Critical Thinking Paper Abortion Philosophy Essay

Critical Thinking Paper Abortion Philosophy Essay It is undeniable that abortion is one of the most controversial topics. As is always the case, there are two sides to such a provocative topic. One is for free will and the ability to choose to have an abortion; the other is pro life and against abortion. However, very few advocates for either side truly know what is involved in the abortion process, but still do their best to oversimplify the issue at hand anyway. What exactly is abortion, then? By dictionary definition, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. However, todays society would define it as getting rid of a mistake. An analysis of abortion reveals that there is more than meets the eye and only those who fully understand the process and consequences make decisions concerning abortion. The history of abortion is an extensive one. Although one of the most famous tide-turning legal cases for abortion was in 1973, abortion can be traced back even further than the 19th century. In fact, in Ancient Greece in 400 B.C., the Oath of Hippocrates stated that I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath. . . I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion (Facts About Abortion: Ancient Abortion History). Basically, any who swore by this oath realized the belief that abortion was harmful and would endeavor to aid the abortion process in any way. Around the same t ime period, Socrates also mentioned abortion in his books. His view, however, was opposite of Hippocrates. Socrates believed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a man may not marry his daughter or his daughters daughter, or his mother or his mothers mother; and women, on the other hand, are prohibited from marrying their sons or fathers, or sons son or fathers father, and so on in either direction. And we grant all this, accompanying the permission with strict orders to prevent any embryo which may come into being from seeing the light; and if any force a way to the birth, the parents must understand that the offspring of such an union cannot be maintained, and arrange accordingly (Facts About Abortion: Ancient Abortion History). In much simpler terms, Socrates stated that abortion is justified in cases where a child is conceived in an incestuous union. The United States was also part of the broad history concerning abortion. In 1859, the American Medical Association condemned abortion except when preserving the life of the mother and in 1875, every state in America adopted laws that banned abortion (The History of Abortion in the United States). There were also many legal cases in which abortion was the main concern. As previously mentioned, Roe v. Wade was one of the most famous cases. Alex McBride stated on PBS, Controversial from the moment it was released, Roe v. Wade politically divided the nation more than any other recent case and continues to inspire heated debates, politics, and even violence today (the culture wars) (McBride). This case was particularly dividing because it was so controversial, and made people choose sides. There was the side that promoted free will and to have abortion as an option. On the other hand, there was the side that believed that all life is precious and that abortion is morally wrong. In the en d, the Court ruled that women have a right to privacy, which includes the right to have an abortion (McBride). Many people choose sides concerning abortion without having sufficient information to do so, such as knowing what the abortion process truly entails. Some choose to be against abortion without fully considering that there are certain circumstances that would require abortion, such as when the mother is in a life or death situation. Others choose abortions without realizing that it goes against many religions and beliefs. What most of them do not know is what is involved in the abortion process. Many might think that it would be similar to having a Caesarian section, perhaps removing the fetus through surgery. This, however, is not the case. As mentioned, the abortion process is more complex than one would think. There is more than one way to carry out an abortion; the type of process chosen is usually determined by how far into the pregnancy a woman is. The patient can choose between two options for abortion: through medication, or surgery (Types of Abortion Procedures). Although the first trimester is twelve weeks long, women can only choose to have an abortion through medication within the first nine weeks (Pregnancy Week by Week; Types of Abortion Procedures). This is most likely due to ethical reason, for example, because the fetus has developed and is considered a human being, therefore making abortion through pills unethical. There are various types of surgical abortion procedures. For example, Vacuum Aspiration, also known as Suction Aspiration, is through the use of a strong vacuum; Dilation and Evacuation is through the use forceps (First Trimester Abortion Procedures; Abortion Methods). During the process of V acuum Aspiration, a tube attached to a vacuum type pump is inserted into the vagina; the fetus and placenta is torn apart as it is suctioned out along with the amniotic fluids (Abortion Methods). Dilation and Evacuation is vastly different, however. The previous method seems more clinical and less horrifying than this method. In Dilation and Evacuation, forceps are used to grasp at random fetus parts, which are then pulled out one by one until only the head is left (Abortion Methods). As the fetuss head is too large to removed in tact, it is crushed first (Abortion Methods). Although these are only two of many procedures, each is more inhumane than the previous. Despite the fact that death only occurs in 0.0006% of abortion cases, there are risks and complications involved. No abortion procedure is entirely one hundred percent safe or risk-free. These are the dangers of legal abortion procedures: allergic reactions, blood clots, infections, failed or incomplete abortion, heavy bleeding, injury, and etc (In-Clinic Abortion Procedures). If abortion was made illegal, women would have to resort to even more dangerous methods, such as illegal ones. Not all of the dangers are physical, however. There are issues of post-abortion syndrome, such as feeling deep regret and depression over choosing to terminate the life of ones child (The Case Against Abortion: Post-Abortion Syndrome). When it comes to an extremely controversial topic like this one, there are usually many biases. This can involve religion, ethics, income, age, and society. All of these can influence decisions concerning abortion. Religion plays a major role, as it is what people turn to for guidance in turbulent times. If their religion is against abortion, it is most likely that followers will be the same. Ethics is also a guide; abortion might be unethical to some because fetuses are considered human beings and all life is sacred. The matter of income is also important. Those who are impoverished would support to keep abortion legal because they can barely afford to keep themselves alive, let alone another human being. In fact, forty-two percent of women who have abortions have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level (Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States). Those who are wealthy might agree with abortion because a laid back life full of partying would probably be more appealing w ithout having to raise a child. On the other hand, they might not agree because they have enough means for financial support. The elderly or people raised with traditional morals most likely would not even entertain the thought of abortion because they believe in taking responsibility instead of the easier way out. However, younger people, especially in todays society, would be more likely to embrace abortion because irresponsibility is much easier. These factors contribute to biases. For example, those who are against abortion create extremely graphic collages using a collection of real pictures or digitally created ones that show the entire abortion process. These images invoke heavy emotions that discourage abortions. Anti-abortion supporters even go as far as inventing lies that suggest abortion leads to cancer (Dudley, and Kruse). In contrast, supporters of abortion might downplay, oversimplify, and even hide the danger at hand. For instance, Planned Parenthoods website include s both information on the safety and risks of abortion procedures; however, the information on risks is in smaller text so it is not as noticeable (In-Clinic Abortion Procedures). Another example is in the form of a young womans experience. Lindsay, whose last name was not posted, stated that abortion clinics made her leave through the back door because they dont want anyone coming in to know what someone looks like going out (Finding Help: You Care About Me, Right?). There are many reasons why women choose to have or not to abortions. For example, a reason might be similar to Socrates case: a woman might have been in a nonconsensual incestuous relationship that has ended in child conceived. It might go against this womans religion or ethics to give birth to the child. Abortion might also be necessary when the life of the mother is endangered. That is not to say these all of these reasons are completely justified. Even though the fetus has not fully formed, it is still a human being and a product of ones flesh and blood. Termination could be considered child abuse. Nothing truly gives one, even a parent, the right to play God and decide whether or not to terminate a life. There are alternatives, such as giving the child up for adoption after birth. Even in todays society, the topic of abortion is an extremely contentious one. People are very divided on this topic although each side may not fully comprehend everything about abortion. This shows that many are eager to jump on the bandwagon of whichever side makes the best case. In order to make educated judgments on abortion, people must entirely comprehend the process of abortion and the results. Personally, I am against abortion because I believe in taking responsibility for our actions, and that even unborn children are humans and should deserve a chance at life.

Leadership Traits, Behaviors and Styles Essay

Leadership is one of the most useful skills one can obtain. It used to be thought that leadership cannot be taught, that one is just born with the appropriate skills to lead. Leaders can come in a wide range of different personalities and styles. There have been countless great leaders since the beginning of time, but what makes a great leader? Many theories have been formed about how leaders have been either made or born. This paper will describe all the leadership styles and traits of Sergio Marchionne. The most significant leadership styles that Sergio Marchionne has are participative (democratic) and delegate (Laissez-Faire or free reign). He could be autocratic when necessary and bureaucratic could be said as totally out of him. He always wants his employees to participate themselves in the decision making process. When they cannot come out with a solid decision, only then he will bring out the decision. He always there to guide them on how to do it, asking them to have the cour age to be independent (still, in the specified scope), with hope that his staffs themselves could be a leader. Doing the same action will brings us the same results. Sometimes, in order to make a change, the autocracy is needed. From the article, it is very clear that Sergio is a leader who always believes in himself, dare to make the bold and unpopular decisions, willing to work differently in a way that less practiced, and know how to influence people to work for the objective outlined though it sounds impossible. Whenever necessary, he does not hesitant nicely let go of those people who cannot be on the specified track (due to the old stigma that ingrained in them), to ensure that the others will not be affected with their resistance toward changes. Not only willing to spend his time for discussions with staffs and consider their opinions in making a decision, Sergio also entrusted them to carry out the actions as well. He delegates the necessary authority and accountability to the staffs, and of course any failure will come with some consequences. However, in the same time, he still could be tolerating because he believe we can always offset a failure here with a success there. Bureaucratic leader always lead by â€Å"following the books† and should the matter raised is not in the book, he will refer to the higher management. However, this trait is totally out from Sergio when he boldly abandoned the Great Man model of  leadership that long characterized the Fiat and came up with new model where everyone is expected to lead. Sergio Marchionne is the CEO and quite possibly the savior of Chrysler. After taking a bailout from the government, the company was still going downhill. Then Sergio got the job. Known for his dedication to the cause and his â€Å"no bullshit† (Taggart)attitude, Sergio took a more aggressive approach to turning things around. Marchionne immediately fired managers that weren’t doing their jobs properly and hurting the company. He then aligned his employees to start a new business plan (Taggart). Sergio’s new approach paid off too. Chrysler saw a â€Å"23% increase† (Taggart) in sales as well as total 2011 sales to hit â€Å"$55 billion† (Taggart). This is all a huge improvement from 2009 when Chrysler was losing â€Å"$1 billion† (Taggart) a month. This is a great example of when an aggressive leadership style must be used. The company was severely underachieving. Once Sergio stepped in he got rid of the people accountable for the poor numbers and changed the working culture. By doing this, his workers know that if they don’t do their job they won’t be kept around. Sometimes it is necessary to do this for the good of the company. Workers can appreciate this style because if they are good workers, their job is becoming more secure with the company getting stronger. The important thing to do while this style is being used is to acknowledge good work and praise the workers. If workers feel underappreciated or scared to lose their job unfairly, they may not perform at a high level. Contrary to some of the early theories, we now know anyone can become a good leader. We now know the best way to make a leader is to give them practice. If a leader can learn from experiences, good and bad, they will be more effective. The key is getting to know the people you want to respect and follow you. The leader must establish a genuine relationship with each of these people to fully gain their loyalty and respect. There are all sorts of styles on how to do that whether it is a democratic, coaching, or visionary, people will see the leader wants everyone to thrive for one  cause. When it comes to leadership, which is the ultimate goal. References: Taggart, J. CEOs of 2011 – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: What We Can Learn from Senge’s 7 Learning Disabilities. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from Changingwinds.com Flavelle, D. (2014, Mar 08). CEO aims to steer Chrysler back on track. Toronto Star, Toronto Vijayaragavan, I. (2008). Chapter 2: Leadership theories and styles. High Performance Leadership, Global Media, Mumbai

Qantas Airways Limited Swot Analysis - 2860 Words

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John Stuart Mill And The Utilitarian Tradition - 1259 Words

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