English Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English Paper - Essay Example Acts of obligation must be able to pass the categorical imperative in which you might also will that your maxim becomes a universal law. Liberal Individualism holds that "a democratic society must carve out a certain space within which the individual may pursue personal projects." Like Kantianism, this is a rule-based theory looking at either legal rights or moral rights. Under this theory, individual rights are held to be all-important but these often come into conflict with the individual rights of others forcing rights to be trumped based on the greater good. Communitarianism presupposes that fundamental principles in ethics stem from the values of common good, traditional practices and social aims. Decisions regarding good or bad acts are made based on whether the decision supports or undermines the communal values, regardless of what the individual feels. Tradition and common practice both play a role in this theory and often function in opposition to liberal individualism. Moral decisions are not always as easy to decide as the fairy tales make them seem. There is often no clear-cut difference between good and evil, the bad guy is not always the one wearing black. Many times, moral decisions are made based on which of the four main theories one feels most comfortable with. Although any of these theories could be applied to a situation such as the one found in Susan Glaspels short story "Trifles," the one that seems most appropriate to me is liberal individualism. The women discover the motive and nature of the crime that has been committed, but they keep it to themselves through a sense of moral justice based on individualistic principles. At the beginning of the play, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale arrive at the vacant home of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. Mr. Wright has been found strangled in his bed and Mrs. Wright sits at the jailhouse pending

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports - Essay Example The drama of performance on world scene is so overpowering that athletes sometime fall in the controversy of doping (use of performance enhancing drugs) in sports. A winning athlete is the star of the public eye just as a politician, musician or a literary figure and their image is a delicate balance training, character and publicity. When athlete resorts to taking performance enhancing drugs, they not only hurt themselves but in turn set in motion a chain of events that destroys the sport each time a new case surfaces. The controversy which has been built around athletic doping or use of performance enhancing drug to maximize sport performance can be traced back to 490 BC in the legendary marathon run by Feidipides, which made him a superhero at the cost of his life (Savulescu, et al. 2004). Performance enhancing drugs has been reported to be used even since the Greeks started the Olympics in 776 BC. Olympic athletes were believed to have used herbs and mushrooms in an attempt to improve their performance. However, it was not until the early 19th century that the problem became a menace to the sport. Today, the thrust for winning is so high that there are reports that performance-enhancing drugs have been used in college, high school and junior high/middle school athletics around the world (Kidsource OnLine, 1996). The desire to outperform the other competitors at any cost is so demanding. The performance oriented athletics with result at its core is fuelled by different levels of drugs which enhance shot-term and long-term performance. The progress in technology offers greater lure to administering different levels of biological intervention. ... The progress in technology offers greater lure to administering different levels of biological intervention. The health and the fitness should be the core of rational judgment rather than emotional euphoria of success. The use of doping takes away the human element of ethics and honesty in sports. An athlete stoops down to the level of an animal with no reason, choice or judgment. Some of the performance-enhancing drugs are dangerous; they have multitude physical, mental and emotional side effects ranging from short-term to long-term. Anabolic steroids are associated are associated with a range of side effects, including heart attacks and liver cancer. Some doping substances are permitted in low doses like alcohol and caffeine. Another form of doping is blood doping either by blood transfusion or use of the hormone erythropoietin. In recent times tetrahydrogestrinone(THG) and modafinil are causing controversy throughout the sporting world. The number and variety of drugs use by athletes are rather alarming. Substances used as ergogenic aids are meant to primarily increase size, endurance and strength of the athletes. Performance increasing drugs also include beta-adrenoceptor blockers and beta-adre noceptor agonists, calcium-channel blockers, diuretics, growth hormone and growth hormone stimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iron, theophylline and in some situations, vitamins (Lajis, N.D.). These substances used to boost athletic performance, increase strength and improve appearance present a serious health risk. Use of enhancement drugs violates athlete's autonomy. Besides, such illegal acts questions their confidence, morals, ethics and takes away