Gattaca Defying All The Premises Philosophy Essay

Gattaca Defying All The Premises Philosophy Essay Imagine a society where everyone is more intelligent and healthier than you. Imagine a society where your genetic makeup-engineered or natural-determines the job for which you are eligible, whether or not you can be insured, and who associates with you. Gattaca by Andrew Niccol tells the story of Vincent, a young man naturally and traditionally engendered in a world where genetic engineering is the followed pattern to have a child. Few minutes after his birth, Vincents fate is revealed through a DNA analysis. His first genetic test revealed high probabilities of hyperactivity, sight troubles and serious heart diseases, a life expectancy of 30 years and 2 months and quite low intellectual faculties. At that time, the artificial insemination of test tube babies selected according to their genetic potential had become for many people the natural way of making children. But Vincents parents had preferred to let the other nature take its course. Of course they regretted it, and for their next child they went to see a geneticist. A perfect son has been born to them, a son who deserved to be called Anton, like his father. While Vincent was forced by his genetic code and the system to study at home, Anton was taller and better at anything than his elder brother. They used to play at softy. The game consisted of swimming in the sea as far as possible and being the last to make an about-turn. Vincent was always the softy. But besides his weak health, he had a very strong will. His lifelong dream was to join Gattaca, probably the most prestigious company on earth whose activity was to explore galaxies, and go into space. To achieve his aim, he did not stop studying during his whole adolescence, despite his fathers discouragements. The film shows a world where life is highly determined by genetics, and happiness is mostly based on the quality of the genetic profile, a kind of identity card for people. Vincent, who wants to become an astronaut and work for Gattaca, overcome s all the difficulties presented to him defying all the premises of the genetic engineering. However, it is not so clear that only free will is which will lead him to his dream; that significant amount of determination has to do with his success. At a time when we read about cloned sheep and the unraveling of the human genome, the science in Gattaca is theoretically possible. In the futuristic world of Gattaca, society has developed the technology to manipulate human procreation and designed children with impeccable genetic compositions. I suspect most people will order up the make and model they wanted rather than take chances on a throw of the genetic dice. Everyone will live longer and healthier in the Gattaca world. As a result, a new social caste system is created in which the artificially created, genetically superior humans called valids, dominate all major aspects of society. In contrast, the naturally born humans, called invalids, become a mistreated minority. Although all aspects of society are affected by the new genetic technology, the greatest impact is on the job market. As a result, the easiest way to analyze the job market is to compare the occupations of the valids and to the occupations of the invalids. Vali ds are instantly granted powerful, high-paying jobs, regardless of their training or background. For example, when applying for a job at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, Vincent, under an alternate identity, is only required to provide a blood test before he is hired and prepped for flight missions into space. Valids also tend to have computer-based jobs so that they make full use of their genetic intelligence. Invalids are only allowed to have demeaning, low-paying jobs. For instance, before assuming an alternate identity, Vincent is only allowed to work at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation as a cleaner. In addition, invalids are forced to take jobs in which they perform manual labor. I think the Gattaca world is a realistic future even though it might face a lot of social and ethical problems. Firstly we are getting to the technology that is needed for the level of genetic engineering in Gattaca. Human Genome project begun formally in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project originally was planned to last 15 years, but rapid technological advances accelerated the completion date to 2003. The goals were to identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA and store this information in databases. The knowledge about the effects of DNA variations among individuals can lead to revolutionary new ways to diagnose, treat, and someday prevent the thousands of disorders that affect us. However there are many social and ethical problems that human might face on the way to Genetic engineering in Gattaca. Firstly people were taking other peoples DNA without that persons consent in Gattaca, and this could also happen in reality too. Just like what Vincent said in the movie Of course, its illegal to discriminate. But no one takes the law seriously. People were unable to choose their own destiny. You would never be able to hope or dream of anything because your life is already planned out for you. If its not a part of your life plan, then that would be something you dealt with. Invalids were being discriminated against. According to the Nuremberg Code, which is a set of ethical rules a doctor or scientist must follow when experimenting on a human, it states that The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential (Nuremberg Code, 1949). In Gattaca, when applying for a job, the interviewer often takes saliva or a sample of urine from the interviewee without telling him/her why. Normally, if a person says no, after the interview, the interviewer would simply take DNA from a handshake, the doorknob, or even the seat without the interviewees permission. This is serious violations of the free will and rights of human beings. Secondly, discriminations could be anywhere. In the movie, people can actually choose the traits and gender of the child. This can cause a lot of problem: e.g. in China most people want boys rather than girls because people think boys could do more labor works than girls and boys can pass down their family name. As a result, the male-female ratio of world population could change drastically. The discrimination against in-valid in the movie could happen in reality too. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has duties to the community which allow the free and full development of a persons personality. Vincent has the right to express himself, which he is unable to do because he would never be allowed to because of his heart disease. Furthermore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that in the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due to recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just society (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). Vincent worked really hard and strived to become an astronaut but was held back because he wasnt perfect enough. This article is saying that a person should be allowed to express oneself as long as it is legal and not disturbing the public order or general order or general welfare of others. Vincent becoming an astronaut wouldnt affect any of these, he cannot even get a chance to try in the Gattacan world. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection to the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in viol ation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The invalids were treated inhumanely, as if they were all criminals. Discriminations problems can be one of the biggest concerns of most people if Gattaca world becomes real. Thirdly if everybody uses genetic engineering, people would have a longer life span. Earth may face an energy crisis and cause the extinction of human beings. Another problem might come from different religions, a lot of people believe in natural process too. Furthermore this is not something that could be undone easily, once people start using genetic engineering, they will just rely on it. Fortunately, most of the problems I came out with were considered by experts from the Human Genome Project. One of the main goals of the Human Genome Project is to address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. (Human Genome Project 2003) The whole project has nine princ iples: 1. Fairness in the use of genetic information; 2. Privacy and confidentiality; 3. Psychological impact and stigmatization; 4. Reproductive issues; 5. Clinical issues; 6. Uncertainties; 7. Conceptual and philosophical implications; 8. Health and environmental issues; 9. Commercialization of products. Those nine principles can ensure everyone that the problems happened in the movie Gattaca will not occur in reality. I think there is a bright future for Human Genome Project as long as the nine principles are followed. I really enjoyed Gattaca. It raises some very good points that question the uses of technology in the not so distant future. The use of genetic research has led to humanity bio-engineering children to be free of defects and disabilities. Furthermore, I feel really pleased for Vincent as he mixes with members of the valid world despite his own in-Valid condition, he manages to gain considerable respect and admiration because of his persistence, even from people unaware of his status as a genetic impostor. Although Vincent is at the lower end of the genetic hierarchy, it is due to his ferocious determination and unquenchable desire that he is able to rise above his colleagues and achieve his dreams. It is these qualities that deem the central protagonist unique in the world of Gattaca. In the end, this movie also made me question where we should draw the line between science and ethics.

Exploring the essence of self in the western context Essay

Statement of authorship I certify that this literature review is my own work and contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma in any institute, college or university. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the dissertation. Name Signed _________________________________________________ Date ___________________________________________________ The most fundamental of the questions man asks himself in his lifetime are, â€Å"what/who am I ?†and â€Å"what is my purpose?† The curiosity over this issue of ‘the self’ has spanned human thought for millennia rooting from societal notion that â€Å"life cannot be just bricks and cement†. Due to the inherent nature of these fundamental curiosities mankind has struggled from ancient times to uncover these mysteries. In the western-context, this brief essay will try to explore the dimensions of the â€Å"essence of self† ranging from medieval to the modern conception of self. It will review the theories of self starting with Aristotelian science and Christian doctrines and their eventual marriage by St. Thomas Acquinas’ moral theory. In effect, it then explores critical viewpoints and traces the development of Scientific Rationalization. Progressively, it debates Rene Descartes’ rationalist views  shaping his dualistic conception of the self. Furthermore, it poses the contrasting empiricist views of John Locke where he places self-consciousness and memory as the variables to comprehend self. In addition, it contests David Hume’s proclamation of the self as fiction (Robinson, H., 2012). The theories of self and identity gradually developed over a historical timeline resulting in modern thought on the subject. In this regard, it is important to understand its development initiation from religious conception in the west. Curiosity on these issues can be traced back to accounts of Aristotle, where he is of the view that everything in nature has a purpose and everything can be rationalized based on its intent and the purpose it served (Greetham, B. 2006, p.213). This is referred to as the ‘teleological’ view, which contributed to the formation of medieval world view formed by Christian dogma and the Catholic church (Cavalier, G.,1989). This Christian conception viewed the world as being God’s creation and expression of his will which was cosmologically meaningful and structured. The purpose of things under this theology is God given and is a part of the ‘grand plan’ (Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy). This categorises the medieval belief of self, where humans have a certain place and purpose and the self is understood in terms of the role it plays in the grand plan of things. The medieval Christian conception of self was greatly inspired by the work of 13th century theologian St. Thomas Acquinas. In his opus he bridged the gap between faith and reason by linking Christian dogma and Aristotelian thought (O’Callaghan, R., 2010). In essence, he lived in a crucial juncture of western culture when the Latin translation of Aristotelian corpus was made available which in effect reignited the debate on relating faith and reason. His theories borrowed from Aristotle and Christian dogma and ethi cs which were consistently reaffirmed by the church over the centuries (auquinas from stanford). The aforementioned medieval religious conception of self forms the basis Acquinas’ ethical premise on how we ought to act (Greetham, B., 2006). Right and wrong actions based on their compliance with human nature and its place â€Å"God-given natural order†, categorized as natural or unnatural. Hence, the self bounded and confined to serving a purpose. However, this religious world-view came under intense criticism  with the advent of scientific advancement and rationality in the 16th and 17th centuries. Scientific thinking developed under the likes of Descartes and Locke and was reasoned based on the accomplishments of Galileo and Newton(Zalta, E., 2011). They disregarded the place of divine-will in their conception of self, basing it on mere experience, empirical evidence and mathematical formulations. This shift of conception is termed ‘demythologization’, where everything works without a purpose and results from mechanical interaction of particles regulated by universal laws which can be mathematically formulated (Greetham, B., 2006). Consequently, began the search of the self by looking within for purpose and meaning. The modern view of self is articulated in the works of 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes. He pioneered the dualistic understanding of the human being, which is made up of the â€Å"mental substance (mind) and the physical substance (body)† (Warburton, N., 1992). Here, the body has physical properties like having weight and using space, whereas the mind is a non-material substance, responsible for thought and experience and hence is the abode of consciousness. In his view, the self is a spiritual â€Å"subject of experience† which is fundamentally different from the body and nature, where the body inessential and the mind can exist independently. His radical scepticism led to the formation of the â€Å"Illusion argument†, where the bodily senses are deemed unreliable and thus the existence of the external world and body is uncertain. The only thing one can be certain of is that ‘I exist’. This is categorized under his famous proclamation -â€Å"Cogito ergo sum†, meaning â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (Cavalier, G., 1989). In essence, â€Å"the self is essentially mental† and the search for purpose and meaning should be searched within ourselves instead of classifying it under totality of nature. In his endeavours, Descartes used the â€Å"rationalist approach† to knowledge, which solely relies on logic and scepticism . In contrast, his contemporary, English philosopher John Locke relies on the â€Å"empiricist approach†, where knowledge is acquired by the means of watchfulness and experience. His theology of self underlines the role of reason, consciousness and self-consciousness. As for Locke, he sees self-consciousness as a  inseparable element in the conduct of any conscious action, like thinking and observing. The perception of the world by the senses, awareness of personal identity, actions performed and its retention (memory) over time is what constitutes self-consciousness (Robinson, H., 2012). Personal identity here is quintessentially the self, in which memory is decisive variable as the consciousness of past actions is critical to being the same person; and selfhood is reliant on the consciousness and not the body. For instance, if a person has memories from a past life as Salvador Dali, then he is the same person in the current life with a different body. These arguments however appear ambiguous upon correlation with Descartes’ accounts. However, Locke’s accounts differ where cites that it is not necessary that thinking, observation etc. to be the products of a non-material substance and leaves a prospect open that they could be of material origin. The self, Locke argues, is resultant from â€Å"continuity of consciousness† and not a ‘substance’ as proposed by Descartes (Greetham, B., 2006). Then again, there is a fallacy in these arguments; if the self is continuity of consciousness and memory retention then without the memory of past actions accountability for the actions is cannot be held (Cavalier, g., 1989). For instance, it could be hypothesized in Locke’s view, that a person who committed murder as a child, who grew up to become a doctor and then as an old man he cannot remember his crime as a child, hence in effect, he cannot be held responsible for the murder. Eighteenth century philosopher David Hume continued in the empirical approach, maintaining that authentic knowledge is solely acquired on the basis of direct experience (Robinson H., 2012). He borrows from Locke, however, he reaches drastic conception where he conceives the self as fiction. Thereafter, he entirely disregards the â€Å"substance view of the mind†. He bases his conception strictly on experience or ‘perception’ and maintains that the existential claim for the inner substance should be discoverable by experience (Greetham, B., 2006). Through his experience, Hume, found no such substance but instead only a variety of perceptions where there is no identity or self binding them. Academics refer to this view as the â€Å"bundle theory of substance†, where different perceptions are in eternal flux (Robinson H., 2012). However, Hume fails to identify a unifying  factor and puts forth a vague understanding of the mind just being a bundle of perceptions. Consequently, the Cartesian theory of self gained an upper hand as it offers the unifying substance of mind in the conception of the self (Greetham, B., 2006). The aforementioned theories of self significantly influence the post-modern conception of the self, as the subject has a tendency to develop over time (Cahoone, L., 2003). These western theories have borrowed from Eastern conceptions of self, which indicates ancient interaction between the west and the east. (Cavalier, G., 1989). In the contemporary world, the twentieth century has been the fore-bringer of brisk industrialization in the western world, begetting fast-paced consumer societies, where the people have little or no time for personal fulfilment (Cahoone, L. 2003). This along with advent of cultural pluralism, scientific rationalization and secularization of notions of religion has led to burgeoning interest in the conception of self (Olsen and Timothy, 2006, p.139). On a personal basis, the theories of self explored here provided a clearer picture on the gradual development of understanding of self with a historical context and an insight into how these theories have shaped post-modern notions on the same (Collinson, P. et al, 2000). Descartes’ accounts and his emphasis on the soul substance worked as a bride between my eastern thought origin and modern western conception on the subject. However, Locke’s and Hume’s empirical approach and their emphasis on discovering self through experience is also profound to my conception of self. Their conclusions however appeared radical and absurd especially in the case of Hume where proclaims the self as being fictional. References: Cahoone, L. (2003). From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology. Carlton: Blackwell. Cavalier, G. &. (1989). Ethics in the History of Western Philosophy. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Collinson, P. &. (2000). Fifty Eastern Tihnkers. London: Routledge. Greetham, B. (2006). Philosophy. Norwich: Palgrave Macmillan. Jamal, T. a. (2009). The Sage Handbook of Tourism Studies. London: Sage. O’Callaghan, R. et al. (2010, December 21). Saint Thomas Aquinas. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://plato.stanford.edu/: Olsen, D.H. and Timothy, D.J. (2006). Tourism, Religion and Spiritual Journeys. Oxford: Routledge. Robinson, H. (2012, Demember 21). Dualism. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://plato.stanford.edu/: Warburton, N. (1992). Philosophy. Abingdon: Routledge. Zalta, E. (2011, September 21). Aquinas’ Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy. Retrieved May 1, 2011, from www.http://plato.stanford.edu/:

What the Experts Are Saying About Tears of Hope Essay Samples and What It Means For You

What the Experts Are Saying About Tears of Hope Essay Samples and What It Means For You Even supposing it's hard being away from my family members and friends. Somehow, individuals consider the future as an entirely distinct world. Moreover, the majority of people are completely incompatible. They choose not to. Still, the main thing is that the future ought to be an exciting location where anything can be possible. The issue with our world is that people don't learn to listen to one another. 1 thing may be funny to someone but might not be funny to another. The absolute most important issue to me is to be prosperous. What You Don't Know About Tears of Hope Essay Samples Both team members can build contacts and explore a wide selection of chances. Regions of the event includes an Arts Exhibition, and music and dance performances from a variety of individuals. If activities aren't completed to schedule then it will ensure it is hard for the event to be successful. Menti on by name certain classes, professors, clubs and activities that you're excited to be a component of. What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Tears of Hope Essay Samples In fact, loving is a skill that needs to be trained. Denial is the reaction of your psyche aimed toward safeguarding your personality from the outstanding intensity of the first post-breakup emotions. Bear this in mind while you formulate your speech on paper. You can also see welcome speech. You could also see orientation speech. Don't use this speech for a chance for self-promotion or maybe to share your hubris. Cancer is still a significant disease in many nations. Colleges publish lots and a lot of unique kinds of things, any of which is beneficial for research. His poster acquires its power from a mix of conventional and contemporary elements. Top Tears of Hope Essay Samples Secrets Now, it's going be useful to look at a why us essay which works and figure out just what the author did to create a m eaningful response to this challenging question. This song makes me become more concerned in regards to the social issue to be able to turn into a self-actualization person. The response is simple we don't wish to. Laughter is the principal intention of a comedian and clown's job. All About Tears of Hope Essay Samples Now you need to sift through all your notes to discover the three to five things that actually speak to you. How Sara's story sounds like it might be set in 2017 tells us everything we will need to understand about the state of world today. There are many places where you are able to look for a hope essay. If you aren't inspired, speak to others who've been motivated and inspired by the thing you're commemorating, and see whether you can draw ideas and inspiration from their passion. The 5-Minute Rule for Tears of Hope Essay Samples A good deal of children life painfully due to the war and poverty. If you're just beginning in college, a couple of years into your career or just a decade (or more), you'll be wise to go out and live, and maintain self-awareness and perceptive observation of all of the activities you take part in. Hope of succeeding is what leads you to visit college and find work. You may have hopes and dreams for the future that you would like to create and that's terrific. The Do's and Don'ts of Tears of Hope Essay Samples The bad terrain and drought in the area is a very clear sign of the harsh conditions in the area. Denial can last for minutes or days, based on what type of person you're. 1 problem has then ended up creating another issue, and it's then not likely to be one more area of their life that isn't going in the proper direction. Life is mostly one massive analogy being stuck in traffic is similar to writing is similar to decorating is similar to surfing the web. It is possible to also use the assistance of Professional Content Writers to receive a hope essay written for you. It doesn't need to be a huge project, a huge organization with a huge mission or mandate. Therefore, this kind of opportunity is going to be utilized to notify the general public on the essence of this undertaking. Well, you're not wrong about that. In terms of the dumpee, it is simply the start. My work is accomplished by 11 PM, and now is the time for sleep. The end was transformed into a new start. Faith will allow me to trust God. Hope Hicks is doing only that. He believes you will get through it. He cannot exist without faith.

Haber-Bosch Process Information

The Haber process or Haber-Bosch process is the primary industrial method used to make ammonia or fix nitrogen. The Haber process reacts nitrogen and hydrogen gas to form ammonia: N2   3 H2  Ã¢â€ â€™ 2 NH3  Ã‚  (ΔH −92.4 kJ ·mol−1) History of the Haber Process Fritz Haber, a German chemist, and Robert Le Rossignol, a British chemist,  demonstrated the first ammonia synthesis process in 1909. They formed ammonia drop by drop from pressurized air.  However, the technology did not exist to extend the pressure required in this tabletop apparatus to commercial production. Carl  Bosch, an engineer at BASF, resolved the engineering problems associated with industrial ammonia production.  BASFs German Oppau  plant commenced ammonia production in 1913. How the Haber-Bosch Process Works Habers original process made ammonia from air. The industrial Haber-Bosch process mixes nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas in a pressure vessel that contains a special catalyst to speed the reaction. From a thermodynamic standpoint, the reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen favors the product at room temperature and pressure, but the reaction does not generate much ammonia. The reaction is exothermic; at increased temperature and atmospheric pressure, the equilibrium quickly switches to the other direction. The catalyst and increased pressure are the scientific magic behind the process. Boschs original catalyst was osmium, but BASF quickly settled upon a less-expensive iron-based catalyst which is still in use today. Some modern processes employ a ruthenium catalyst, which is more active than the iron catalyst. Although Bosch originally electrolyzed water to obtain hydrogen, the modern version of the process uses natural gas to obtain methane, which is processed to get hydrogen gas. It is estimated that 3-5 percent of the worlds natural gas production goes toward the Haber process. The gases pass over the catalyst bed  multiple times since conversion to ammonia is only around 15 percent each time. By the end of the process, about 97 percent conversion of nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia is achieved. Importance of the Haber Process Some people consider the Haber process to be the most important invention of the past 200 years! The primary reason the Haber process is important is because ammonia is used as a plant fertilizer, enabling farmers to grow enough crops to support an ever-increasing world population. The Haber process supplies  500 million tons (453 billion kilograms) of nitrogen-based fertilizer annually, which is estimated to support food for a third of the people on Earth. There are negative associations with the Haber process, too. In World War I, the ammonia was used to produce nitric acid to manufacture  munitions. Some argue the population explosion, for better or worse, would not have happened without the increased food available because of the fertilizer. Also, the release of nitrogen compounds has had a negative environmental impact. References Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production,  Vaclav Smil  (2001)  ISBN 0-262-19449-X. US Environmental Protection Agency: Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Causes and Consequences by Peter M. Vitousek, Chair, John Aber, Robert W. Howarth, Gene E. Likens, Pamela A. Matson, David W. Schindler, William H. Schlesinger, and G. David Tilman Fritz Haber Biography, Nobel e-Museum, retrieved October 4, 2013.