Euthyphro (Platos Early Dialogues) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Euthyphro (Platos Early Dialogues) - Essay Example Does God call something right or moral because it is right or moral or does is something right or moral because God calls it moral? Therefore, if God calls an act moral because it is moral, then morality or goodness will be seen as priori to Gods Command and thus, it is independent of God. On the other hand, if an act is moral because God says it is moral or right, then it implies that whatever God says it is right (Hamilton and Cairns 37). In addition, this also implies that Gods command of what is moral is arbitrary since the same God could have willed contrary commands. The dialogue presents the challenge that was intended to make us think about the nature of morality. Therefore, when Socrates asks Euthyphro about his definition of the word piety, Euthyphro was required to identify the nature of virtue or morality by establishing on what ground does morality or virtue stand on. It is difficult for an atheist to discover the ground on which morality stands on because they claim tha t they can have ethics or morals without God. Certainly, an atheist can behave in a way that people perceive moral or good but it is really hard to define what the term ultimately means (Plato 10a). It may imply complying with objective standard of morality or good, a policy or law given by legitimate authority without involving a transcendent law maker-the gods. This means that there can be no transcendent law maker and no corresponding duty to be good. Most Christians oppose the argument that there is an arbitrary role of God’s power and rejects the idea that there is no law or policy over God. Then, where does morality stands? Morality can be said to be grounded in the divine and immutable character of God who is perfectly good in that his commands are not whims but planted in his holiness. Christians argue that any bad things that happen are not commanded by God because his character is that he is holy and merciful. For Christians, morality is rooted in God’s chara cter which expresses itself in the commands of God and it is not above him. In sum, whatever is good is always commanded by God not that it is good so that God commands it to be good (Cooper 41). Christians argue that God ultimately determines the pious or morality and that the commands of God are expression of his desires and will for what human beings ought to do. This is because such argument presents a metaphysical foundation of piety or morality. Human beings need to be committed to the existence of moral truths in order for them to live in accordance with the will of God. This means the existence of moral truths for people since they have moral obligation to obey what God commands. This is so because Christians believe that their moral obligation comes from God in form of commands. Thus, people ought to be moral because they are morally accountable to God in that those people who do not obey him will be punished and good people will receive rewards (Plato 10b). Plato’s dialogue regarding the nature of morality or goodness is still being raised even today as a challenge to Christianity in that many Christians ask themselves is an action or act good or right because God says it is right or does god say it is good or right because the act is right. The Euthyphro dilemma is traced in

Drug and GPA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug and GPA - Assignment Example Introduction The study on the effect of drug on individual GPA is very useful and critical. This is owing to the fact that, in developed countries, one among four young people between the age of 12 and 20 are involved in drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption. Several studies in United States learning institutions have also confirmed that drug abuse at young age significantly affects students’ academic performance. Drug abuse also results in increased conflict in schools and school dropouts. The threatening impacts of drugs and alcohol abuse on students GPA have therefore raised the need for intensive research to understand the manner in which drugs affect Grade Point Average at all academic levels (Hommer, 2003). The study will also be critical in helping the policy makers in coming up with an effective intervention measures to address the problem. Research question Does drug effect students’ GPA? Literature review Williams, Powell &Wechsler, (2003, undertook int ensive researches to understand the impact of drugs on GPA. Howver, among there researches, there is no study that has presented a convincing answer. The available research findings in the journal have however confirmed that drug abuse has a critical students GPA. Drusg also dertemines whether a student will remain in school or will terminate their education for other social purposes. Most of their studies that were conducted in the United States of America in 2003 and they linked drug abuse to various social challenges in higher learning institutions including school drop outs, hangovers, alcohol poisoning, Neuro-cognitive defects, and brain dysfunction (Williams, Powell &Wechsler, 2003).. ... Based on this research finding, it is also clear and accurate to observe that male GPA are largely affected by drug consumption more than their female counterparts. On their part, Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, (2006), obrserved that male students who engage in excessive consumptions of alcohol and drugs have a poor GPA compared to female who are involved in the same social vice. Their study further indicated that the rate of drug abuse both in high schools and in other higher learning institutions is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, by considering the impact of drugs on students’ performance, (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) recognised the importance of intensive research to intensively understand the manner in which drugs affects male and female students Grade Point Average (GPA) at all academic levels. The understanding of impact of drug abuse on male and female student GPA is also vital as it will help in searching for the most appropriate intervention measure s to address the vice (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) Method The study used random method to identify the sample. Data was obtained from a sample from CSUN students in June, 2009 (N=541). This sample composed of 35.6% males and 64.4% females. Respondents age was between 18-54 with mean age: 25.4 (s=5.619). The sample was also from different ethical background, 20.6% Asian-Pacific Islander, 25.6% Latino/Hispanic 8.1, 39.1% Caucasian, African American, and 5.6% other. The available information also indicates that among the 36,208 students registered at CSUN43% are men and 57% are women. Ethnically, the population is composed of Asian-Pacific