Macintyre And Determinism Essays - Philosophy, Metaphysics

Macintyre And Determinism Behavior is quite an interesting aspect of man to observe. All day long we demonstrate diverse types of behavior, from eating certain foods to speaking in certain ways. But of most interest is rational behavior. Behavior is rational if, and only if, it can be influenced, or inhibited by the adducing of some logically relevant consideration. (p.297) In his essay MacIntyre tries to show us that rational behavior is not causally determined, but that it comes out of our free will. The discovery of causal explanations for our actions, and the like, shows, or tries to show, that we could not have done other than what we did. From this, then, there would be no point to morality, which has been at the forefront of human thought for ages. But then again, to say the human behavior is inexplicable is to deny all that we have learned from the sciences. We have already given the definition for rational behavior, but in this definition we find a point which must be clarified, that of a logically relevant consideration. What exactly is a logically relevant consideration? Well, that is logically relevant will necessarily vary from case to case. And it can vary so much that MacIntyre even goes as far as saying that the task of philosophy might almost be defined as the task of defining 'logical relevance'. (p. 297) Rational behavior is then said to be defined with reference to the possibility of altering it by some logically relevant consideration. Thus, to show that a behavior is rational is enough to show that it is not causally determined, in the sense of it being the effect of certain conditions outside of a person's control. Being that there is rational behavior, it must follow that there is such a thing non-rational behavior. Non-rational behavior is, of course, behavior which does not take logically relevant considerations into account. Such an act can be said to be impulsive. As in all philosophical discourse the opposing party usually proposes a counter-attack. In this case, the determinist has launched a three-stage counter attack against free actions. Firstly the determinist argues that, in the widest sense of the word cause, the giving of a reason may function as a cause. MacIntyre argues against this by saying that to act because you were given reasons to act would not necessarily be to act in a causally determined way. (p. 299) For, in terms of the concept of rational behavior, we can certainly differentiate between a giving of reasons which is causally effective and a giving of reasons which is rationally effective. The determinist then moves to the second stage of his argument. He will say that there are empirical grounds for believing that we can always be mistaken about rational behavior. It may seem like the behavior is influenced by rational considerations when, in fact, it is completely determined by antecedent causes. To disprove this MacIntyre says that such antecedent causes would only determine the event in the absence of logically relevant conditions. In other words, if a logically relevant idea were offered to contradict the event about to take place, it is most likely that reason would take over and prevent that event from occurring. We now come to the determinist final attempt to disprove the act of free will. He might suggest that advances in learning theory, for example, might teach us that rational, intelligent behavior was nothing more than well-drilled behavior, of which a complete causal account could be given, only provided that that account was sufficiently complex. (p. 300) But how can this be? There are two problems in this suggestion. For one thing, a man might one day decide to stop being immoral. He may weigh out the pros and cons of a situation and decide to go with what is moral. Secondly, if determinism is to rest its hopes on such a complex pattern of explanation then it becomes very hard to either verify or disprove it. MacIntyre provides us with an example. Suppose that the determinist is able to formulate a complete explanation of my behavior in causal terms. But also suppose that my behavior is rational. Now what test can determine whether I acted because

For many years after the introduction of automobiles

For many years after the introduction of automobiles, three kinds of power sources were in common use: steam engines, gasoline engines, and electric motors. In 1920 over 2300 automobiles were registered in New York City, Boston, Massachusetts, and Chicago, Illinois. Of these, 1170 were steam cars, 800 were electric cars, and only 400 were gasoline cars. Gasoline-powered engines eventually became the nearly universal choice for automobiles because they allowed longer trips and faster speeds than engines powered by steam or electricity. By 1920 more than 8 million Americans owned cars. Major reasons for the surge in automobile ownership were Ford's Model T, the assembly-line method of building it, and the affordability of cars for the ordinary wage earner. Many new companies were formed. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. completed its first car in Japan. FIAT produced automobiles in Italy, and Daimler and Benz merged together in 1926 to begin production of the Mercedes-Benz line of automobiles. In 1928 the German manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), also known as Bavarian Motor Works, began building automobiles. As the end of the decade neared, Ford and Chevrolet were very competitive with their price and products, which had continued through the Thirties. Other automakers, such as Cadillac, Packard, and Chrysler, began to have an impact on the market. Towards the end of the 20's the stock market crashed. The crash forced many smaller, automakers to close their doors and declare bankruptcy. Some companies held on into the Thirties and Forties, but eventually faded from the scene. Few companies have survived to modern times, but those that have are some of the world's leaders in production and sales today.

Job Fair Brochure and Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Job Fair Brochure and - Research Paper Example People know the company very well and this approach has established credibility and integrity of the company. Over the past few years, especially with the addition of Suptuous Ballroom, the profit margins have improved, sales increased and operating expenses have be reduced from 45% to 40%. Size/Growth – its effect and how management perceives it: Two staff accounts managers work under the company founder Rudy Electrum, each one handling a portfolio of clients. But positive aspect of being of small size is that company is more organic and lenient. The employees know each other very well and trust in each other. Vision/Mission Statement – What it says about the firm, and how management works toward it: There is no vision as such communicated by the management and CEO of the company but still employees have a dream of making Sumptuous Cuisine Cataering, a global catering company. Company has a mission to make the clients believe in them and trust them. Core Competencies: Company has a specific methodology of providing service according to international standards which is transparent, fluid and specialized. Moreover, its employees have high integrity, professionalism and dedication that assists them to mange and exceede client’s expectations. Client preferences, intersts and vision is held primary even if it requires unpopular decisions. Culture: The company has an informal atmosphere and all the employees know each other well. They work like a team and understand each other and work with coordination and collaboration. Due to long lasting relationship of the employees with the company, the employees understand the values and core competencies of the company which help them to perform their responsibilities well. Company has no international affiliation at this moment. The employees are self motivated to help the company to achieve its short term and long term goals. Employs believe the achievement of goals of the company as their reward. Lead ership/Decision Making: Company works under highly centralized decision making but as environment is like a team and family structure, so democracy helps in making some decisions but ultimate power lies with the founding partners Rudy Electrum and Tosca Cabrini. Leadership is very much encouraged in the company but only if you have guts and skills. Talent, skills and proposals of good projects are encouraged. Self motivation is there in the employees but as decision making is centralized, there is very limited empowerment. Recognizing & Rewarding Performance: There are no special rewards and recognitions, but only those of normal course of business. Employees believe themselves to be the incredible parts of the company and are self motivated. Innovation – Management’s perspective & the firm’s goals: Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is planning to open a Sumptuous Ballroom, to enable the company attain its future goals of becoming a â€Å"true one-stop shop† for all-inclusive events by creative competitive edge. Interaction – Marketing, personalization, and customization: Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a professional organization and it follows the various media strategies for the promotion of its new Sumptuous Ballrom. Company is still new in the locality yet it has developed a strong credibility and integrity. People know the company very well. So marketing happens through word of mouth and transfer of business cards at dinners and in the events. Mostly, we reach our customers through the