A Textual Analysis of the Adam Smith Problem - 1353 Words

Textual Analysis of the Adam Smith Problem Sympathy and self-interest, when examined superficially, seem like conflicting notions. For this reason, Adam Smith is often criticized for writing two philosophical books – one about the human nature to exhibit sympathy, and one about the market’s reliance on our self-interest – that contradict each other. Through careful examination of Smith’s explanations, however, these two apparently separate forces that drive human behavior become not only interwoven, but symbiotic. In his first work, Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith seems to argue that sympathy is the guiding force that produces most human behavior. He writes that it is human nature to be concerned with both the wellbeing and†¦show more content†¦In this way, society is guided by a morality, which is based in sympathy and enabled by self-interest. In Wealth of Nations, self-interest seems to be synonymous with selfishness, and be the driving force of capitalism and the necessary ingredient for personal and economic wealth. This is, however, and partial and superficial view. Although in Wealth of Nations Smith does declare that human’s primary motive for most actions is self-love, all of their actions are still made within the moral parameters of society, which were created because of sympathy. A man, for example, will not pursue his self-interest at any cost to the people around him. He has to be ethical and fair in his interactions in order to be seen as morally and socially acceptable. In this way an understanding of, and cooperation with the sympathetic nature of society proves to further one’s self-interests. Therefore, to act morally and sympathetically is in fact an act out of self-interest. When applied to economics, Adam Smith’s ideas of sympathy and morality actually drive his ideas of the division of labor and capitalism. Firstly, as Smith explains in Theory of Moral Sentiments, sympathy actually creates a longing and appreciation for wealth, as wealth is seen as an escape from suffering. He says that since humans want others to want to sympathize with them, they flaunt their wealth and hide their misery. This is because, due to the nature of sympathy, seeingShow MoreRelatedIndustrial Revolution : A Lesson Plan Essay2154 Words   |  9 Pagesindustrial revolution to contemporary environmental issues. Reading that Shaped Lesson: Learning Standards: NCSS Standards: Grades 9-10 Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies Key Ideas and Details 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events orRead MoreBrahms Intermezzo No.3, Op.119 in C Major Analysis8658 Words   |  35 Pages9/29/12 MTO 13.3: Ricci, The Progress of a Motive in Brahms s Intermezzo op. 119, no. 3 Volume 13, Number 3, September 2007 Copyright  © 2007 Society for Music Theory Adam Ricci* The Progress of a Motive in Brahms’s Intermezzo op. 119, no. 3* ABSTRACT: Brahms’s Intermezzo op. 119, no. 3 is structured around a motive with two components—one melodic, one harmonic—that operate sometimes separately and sometimes together. The global harmonic trajectory of the piece is embodied in the combinationRead MoreCan You Be Happy Without God?8898 Words   |  36 Pagesopinions on religion and atheism. Initially, I uploaded a questionnaire online to see if I was obtaining the data I required. However there were complications with participants having difficulty understanding the terminology in my questions, and problems with participants not answering the questions correctly. After amending the wording and target audience of my questionnaire I re-uploaded my questionnaire. In total there were 180 respondents, ranging from teens ages 12-20, across all major beliefRead More3rto Resourcing Talent Essay5855 Words   |  24 Pages | | | |I agree to this work being subjected to scrutiny by textual analysis software if required. | | | |I understandRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesproviding a voice of reason amidst all the consultancy excitement of seemingly new ways of costing the business world. He has played a similar role in the area of accounting standard setting, both taking forward the British tradition of the economic analysis of financial accounting and, of possibly greater significance, providing some very original analyses of the possibilities for meaningful accounting standardization. With an agenda as rich as this, it is all the more praiseworthy that Michael maintainedRead MoreEssay on Silent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 Pagesplease visit: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-silentspring/ Copyright Information  ©2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, CompareRead MoreGame Theory and Economic Analyst83847 Words   |  336 PagesGame Theory and Economic Analysis Game Theory and Economic Analysis presents the wide range of current contributions of game theory to economics. The chapters fall broadly into two categories. Some lay out in a jargon-free manner a particular branch of the theory, the evolution of one of its concepts, or a problem that runs through its development. Others are original pieces of work that are signiï ¬ cant to game theory as a whole. After taking the reader through a concise history of gameRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesStates of America 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 C ONTENTS Introduction Michael Adas 1 1 World Migration in the Long Twentieth Century †¢ Jose C. Moya and Adam McKeown 9 †¢ 2 Twentieth-Century Urbanization: In Search of an Urban Paradigm for an Urban World †¢ Howard Spodek 53 3 Women in the Twentieth-Century World Bonnie G. Smith 83 4 The Gendering of Human Rights in the International Systems of Law in the Twentieth Century †¢ Jean H. Quataert 116 5 The Impact of the TwoRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestheory focuses attention on the human issues in organization ‘There is nothing so practical as a good theory’ How Roethlisberger developed a ‘practical’ organization theory Column 1: The core contributing social sciences Column 2: The techniques for analysis Column 3: The neo-modernist perspective Column 4: Contributions to business and management Four combinations of science, scientific technique and the neo-modernist approach reach different parts of the organization Level 1: Developing the organization

Henrietta Lacks An Abstraction - 931 Words

Elie Wiesel has stated â€Å"We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph† (as cited in Skloot, 2010, p. 1). This paper will examine the many ways in which Henrietta Lacks, a relatively poor African woman whose cells were extracted from her without any consent, was viewed primarily as an abstraction rather than a person by the scientific community and the media; and the consequences that ensued as a result. The scientific community is culpable of viewing Henrietta Lacks as an abstraction rather than a human being in that they disregarded her right to privacy in extracting her cells†¦show more content†¦Additionally, the scientific community did not display an ounce of respect to Lacks nor her family. The media was also involved in neglecting to recognize Lacks as a person rather than a concept. The media bereaved Lacks of her identity as they called her by the name Helen Lane instead of using her real her real name. The use of the fictitious and more Caucasian name to identify Lacks in the media further dehumanized her and her family’s memory of her. They did not whatsoever consider Lacks’ family, their ordeal and whether or not the assumptions of Lacks being made were accurate. Moreover, the media did not provide any remuneration to Lacks’ family for using her story for their benefit. For example, an episode on the very popular television show Law and Order was based on the story of Henrietta Lacks however, no credit nor payment was given to the family. Apparent here is further display of the media’s view of lacks as an abstraction rather than a person. Rebecca Skloot, however, used a different perspective in her portrayal of Lacks. This is evident in the way in which she conducted her research and the way she wrote the book. Skloot’s book, The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, included both the â€Å"scientific element concerns the origin and the subsequent uses of the HeLa cell line of cultured cancer cells† (Harper, 2011, p. 463) and the social andShow MoreRelatedConsequences Of Different Perspectives On The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks1086 Words   |  5 PagesImmortal Life of Henrietta Lacks The effect the discovery and creation of the HeLa cells made on the science community and Henrietta’s family had a domino effect. Both had different opinions and beliefs on the matter; this led to some difficult questions asked of the family and of the medical community. Due to the new and advanced methods of experimentation, the HeLa cells made to to the field of science, the scientific community and the media failed to remember that Henrietta and her family wereRead MoreAn Analysis of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks1454 Words   |  6 Pagesof Henrietta Lacks As human, people are supposed to be born with certain inalienable rights that everyone is entitled. One of these is the right to human dignity, which everyone should have. Yet, there are occasions where humans have been robbed of their rights as human beings just because they have had the misfortune to die. The concept of an inalienable right is the basis for the American constitution and should include rights to the body as well as the spirit. The case of Henrietta Lacks wasRead MoreThe Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks1353 Words   |  6 Pagesthe book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Henrietta, was never given her own rights, and was used to benefit others. Scientists and researchers profited millions from the HeLa cell line, leaving Henrietta unaware of the legacy she left behind. Henrietta had tough up brining, and was a woman who was more concerned about other people than herself. The media and scientific community are responsible for treating and viewing Henrietta and her family as abstractions. The author, Rebecca Skloot’s perceptionRead MoreThe Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot is the author of the book on the scientist contributor, Henrietta Lacks. She first learned of the HeLa cells during her biology community college class thirty years after Henrietta’s death and became interested in the person behind the cells ever since. Skloot became determined to tell the true story of Henrietta, and did whatever she could to find information. She presented numerous years of patience interviewing the Lacks to find out all the informationRead MoreThe Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks1480 Words   |  6 Pages Rebecca Skloot’s bestseller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, begins with a quote from World War II concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel, â€Å"We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own source of anguish† (Wiesel qtd. in Skloot n. pag.). This quote serves as a preview of the book and its underlying moral purposes, as Henrietta Lacks and her family are continually treated as objects without

Play Report On A Look Back In Anger Essay Example For Students

Play Report On A Look Back In Anger Essay The play, A Look Back in Anger, by John Osborne brings the notion of the angry man gone mad to the surface. But what does this play teach us? Or, does this play teach us anything? At the end of this paper it will be evident that this play does teach us something, and that is how some people, as individuals, have their own ways of thinking, and reacting, which are considerably different from the social norms. Of course the character we will be analyzing is Jimmy. There are 3 stimuli that correspond to radical reactions by Jimmy. The first stimulus is love; Jimmy has ways of expressing his love to the women of his life that are different than the rest of societys. The second stimulus is the natural aggression towards threats, and most of these threats are small, that Jimmy expresses with Cliff, and also in Allisons mother, in particular. The final trigger to Jimmys radical way of reacting is that of death. It seems to be an image that haunts him throughout the play and he only brings i t to the surface after the halfway point. This, last, stimuli can be regarded as an explanation to his radical ways, that give him the image of the angry man. However, there is one over-ruling thesis that covers all three stimuli that is the basis of Jimmys radical behavior, and that is of women in general; Jimmy, as will be demonstrated in each section, is very insecure with the opposite sex, whether it is will girlfriends, wives, or landlords. On the topic of love, Jimmy has demonstrated his difficulty to conform to the social norms, in terms of being a gentleman towards women, especially his own wife, Allison. The first major indication of this problem was when Allison and him were showing their first mutual signs of affection, but they were required to result to role playing to fulfill their show of love. Jimmy: Youre very beautiful. A beautiful, great-eyed squirrelHow I envy you. Allison: Well, youre a jolly super bear, too. A really soooooooooooper, marvelous bear. Jimmy: Bears and Squirrels are marvelous Jimmy and Allison have proven that they must put on disguises to show their affection. Allison as a Squirrels, and Jimmy as a bear also demonstrates the way their perceive each other. A squirrel is small, weak, and helpless, as is contrary to a bear, that has the image of a vicious and barbaric animal. In this point of view, Osborne is showing us an analogy of how he perceives their relationship. Bears and squirrels dont really get along, mainly because they compete for the same food. In the play we see how Allison and Jimmy are incompatible, and when they speak of how bears and squirrels are marvelous, it just proves to show that they are blind to the fact that they dont belong together. However, it must be made clear that this is not due to Allison that they lock horns often, but it at Jimmys fault; he is seen as the instigator to every conflict in this play. Not only in terms of love, but also in regarding women altogether, Jimmy sees women as the enemy. Jimmy has attacked every woman in this play, physically or verbally, except for one, and that was Hughs mother who has dying. (this issue will be addressed in the last portion of this essay). First, we will look at the situation with Helena; as first it is evident that they hate each other, but then they kiss and become lovers. This is not only unusual, but shows the instability and unpredictability of Jimmys actions. The issue is that he sees Helena as an enemy that is trying to convince Allison to leave him; and Jimmy seems correct, because in fact, that is what happens in the end, but its quite unpredictable. Jimmy shows his disgust towards Helena when he says to her: What are you plotting? This is implying that Helena is out to mess his life up, this then leads to a confrontation that almost gets violent. To Build a Fire - Significance of the Words Dying EssayThe second person we can look at is Cliff; this is a different type of aggression that arises. Primarily because this is the only other male character that Jimmy comes in contact with in the play, and they have never stopped arguing throughout the play. A few times they even resulted in wrestling, in once case injuring Allison. This key in this situation is the communication problem, they ask one question to each other, and it is not answered until a dozen other questions are asked. The shocking portion of this relationship between them both is that Jimmy actually trusts Cliff. In countless scenes, it seems as if Cliff is actually Allisons husband, and Jimmy only reacts in a very minor fashion; and again, this just fortifies the notion that Jimmy is insecure when women are regarded, because the only person he trusts is Cliff. The Third and final stimuli is that of the notion of death, in many of Jimmys dialogs, he speaks of death and its implications. He is obviously emotionally scarred by his fathers death, from when Jimmy was only ten years old. He testifies that nobody else cared for his father but him; his mother didnt do much but tend to his physical needs. I learnt at an early age what it was to be angry-angry and helpless. And I can never forget it. It seems as though the anger was towards his mother, and women in general this thought in his mind is a recurrent in his speech and we see that he blames everyone for not caring for the dying. Later on Jimmys friend, Hughs mother, is in a hospital dying, and again we get the same events happen again. This is special, not only because it involves death, that really triggers Jimmys emotions, but because this lady is the only one who he shows any direct affection for. He declares that hes the only one who loves Hughs mother, and hell be the only one walkin g behind the coffin on the day of the funeral. The main significance that must be surfaced from this idea is that when it comes to death, gender does not matter to Jimmy. The reaction of his fathers death, and Hughs mothers death are parallel in every single aspect. Therefore, it can be said that Jimmys only vehicle to bring him in terms with women is death, and after the death of Hughs mother, we see a different Jimmy. He returns to the home, where Helena tells him that Allison left, and tries to remain the old self by threatening Helena, but he breaks down; she kisses him and they fall for each other. At this point in the novel we have hope for Jimmy that he has seen the light, but this is not the case. We can see that the author has easily illustrated this out for us by recreating the same scene as the beginning with Helena at Allisons initial place. Jimmy and Cliff argue over the same issues, and Helena is still at the ironing board. This goes to show that people like Jimmy do not change their ways of thinking overnight, this will take a long time before Jimmy accepts the social rules. By the end of the play we dont see any difference because when he returns with Allison, they still resolve to bears and squirrels to show their affection. In conclusion, the three stimuli have shown spark anger and passion from within Jimmy. However, the overruling trigger that sparks anger in Jimmy is the idea of women in general. He is obviously threatened by womens advancement in society and this is the main problem that he must overcome in order to become an acceptable person to society as a whole. English Essays