Possession Of Knowledge: Ethical Responsibility

Possession Of Knowledge: Ethical Responsibility What is ethical responsibility? Ethical responsibility means fulfilling obligations in all ethical areas, or as many areas as possible. When an ethical dilemma occurs, involved individuals must choose between wide varieties of ethical principles and weigh which ones should be emphasized. Possession of knowledge does carry an ethical responsibility because there are certain kinds of knowledge that inflict a compulsion or a challenge on the person who carries that knowledge. For example if someone discovers a murder scene or even a robbery the person will choose whether he should reveal the information as he knows that if he reveals the information hell potentially harm the person. Or keep it inside by not revealing the incident to anyone. We can say that basically when you are helping a person without harming any other person, which is when you possess knowledge that carries an ethical responsibility and if you disclose that knowledge it should help someone. If you see that in some si tuations it doesnt carry an ethical situation when it doesnt affect any person or the piece of information is worthless but in todays world no piece of information can have an ethical responsibility as it can be used in different ways. You can see that there is a conflict of interest in any of these situations. The ethical responsibility consists in the decision the person must make, being each persons moral values and sense of what is right and what is wrong, what finally changes this decision. We can see that the decision of the person depends on how many person are getting affected its also the affection or the bond which you share with the person affects the decision of the person. We know that possession of knowledge carries ethical responsibility but why? And When? If you see, when you are helping people in an ethical way or an unethical way possession of knowledge carries responsibility and we know that at some places it doesnt carry ethical responsibility that is when it cau ses harm to anyone for example destruction as I have mentioned an example of Albert Einstein . You must have heard the famous quote said by Peter Parker that With great powers comes great responsibility. Im using this claim as you can see that with possession of great knowledge comes great responsibility. For example if the doctor knows about the genetic disposition of a child should he tell the parent or the guardian about it. In some cases you are obligated to act upon it in case of a crime you are forced to say your views and tell the person or people what you saw, sometimes it is ethical to disclose it but still you cant thinking about the consequences, emotions etc. For example you have a friend whom you know since many years and youll are very close to each other and he commits some crime youll have to say false as he is friend and youll support him which is unethical. Same thing like telling the parent whether they have a male child or female child is ethically wrong so you can see that possession of knowledge does carry ethical responsibility. During the World War 2 Al bert Einstein gave Franklin D. Roosevelt the president of United States of America the idea of creating an atomic bomb. They also came to know that Germany was planning to make atomic bombs. When Roosevelt got to know about this he started the Manhattan Project- In this project the government of United States of America were planning to make atomic bombs before Germany could. At the time he thought what he was doing was right but after seeing the negative effects he had, he ended up regretting it. Knowing what he knew carried an ethical responsibility and his morals were questioned. Knowledge can be stopped to generate in fear of unethical use, when there is a piece of knowledge which can potentially harm people care should be taken when releasing this information. If there is an obvious application which will potentially harm people, they will be apprehensive towards it. For example if you have an information about some murder you would rather think twice before disclosing the piec e of news or knowledge you possess as it will generate fear in you and you may start thinking about your own safety. Sometime Holding Back of knowledge by groups such as government can be ethical. Some groups like a government hold back a particular piece of knowledge for mainly 2 causes. If the piece of knowledge when disclosed could cause chaos or panic in the country or surroundings. Government generally do this to maintain the chaos in the country, the forcefully hold back the piece of knowledge. The source of knowledge holds a strong ethical stance The other day in my school when all the students and teachers were discussing about the rape case which recently happened in delhi, place in india a top came and the our juniors showed us the video of a man who was presidents son he made a statement saying that boys and girls who go to discos shouldnt take part in any movement. The person who invented the nuclear bomb was later regretting of his invention as it caused so much destruction in the world. He was so pressurized that he made a comment saying that he was rather ashamed of the invention and wasnt a successful invention for him. His invention was later used as a tool of mass destruction by the countries in the world war, as you can see that how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were in ashes. The 2 bombs used were little boy and fat man. The bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was code-named Little Boy. The amount of energy Little Boy generated when it exploded was the equivalent of a 15 kiloton TNT explosion. Half of that energy was consumed when the explosion generated an ultra-high air pressure which resulted in a very strong bomb blast. Sometimes holding back of knowledge or news can be unethical if you take an example of an individual holding back a piece of news can be unethical, for example hiding the truth of 9/11 was unethical as the people didnt know and they were misled by the media so here you can see that holding back of knowledge was unethical and let to various problems. Some people or group of people have the power to decide whether the piece of knowledge is ethical or unethical? When you receive a particular piece of knowledge who judges whether the knowledge is ethical or unethical. There are many people, group of people that judge whether the knowledge is ethical or unethical or example your parents used to tell you some piece of knowledge when you were young and used to decide whether it is ethical or unethical. Even religious leaders make decisions and say whether a particular piece of knowledge is ethical or unethical. Some organizations like a government also have the power to decide whether a piece of knowledge is ethical or unethical. People or Groups of people dont have the power to judge whether the piece of knowledge is ethical or unethical. If you think logically a person who judges whether a piece of knowledge is ethical or unethical is a bit biased while making their decision for example when a piece of knowledge is judged by the government they are a bit biased in their side. According to me possession of knowledge does carry an ethical responsibility as I have mentioned some claims and example proving my point but there were some limitations which I have written as my counter claims. But at certain situations we can see that the possession of knowledge carries no ethical responsibility

Free Narrative Essays - Making Plans :: Personal Narrative Essays

Making Plans It was a gorgeous summer morning as I, my brother David, sister Marcia, mom, dad, and baby girl were traveling home to Laramie from Colorado Springs where we had gone to visit my grandma. The atmosphere in the car was fun and filled with laughter. We were glad to be together. Our chatter was constant and our conversations often overlapped. One learned young that if you want to be heard in my family, you must merely speak louder than everyone else. Or, you might simply say, "Would you please shut up for a minute so I can say something important?" We all understood that such a plain and politely spoken command was not meant to be offensive or at all disrespectful. We were a bit louder than usual that morning as we had great plans for the day. Since we had to travel through Denver, we all agreed that we should eat at a nice restaurant and then go to the zoo where we could eat some more and see the animals then probably eat some more. Daddy was a bit tense and growly, his usual demeanor when traffic was thick as it was on that Friday morning. "Everyone and their Grandma is on this one road to Denver," he grumbled. My Daddy is claustrophobic. He hates traffic which is the main reason I think we moved long ago to Wyoming, the land of wide-open spaces. "You can drive more than a hundred miles on a Wyoming highway without seeing another car," Daddy would often brag. That was not the case, however, in Colorado. The cars were lined up one after another, traveling 75 miles per hour, to the horizon and beyond. We passengers paid scant attention to the outside world as we were involved in a thought-provoking discussion regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the highly educational hit movie of the summer, Independence Day. The movie answered the question: Are we alone in the Universe? with a loud no when aliens arrived and began demolishing major cities all over the world. We all gazed out the windshield as we laughed at my sister's comment about the president in the film: "He was so broken up over the

Books are Mass Media Essay

In the aspect of communication, there are many elements and factors commonly considered in the pursuit of achieving effectiveness in this field. Among the different concerns are the two main elements namely the medium to be as the vehicle of the communication and the target audience to which the idea aimed to have an impact upon. Considering these two factors is important to achieve the desired effectiveness in the communication field particularly as required by the significance of the information to be transmitted. Considering the factor of audience population range, the element of medium is considered important as this is directly relative to the effective achievement of the distribution and scope aim of the communication. In the said concern, the role of books as a medium for mass media is commonly debated upon as the nature of this element commonly contradict the definition of mass communication considering its application in the actual scenario. For the book to achieve successfully its communication cycle, it must be written and read by its target population thus, imparting the idea and information contained in its pages. However, in the actual population, books are not always preferred and patronize by the public as resulted from its sales percentages compare thus, making its saturation level in the population awareness to be somewhat insignificant. However, despite of the said nature of the book medium, the approach of book publication is still considered as a form of mass media in terms of its communication influence. In actual view, the publication sale of each book does not generally reflect its influence wherein eventhough a book’s sale is low, the spread of its ideas contained in its pages still expand through its impact on the few readers. Indeed, as part of the circulation and communication cycle of each book, the primary reader is influenced by the book and after which he or she communicates the said idea to others thus, creating the mass population scope of the said book in terms of its communication capability. In addition, books are also effective medium for storing and continuously expanding its influence, as their ideas are effectively preserve within their pages and the readers who are affected by their topics. This influence can be realized in the actual impact of some books that left notable impact on the society in terms of their influence in mass media communication such as the book The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, Noli me Tangere by Jose Rizal, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Kite Runner by Khaled Housinni, and others which have influenced large population regardless of their lesser publication sales. In general, the impact of books in terms of mass communication is not only reflected upon its publication sales and economic value but in terms of its influence and effectiveness on enticing the interest and emotion of its mass audience. With this nature and capability, the book medium indeed is considered as a medium for mass communication able to promote ideas and concepts for wide range and scale of human population. Bibliography Hoveyda, Fereydoun (2000). The Hidden Meaning of Mass Communications: Cinema, Books, and Television in the Age of Computers. Praeger Publishers. ISBN-10: 0275969967.

Animal Testing Should Not Be Banned - 864 Words

Animal testing or animal experimentation is the use of non-human animals in experiments. (Merriam) We as humans have been using animals to test products that the reaction is unknown. Even though we might benefit from this testing, the benefit does not justify how we treat animals. Scientist such as, Claude Bernard, known as the father of physiology, have said that â€Å"experiments on animals are entirely conclusive for the toxicology and hygiene of man. The effects of these substances are the same on man as on animals, save for differences in degree†. Scientists and researchers cannot guarantee that the products will react to humans the same way it reacts to animals. A new system needs to be developed in the efforts to test products before the use on humans. Many people don’t see the issues with animal testing, but science has clearly proven that there are many different reasons that animal testing is not necessary and harmful to us as humans. As H. Fergie Woods, M.D., has stated, I have studied the question of [animal testing] for thirty-five years and am convinced that experiments on living animals are leading medicine further and further from the real cure of the patient. I know of no instance of animal experiment that has been necessary for the advancement of medical science; still less do I know of any animal experiment that could conceivably be necessary to save human life. It is not proven that animal testing helps humans, but there are many studies and statisticsShow MoreRelatedShould Animal Testing Be Banned?844 Words   |  3 PagesShould animal testing be banned? Nowadays, a lot of animals has been tested on a range of experiments over the world. You could be supporting animal teasing cruelty without knowing it. Have you ever check if there’s animal testing on the cosmetics before you buy it? Today, a lot of cosmetics has been testing on helpless animals and there are about 1.4 million animals die each year from animal testing ( CatalanoJ, 1994). Most of the experiments that are completed in the laboratories are very cruelRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned880 Words   |  4 Pagesdepending on animals testing. Therefore, if people talk about laboratories, they should remember animal experiments. Those animals have the right to live, according to people who dislike the idea of doing testing on animals; the other opinion, supports the idea of animal testing as the important part of the source of what has reached medicine of the results and solutions for diseases prevalent in every time and place. Each year huge numbers of animals a re sacrificed for the science all these animals, whetherRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned776 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Testing Should be Banned  ¨Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisioned and abused in US labs every year ¨ ( ¨11 Facts About Animal Testing ¨). Imagine if that was someones animal getting tortured in labs just to test things such as beauty products and perfume. Animal testing was first suggested when,  ¨Charles Darwin evolutionary theory in the mid 1850s also served to suggest that animals could serve as effective models to facilitate biological understanding in humans ¨ (Murnaghan)Read MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned940 Words   |  4 Pages1). Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year. 2). 92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials. (DoSomething â€Å"11 Facts About Animal Testing†). There are currently no laws combating the testing of cosmetics on animals, but the practice is harmful and must be ended. As evidenced by the statistics above, millions of animals are tortured and murdered in the United States every year for virtually no reasonRead MoreShould Animal Testing Be Banned?1665 Words   |  7 PagesTesting Cosmetics on Animals Companies around the world use animals to test cosmetics. Animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice, are used to test the effects of chemicals on the eyes and skin. While animal testing is not mandatory, many companies use it. About Cosmetics Animal Testing by the Humane Society International talks about the different options companies have that do not require the cruel use and eventual death of animals. The article also talks about the overallRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1572 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal Testing Every year, over two hundred million innocent animals are injured or killed in scientific experiments across the world. Of those animals, between seventeen and twenty million are used in the United States alone. It is said that an animal dies in a laboratory every three seconds (Animal Testing 101). Those in favor of animal experimentation say they are taking animals’ lives to save humans. It is not necessary to subject animals to torturous conditions or painful experiments in theRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1581 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal testing is being used by different organizations all over the world to prevent specific diseases, especially cancer. Americans see animal testing having a harmful effect but it is one of the main reasons why society has most cures for some illnesses. This topic is important because people need to know what goes on during animal testing and why it is very beneficial. Animal testing needs to be used to find all cures. Some ani mals such as chimps/ monkeys have 90% of the same DNA humans haveRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1721 Words   |  7 Pages † Today, more animals are being used in experiments than ever before: around 100 million in the United States alone† (3). Animal testing is now an international issue, and it is becoming a major story. Currently, animals are often used in medical testing, make-up testing, and other consumer product testing. Animals used in such product testing are often abused and suffer from serious side-effects. Animal testing can be painful for the animals, testing results are usually not even useable forRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned1364 Words   |  6 Pagesbenefit. Using animals for these experimentations usually does not come to mind. Animals are often abused, suffer, and even die during laboratory testing for the benefits of people to make sure medications, household products, newest procedures, and cosmetics are safe and effective for human use. Humans have benefited from animal testing for years while these animals suffer consequences with no positive outcomes for themselves. Even if a product or procedure is deemed successful, these animals are frequentlyRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pages Animal Testing Should Be Banned Throughout the decades, animals have been used in medical research to test the safety of cosmetics including makeup, hair products, soaps, perfume, and countless of other products. Animals have also been used to test antibiotics and other medicines to eliminate any potential risks that they could cause to humans. The number of animals worldwide that are used in laboratory experiments yearly exceeds 115 million animals. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of