WEEK 2 - Slip Sliding Away, Down the Ethical Slope by Robert J. Sternberg

BAR

1. Not only does Sternberg raise the issue of students cheating in class, but he relates it to the lives lives (further down the road) of those who fail to be ethical. He argues that people need to be taught arduous steps in order to be an ethical thinker, and without these traits, a downfall is almost inevitable. I believe it's a very important perspective because if one does not learn things soon enough, it can endanger their future choice of action and backfire.

2. In short term, in order to stop cheating and other unethical advantages by students, it is up to the administration to properly inform. Students not only need to be informed of the academic repercussions (i.e failing, expulsion), but they should also be told of the ethical disadvantage. They should be told that if they cheat, they will get used to the easy way out of things and eventually lack the knowledge they need for the outside corporate/trade world. If one cheats their way through their post-secondary studies, then what will they know after graduation? It will be as if they wasted their money to get through but lack the actual knowledge component, which is the most important. And what use is that? Their degree will essentially be useless, and their unethical breaches will be such a norm that it will be hard to diminish from their lifestyles. Simply put, the sooner you choose to make ethical decisions, the easier it becomes when the work get harder and more effort is required.  I don't think it's up to the teachers to completely change tests every year because of cheating students, but if possible, that could be an option as well. But, I think it would save a heap of time to just let the students know, and if they fail to listen, then so be it. Eventually there will come an cruel understanding.

TS/IS

1. The term "religious" tends to be synonymous with "ignorant" in many peoples minds. They see religion as a way of brainwashing mass amounts of people into following and believing in the omnipotence and omnipotence of a God and eliminating an essential part of their daily events for an abstract goal of "redemption". However, few religious people choose their lifestyle just to follow the crowd. On the contrary, many of the supposedly brainwashed people are actually independent thinkers, concerned citizens and compassionate human beings. For the truth is that there are many good reasons that people give up a normal lifestyle and choose to follow a strict religion. Perhaps the best reasons are to seek forgivness, to encourage a sense of community, or to enhance ones connection with Godly spirits. In this essay, then, closely examining a religious lifestyle as compared to one with no religious background will show that religion is clearly the better option for seeking redemption and coming to terms with collective sin.