14 Matching Annotations
  1. Nov 2020
    1. Because medicines have healing or minimizing the negative effects of an illness or an injury as their end, they are good for the human person even if they have deleterious side effects. Thus, chemotherapy to treat a cancer is justifiable by the principle of double effect even if it leads to the foreseen but unintended detrimental consequences of nausea, hair loss, and fatigue (Cataldo 1995). This essay does not address or evaluate the legitimacy of the medical use of marijuana. We note, however, that there are significant blurred boundaries between medical and recreational uses: multiple studies have found that those who used marijuana for purported medical reasons also used it for recreational reasons (Ware et al. 2005; O'Connell and Bou-Matar 2007; Reinarman et al. 2011; Bostwick 2012). Furthermore, patients without recreational experience of marijuana have trouble tolerating its psychoactive effects and often reject continued medical use

      This is an interested statement from both a medical and recreational side of the use of marijuana. Why is it that people who do not use marijuana for recreational have trouble coping with the effects vs. a person who uses it recreationally.

    1. The use of marijuana in dealing with emotional issues whether through medical prescription or for recreation contradicts Kant’s formula on morality. It states that one’s dignity ought not to be compromised even in the face of overall utility. Through the subtext of the categorical imperative, Kant continues to state that if a person destroys his body in an effort to escape from a difficult life situation, the person is merely using his "person" as a means.

      One does not choose to have life altering issues. If medical marijuana will help lessen the effects of such states then that is a positive outcome and does not take life away from the person.

  2. Sep 2020
    1. If you want to send your money to people less well-off, by all means that is your right. But it is certainly not your duty to do so.

      I find this rather close to the heart right now. We were in need of help but never asked for it and people came forward without asking and they showed that it didn't matter what they had or didn't have. It is your ultimate decision what you do to make yourself happy.

    1. Fulfilling yourself as an individual requires putting your own needs and interests first.

      You cannot make someone else happy unless you are not happy yourself. Don't get me wrong I think of others but I need to learn to think for myself first.

    2. This argument equates ethics with the pursuit of self-interest, so that whether you happen to defend acting ethically or not, you are still always defending acting in a self-interested way.

      This is basically referring to I am going to smoke a cigarette even though it is bad for me. We do things that make us happy, not because it may make us sick/healthy.

    1. For example, even though at times refraining from lying is really in my own best interest, since it helps to maintain trust between myself and others upon whom I rely to tell me the truth, this is not always the case.

      I find this extremely real. People lie because it is in their best interest which shows their egoism!

    1. In other words we are more generous with ourselves in terms of getting ourselves off the hook — it’s not my fault it’s the situation I was in — than we are with others — clearly it is their fault!

      My husband would say I am one that is pretty good at doing this. I typically put the blame on the situation when actually it was my fault.

    2. Many examples of this can be found in the marketplace. The notorious “bait and switch” tactic relies on this bias.

      This bait and switch tactic can be so tricky sometimes. As a person who likes to shop, we look for these type of deals but they typically always come with a hidden agenda.

    1. Appealing to authority is a commonly used way of trying to convince people. But why do we find authorities believable in the first place? Because they are authorities? In this case we may wonder why they are considered authorities at all.

      Authorities are suppose to be a reliable source. They have the right to certain things and hold a responsibility that I do not have. I would hope to be able to believe someone higher up than I am.

    1. we were all already adept at persuading others by manipulating logic for the sake of convincing others that we were right and hence asserting social dominance, whether or not our claims were truly justified.

      When having a discussion with my peers, this is something to keep in mind. Although I may not have all of the right answers I need to remember to use facts and not put my opinion in it.

  3. Aug 2020
    1. Understanding the logic of arguments, if nothing else, should encourage us to be a little more modest in our claims to knowledge.

      Being modest and confident in what you are arguing about will make you seem strong and knowledgeable.

    1. So when we are looking at arguments we are deliberately ignoring the many other ways we can use language, such as asking questions, making commands, expressing feelings

      Ask the questions! This is such an important thing to remember when having an argument. If one person believes something, it also doesn't always make it right. Make sure you are able to back up your claim with facts.

    1. Too often this word conjures up a pointless verbal fight between people with opposed views. They argue rather than discuss because their differences of opinion are fixed in place and neither will budge. It is typically a good idea to stay away from arguments in this sense.

      Know the facts first then discuss. It can get very messy when one doesn't know what they are discussing and then people get mixed feelings towards the others. Know the facts then debate.

    1. Even though, as I have been emphasizing, we all have the capacity to reflect on our lives and choices, we do not always spend the time or make the effort to do this carefully and deeply. This is because we are mostly preoccupied with the immediately practical details of our lives.

      This is extremely true in society today. People are so willing to "talk" about what they have and things that they want but are not actually reflecting within themselves to actually think "do I really need this?". It is all about the outer image rather than what really matters.