American Education A Critical Discussion of Values Education Trend

Introduction Today, more than ever before, the American education system seems more interested in nurturing students’ attitudes than on what can realistically and ideally be called real teaching. This strategy of learning, mainly touted as ‘affective education,’ treats issues of self-esteem and personality development as the ultimate objective of education, eliciting feelings of misgivings and doubt among parents and guardians keen on the type of education given to their children (Lindslay para. 1).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on American Education: A Critical Discussion of Values Education Trend specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It may, however, mesmerize many educational pundits and parents when the knowledge of the origins and development of this particular system of education is availed to them. Affective education draws its origins from an earlier trend of education known as values e ducation (Hardin 23). It is, therefore, the purpose of this paper to critically evaluate values education in terms of attempting to understand its origins, theoretical orientations, usage, and its influence in the American education system. Before engaging in the analysis, it is imperative to note that the American education system, especially in the public sector, has been influenced by a wide allay of trends that are introduced or evolve to cope with particular situations (Tauber 20). For instance, pundits argue that both affective and proactive approaches to education arose when teachers were desperately in need of mechanisms and strategies to control issues of discipline in the classroom (Tauber 23). These trends, though heavily criticized in some quarters for deviating attention to issues of student independence and morality at the expense of learning, are indeed working to maintain discipline, both at the classroom and societal level. Supporters of these strategies argue that for real learning to take place, an enabling environment must be created in the classroom, and teachers are at the center of creating such an environment by acting as facilitators rather than controllers (Johnston et al 58). This line of thinking influenced, to a large extent, the evolution of values education in American education system during the 1970’s. Values Education: Definition and Origin According to Thapar, â€Å"†¦values education is education in values and education towards the inculcation of values† either in school or non-school settings (para. 1). Values education draws largely from character education, which is inarguably thought to be as old as mankind, precisely because civilizations the world over becomes unsustainable in the absence of character (Tauber 23).Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Historically, generations have transferred their soc ial, cultural, educational, and political values to subsequent generations to ensure preservation. Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of all times, presumptuously argued that the demonstration of good behavior habits and ingrained virtues by an individual represented good character (Rogers 7). As such, it can only be argued that development of outstanding character was at the core of values education curriculum in the US during the 1970’s. It is worth noting that American institutions of learning are firmly grounded in the tradition of transmitting fundamental values from one generation to the other. It is indeed notable that Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the nation, rooted for an enlarged and vibrant arrangement of public education to convey American democratic virtues to future generations (Johnstone 18). The emphasis of this paper, however, is to trace the origins of values education in American schools. Educational historians and other theorist s suggest that values education was conceived and grounded in the ideas and concepts of character education, an educational trend that disappeared from the American education limelight in the 1950’s (Johnstone 21). Before its disappearance, character education had been adopted by almost every public school in the US at the onset of the 20th century. The decade of the 1950s was an era of conformity in many American institutions, including public schools. Character education took a back seat as parents, schools, the church, and society took a more conservative approach known as inculcating and modeling of character (Poulou 104). American public schools, in particular, were on more than one occasion accused of undermining the role of character education by taking it for granted. For instance, character education in American schools in the 1950’s was limited to requesting students to be neat, punctual, polite, and to work exceedingly hard to attain success. According to ed ucational analysts, however, students were being given a small portion of what character education entailed, with the rest of the time being devoted to developing their intellectual capacities at the expense of moral development (Poulou 105). By any standards, the decade of the 1960’s was marked with tumultuous and almost riotous reorganizations and reinventions in the U.S., and traditional roles and values became subject to mockery and rejection by the younger generation. As people demanded for more power and independence, the status of students, women and members of minority groups changed spectacularly in what was perceived as one of the greatest social revolutions ever to be witnessed in the history of mankind (Rogers 27).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on American Education: A Critical Discussion of Values Education Trend specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More New attitudes and value systems emerged, an d individuals, including students, started to experiment with a wide allay of activities such as homosexuality, drug use, new religious orientations, new career options, and enigmatic lifestyles in the name of presuming greater authority and control over their own individual lives. Cases of indiscipline and teenage pregnancies escalated in American schools, culminating to the reintroduction of character education in the 1970s under the broad based all-inclusive name of values education The Philosophy of Values Education Some educational analysts, to date, believe that values education as introduced in American education system in the 1970’s was an original replica of character education, which dominated the education system in the decades of the 1930s and 1940s (Hardin 15). It’s imperative to note that the decline of character education in schools across the U.S. was also unequivocally related to wide recognition and approval of scientific thinking among the members of the teaching fraternity. Logical positivism was popularized in 20th Century America at the expense of Morality-based education, which was personalized and accused of being subjective as it could not be proven using scientific methods (Lickona 7). The positivist educators were of the opinion that they could structure a learning process and curriculum that was objective, credible, and beyond the sway of individual values. A value-based curriculum, according to them, was impossible since values were considered as shifting in objectives, situational in nature, and relative in ensuring equity. Character education, therefore, was perceived by positivist educators as individualized, and dependent upon subjective value judgments (Lickona 7). As such, it was doomed as unfit for educational institutions in the U.S to Convey. But the tumultuous events of the 1960’s made stakeholders in the education sector to rethink their strategies as cases of school indiscipline among students in Am erican schools more than doubled (Hardin 18). This saw the reintroduction of character education in the 1970s, this time under the auspices of values education. The philosophy governing this trend changed dramatically, with educators laying emphasis on individual values development rather than abiding by values set by the society as was traditionally the case. Under the new system of values education, teachers were now encouraged, not only to assist learners clarify their individual values, but also develop an enabling school environment which could facilitate students to learn the skills of moral reasoning and value analysis (Superka 38).Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Teachers, however, were counseled against instilling their own perceptions of values and morals on the students, implying that the educator’s role was severely limited to facilitating the students to internalize and develop their own value systems, the teachers’ beliefs notwithstanding. Many educators of the 21st century firmly believe that affective education, which is widely gaining acceptance in American education system, has its roots in values education of the 1970s. Teachers, according to the proponents of this new trend of education, were not allowed to impose their own values on the students since the American society had become largely pluralistic (Superka 40). A better curriculum according to this new form of imparting skills was one that would facilitate the learners to learn adequate skills of moral reasoning, not to mention the fact that such a curriculum was also intended to sharpen the students’ decision making capacities to enable them cope with the immense life challenges after school. Specifically, this system of education not only put emphasis on the role of education in enabling students to have personal gratification in life, but also enjoy social relations outside the education system that were both constructive and productive (Hardin 23). This, however, does not mean that the system was weak in imparting the skills needed in line with the main objective of attending school. Contrary to popular belief, values education as a trend in American education was largely holistic, assisting the students to nurture their own values for real learning to take place. According to Tauber, values education acted as the liberating philosophy of the 1970s and early 1980s (85). The trend, however, was largely phased out in 1980s as academic performance took the center stage at the expense of values development. Students were, once again, being encouraged to take academic performance and competition more seriously than the development of individual values. Education analysts are of the opinion that the abandonment of values education triggered an upsurge of immoral activities in the U.S. such as drug abuse, teen pregnancy, increase in school dropouts, and disintegration of the social fabric, including family breakups (Poulou 106). Other notable incidences witnessed in the 1990s, and which were directly related to a breakdown in values education in American schools, included high instances of teen suicide, unparalleled number of political and social scandals, and high-level cases of school indiscipline. It is imperative to mention that these and other isolated incidences led parents and educators to reconsider their earlier stand on values education, with a significant proportion of education stakeholders requesting schools across the U.S. to revert back to educating students about values and moral reasoning. Foundations of Values Education Many new and past trends in American education have always found delight i n specific educational or psychological theories seeking to explain their existence. Values education is no exception. Many of the concepts guiding values education are founded on William Glasser’s Reality Model. The psychologist is best remembered for popularizing the three Rs approach – Right, Responsible, and Respect – in counseling students and maintaining classroom discipline (Johnstone et al 102). For Glasser, values and morals can be taught to students of any age if the sole purpose is to reinforce their character to be able to live a more fulfilling life upon disengaging with school activities. Glasser, however, identifies the teaching of responsibility as one of the foremost tasks that a teacher should engage in as this variable determines the kind of classroom environment that will be set for effective learning to take place. According to the Reality Model, the student is endowed with the responsibility to choose and make rational decisions. Consequent ly, the model argues that behavior entails an individual’s choice to meet their own needs (Tauber 83). The Reality Model further postulates that educators must always focus on the present student behavior, and should not, in any way, focus on past behavior. For Glasser, behavior is fundamental for values development, and therefore, educators must also demonstrate caring, loving, supportive, and empathic attitudes when interacting with students to boost behavior development (Tauber 84). According to the model, it is indeed the function of educators to assist students make proper value judgments by frequently questioning whether the students’ behaviors are working for them, and what they really want to attain in life. Values education is also based on value-clarification approach, a model developed by a team of American educators and policy makers in the 1970s. This approach presupposes that, â€Å"†¦everyday, every one of us meets life situations which call for th ought, opinion-making, decision-making, and action. Some of our experiences are familiar, some novel; some are casual, some of extreme importance. Everything we do, every decision we make and course of action we take, is based on our consciously held beliefs, attitudes and values† (Simon Howe para. 18). The approach, therefore, concedes that young individuals, no less than adults, must contend with daily challenges and struggles in and out of school. Students are particularly faced with challenges in their attempt to develop a standard worldview that will influence their thoughts, beliefs, and behavior patterns. The value-clarification approach also insinuates that the process of classroom learning lacks in relevance and purpose when compared to the real issues affecting the students’ daily lives such as their day-to-day encounters with family, friends, peers, educators, authority figures, and with the academic assignments that continue to presumptuously batter their e gos (Simon Howe para 19). The approach assumes that students are in a continuous search for answers to some individual and theoretical questions, with the sole objective of developing capacity to make important decisions in life. According to the approach, individuals who employ the learned valuing procedures in making important challenges and mitigating challenges will, more often than not, lead more gratifying and socially productive lives, not mentioning the fact that they are bound to perform better in school (Lickona 9). It is imperative to note that this approach advocates for the inclusion and integration of values education in schools since many students are unable to make important choices in their lives for lack of clear values. This initiates conflicts of interests. Values Education: Is it Still in Use? Values education as a trend was largely used in American education in the decade of the 1970’s. This paper has discussed at length about its origins and the reason s behind its application in the 1970s. In the 1980s, however, values education fell out of favor with educationists and other policy makers as more emphasis was placed on academic performance rather than value development and moral reasoning (Tauber 87). But to the surprise of many, values education only faded away from the limelight. Indeed, the trend has never been condemned into oblivion as it continues to be used in many American schools, the change of name notwithstanding. Its methods and techniques have been integrated into diverse fields and curricula, and it still makes the same appeal to students and teachers alike – individual development of values to enable students have control over the choices they make in life. The major focus in the 21st century is still the student and his or her life-coping mechanisms within and outside the classroom (Poulou 104). Though names have been changed to reflect changing times, the basic principles of an education trend such as affe ctive education clearly reveals the remnants of values education. As it was the case with progressive education, a trend of education that took shape in the U.S. in the late 19th century, values education undertook to deal with the perceived constriction and formalism of competitive academic-based form of education (Tauber 91). Some traditional forms of education were only concerned with the academic grades that students were able to muster regardless of their capacities to deal with life-time challenges. Some modern education systems are not helpful either as they prefer to lay emphasis on academic achievement through performance rather than undertaking a holistic approach towards students’ education. To date, this is a major worry to thousands of educators, parents, and other stakeholders who feel that their children are not receiving an all-encompassing education, and some have already began advocating for the return of values education in American education system. Many p undits, however, are of the opinion that this trend of education made a come back during the turn of the century but continues to go by other names such as affective education, pro-active approaches, among others (Lickona 10). Feelings towards Values Education I have strong feelings about values education, specifically due to its ability to transform young people into more useful and productive members of the society. In equal measure, I nurture feelings that competitive education via academic achievement cannot, in itself, guarantee a better life to an individual upon termination of education. Rather, it is a useful component towards completing the whole process of education, but it cannot function alone to guarantee a wholesome individual. Education psychologists are, indeed, gravitating towards developing theories and models that underlines the uptake of values and personality development of students as some of the major facets of education. It should not escape mention that huma n behavior and actions are inarguably goal-directed. To develop well-behaved students, therefore, educators and other concerned stakeholders must assist students to inculcate values that will shape and inform their goals and objectives in life. This way, there may be no need to worry about issues of school discipline. To use Rudolf Dreikurs’ Social Discipline Model, it is evidently clear that human actions and behavior can be full comprehended only in their social significance (Hardin 125). Without values education, students tend to descend towards what Dreikurs calls mistaken goals, implying that cases of student misbehavior will always be on the increase. As such, I am a firm believer that values education can help to make a great difference in the American education system. Conclusion All said and done, it is time that the American education system took that bold step and incorporate values education in the curricula of all disciplines taught in school. It is indeed true t hat this trend received a lot of criticism during its heydays for lack of focus on students’ results since it was assumed that values education failed to engage the students to meet high academic standards (Hood para. 1). Critics also argue that values education, not only fail to hold students accountable for their own personal performances, but also fails to hold the complete government-controlled public education system responsible for its performance. But this is as far as it goes. Various studies and theoretical frameworks have demonstrated that educational performance may mean nothing if proper values are not inculcated into an individual. As such, the way forward is to develop an all-inclusive education system that will impart education in its entirety through focusing on issues of student academic knowledge and achievement, behavior development, emotional development, and finally, values clarification. Works Cited Hardin, C.J. Effective Classroom Management: Models and Strategies for Today’s Classrooms, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0131998080 Hood, J. The failure of American Public Education. 1993. Web. Johnston, J.A., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., Dupuis, V.L. (2008). Foundations of American education: Perspectives on education in a changing world. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Lickona, T. The Return of Character Education. Educational Leadership, 51.3 (1993): 6-11. Lindslay, J. Public Education: Views of a Concerned Parent. 2009. Web. Poulou, M.S. Classroom Interactions: Teachers’ and Students Perceptions. Research in Education, 82.1 (2009): 103-106. Roger’s C.R. Carl Rogers on Personal Power: Inner Strengths and its Revolutionary Impact. New York: Delacorte Press. 1977. ISBN: 0385281692 Simon, S.B., Howe, L.W. The Values Clarification Approach. (n.d.). Web. Superka, D. P. Values Education Sourcebook: Conceptual Approaches, Materials Analysis and an Annoted Bibliography. Boulder, Colorado: Eric Clearinghouse f or Social Studies. 1975. Tauber, R.T. Classroom Management: Sound Theory and Effective Practice. Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing. 2007. ISBN: 9780275996680 Thaper, M. Alternative Education – Values. 2010. Web. This term paper on American Education: A Critical Discussion of Values Education Trend was written and submitted by user Sara1 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Levels of Taxonomy Used in Biology

Levels of Taxonomy Used in Biology Taxonomy is the practice of categorizing and naming of species. The official scientific name of an organism consists of its Genus and its Species Identifier in a naming system called binomial nomenclature. The Work of Carolus Linnaeus The current taxonomic system gets its roots from the work of Carolus Linnaeus in the early 1700s. Before Linnaeus set up the rules of the two-word naming system, species had long and unwieldy Latin polynomials that were inconsistent and inconvenient for scientists when communicating with each other or even the public. While Linnaeuss original system had many fewer levels than the modern system has today, it was still an excellent place to start to organize all of life into similar categories for easier classification. He used the  structure and function of body parts, mostly, to classify the organisms. Thanks to advances in technology and understanding the evolutionary relationships among species, we have been able to update the practice to get the most accurate classification system possible. The Taxonomic Classification System The modern taxonomic classification system has eight main levels (from most inclusive to most exclusive): Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species Identifier. Every different species has a unique species identifier and the more closely a species is related to it on the evolutionary tree of life, it will be included in a more inclusive group with the species being classified. (Note: An easier way to remember the order of these levels is to use a mnemonic device to remember the first letter of each word in order. The one we use is Do Keep Pond Clean Or Fish Get Sick) Domain A domain is the most inclusive of the levels (meaning it has the most number of individuals in the group). Domains are used to distinguish between the cell types and, in the case of prokaryotes, where they are found and what the cell walls are made of. The current system recognizes three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Kingdom Domains are further broken into Kingdoms. The current system recognizes six Kingdoms: Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, and Protista. Phylum The next division would be the phylum. Class Several related classes make up a phylum. Order Classes are further divided into Orders. Family The next level of classification that orders are divided into are Families. Genus A genus is a group of closely related species. The genus name is the first part of the scientific name of an organism. Species Identifier Each species has a unique identifier that describes only that species. It is the second word in the two-word naming system of the scientific name of a species.

Strategic Consulting in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Consulting in Practice - Essay Example Moreover, it faces competition from other grocery stores that are situated around it who may offer lower prices for similar goods and therefore have stronger bargaining power. In order to come up with our analysis, we have utilized many sources that provide all the important information for the business plan. First, Fresh Green Grocers has actively engaged customers through interviewing them on what their current experience is and what should be done in order that the business serves them better. The business also relies on the feedback of the customers after they have bought the goods or the products from the grocery store. Fresh Green Grocers also relies on the social media such as Facebook and Twitter and other forum that are meant to relay the experience that a person has after buying the grocery from their store. Fresh Green Grocers can exploit its strengths and opportunities, which include the fact that it is conveniently situated in areas, which are densely populated and experience high human traffic and the fact that its products are priced affordably. It also provides a variety of produce, which are derived from several suppliers within its roll of suppliers. The store also offers their customers fresh produce that are packaged in environmental friendly papers and containers that ensure that they do not perish within the shortest time. The weaknesses include the fact that some customers fail to give the desired feedback to the store, which is important for the improvement of service delivery while those that give feedback may lie. The store has also not established an effective marketing strategy to market the product as shown by the clear lack of a viable marketing mix. Fresh Green Grocers also experiences challenges in refrigerating or properly preserving some of its produce as it deals mostly in perishable groceries. Further, the store faces challenges in having constant and continuous supply of the groceries to be offered for sale. The

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Communication law, right, and justice - Essay Example This to Muslims was disrespect to the Quran that is regarded as a holy book and Prophet Muhammad who is a highly valued prophet in the Muslim religion. In another instance John Ruggles was caught saying, â€Å"Jesus is a bastard and His mother Mary is a wore. â€Å"John’s words were offensive the Christian religion and was severely punished. Punishment on blasphemy has been a great debate over the years. On other instances, some blasphemy law-breakers have remained unpunished and this has raised a number of questions on the legal considerations on blasphemy. Punishment on blasphemy remains a controversial issue in the modern society. This is because of the legal considerations on freedom of speech that is well outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This principle states that all human beings are entitled to equal rights and freedom. For instance, in 2005, there were 12 editorial cartoons published on newspaper which demonstrating offensive message to Muhammad and Islam religion.in one of the cartoons about the prophet, he is bent over, a star covering his asshole with a caption that reads â€Å"a star has been born†. In another cartoon, the caption reads â€Å"The film will set the Muslim world on fire†, Muhammad is shown naked lying on a bed, being filmed from behind while saying, â€Å"My ass? And you like it my ass? (Hmm.).Muslims described this as mockery which is unacceptable in their religion. Following by the consequences, these published cartoons led to religious extremists’ armed attack to Charlie Hebdo who was the publisher. The attack caused 12 people’s deaths. Charlie Hebdo is accused of propagating the culture of hate speech against other religions through posting blasphemous cartoon pictures on newspapers though no action was taken against him. This gives us a good base on the legal

Book List For Dialectical Journal 2 1 Essay Example for Free

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To His Coy Mistress :: Literary Analysis

In the poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, the speaker is trying to seduce his wife. In the assumption the mistress is his wife; she is being bashful towards losing her virginity. The speaker, which is the mistress’s husband, develops a carefully constructed argument where the speaker seeks to persuade his lady to surrender her virginity to him. In the poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, the speaker says, â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time†¦I would love you ten years before the Flood, and you should if you please refuse till the conversion of the Jews† (lines 1 and 7-10). The speaker is stating if they had all the time in the world, they would have no need to rush their love making. With all the time they would want he would love her from the very beginning until the very end. The speaker refers to the â€Å"Flood† (line 8) as the flood of Noah’s Arc in the Bible, which indicates he would love her from the beginning of time. Next, the speaker says, â€Å"Till the conversion of the Jews† (line 10), which would indicate the end of time. In the Bible, it is believed that when Christ comes back for his people the Jews will convert to Christianity. Therefore when Christ returns, that will be the end times. In conclusion, the speaker is saying if they had time from the beginning to the very end, his mistress is welcome to continue being shy. In contrary, the speaker and his coy mistress do not have that kind of time to spare, which is the reason he is trying to convince his wife to surrender her virginity. The speaker continues to argue that time is not in favor of his mistress’s nervousness or his age. For instance, he says, â€Å"But at my back I always hear time’s winged chariot hurrying near† (lines 21 and 22). In other words, he is saying his time is running out quickly. There can be many reasons why his time is running short, but according to the poem there is one reason he could be in a rush to make love with his mistress. The speaker says, â€Å"And yonder all before us lie deserts of vast eternity† (lines 23 and 24). â€Å"Deserts of vast eternity† (line 24) expresses his concern of not being able to have children, which would make him sterile. As men age, their sperm count becomes less and less, which makes conceiving a child nearly impossible.

Deontology: Ethics and Kant Essay

In our world today it is often hard to genuinely decide what in fact is right or wrong. The reason that it is so tough to determine is because of our human nature given everyone has their own opinion. We do not all think the same or think the same actions and consequences have the same effect. It is this reason we analyze situations with ethical theories, such as that of Kant’s deontology. Kant’s theory in its own right has a strong moral foundation in which it seems understandable to decide what is right or wrong. However it has its weakness as well. To me however, I believe Kant’s theory on deontology offers a sound premise for which to determine what is morally right or wrong. Kant’s theory on deontology is a way of assessing one’s actions. One’s actions are either right or wrong in themselves. To determine if actions are right or wrong we do not look at the outcome in deontology. Instead Kant wants us to look at the way one thinks when they are making choices. Kant believes that we have certain moral duties in regards to one’s actions. It is our moral duty that motivates ones to act. Theses actions are driven either by reason or the desire for happiness. Since happiness is differs from person to person, it is conditional. Reason on the other hand is universal and can be applied to all making it unconditional. In Kant’s theory on deontology, actions are either intrinsically right or wrong, which is based largely on reason. Kant says that it is in virtue of being a rational being that we as humans have the capacity to be moral beings. Also that moral law amounts to one’s duty. Kant says duty is grounded in a supreme rational principle, thus it has the form of an imperative. To determine what actions one should take Kant utilized imperatives. Imperatives are a form of instructions that will guide an individual on what one should do. Kant had two classifications between imperatives, hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperatives can apply to one who aspires for a desired outcome. These imperatives allow one  to take an action for the method of obtaining a certain outcome, meaning if one has a desired outcome, then they ought to act. Kant has divided hypothetical imperatives into two subcategories, the imperatives of skill and imperatives of prudence. The imperatives of skill are imperatives that lead to an action in which the end result desired would be anything other than happiness. The imperatives of prudence are imperatives that lead one to actions, where the desired outcome is happiness. Kant believes that morality however is not like this. Morality does not tell one how to act in order to achieve a goal. Instead morality is made up of categorical imperatives. Kant taught that morality is universal, meaning it could be applied to all and moral law must be obeyed. He believed that when we act we are using moral law and act on the maxims, or the universal rules, of our actions. Kant’s categorical imperative states one can â€Å"act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become universal law.† Kant’s uses categorical imperative commands one to take an action. Before one can act they must analyze the principle on which they are acting. Once they have determined why they are acting, it may no longer be ideal, then it is wrong for one to use that maxim as a basis for taking that action. Kant’s principle of morality is the categorical imperative. This means that as an imperative it is a command and being categorical the command has its whole worth with in itself. The categorical imperative doesn’t have some proposed end as in a hypothetical situation, it has its own rational necessity in its justification. Kant’s principle of morality is essential to â€Å"good will.† This is a will that acts for the sake of duty. It is the only thing that is good without qualification. Thus a good will cannot be made better or worse by the result it produces. Good will is also the basis for a major part of Kant’s theory and that is the Universal Law Formula, which is the basis in which Kant uses to determine whether or not things are morally right or wrong. This formula states that one should act in such a way that your maxim could become a universal law of nature. That is if you took your belief or ideal and applied it to the entire world would it hold true and not contradict itself. Kant’s categorical imperative has two formulations included within it, one being the Formula of Universal Law and the other being the Formula of Humanity. The second formulation, The Formula of Humanity, is a principle under the Formula of Universal Law.  Kant’s defines the Formula of Humanity as â€Å"Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.† This formulation states that one’s actions are immoral if it is using a person as a means to an end. It also has to be understood that Kant’s ideals greatly fall on a matter of agency, whether or not you are in fact the one willing an action that causes a negative outcome even if you did so now the result of that action would do more good. Because you took act ion you are the agent that caused a negative outcome. The proposed â€Å"better† outcome has no value towards the morality of your action. Kant’s strengths in his theory are that they can be applied to nature as a whole, thus the universal law formula. His theory doesn’t depend on an individual’s virtues or character. His weakness is that his morality is based on one’s personal action and doesn’t take in to account the outlying consequences that could ultimately benefit from that action. With Kant’s theory I believe we can make a more sound argument as an approach to ethics. With Kant we have to take situations and become very specific with them. We focus on what the action is and universalize it. That way no matter where in the world it can apply to everyone and won’t contradict itself. Then and only then we decided if it is morally right. Also Kant’s theory is good because it leave no grey area with its matter of agency. It doesn’t let possibilities of better or worse consequences affect the morality of the action in question. Thus I believe in all Kant has a more promising approach for ethics.