The only situation which would justify abortion would be to save the mothers life. Discuss this statement.
"The only situation which would justify abortion would be to save the mother's life." Discuss this statement When analysing this statement, there are several different factors that should be taken into consideration, these are: women's rights, personhood, the sanctity of life and the normative ethical theory. Abortion is and always has been an extremely controversial subject and there have been many laws and acts enforced however even today there is still a lot of discrepancy over the issue. Firstly, there is the issue of women's rights. These rights form a large part of the general issue of abortion. Many perceive abortion in terms of the foetus, not the women, her life and her place in society. There was a famous feminist philosopher called Ellen Willis who believed that under all circumstances women should have complete control over their own lives and their bodies, "can it be moral, under any circumstances, to make a woman bear a child against her will?" In a case called 'defence of abortion' in 1971, Judith Jarvis Thomson said that in cases whereby women are pregnant against their own will, i.e. rape, then a woman owns her body so she has more right to live and more right to claim her body than the foetus does. She also said that as an act of self defence, women should be able to act, especially as unwanted pregnancy causes physical strains to women. Thomson compared
Philosophy Coursework
Philosophy Coursework AO1: Describe the design and contents of a Christian Building. Churches come in many different sizes and forms. Parish churches are usually located in a village or a town near to a Christian community (a parish) where Christians can go to worship on Sunday or attend weddings, funerals christenings etc... A cathedral is much grander than a church and contains the seat of the bishop. Cathedrals are only located in cities and ceremonies held in cathedrals are usually more significant than those held in a parish church. A chapel is simply a place of Christian worship. It is usually much smaller than a church or cathedral but can be attached to a cathedral, large church or even a hospital or prison for private worship. A basilica exists only in the Roman Catholic denomination. It is a large and important church central to the catholic faith and has certain ceremonial rites from the pope. It is much rarer than any other church and only located in a few countries around the world where Roman Catholicism is at its strongest. Because the church is at the centre of Christian worship it is important that the architecture aids Christians in their worship. Different denominations of Christianity use different variations of architecture appropriate to their faith. Roman Catholic churches are often very elaborate because they are deemed to be the most important
Democracy is a universal good. Do you agree?
Dexter Lim 3B (8) Democracy is a universal good. Do you agree? Democracy is where citizens have the right to vote for the person or group that they want the country to be led under. The rule of law is also respected and above all in the system. The system has numerous benefits and also many disadvantages. However, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Firstly, democracy ensures that all, or at least, an overwhelming majority of society is not discriminated against, and the views of all groups are heard in the country. In democracy, the right to the freedom of speech is respected and the citizens are allowed to express their views on national issues freely. This allows the government to know the wishes of each and every group in the society clearly, and thus implement new laws and policies to solve any problems an simply to respond to any suggestions. Furthermore, in a representative democracy, which is the system that most countries and democracies worldwide adopt, all groups of a society and community are represented by at least one person in the country's parliament or government. This ensures that no views are left out and no group is discriminated against. This is the case in Singapore,, which practices a representative democracy. In Singapore's parliament, there are representatives from the largest ethnic groups on the island and the minority all
Plato theory of forms
Plato's theory of forms is of little use The extent to whether Plato's theory of forms is of little use is open to debate. It is seen by some as of no use, however to others is quite true and believable. I will now look into arguments for and against Plato's theories and make a judgement. Plato's theories of forms are realities separate from the actual object or concept and to Plato are the sources of all knowledge. Some people say that Plato's theory of forms is off little use because of the following reasons. Plato tells us that nobody who has discovered true knowledge would ever return to the world of shadows, but just because somebody knows the truth does not mean they will always choose to live by it, or accept it. For example it is proven that a large intake of fatty foods is not good for our body, but people continue to eat them, even though they know the truth. Sometimes even if we know the truth we will go against it, and Plato's theory doesn't accept this and assumes that if we know his 'truth' we will accept it. Plato says that everything that exists in the visible world is a pale reflection of it form. So if there are forms of beauty, there must also be forms of death, disease and violence. These are bad so this contradicts what Plato says as there are also forms of bad 'things' in his perfect visible world. We know that it is impossible for disease and death
Material Possessions will never bring happiness
'Material Possessions will never bring happiness' This quotation is partly true and in other ways quite inaccurate. It's relevant and applicable to our lives only when we stop to think about what really does bring us satisfaction. The key is to know the difference between our needs and desires. Money is a desire, we can live without it. In fact many people on reaching a high status in wealth have been known to say they were happier before it. We work everyday to earn money and yet how many people can say by the time they get their pay check that they are completely happy. Money does not satisfy us we only crave for more, it does not bring happiness, and if it did we would already be happy! It is not only money that sets us off craving for more but other things. Such as cars, houses, clothes and CDs but if these things make us happy why then, do we still long for other things? This saying is not only significant to everyday life but also to people of different faiths. In Buddhism for example, one of the noble truths (Tanha) clearly states that suffering (Dukhha) is caused by craving. It explains how the things we crave for are in fact insufficient, selfish, worldly, materialistic and unsatisfactory. They do naught but cause us to suffer. This supports my view that the obtaining of money only increases our craving and does not make us happy. They believe in true satisfaction
Demonstrate how art can make contrasting contributions to religious questions.
Demonstrate how art can make contrasting contributions to religious questions. The Supper at Emmaus was one of Caravaggio later works when he had fully developed his style. Caravaggio was interested in portraying Jesus as a mortal man one reachable by everyone whether they are a priest or a sinner like Caravaggio rather than a supernatural, transcendent being that shines down upon those few good Christians. This painting shows Jesus after the resurrection revealing his identity to two disciples with whom he has spent all day, he does this by breaking the bread as he did at the last supper, it is very much about the power of the resurrection and holy communion . He doesn't paint the conventional Jesus he paint him a little podgy with no beard and a different shaped face and numerous imperfections' as a man with faults. He put Jesus in a dark and dingy room with the company of a common landlord, reaching to the common man which shows us that Caravaggio concerned about his eternal destiny. He was hoping that maybe God would be willing to forgive a sinner like himself. The Slave Ship by J. M. W. Turner was part of his effort in the abolitionist campaign against slavery, painted in 1840, 33 year after the abolition of slavery. It shows a slave ship where the slave owners would throw the dead and dying human 'cargo' overboard during the middle passage in the Atlantic Ocean in
Religious Landscape in Australia Post 1945
St Mary's Cathedral College HSC Course Studies of Religion II Research Assignment: Religious Landscape in Australia Post 1945 The religious landscape in Australia is diverse and changing. Many aspects of this landscape have changed since 1945 through to the present, some of these include: denominational switching, the rise of new age religions and secularism. In addition to this, the notion of non-religion has been a growing reality for many Australians; this can be explored through an observation of humanism. Each of these aspects has helped to shape Australia's present religious landscape. Denominational switching is a phenomenon that has occurred largely in the Christian religious tradition. It involves people (usually young people) moving to another denomination under the same umbrella of a single religious tradition (for example, a Catholic believer joining the Assemblies of God). 'Switchers' usually move over to more modern, Pentecostal denominations, such as Hillsong (an Australian branch of Assemblies of God). The vast majority of people that change denominations are young people between the ages of 15 and 24. This trend has increased over that last ten years, as shown in the 1996, 2001 and 2006 census data. Over the 10-year period from 1996 to 2006, traditional Christian denominations have seen a decline in 15 - 24 year olds whereas Pentecostal denominations have
Are Science and Religion Compatible over the question of how the universe began?
Are Science and Religion Compatible over the Question of how the Universe Began? Science and religion have disagreed for centuries over the question of how the universe began. Science and religion can theoretically coincide - literally that they can exist together - if the people allow them to by support of their theories; however the two views contradict each other to an extent that they cannot both be viable. Much of science and religion are based on human interpretation: whatever science proves needs to be accepted by the public, and whatever religions preach needs too to be believed and accepted by the people. The Abrahamic idea of God (for the sake of this argument, a part of religion) and scientific theory can seem to disprove each other (God too is a theory): the Big Bang theory clearly disproves the Creation Story, and intelligent design in nature can be understood to disprove the theory that there is no God. However, both of these examples, similar to many others, are theories, based on human perception and interpretation. Science and religion contradicting each other can make them incompatible over the question of how the universe began, but people need to accept both to enable the two views to exist together. It is possible that the views of science and religion are compatible over the question in that they can work 'side-by-side'; although it has here been
Would it matter if you were swapped with a clone?
Would it matter if you were swapped with a clone? What makes the human race so interesting and unique is the fact that we all have different personalities; different thought processes, ideas and views. This is what separates us from other species and animals, and what makes us so extraordinary. However, what 20 years ago just seemed a far fetched concept that was destined to remain in Science Fiction novels has manifested itself into a science that can potentially cure illnesses and save endangered species. This science is of course cloning. It is a widely held prediction that in the near future, as technology develops, that there will be a robot in every household. People would envisage this as being a helper to do menial tasks. But this is in essence the product of cloning, a ‘robot’ that cannot show true feelings and is not truly human. There are many controversies on the subject of cloning. There are issues on the morality of it, for a very large percentage of cloning efforts end in failure, and those that do survive often have fatal or problem causing issues in their genes. For example, it took 277 attempts to clone Dolly the sheep (the first animal to be cloned). Also cloning will stop genetic improvements to a species. This is because genetic improvements usually occur through sexual reproduction, which result in a mixing of the genes of the mother and father.
How do we know the External World is Real?
How do we know the External World is Real? I sit here, at the computer, writing this essay, and I think. Is the chair I sit on real? Is the computer I’m typing on real? What proof is there to say that i’m not just the figment of someone’s imagination? What if I’m dreaming it all, and when you finally die, you wake up. These are all questions which most would say are unanswerable. These questions might never be answered, but it is a philosopher’s job to try to decipher as much as they can, and to find out just how real reality is. Cogito ergo sum – I think, therefore I am. This philosophical statement was used by René Descartes, and became a fundamental element of Western philosophy. The simple meaning of the phrase is that if someone is wondering whether or not they exist, that is in and of itself proof that they do exist (because, at the very least, there is an "I" who is doing the thinking). This seventeenth century philosopher also, while sitting in front of a crackling fire in his office, questioned the idea of reality itself. If he was sitting in his chair, feeling the warmth from the fire on his face, he surely existed. “Is the table in front of you real?” Your immediate answer would of course be yes, for you can sense it. You can touch it, if you drop your pen on it you can hear it, you can smell it, if you were to deprave yourself you could taste it,