Technological Development And The Third World Essay Example For Students

Technological Development And The Third World Essay Technological Development and the Third WorldTECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE THIRD WORLD I wonder if people in Third World countries know that they are consideredthe Third World? Do they use that term in reference to themselves? Do theyhave any perception of the comparison, judgment and bias that goes into thatstatement? Id like to think that they dont. In the film about the Ladackpeople that we watched in class, it was mentioned that they didnt have a wordfor poverty. No such word even existed in their language. But that was before. It was before the invasion of other cultures, and it was before they hadanything to compare themselves to. And in comparison, they saw that, materially,they had less. And in that knowledge, they believed that they, as a people, wereless. In this essay, I will examine third world communities and therelationship between technological development and environmental degradation. Iwill look first at the way in which development occurred in the South, and thereason it happened the way that it did. From there, I will show how thesemethods of development proceeded to eventually cause widespread environmentaldamage and its effect on the local people. . We will write a custom essay on Technological Development And The Third World specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now DEVELOPMENT: WESTERN STYLEWhen I refer to the environment, I mean not only the habitat thathumans, plants and animals inhabit, but also the physical, emotional andpsychological attitudes that are encompassed by these in their daily existence. Development, by my definition, will consequently refer to the technologicaladvancement of a community as well as the improved status of humans and otherspecies. This is my definition, and one that others employ frequently now. However, the modelI will be examining first is the development theory based onthe economic political system. A typical western (read: economic) definitionof development would be an ambiguous term for a multidimensional processinvolving material, social and organizational change, accelerated economicgrowth, and the reduction of absolute poverty and inequality.' (1) The keyemphasis in this statement is the phrase economic growth. In Europe and NorthAmerica, development politics has revolved around the economic aspect ofproducing surplus, and gaining capital. Because of our relatively rich landresource base, our method of technological development has been quite successful. Statistics show us as high wage earners, wealthy in public services such ashealth care and education, low infant mortality rate, long lifespan, and highGNP per person. Because of the comfort that our economic development has broughtus, we have omitted the aspect of development in regard to human psychologicalwell-being and the preservation of our natural surroundings that should beconcurrent with technological development. With ours as the only current modelof successful development, newly industrializing countries such as South andCentral America, and Africa (and up until quite recently many Asian countries)attempted to achieve results in the same way. The problem that ensued for thesecountries was that instead of working slowly towards their goals, they soldthemselves to get ahead economically. Instead of recognizing the problems thatthis method was causing and stopping them, governments and the wealthy privatesector, took control of the industry and continued to exploit it. With t he richin control, the poorer classes had little choice but to follow, and the downwardspiral of poverty and instability began. HOW IT HAPPENEDAs the Third World nations struggled to become developed, the richcountries became involved in their affairs. Interest in the countries aroseprimarily because of the trade resourcesthat these lands provided. Thepotential for profit became evident because the new countries were strugglingwith their economy. They were experiencing internal unrest between their membersand they needed money and resources to get started. Before they had a stableinternal economy, they were bounding into the international market and sellingtheir resources for a quick profit. Cash-cropping became a way to enter theinternational arena of market and trade, but the damage to the land took only afew short years to be discovered, and by that time luxuries had becomenecessities. People wanted the cash flow to continue and instead of findingways to use their land sustainable, they continued poor resource managementregardless of the consequences. Deforestation became another common practicebecause of the demand forwood overseas. Export, although a seemingly beneficialdevelopment strategy, became detrimental to third world countries because itcatered to the demand for certain items. Coffee beans are a large export item inSouth and Central America. With the rising demand for coffee in North America,land that wa..s previously used for agriculture was taken over and used forgrowing coffee beans.The consequences of this were twofold; local people weresuffering from lack of land to use for food production, and the potential landwas useless because of the cash-crops. .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .postImageUrl , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:visited , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:active { border:0!important; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:active , .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7 .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf9fb96614fcd7d81a9bd585a4b0d9ad7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Simon birtch EssayENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS OF TECHNOLOGY :TODAYA more current example of the technological development that isresulting in environmental degradation is the misuse of resources. In Africa,industrial water pollution has become a widespread problem. Third Worldcommunities dont often have the awareness that the South has about sustainabletechniques and the importance of employing them. Most people in North Americalive in cities and have their water purified to a certain health standard andbrought to them. People in the Third World use the river for washing, drinkingand bathing. Unclean water leads not only to damage of the ecosystems but alsoto the health of those who use it. Another problem is that countries from theSouth have based their industry in developing countries because they have lowerenvironmental standards. With the benefits of jobs and money that thesecompanies bring, the host country will rarely challenge the damaging techniquesthat they use. Pollution forms another major set of environmental problems inthe region. It used to be said that pollution is a problem of the rich countries,and that for the developing countries, development must come first and we canworry about the environment later. Pollution and the deteriorating quality oflife caused by environmental degradation in our region has shown how fallaciousthis argument is. (2) We no longer have a choice but to address the problemsthat man is creating in nature and the environment. The excuse of developmentwill no longer hold. (we, the) people.. in Latin America are using our best resources forthe benefit of the rich countries exporting to them our energy, our fish, ourraw materials and using our labor resources to extract and export thesematerials and all at low prices and poor terms of trade. (3) While ourtechnology is helping the third world countries in areas such as health andeducation, our own desire for goods and profit prevent us from allowing themtheir full potential. We create an economy where we will do whatever it takes toget what we want. As an example, we of the developed nations tell the thirdworld that they should stop environmental damage, while it is our companies thatare taking advantage of their low standards. We tell them to stop cash-cropping,but we buy their coffee beans at any price. With these hypocritical standards,we will never influence them to turn their economy around. As we oureconomically motivated in our own interest, they too need economic motivation tochange their destru ctive habits. Especially since with us, their products areprimarily extras, while for them, their trade of the product is negativelyinfluencing their economy and affecting their people. In Asia and the Pacific, urbanization, modernization, and technology arecreating different environmental problems. It is the problem of human need. Thousands of people have been displaced from farms because the government or theprivate sector expropriates them for industrial use. Rich foodlands are beingdestroyed and turned into highways, airports or dams.With no where to go and nojobs, the people are migrating to the city in search of homes and employment. Slums and squatter dwellings result with problems of rising crime and unhygenicliving conditions. This puts terrible strain on both the human and physicalenvironment, creating a situation with little hope for a successful future. SOLUTIONSTo combat these crisis, we must adopt some new behaviors. Our currentmodel of development is showing some obvious flaws and it is evident that it isthe impact of technology that has resulted in. environmental damage. Buttechnology is not the only factor at fault. It is the influence of technologycombined with human greed that has presented these complex human andenvironmental problems. Laws monitoring pollution of the environment must beenforced, and followed equally in all countries. With the knowledge that we nowpossess of the global chaos that is at hand, we have no excuse but to do so. .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .postImageUrl , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:visited , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:active { border:0!important; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:active , .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019 .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ea86558852ee8c373eeac9b7886f019:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In cold blood EssayThe hypocrisy that exists between the systems must also be stopped. Considering not only ourselves, but the endangered lives of others is essentialto the continuation of our species as a whole. Our fortunate position in adeveloped nation does not give us the right to create a hierarchy of ourexistence as more important than the life of another. Possibly, the only way that we are going to combat any of these problemsis by education. It will take more than a few dedicated people to change theworld, but with the influence of many, anything is possible.

Children of the Morgue essays

Children of the Morgue essays The ability to read other peoples minds.....to know their thoughts, their dreams, their every desire. To be able to delve into the deepest part of their subconscious and know what is going on in their heads - this is probably one of the most common fantasies held by every human being. To understand someone elses motivations for doing things, and to somehow find the answer to the most prevalent question on earth....Why? To begin, that is the question that must be asked. Why did Mary Shelly write Frankenstein? What possessed a woman in the 1800s to come up with such a horrendous tale? Certainly, one of the reasons was to upstage Percy Shelley and Lord Byron in the game that they had begun, as Mary herself tells us, I busied myself to think of a story, - a story to rival those which had excited us to this task. But after reading the novel, one realizes that there must have been an underlying motive for Shelley to concoct such a disturbing and grotesque tale a tale, that during the conservative period in which she lived would almost certainly be regarded by critics as unworthy reading material not only because she was a woman, but also a woman who was able to create to imagine such a completely outlandish story. Shelley herself even believed in this feminist viewpoint, for Dr. Smith states, ....her general reflections on women as weaker than men and lacking in their higher grades of intellect. ... Therefore it is surprising that she even undertook the task of writing the novel, but write she did. To try and determine the basis for Shelleys idea of Frankenstein would probably be most easily done if we went back to examine her childhood. Shelleys mother died when Mary was only a newborn, and her father quickly married another woman to fill the void. Mary, however, could not relate to her Wicked Stepmother, and instead ...

The Role, Purpose and Value of Design and Technology in the School Essay

The Role, Purpose and Value of Design and Technology in the School Curriculum - Essay Example Education should be made equally accessible to everyone despite of the race, ethnic or social class to which a person belongs; this would not only create a more equitable society but also create a harmony among the people living in the society. One of the fundamental reasons for the striking income disparity between people of the same society in this capitalist world lies in unequal access to education for everyone which eventually puts people belonging to lower income classes at disadvantaged and hence they never get out of their poverty trap (Matheson, 2008). Furthermore, the purpose of education is to make children aware of what they want to do with their lives, what opportunities lay ahead, what are the possible fields they can progress into etc. Above everything else, education helps the individuals to secure their future not only for themselves but for their families as well, as education is positively related to higher incomes. Studies have consistently proven over time that i ndividuals with a higher college or university degree end up earning more as compared to their counterparts with less education (Owen-Jackson, 2007). Moreover, another crucial facet of education is the chance of upward social mobility it provides to individuals who seek higher education. In this fast paced world where competition has become severe and only survival of the fittest is possible, education should not be restricted to bookish and theoretical text only but it must also incorporate informal education and knowledge of skills that would entail an individual to live a better and prosperous life (Posner, 2003). Importance of education has become more pivotal than ever before as the world has transformed into a global village where information technology now plays an unprecedented role in our lives; economies which once used to be agricultural centers have changed to service and manufacturing economies where education and skills are imperative for the survival (Posner, 2003). A part from the monetary and financial gains of education, another purpose central to education is to create a civilized society where everyone is given equal rights and where ethics and morals are given due importance for a higher standard of living so that everyone can live peacefully in a secured environment. Education inculcates an ability to differentiate what is right or wrong in life. It helps individuals to distinguish between the acceptable and unacceptable values. It makes people politically and socially aware of their responsibilities as a citizen of the state. In other words, education can be attributed as a fundamental on which a society with higher economic, political and social growth is formed; as a major role of education is to integrate people in order to keep social setup stable and smooth (Sleeter, 2005). Lastly, in a nut shell education is an investment for lifetime which provides more freedom to live a better life and the benefits of which are not only restricted to individuals but it contributes to the society in which the person resides. It is the role of government to make sure that every individual is getting an equal and an unbiased opportunity to access education in order to form an equitable and just society. Importance of Curriculum with a focus on UK Education System: Education is crucial for the development of a civilized socie

Substance abuse course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Substance abuse course - Essay Example Many lives and families have been ruined due to alcoholism like in the case of Ben in the film under consideration. It is a common responsibility for each member of the society to face the menace of alcoholism as it translates to high cost in terms of loss of life and ill-health. The ensuing frustration from wasted life and loss of job sinks victims even deeper. This is evident in the movie which portrays Ben as having been abandoned by the wife and children, isolated by friends and eventually relocates to Las Vegas to drink to death. Finding a solution to this problem requires in-depth knowledge of the stages of its development. Understanding the source of the drinking habit can be attributed to genetic and social environment factors. However, there are appropriate measures that can help in prevention of the problem in respect of each cause. Initiation stage is critical in averting the possibility of addiction. Recovery also tends to be delicate since there are high chances of relapse. It is therefore important for the society to sustain the campaign against substance abuse. This calls for public-private partnership to consistently create awareness in attempts to mitigate the consequences of substance abuse in the

Marketing objectives and strategies for Special Shoes

Marketing objectives and strategies for Special Shoes EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Special Shoes is one of the most successful shoe shops in the country. Although it is quite popular, Special Shoes need an online based shopping site or a website to further enhance their position as one of the top shoe shops in the country. Currently, customers must travel to the actual shop to purchase their shoes. With the creation of the website, customer can easily browse through the selection of available shoes and products provided by the Special Shoes Company and even receive services and promotion in their member areas. As some people might not like an online store where shoes cannot be tried out before purchasing/ordering, Special Shoes will provide chiropody advice services to the customer to further enhance the customer satisfaction on the product and guide the customer to good foot health. To make both existing and potential customer aware of the new e-commerce site and in effort to encourage them to visit the website, comparative advertising will be used. With comparative advertising, it will be designed to highlight the advantages of the goods or services offered by Special Shoes Company compared to those of other shoe shops available in the country. For a successful comparative advertisement, the comparison between the goods or services must be shown by the objective and the message of the advertisement by describing their main characteristics. Marketing Strategy Part of Special Shoes marketing strategy will base solely on its products and services provided. Special Shoes will also use advertisement that will receive abundant attention by the existing and potential customer. The strategy of the marketing campaign is to increase the target customer awareness of Special Shoes. Mission Special Shoes mission is to provide a wide selection of shoes and outstanding customer service. It will exist to attract and maintain customers. Their services will exceed the expectation of the customers. Marketing Objectives The marketing objective of the new e-commerce site of Special Shoes is to build an effective pull campaign, bringing in new customer and keeping the loyalty of existing customers. Marketing Activities: Positioning Special Shoes will position itself as the premier outlet for online shoe shopping, providing the customer with the largest selection, rivaling some of the other shoe shops in the country. Special Shoes will leverage their competitive edge to achieve this desired positioning. To achieve a competitive edge, Special Shoes will provide as much selection of shoes as possible. Membership Membership can be introduced either to new or existing customer through online or offline means. With the registration of customers as members, they are entitled to special discount rates and privileges provided by the Special Shoes. The first 100 customers to register will get a one year membership for free with 12 monthly issues of Special Shoes magazine. Promotions and Discounts. Promotions and discounts of the products and services of the Special shoes can be made known to the customer through online or offline means. Through online means, customers can either be sent an email or text message to inform them of the ongoing promotion and discounts. Through offline means, advertisement can be used to attract new and existing customers. Media Advertisements To further attract new customers and to inform the existing customer of the new website, advertisements can be used to achieve this aim. Examples of media advertisements that can be used are television, radio and newspaper. Chiropody advice Special Shoes will also be able to provide chiropody advice services to the customer as Special Shoes recognize that their competitors did not offer this services. Addressing Existing Customer and New Customer Existing Customers To address the existing customer of the new Special Shoes website, encouragement and recommendation of online registration to the website can be made to get the transition of the existing customer from offline to online. New Customers Through advertisements, new customers can be made, therefore information of the website must be made clear and concise so that future customers can be attracted to become a member to the Special Shoes. Offline Marketing Requirements Offline marketing is also crucial in promoting the Special Shoes shop where examples of offline marketing techniques that can be use are outdoor signage such as billboards, press releases and including the website address on business cards or other printed marketable material. Target Market Special Shoes is targeting the population segments within a broad category of age, gender and needs. Since most of the customer will purchase shoes for the workplace as well as for leisure time. Special Shoes have targeted this broad selection of customer as they have the need for many different pairs of shoes for all of their different activities and needs. Strategies Special Shoes marketing strategy will seek to create customer awareness regarding the products that they offer, develop the customer base, and work toward building customer loyalty and referrals. The messages that Special Shoe will seek to communicate are that the offer the largest selection of shoes and provide chiropody advice services online. People no longer need to go to the actual shop to find what shoes are available. A method of communication is by advertisement in the local media which will be placed in newspapers, radio and televisions. Another method of communication will be through online advertisement such as emails, a system of communicating electronically where this will eliminate unneeded spending on postal fees to inform the customers of new products and services provided by Special Shoes. Another means of communication that can be used is the RSS feeds. What is the method to track visitors going to the website? Tracking visitors visiting the Special Shoes website may be beneficial where the data from the feedbacks of visitors can be extremely helpful in tweaking and fine-tuning your site. The more data that can be collected from the visitors, the more productive and effective the campaigns, contents, and services can be produced. There are many tools and application that is provided in the internet in order to track website visitors. Some examples of these tools are free website tracking software, analytic software and services that track and analyze data. In creating websites free website tracking software are available on the internet. In relation to this, website designer would probably have access to cpanel. Cpanel is an open-source GUI interface that administers to the websites and blogs. Cpanel also have the ability to view current and historical statistics regarding the domain. Most cpanel interface includes these two programs such as Webalizer and AwStats (Advanced Web Statistics). Webalizer is a tool that keeps track of specific types of data and shows it graphically on the web. Webalizer collects data such as the URL (shows the URL that was requested by the users browser), Hit (every single HTTP request that your visitors browser submits is counted as a hit), Visitor (each specific IP address or HTTP cookie), Visit (Each time a visitor accesses the website) and the User Agent (the web browser used by the visitor to access the website e.g. Firefox etc). 1172 words

Religious Confusion in Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya Essay

Religious Confusion in Bless Me, Ultima Only a few books dare to discuss the confusion surrounded by a religious awakening. In Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya, challenges standard religion and brings in differnet ideas through the perspective of a young and confused boy. At the end of his struggle to understand, the boy reaches the peace of mind he was seeking. Antonio, the young boy, wants answers to the questions that have been nagging at him since he was introduced to religious ideology. He does not understand why Ultima, a close elderly friend and a healer, can save his dying uncle from the curses of evil while the priest from El Puerto with his holy water and the power of God can not lift the curse from him. He wonders whether God really exists or if the â€Å"Cico's† story of the golden carp is true. Bless Me, Ultima, is a compelling story that deals with Antonio's family, beliefs, and dreams. Throughout the book Antonio is introduced to many new ideas. The first is the experiences he has with Ultima. Ultima is a healer who learned her techniques from an old wise man on the prairie. She is sometimes called a witch. This confuses Antonio because in his heart he knows Ultima represents good and not the evil she is sometimes blamed for. Antonio learns some of the ways of Ultima and begins to understand his surroundings. He knows the name of almost every plant and what medicinal uses each has.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next exposure for Antonio is the myth of the golden carp. Antonio...

Human and Utilitarianism Essay

Let me begin by defining Utilitarianism: utilitarianism is the belief of doing what is right for the greater number of people. It is a theory used to determine the usefulness of the happiest outcome and how it will affect everyone else. Now, this sounds like a amazing theory, what would be better than making yourself and others happy? I found myself at first agreeing with this theory up until I really looked into it. At first I found myself thinking that not everything is about being happy; some may have to suffer for the happiness of others. For example, there were two boats one contains three criminals on death row being transported to prison and the other boat contains ten happy, loving families simply enjoying a vacation. Both ships have bombs that will go off in a matter of seconds, blowing up both ships and killing everyone. However, there is a solution. I for some odd reason have a device that sets off a bomb on ONE SHIP and deactivates the other. Now the morally right thing to do would be what? What is moral and right? Taking lives? Or saving them? I do not believe in ‘playing God’ or taking lives. I would simply ignore the Utilitarianism way of thinking and walk away. I would let nature take its course. If God has arranged this to happen, then it is meant to happen. Who am I to walk in and ‘play God’ ? I have to say I agree with Hospers when he says â€Å"A hundred men might gain great pleasure from beating up or killing just one Insignificant human being; but other men’s lives are not theirs to dispose of. † (Hospers) A Utilitarian would approach this situation by asking himself/herself, what will bring happiness? What will do good for greater numbers of people? Why should the prisoners get to live? There are only three prisoners, and have done nothing good but cause harm to society. What have these families done? The Utilitarian will start to analyze each detail of the situation. They first see that there are only three prisoners as opposed to ten large families. Hence, there are less people on the prisoners boat. Then he/she will see that the prisoners have already been sentenced to death, all being on death row. However, the main point will be that these are three bad men. Doing bad things, and causing pain and sorrow to others. Why should ten happy families be punished for their wrong doings? The Utilitarian would settle for simply deactivating the bomb on the prisoners boat. Believing that killing them will bring greater good and happiness to all. My argument to this is a human life is a human life; what if one of those men are actually innocent and were convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? What if the other criminal was to be released in the morning and go home to a family of eight children and a loving wife? Truth is we don’t know. Utilitarianism fails to acknowledge that a life is a life- we are not suppose to be playing God. We don’t decide who lives and who dies, even if it is for the greater good. We should just let nature run its course. Utilitarianism is a theory of always choosing pleasure over pain for the greater good of all. I believe that I have kept a closed mind towards Utilitarianism. The prisoners are already on death row, which means they are going to die for the evil they have set loose on our world. Why should I sacrifice the lives of innocent families, for a couple of men that have caused unhappiness to all? I want to reach happiness, as does everyone else in the world. I mean does the world function over what the greater good for all is? Is that why we have soldiers in Iraq sacrificing their lives for the greater good of America? Maybe I have just overlooked all the positive outcomes of Utilitarianism. I find myself agreeing with a lot of what it has to say. I want happiness, I want innocent lives to be saved, and I want to strive for the greater good of all. I find it interesting how easy it is to fall into the comfort of Utilitarianism. It goes along with my morals and values and yet I still feel a sort of guilt. If I were to deactivate the bomb on the ship with the families and let the prisoners die, I would still be taking a human life. In my religion (Catholicism), a life is a life. We must forgive sinners and those who have sinned against us. But if these prisoners are on death row†¦were they already destined to die? Would that already be in God’s plan? Was it God who sacrificed his only son for all of us sinners? I feel in a way that makes God himself a follower of utilitarianism. He set the example of offering his only son for our sins, to open the gates of heaven for everyone. Yet one of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill. † Is that not hypocritical? As I keep analyzing this situation I realize that God is God. He decides who lives and who dies, not us. I feel that it’s hard to stick to my morals when hearing the theory of Utilitarianism. Allowing someone to die at my hand for the greater good, for happiness of others. That just sounds selfish to me, kind of like the holocaust. Did all those innocent Jews endure experimentation and torture for the greater good of all? I mean, if it weren’t for these grotesque experiments we wouldn’t know the maximum altitude that crews in damaged planes can parachute safely to the ground or find the cure/treatment for hypothermia. The Jews were used as guinea pigs for the greater good of everyone else. Is that not Utilitarianism? So many people could have died of hypothermia if that experiment was never conducted. But how many innocent lives were lost to reach this conclusion? Is there a limit to how much sacrifice should be made for the greater good? There should be. This is where I cannot connect with Utilitarianism, the fact that some sort of evil has to be done to help others. I see hypocrisy in this theory; it wants happiness but wants to rule out evil. People are evil, mean and rude. No one can be happy all the time; no one can bring eternal happiness. This takes me back to my original example, who would I save? The prisoners on death row or the innocent families? The Utilitarian’s seem to have a more interesting argument. Its funny how by writing this paper, my views changed. I look at the situation differently now. I do not feel as biased and conservative as before. My ideas have changed to a more liberal understanding sense. Why release these evil me back into the world? We have enough chaos and evil. These are just three men who chose their paths and now have to pay for it. They were sentenced to death for a reason, I will not be held responsible for the innocence of happy families, children, parents, aunts and uncles. They are not in prison because they have not done anything wrong. They simply stepped onto a ship, whose fate I now hold in my hands. I have made my choice; I will deactivate the bomb on the families boat and let the prisoners face death.