lecture continues...

Normative Ethics
Definition: A branch of philosophical ethics concerned with classifying actions as right and wrong.
It deals with what people should believe (Prescriptive) to be right & wrong, unlike descriptive ethics which deals with what people do believe (Descriptive) to be right & wrong.

Rule 72
In finance, the rule of 72 is used to estimate investments doubling or halving time.
According to the lecturer, if anything grows at 7.2%, it will double in 10 years.
Actual rate of population growth is approx 3.6%, and will double in 20 years.
E.g. In India, if no birth control is enforced, there will be 2 billion Indians in 20 years time.

British demographer and political economist, Thomas Robert Malthus predicted:
1. subsistence severely limits population-level
2. when the means of subsistence increases, population increases
3. population-pressures stimulate increases in productivity
4. increases in productivity stimulate further population-growth
5. since this productivity can not keep up with the potential of population growth for long,
population requires strong checks to keep it in line with carrying-capacity
6. individual cost/benefit decisions regarding sex, work, and children determine the expansion or contraction of population and production
7. checks will come into operation as population exceeds subsistence-level
8. the nature of these checks will have significant effect on the rest of the sociocultural system — Malthus points specifically to misery, vice, and poverty

Factors identified as root causes:
1. Judeo-Christian view about nature
All that God gives is to serve us
We have the right to do anything to the environment
2. Cartesia view about animals
Rene Descartes, father of modern philosophy, thinks that animals are just machines, made by God to be complex machines
We are special because we possess rationality, thus, animals are dumb.
E.g. Wash the 'car' (animal) as it has the right to be washed, not because we respect it.
3. Anthropocentrism: everthing have to be measured by human. We put the value on things,
without us, nothing has value.
Man is the measure of all things.

1st time crashing lecture at NUS!

Friday, attended the forensic science lecture at LT32 7pm-10pm. very interesting lecture indeed, as we were exposed to pictures of corpse, mutiliated bodies and 'blood-encrusted' body parts. Quite sad for the innocent loss of human lives, but the lesson itself was interesting to many, perhaps since people can be quite saddistic at times, desiring to see forbidden matters...

Wed
Attended USP lecture on ethics and the environment
Lecturer looks like he is trying hard to make the lecture interesting, but honestly, how interesting can philosophy be when the students do not understand half the things he is teaching...Luckily for a lost soul like me, I am able to understand about 60% of it after the initial scare and blurness...

Ethics and the Environment
*Factual v.s Moral
Ask the question: How does it relate ourselves to the world?
Since the world is fixed, if the statement fits the observed, it can be considered factual
*A judgement typically is made from experience, although some may claim it can be made from
feelings.
*Rationality is the only universal thing
*Feelings cannot be universal (it's arguable)
In order to prove that feelings is universal, have to provide reasons, otherwise the claim is
rejected.
*Moral theories provide moral(ethical) principles to justify matters
1) Teleological Theories suggests good outcome
- Most influential is Utilitarianism
Classical utilitiarianism equates it to happiness
People do things to make themselves happy. Anything that gives happiness is good vice
versa. Do things that gives greatest happiness.
19th century philosophers change utilitarianism to consequential
i.e. Do things that give the best consequence
2) Deontology argues that decisions should be made by considering the factors of one's duties
and other's rights
Most famous deontologist is Immanuel Kant. His Categorical Imparative roots morality in
humanity's rational capacity and asserts certain inviolable moral laws
E.g One should tell the truth no matter the consequence, such as Doctors should tell the truth
to patients as they have the right to know their medical condition.
In Kantian ethics, the key attribute is rationality!

I WANT TO BE AN OUSTANDING SURGEON

TARGET:

1. TOP IN MEDICAL STUDIES
2. MOST OUTSTANDING DOCTOR
3. MOST EXCELLENT, OUSTANDING AND SKILLFUL SURGEON

I remember many people once said this: if you know where you are heading to, then it is where you will reach. Goals have to be set, because only when we know where the goalpost is, then the ball can be shot into it! So I am setting lifelong goals now, knowing that with the Lord's guidance and my hard work, I will be able to achieve them!

Just finished watching Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, and I am so inspired by the determination and drive the doctors have. Of course, the love issue is so nice and sweet,but I guess the inspiring part is still the most important one. =) Anyway, the Dr Ahn Joong Guen is super super...cool...And, he is a cardiac surgeon!!! (in the show)

A coincidence indeed, especially since I want to be a surgeon, and a cardiac and thoracic surgeon is definitely the highest choice I have in my mind(dont dare to tell anyone, because I still need God's blessings to aid me to reach that goal). To be more resolute, I WILL BECOME A SURGEON!

Have not started medicine study in university, and counting down to the days, guess it is only slightly more than a month to when studies in Monash will start! This is after leaving all the orientation days aside. Maybe I can say that I am quite worried, scared of going to live alone and not knowing if I can get along with people there (plus have some close close good friends there). A little pressured too, but not really much excitement in it. Or should I say, I am really eager to start school and medical studies, since not many things make me joyful other than becoming a doctor and surgeon! I pray for God's Blessings!