Philosophy What Is Justice Essays - Medical Ethics, Euthanasia

Philosophy: What Is Justice? What Justice? Can there be justice for all? To answer this question I must first define what justice is. Justice is the quality of being just, impartial or fair in your dealings with others according to Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary. Keeping that definition in mind, I now must turn to the Voices of Wisdom in order to find an example of a situation in which all parties feel that they are being treated justly. After examining examples such as: Euthanasia, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and equal opportunity offered within the book, it becomes clear to me that there is in fact no possible way for there to be justice for all because everyones judgement is in some way or another clouded by their own self interests. Euthanasia, people can decide exactly how they want to live but should we as a society allow them the right to decide exactly how they want to die? On the one hand you have the question is it just to kill someone or allow them to die when help is available? The obvious answer is no of course not. This is a prime example of why there can be no justice for all, because on the other hand you have the question is it fair to force someone to live through unbearable pain in anticipation of an agonizing death? The obvious answer to that question is also no. This is where our self-interests come into play. It is in the patients own self interests to die because it will ease her pain, but is not in mine to alleviate her of her life because death is final and irreversible, and because euthanasia contains within it the possibility that [I] will work against [my] own interest if [I] practice it or allow it to be practiced on [others]. (J. Gay-Williams, pp.185). This is why our own self-interests unavoidably will not allow us to have a just society. A society is only as equitable as the treatment accorded its most vulnerable members. Therefore, discrimination against anyone based on his or her sexual orientation is a clear and incurable symptom of an unjust society. For example, should someones sexual orientation be grounds for restricting their rights? (Daniel C. Palm) The impartial answer would of course be no, everyone should be treated the same. But we still hear the chant No gays or lesbians in the military. This is because it is in the self interests of the heterosexual people in the military have homosexuals in the military. The injustice of this idea becomes crystal clear when we examine the opposite statement of No heterosexuals in the military an idea that is equally ludicrous. (Kessler, pp.174) As a result of the way we instinctively treat those that are different because they are seen as a threat, our society is will remain perpetually unjust. (Richard E. Mohr) Because of widespread discrimination based not only on race, but also on sex, religion and sexual preference it is impossible for society to offer each and every individual a perfectly equal chance at opportunities such as hiring, promotion, housing, and educational practices that should be within their reach; as a consequence, it is impossible for society to be just for all. According to the formal principle of justice, it is required that benefits and burdens be distributed fairly according to relevant differences and similarities. (Kessler, pp.175) Using this principle it would seem that affirmative action programs of preferential treatment are in truth unjust to white males in that such programs require that all things being equal preferential treatment should be given to minorities and females which violates the formal principle of justice by not treating equal people equally. On the other hand, such preferential treatment programs are often justified by appeal to the principle of compensatory justice, which states that whenever an injustice has happened a just compensation must be made to those who have been injured. (Kessler, pp.194) According to that principle affirmative action should be considered just in relationship to minorities. As a result, because equal opportunity legislation is not in accordance with the best self-interests of most white males but it is in accordance with those of most minorities, this

The Rose Valley

The Rose Valley It was April, the time we had spring break in high school and my best friend Daniela invited me to join her house in Kazanlak for a few days. Kazanlak is a small but unforgettable place for everyone who visits it.It is situated in a valley between the Balkan range and the Sedan Gore Mountains in Bulgaria. The valley has become know as the KazanlakRose valley, and the rose grown there is now known worldwide as the Kazanlak Rose. I was so anxious to see the beauty that everybody talks about. Until that moment I had not been there, and it was shameful that I had been born in Bulgaria but never visited this amazing place so full of historical and cultural significance.We left early in the morning because we didn't want to waste the whole day of traveling and miss the view of the valley when it awakes.English: location of the 4 cities of: Sopot, Karlo...During the trip my friend was telling me more about the town and made me more impatient to see it. As we approached Kazanlak, the scent o f the roses came over us and I was looking through the window of the car with wide-open eyes. I didn't want to miss anything.Before, there were so many words, word, and more words. The picture of the real valley of roe cannot be compared with any words; you have to see it in person. The valley and between the rows of roses, Little old-fashioned stone houses dotted one side of the valley separated by narrow cobblestone paths. You have the feeling that you're in a different world.We arrived at the house and I was in a hurry to go out and explore every little detail of the valley. Daniela showed me around the town, but I couldn't...