J. L. Mackie Essays

J. L. Mackie on his writing “The Subjectivity of Values” develops two main arguments against the objectivity of values. Mackie states, “There are no objective values” (pg.175) where he expresses his belief that there are no objective, absolute or universal moral truths and argues in favor of moral skepticism, the view that people cannot have knowledge about morality. While actions naturally can be perceived as morally good or bad, there is nothing that makes them objectively good or bad. Mackie presents

What is the problem of evil? What are the problems that J.L. Mackie finds with the freewill solution to the problem of evil? Are there possible solutions to the problems that Mackie raises? The customary contentions for the presence of God have been reasonably completely scrutinized by rationalists. Be that as it may, the scholar can, in the event that he wishes, acknowledge this feedback. He can concede that no discerning confirmation of God 's presence is conceivable. Also, he can in any case

Despite being primarily known as an economist, Adam Smith assumed the role of a moral philosopher in writing The Theory of Moral Sentiments. In the work, he develops a unique moral theory that intertwines a reality based on human observation with an ideal that arises from Smith’s thoughts on the way people should be. In order to establish a foundation, Smith begins by describing the feeling of sympathy as being one that is shared by all humans. His discourse on sympathy, formed predominantly on observations

John Rawls developed his theory of justice as an amalgamation of intuitionism and utilitarianism in order to form an acceptable, reasonable dominant paradigm that answered how a state should distribute its social primary goods fairly. While this theory is important in developing and understanding of political philosophy, its failure to be accepted as a dominant paradigm stems from its failure to adequately answer objections from both the political left and right. Rawlsian Justice is a theory of

In “Evil and Omnipotence”, J.L Mackie argues that solutions provided for the problem of evil are implausible. Mackie claims that the problem of evil is God’s inability to be both omnipotent and omni-benevolent yet have evil exist. This contradiction cannot be physically disproven; and therefore, must be logically disproven. Mackie uses a novel method of providing solutions to this problem and elaborating on their lack of logic. In this paper, I will further explain the problem of evil, expand on

In the article, Mackie states how it is “a problem only for someone who believes that there is a God who is both omnipotent and wholly good”. In order words, it could be an internal problem because having that belief will question one person’s thoughts of God compared to someone who believes otherwise. However, Mackie does see the flaw of the argument and offers a reasonable response which is agreeing with the pope’s

texts. Philosopher J. L. Mackie, known chiefly for his metaethical theory on the ubiquitous truth of moral judgements called error theory, managed to accomplish just that. However, in striving to create a metaethical theory that diverges from non-cognitivists and distinguishes itself from other cognitivist theories, his conclusion ends up being more inflammatory than intellectually sound. Mackie ultimately sought to explore what he named "the apparent authority of ethics" (Mackie, 552), which is to

This paper aims to examine the understanding of violation of Gricean maxim of Cooperative Principles by children and adults of age 15 to 60 years and show that their understanding depends on identifying and accessing relevant contextual information. They did differ in gender, education, social and economic background. Their implicit understanding of maxim of quality, quantity, relation and manner were accessed through a survey which consisted of answering to questions based on flouting conversations

When dance and social activism intersect, I get excited. All of my experiences with dance as a tool for social change have been profound and evoking. The work I do with Donald Byrd and Spectrum Dance Theater company (SDT) is tremendously relevant. It unapologetically challenges and disrupts societal systems, people’s beliefs, thoughts, and their relations with others who are different from them. Working with SDT has taught me that dance, my passion, part of my identity, is a tool for social change

To a certain extent, the majority of developed nations have complied with the United Nations’ requirements on hate speech and implemented some sort of legislation concerning its use, subsequently regulating free speech (Edmonds and Wartburton 2012). Converse to these nations as well as the UN's position on freedom of speech, the United States remains without hate speech regulation, as it is viewed as an infringement of the Constitution’s First Amendment, which purports an unrestricted right to freedom

to the L-dopa treatment. Most of the doctors working in the institution refused to believe that the patients were still alive and aware, because, as Dr. Peter Ingham stated in the movie, “The alternative is unthinkable.” Imagine being trapped in your own body, unable to move or cry for help. This is what the victims of this strange disease had to endure for decades, up until the point that they were cured by Levodopa, if only for a short period of time. Though as the successfulness of L-dopa began

It is better to try research and figure out something, and solve a problem, Rather than never try something and never find out if it works. In “Flowers for Algernon” and Awakenings, it Shows that it is ethical for doctors and other medical professionals to perform experimental surgery. The movie and the book also show that a chance of fixing a problem can give people a second chance in life even though it may be short. Those two It is worth it. The book and the move also show how a second chance

Consequentialists are a group of philosophers who asses whether an act is right or wrong based on the consequences of the action. There are different types of consequentialism including: ethical egoism, act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism. These three branches of consequentialism will be discussed later in this paper. A supererogatory act is something that is good but is not obligatory; these acts involve rendering aid to others that go above moral requirement. Consequentialists claim that

Herbivores do not only take the form of animals, but humans as well. Veganism, “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” (The Vegan Society). When people think about a vegan lifestyle, the first question, assumption or judgment is based off their diet. The food choices of a vegan have risen, deep concern, and question regarding whether or not this lifestyle is healthy

4. Summary on “Women Detectives” by Maureen T. Reddy Introduction In this chapter, Maureen T. Reddy analyzes the development of crime fiction in the aspect of the rise of female novelists and women detectives in crime fiction through enumerating various writers with their magnum opus. Therefore, the origin of female detectives and the changes of feminist crime fiction will be summarized in this passage. Summary In the first part of this chapter, the author illustrates that female novelists

O.J. Simpson, JonBenet Ramsey, Jodi Arias, the Menendez Brothers. Exhilarating accounts of murder that have captivated a nation for decades. 24/7 Forensic Files sparked an interest that resulted in me delving into research-based novels on some of America’s most infamous forensic cases. This series had me hooked and nurtured my passion for forensics. Dirty little secrets, something everyone has, but how often do they lead to a hatred so deep that murder seems to be the only way to end the escapade

The book Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow places several characters from different social classes, races, and nationalities in a story dealing with change and triumph during the Gilded Age at the turn of the 20th century. Two of these characters to focus on are that of Father and Tateh. Both these characters are similar in how they are the head provider of their respective households, but differ on their origins and where they end up by the stories end. When reading this story it is critical to ask the question;

In the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” the colors are used to bring meaning to the various aspects of the story. Initially when Dorothy is in Kansas at her Aunt and Uncles farm everything is presented in muted colors, like gray and dreary. This coloring also serves as a symbol for the life that Dorothy lived in Kansas. It was a boring life, simple and there wasn’t much to smile about. After the cyclone she finds herself and her dog Toto in the Land of the Munchkins, where blue is the primary

In the book “I Touch the Future…” by Robert T. Hohler, Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher, faced an internal challenge in which she had to choose between family and a once in a lifetime experience. Christa’s passion for exploring and teaching had made space travel her destiny and on the day that NASA announced the start of the Teacher in Space program, she knew that she had a chance to live her dream. There was certainly no doubt that Christa had fulfilled all the contest requirements, such

On January 28th, 1986, the Challenger exploded after launching with delays just days before. Media coverage of the mission was extreme because of Christa McAuliffe, who was going to be the first school teacher to go on a mission to space. Many people around the globe witnessed the destruction of the space shuttle on tv. This tragedy called for President Ronald Reagan to address the issue. Through the rhetorical arrangement and style of his speech, Reagan expressed condolences to people who were affected