can money buy happiness Essay -- essays research papers

In today’s materialistic world, the phrase that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ is tending to be proved hence otherwise. Social research and surveys have shown results based on an individuals income, health and the political scenario which is dominant in his or her region. It is quite obvious that the gap between the privileged and the not so is growing into a great divide giving rise to different class and status, thus defining ones social circle. It should therefore be understood how an individuals economic status affects their personal happiness throughout all aspects of life. Many tend to refer to this age-old quote especially when they tend to belong to sector of people who can’t afford the modern day luxuries of life. What they do not realize is that money, might in fact do just that, buy happiness. On the other hand, those who have pockets as heavy as themselves think that money Is nothing but a burden and a complication in life, which is too net worked to figure out, let alone solve. Happiness as defined in the Oxford Dictionary is a feeling of luck, fortune and contentment. The trends of music have hip hop artists expressing their childhoods as miserable experiences because they grew up in the ghetto. However once they have acquired their wealth, things couldn’t have been going more smoothly. Could they have not made the best out of their childhood, knowing that they were loved and cared for? Weren't they truly happy then without all the material accessories? In my opin...

Eliminative Materialism

Explain Eliminative Materialism. Explain an argument in its favor. Does the Argument succeed? In this paper I will discuss Eliminative Materialism, a theory in philosophy of mind. First I will explain the term theory-theory, next Folk Psychology, as a theory will be discussed. Then, I will clarify the failure of Folk Psychology as per Eliminative Materialism. Last, I will explain an argument in favor of Eliminative Materialism. Finally, I will elucidate whether the argument succeeds or fails. Functionally, a theory must make predictions, interpret evidence in new ways, and provide explanations of phenomena in its domain [http://www. iep. utm. edu/th-th-co/]. Science contains an ample amount of theories. For example, the theory of evolution in biology makes the prediction that all life forms arose from a common ancestor. In the event that a new species is to be discovered the theory of evolution can, based on its careful observations and classifications of life forms, predict the ancestors of the newly discovered species. The theory of evolution does provide adequate explanation of phenomena in its domain; hence it is a successful theory. â€Å"The term â€Å"Theory-Theory† derives from Adam Morton (1980), who proposed that our everyday understanding of human psychology constitutes a kind of theory by which we try to predict and explain behavior in terms of its causation by beliefs, intentions, emotions, traits of character, and so on†[http://www. iep. uwtm. edu/th-th-co/]. The hypothesized theory of human behavior is â€Å"Folk Psychology†. Folk Psychology provides explanations of human behavior, which is contingent on other mental states, like: desires, beliefs, fears, perceptions and so forth [Paul Churchland]. Hence, Folk Psychology has numerous mental states in its domain for which it provides explanations. To provide explanation of phenomenon and predictions Folk Psychology and other scientific theories use deductive nomological (law-like) explanations (Campbell). This is according to Paul Churchland. Here is an example of a deductive nomological explanation of fear-behavior as per Folk Psychology: People who are exposed to something scary tend to be scared. People who tend to be scared shriek â€Å"Yahhhhooowww† I scared my friend by surprising her Therefore, My friend said â€Å"Yahhhhooowww† Deductive nomological predictions can be attained my manipulating the tenses. According to Paul Churchland Folk Psychology has become such an integral and seemingly natural part of our way of dealing with one another; we overlook its theoretical status. Another reason for its seamless integration is the fact that Folk Psychology is an empirical revisionary theory. â€Å"It is so obviously a theory†¦ The structural features of Folk Psychology parallel perfectly those of mathematical physics; the only difference lies in the respective domain of abstract entities they exploit-numbers in the case of physics, and propositions in the case of psychology†(Churchland) Being an empirical revisionary theory Folk Psychology excepts far more generalizations/exceptions than do other reputable theories (Campbell). Now that we have seen that Folk Psychology shares theoretical underpinnings with actual scientific theories what is next? According to an Eliminative Materialist then Folk Psychology can be disproven/eliminated. The preceding also suggests that Folk Psychology is not innate (knowledge that is a priori) as we might believe. That our commonsense psychological framework may be completely erroneous. – â€Å"The presumed domain of folk psychology used to be much larger than it is now. In primitive cultures, the behavior of most of the elements of nature were understood in intentional term. The wind could know anger†¦ † Churchland – The above shows reduction of the domain over the course of the years of folk psychology â€Å"Given that folk psychology is an empirical theory, it is at least an abstract possibility that its principles are radically false and that its ontology is an illusion. â€Å"(Churchland) Our Ontology is the catalogue of all things we believe actually exist in the universe. Campbell) â€Å"Born of innocence and tunnel vision† Churchland To measure Folk Psychology's success â€Å"we must evaluate Folk Psychology with regard to its coherence and continuity with fertile and well-established theories in adjacent domains-with evolutionary theory, biology, and neuroscience. † (Churchland). – Mention the failings of Folk Psychology here. Specific example the process of learning. If folk psychology is something that is itself learned then folk psychology would thus appear incapable of even addressing how one learns. Folk psychology then comes across a theory that is at best a highly superficial theory, a partial and unpenetrating gloss on a deeper and more complex reality. A reality that can be uncovered only by mature neuroscience. – If we approach homo sapiens from the perspective of natural history and the physical sciences, we can tell a coherent story of his constitution, development, and behavioral capacities which encompasses†¦ That story, though still radically incomplete, is already extremely powerful, outperforming Folk Psychology at many points even in its own domain. – â€Å"On why is Folk Psychology hard to get rid of: Folk Psychology is a central part of our current lebenswelt, and serves as the principle vehicle of our interpersonal commerce. Foe these facts provide folk psychology with a conceptual inertia that goes far beyond its purely theoretical virtues. Folk psychology's categories appear (so far) to be incommensurable with or orthogonal to the categories of the background physical science whose long-term claim to explain human behavior seems undeniable. What is Folk Psychology? Folk Psychology is the common-sense understanding of mental states [Stanford]. By â€Å"common-sense understanding† it is meant that mental states are not discerned in a scientific manner. Folk psychology encompasses the explanation and the prediction of behavior, the other-minds problem, the nature of i ntrospection

Teenage Pregnancy - 2330 Words

Discussion Question Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation Course Adolescent pregnancy is considered as a pregnancy in a female who is less than 20 years of age at the end of the pregnancy. It can occur in a fertile female either at puberty before the occurrence of her first menstrual period, or after the first period. The first menstrual period in nourished girls occurs at around 12 or 13 years of age. Pregnant teenagers experience many issues similar to other women. However, there would be other medical issues for mothers under 15 years. Teenage mothers of ages 15 to19 face socioeconomic issues rather than biological issues. Underage pregnancies are associated with high biological risks such as anemia,†¦show more content†¦Teenage pregnancy has many causes, risks, and effects. Researchers have identified quite a number of causes of teenage pregnancies. Some of the causes are engagement in unprotected sexual activity and lack of contraceptive use, which may be as a result of lack of knowledge. Some teenagers indulge in sexual activities under the influence of drugs. Failure to attend school and poor performance is also another cause. Poverty or low income in families leads to early sexual indulgence as a means to raise money. Single parenthood or the lack of parental involvement in a teenager’s upbringing can lead to underage practices in sex (Creatsas Elsheikh, 20 02). Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in healthcare. This is because underage pregnancies have hazardous implications in a teenager’s physical, social, and psychological life. Teenage mothers also have poor antenatal care. Because of this, they end up giving birth to premature babies, low weight, and those that die within their first year. Infant mortality rates are noted as being high for babies who are delivered by teenage mothers. In most cases, children born of teenage pregnancies are usually raised in single parenthood and may be brought up in poverty. The well-being of teenage mothers is also compromised because some of these teenage mothers have low income, low educational achievements, and low occupationalShow MoreRelatedTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy2089 Words   |  9 Pageswas at a store when I came across a very young girl. She must have been no older than seventeen, but was so obviously pregnant. This did not surprise me since this is something common here in the Imperial Valley; we have such a high rate of teen pregnancy. What really caught my attention was that she was not alone; she had in her cart a toddler that kept referring her to mom. All I could think of was that such a young girl should not be concerned with raising a child, especially not two. Most youngRead MoreTeen Pregnancy And Teenage Pregnancy2011 Words   |  9 Pagesproblems among teenagers is teen pregnancy. Throughout high school and college, teenagers are getting pregnant at an age they are incapable of taking care of a child. Along with hearing about teens getting pregnant, television shows are displaying it to you like 16 and Pregnant. Though the pregnancy rates have fallen over previous years, the United States still has the highest rates than any other Western industrialized country. Along with the teen pregnancies comes sexually transmitted diseasesRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teenage Pregnancies1364 Words   |  6 PagesThe amount of teenage pregnancie s in America has skyrocketed in the last few decades. Young, uneducated children are having sexual intercourse without a clear understanding of the serious consequents behind their actions, but it is not entirely their fault because their parents and school’s curriculum have failed to bestow a clear and concise grasp of sex. Sexual education is typically incorporated into an academic setting either in middle school or high school when an adolescent is hitting pubertyRead MoreThe Factors Of Teenage Pregnancy1558 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage pregnancy is normally identified as a deprived life choice, for example, tasks of teenage parenting have long-term impact on the mental health of the mother and children (Statistics New Zealand, 2003). It is important to identify the socioeconomic factors of teenage pregnancy to lower the chances of mental health problems in young mothers. In this paper the aim is to analyse the main socioeconomic factors of teenage pregnancy and discuss h ow it affects the mental health of an adolescent motherRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy825 Words   |  4 PagesTeenage Pregnancy In 2014 Oklahoma City had the second highest teen birth rate in the United States at 38.5 pregnancies per 1000; the national average is 24.2 per 1000 (Grigson, 2016). Changing the health behaviors that lead to teenage pregnancy should be a #1 priority for healthcare workers and within the community. In order to have a positive impact on this target population, there needs to be increased awareness of the outcomes of teenage pregnancy, and more importantly how to change the healthRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Teens903 Words   |  4 Pagesmay make, on average, $20,000 to $40,000 a year. The reality of teenage pregnancies can cause many disturbances in an adolescent s life. High school pregnancies are not glitz and glamour like television may portray, in reality, expecting teenage mothers are not exposed to that fashionable life that most teenagers strive for. A student s normal like will be affected by problems with friends, family, and emotional experiences. Teenage friendships are what shapes a human into the people that they becomeRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy : A Social Issue1551 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage pregnancy rates have been declining in the United States, but when compared to pregnancy rates in other industrial countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom they are still relatively high. (Office of Adolescent Health, 2016). Teenage pregnancy is defined by UNICEF, as an adolescent between the ages of thirteen to nineteen becoming pregnant. (UNICEF Malaysia Communications). Teenage pregnancy is viewed as a social issue because of the way it affects a country’s economy, the mother andRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy1812 Words   |  8 PagesTeenage Pregnancy I. Introduction Teenage pregnancy is one of the major problem that the world is facing today. Early pregnancy or teenage pregnancy is dangerous to teenage girls’ health because it may cause cervical cancer, aids, and eventually death. Teenage pregnancies are often associated with an increased rate of delinquent behaviors including alcohol and substance abuse. To begin with, majority of them belong to the low income group. To prevent this dilemma, there are some preventionsRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1546 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage pregnancy is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy ends. Low-income communities have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the United States. Because of the fact that this is a very controversial issue in the United States, it is very important that most questions be addressed. Questions like, why is a teenage girl in Mississippi four times as likely to give birth as a teenage girl in New Hampshire? Or why is the teen birth rate in Massachusetts 19Read MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1664 Words   |  7 PagesMaria Isabel Terrazas English 4 Miss Stahlecker 4 November 2015 Teenage Pregnancy According to cda.org, in 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women that were in between the ages of 15-19 years old. Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society. This paper will talk about teenage pregnancy, statistics, ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, and after birth options. So why is teenage pregnancy so important? Some people are concerned about teens getting pregnant at such an early age