Ethical Reasoning to Determine the Course of Action

Ethical Reasoning to Determine the Course of Action Developing software that controls the autopilot system on a prototype of a commercial airplane is highly recommendable for safety reasons. Testing the system suitably is equally imperative. Hurrying up the testing to meet the publicly announced testing deadline may lead to compromising the reliability and safety of the entire aircraft system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Reasoning to Determine the Course of Action specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Various theories recommend different methods of handling the moral dilemma.  The managers, travelers and professional bodies have the right to obtain trustworthy information about the security system installed in the aircraft. Bodies such as the Global Agenda Council on Space Security and Department of Defense Space Management have legal and moral responsibilities for ensuring space safety. An engineer also has the responsibility to model an autopilot that recei ves data from the Global Positioning System software installed in the aircraft. The GPS receiver should be able to calculate the aircraft’s position in space. Equipped with such positioning information devices, an autopilot helps keep the plane straight. Moreover, it helps efficiently execute the flight plans. Performing the right task is essential. It would be morally challenging to decide whether to implement the universal professional demands or those of the boss or not. There are two alternative actions for solving the dilemma. The first possible action is implementing the demands.The other option is objecting to implement them. Objecting to implement the unprofessional demands is the best course of action to take since it would guarantee the safety of those on-board. The decision to object to the demands obeys the rules of Kantianism theory. The theory states that what an individual desires to accomplish and what he/she should accomplish are often incompatible. This mean s that an individual may make decisions that result to immediate discomfort and unhappiness. However, the decision should ultimately lead to satisfaction. The entire rationale of morality is taking the right course of action just for the sake of it. The manager’s appreciation of the intention to test the aircraft appropriately should have no impact on the decision to turn down his/her request. The short-lived feeling of displeasure should not also have an impact on the decision made. Therefore, I would take the decision to comply with the correct rules and procedures and save lives of people and the aircraft.  Certain groups of people may disagree with the decision. This may be due to their inability to determine independently what is either wrong or right.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kant states that an individual determines his/her behavior by making use of the l aw of autonomy. Therefore, a decision is either wrong or right depending on the intention of the action. In addition, morality is never relative. An individual is either morally upright or not. This happens because morality is not determined by the outcome of the decision but by the intention of the action. Since it is impractical to predict accurately the consequences of human actions, I would adopt the Kantianism theory in order to save the situation. This means that the task is accomplished professionally. The action would ensure that the stakeholders incur no losses. However, if they incur losses due to the decision, I would remain contented that the intention was non-malicious and the consequences were beyond my control. Alternatively, one would prefer to act based on the theory of Consequentialism. The accuracy of this theory is determined by two ethical principles. The first principle states that the consequences of an act establish whether an action is morally right or not. The other principle affirms that the degree of superiority of the results determines the scale for measuring the morality of the action. The problem with this theory is that it is difficult to accurately predict the outcome of an action. A person who adopts this theory can choose to comply with the demands of the boss and keep details of their action secret. They may comply with unprofessional requests and hope that no evil would befall the stakeholders. Another group of people may prefer to adopt the theory of Virtue Ethics. The hypothesis deemphasizes rules, consequences, and particular acts. It greatly focuses on the personality of the actor. The important factor, according to this hypothesis, is whether the person who is acting is articulating excellent personality or not. Therefore, an act is considered to be right when performing this act, the individual exercises, demonstrates or builds up an ethically virtuous character. Any one undergoing through similar challenges can rely on the theory, evaluate the moral character of the boss, and comply with the demands, particularly if he/she is convinced that the boss is morally upright. Conclusively, the right decision should not be based on general assumptions. The character of the boss has no direct influence on the consequences of the decision. Similarly, the theory of Consequentialism may be irrelevant since outcomes of decisions are influenced by a myriad of factors. Some of the factors are beyond human control. I, therefore, prefer the Kantianism theory because it requires an individual to take control over his/her decisions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Reasoning to Determine the Course of Action specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Qesem Cave - Middle and Lower Paleolithic Site in Israel

Qesem Cave - Middle and Lower Paleolithic Site in Israel Qesem cave is a karst cave located on the lower, western slopes of the Judean Hills in Israel, 90 meters above the sea level and about 12 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. The caves known limits are approximately 200 square meters (~20x15 meters and ~10 meters high), although there are several partly visible passages which have yet to be excavated. Hominid occupation of the cave has been documented in a 7.5-8 meter-thick layer of sediment, divided into an Upper Sequence (~4 meters thick) and a Lower Sequence (~3.5 meters thick). Both sequences are believed to be associated with the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC), which in the Levant is transitional between the Acheulean period of the late Lower Paleolithic and the Mousterian of the early Middle Paleolithic. The stone tool assemblage at Qesem Cave is dominated by blades and shaped blades, called the Amudian industry, with a small percentage of Quina scraper-dominated Yabrudian industry. A few Acheulean hand axes were found sporadically throughout the sequence. Faunal material discovered in the cave exhibited a good state of preservation, and included fallow deer, auroch, horse, wild pig, tortoise, and red deer. Cutmarks on the bones suggest butchery and marrow extraction; the selection of bones within the cave suggest that the animals were field-butchered, with only specific parts returned to the cave where they were consumed. These, and the presence of blade technology, are early examples of modern human behaviors. Qesem Cave Chronology Qesem Caves stratigraphy has been dated by Uranium-Thorium (U-Th) series on speleothermsnatural cave deposits such as stalagmites and stalactites, and, at Qesem Cave, calcite flowstone and pool deposits. Dates from the speleotherms are from in situ samples, although not all of them are clearly associated with the human occupations. Speleotherm U/Th dates recorded within the top 4 meters of the cave deposits range between 320,000 and 245,000 years ago. A speleotherm crust at 470-480 cm below the surface returned a date of 300,000 years ago. Based on similar sites in the region, and these suite of dates, the excavators believe that occupation of the cave began as long ago as 420,000 years ago. Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) sites such as Tabun Cave, Jamal Cave and Zuttiyeh in Israel and Yabrud I and Hummal Cave in Syria also contain date ranges between 420,000-225,000 years ago, fitting with the data from Qesem. Sometime between 220,000 and 194,000 years ago, Qesem cave was abandoned. Note (Jan 2011): Ran Barkai, director of the Qesem Cave Project at Tel Aviv University, reports that a paper to be submitted for publication soon provides dates on burnt flints and animal teeth within the archaeological sediments. Faunal Assemblage Animals represented at Qesem cave include approximately 10,000 microvertebrate remains, including reptiles (there are an abundance of chameleons), birds, and micromammals such as shrews. Human Remains at Qesem Cave Human remains found within the cave are restricted to teeth, found in three different contexts, but all within the AYCC of the late Lower Paleolithic period. A total of eight teeth were found, six permanent teeth and two deciduous teeth, probably representing at least six different individuals. All of the permanent teeth are mandibular teeth, containing some traits of Neanderthal affinities and some suggesting a similarity to hominids from Skhul/Qafzeh caves. Qesems excavators are convinced that the teeth are Anatomically Modern Human. Archaeological Excavations at Qesem Cave Qesem Cave was discovered in 2000, during road construction, when the caves ceiling was almost entirely removed. Two brief salvage excavations were conducted by the Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority; those studies identified the 7.5 meter sequence, and the presence of AYCC. Planned field seasons were conducted between 2004 and 2009, led by Tel Aviv University. Sources See Tel Aviv Universitys Qesem Cave Project for additional information. See page two for a list of resources used in this article. Sources See Tel Aviv Universitys Qesem Cave Project for additional information. This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Paleolithic, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Barkai R, Gopher A, Lauritzen SE, and Frumkin A. 2003. Uranium series dates from Qesem Cave, Israel, and the end of the Lower Palaeolithic. Nature 423(6943):977-979. doi:10.1038/nature01718 Boaretto E, Barkai R, Gopher A, Berna F, Kubik PW, and Weiner S. 2009. Specialized Flint Procurement Strategies for Hand Axes, Scrapers and Blades in the Late Lower Paleolithic: A 10Be Study at Qesem Cave, Israel. Human Evolution 24(1):1-12. Frumkin A, Karkanas P, Bar-Matthews M, Barkai R, Gopher A, Shahack-Gross R, and Vaks A. 2009. Gravitational deformations and fillings of aging caves: The example of Qesem karst system, Israel. Geomorphology 106(1-2):154-164. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.09.018 Gopher A, Ayalon A, Bar-Matthews M, Barkai R, Frumkin A, Karkanas P, and Shahack-Gross R. 2010. The chronology of the late Lower Paleolithic in the Levant based on U-Th ages of speleothems from Qesem Cave, Israel. Quaternary Geochronology 5(6):644-656. doi: 10.1016/j.quageo.2010.03.003 Gopher A, Barkai R, Shimelmitz R, Khalaily M, Lemorini C, Heshkovitz I, and Stiner MC. 2005. Qesem Cave: An Amudian Site in Central Israel. Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society 35:69-92. Hershkovitz I, Smith P, Sarig R, Quam R, Rodrà ­guez L, Garcà ­a R, Arsuaga JL, Barkai R, and Gopher A. 2010. Middle Pleistocene dental remains from Qesem Cave (Israel). American Journal of Physical Anthropology 144(4):575-592. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.21446 Karkanas P, Shahack-Gross R, Ayalon A, Bar-Matthews M, Barkai R, Frumkin AG, Avi , and Stiner MC. 2007. Evidence for habitual use of fire at the end of the Lower Paleolithic: Site-formation processes at Qesem Cave, Israel. Journal of Human Evolution 53(2):197-212. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.04.002 Lemorini C, Stiner MC, Gopher A, Shimelmitz R, and Barkai R. 2006. Use-wear analysis of an Amudian laminar assemblage from the Acheuleo-Yabrudian of Qesem Cave, Israel. Journal of Archaeological Science 33(7):921-934. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2005.10.019 Maul LC, Smith KT, Barkai R, Barash A, Karkanas P, Shahack-Gross R, and Gopher A. 2011. Microfaunal remains at Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave, Israel: Preliminary results on small vertebrates, environment and biostratigraphy. Journal of Human Evolution 60(4):464-480. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.03.015 Verri G, Barkai R, Bordeanu C, Gopher A, Hass M, Kaufman A, Kubik P, Montanari E, Paul M, Ronen A et al. 2004. Flint mining in prehistory recorded by in situ-produced cosmogenic 10Be. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101(21):7880-7884.