Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Ethics - Essay Example As with all opinions, just because they are diverse, does not mean that one is right, or one is wrong. Aristotle’s views, while not necessarily congruent with Plato’s views, do show a strong influence as a result of what Plato taught. Plato’s discourses are heavily influenced by the Pre-Socratics and Sophists, and none too little influenced by Socrates himself, however, while they may show those influences, the views are entirely his own. Plato’s primary literary form was the dialogue; he would use two characters of opposing sides arguing each point with the other in order to show both sides of the philosophical question and in doing so, allow his true views to show through. In The Allegory of the Cave, an excerpt from Plato’s Republic, the reader receives some insight into what Plato believes â€Å"the good life† to be. Plato speaks first of the State, and discussing how it can be tailored to be the best that it can be, speaking of how †Å"the State in which the rules are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst (The Allegory of the Cave, 4).† This is one of the more influential teachings of Plato’s in relation to Aristotle, something that will be touched upon later. Plato, still in The Allegory of the Cave, discusses Homer’s perspective, â€Å"Better to be a poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner? Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner† (6). Plato refers to the concept discussed regarding those whose eyes are not yet opened to the fact that the shadows are not reality; that anything at all would be better than to remain under the false impression that the shadows dancing on the wall are all that is there, are all that is real. He would rather have enlightenment, knowledge, and suffer, than to remain in the dark forever, thus showing that one characteristic of â€Å"the good life† in his view, is knowledge. A key insight into Plato’s view comes along towards the end of The Allegory of the Cave when he pronounces â€Å"they who are truly rich, not in silver and gold, but in virtue and wisdom, which are the true blessings of life† (10), showing that in order to have it good, one must have virtue and wisdom, before any form of monetary wealth, in order to be considered to have a high quality of life. It is not just Plato’s Republic, however, that shows what his opinions are on what is good and what is right; one must look to Plato’s other works in order to find out more. Plato took it upon himself to write of Socrates, and the trial which took place during his life. Socrates had a habit of not writing down any of his teachings, preferring instead to spending the time teaching others to question the world as he did. Among Plato’s other works were the Euthyphro, the Apology, and the Crito; these works speak of the trial, the sentencing, the imprisonment and the death of Socrates. Based upon the way that Plato has written these discourses, in fact, the way that he wrote all of his works, it is a task of relative ease to pull key phrasing from these dialogues, in order to find out more about what Plato considers to be â€Å"the good life.† In the Euthyphro, Plato makes it clear that distinction is important. It is not enough to know generally of what a thing is,

Bad impacts of computers on people and society Research Paper

Bad impacts of computers on people and society - Research Paper Example For example, chatting on the internet sometimes connects lovers despite the distance. However, it also reduces the amount of time they spend together and therefore weaken their bonds. In addition, excessive usage of computers results in development of health problems among the computer users. For example, eyesight problems due to staring on the screen and complications resulting from maintaining rigid postures for prolonged periods are examples. The role of computers in reducing outdoor activities also implicates usage of computers in the increasing rates of lifestyle diseases (Winston, 2010). Other problems include the development of social misfits due to the role of computers in learning, especially in children (Zhang, 2011). However, the majority of these problems are a reflection of the changing social structures that are accelerated by usage of computers. Therefore, though computers have negative effects on the users, the negativity is a function of the changing social structure s. Computers merely accelerate the changes. Over the last few decades, the volume of computer usage has been increasing due to innovations and advancements in technology. Innovations increase the convenience of computer usage and advancements in technology facilitate the innovations. For example, the rise of the social media platforms over the last decade has increased the amount of time spent on the internet, especially by the youth. Though the increasing usage of computers are a function of advancement and reflect positive changes, it results in health problems, social problems and behavioral problems in the society. According to Winston, 2009. Lifestyle related diseases are the leading cause of death in the US today. These diseases are a function of poor lifestyle activities that limit physical exercises and therefore result in the buildup of fats in the body. For example, due to social media, people can now