, 18 November 2002. TAD/INF/PR65. GOOD PROSPECTS FOR IT INDUSTRY IN 2003, PREDICTS UNCTAD; Developing world looks to e-business for growth. Asia Pacific Network Information Centre. Official website. Disintermediation is defined as the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain in terms of economics: "cutting out the middleman". companies may now deal with every customer directly like through the Internet instead of using traditional distribution channels having some type of intermediate like a distributor, wholesaler, broker, or agent. Drop in the cost of servicing customers directly is the most important feature. Disintermediation is the result of high market transparency where the buyers are aware of supply prices direct from the manufacturer. Buyers bypass all the middlemen like the wholesalers and retailers in order to buy directly from the manufacturer and thereby paying less money. Buyers can also select to purchase from wholesalers. A B2C intermediary functions as the bridge between buyer and manufacturer. A typical B2C supply chain is composed of four or five entities (in order): Supplier Manufacturer Wholesaler Retailer Buyer Source: wikipedia. Disintermediation. Review on an article on backend EC integration All enterprises are lining up into virtual alliances in order to remain competitive in the globalizing markets. Virtual enterprises constitute location-independent association of financial institutions, industrialist and many more aimed towards a shared goal. These networked organizations do integrate their value chain to enhance the customer-perceived added-value while sharing their resources in a more efficient way then ever. The paper by Ralf Reussner is entitled as Enhanced Component Interfaces to Support Dynamic Adaption and Extension. A new interface model for software components is presented in this paper that not only specifies static information but also semantic applicability information in order to ensure non-conflicting run-time behavior and to facilitate component adaptation. The paper by Niels Christian Jul compares two E-Commerce servers, IBM's NetCommerce and Microsoft's Site Server Commerce based on a B2B case study. It emphasizes on the integration of the servers