Philosophy paper qualify in 10 hrs
qwet1234
Wang-CaseStudy.docxWang 1
Linjie Wang
TPHIL250
Professor Nascimento
3/5/20
1. Introduction
Being a student at the University of Washington and majored in PPE-Economics and currently taking T PHIL250 Practical Reasoning, many areas require reconsideration to understand why I have to go through this course. I am Linjie Wang, an international student from China. I have been studying in the US for nearly four years, and I am graduating in summer. There is more than just going to class because I need to ask myself the essence of my being in the classroom at any one particular moment. Having taken major in PPE-Economics and taking T PHIL 250 Practical Reasoning, it is essential to understand what we can, and we should do, especially when one becomes a PPE primary student in the field in the future. This is a call for moral reason in which we need to understand every dimension of our practice aspect of reasoning. Since I have a huge interest in fashion industry and marketing, I decided to study this for my case. The theme of this paper is the application of practical thinking in the fashion industry to animal rights. This is derived from Kant's quote, “He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. I can judge the heart of a man by the treatment he accords to animals (Guyer).” The cruelty of human beings has compromised the quality of the products available in the market because they never consider the rights and the ethical regard to other creatures from which they derive the raw materials used in the fashion industry. The aim of my stand is to ensure cruelty-free products have been introduced in the market by providing the raw material used in the fashion industry has been obtained ethically. I have observed the need to apply pure and practical reason in convincing people about the importance of consuming cruelty-free products and brands.
The rights of animals have not been considered in many instances because people are blinded by the appeal brought about by the products that result. Products such as fur, woolen, suede, are directly derived from the animals, which are beings, though different from the human beings they have sentiments of feeling pain. From my perspective, there is a need to consider ethical fashion or ethical considerations because they finally end up being ethically cruel to the rights of the animals. Ethical alternatives will ensure that the rights of the animals are considered, and they are protected from being exploited regardless of whether they are sustainable or not. The first question that should come in mind should regard ethics and not the sustainability of the animal as an alternative source of raw materials for the fashion industry (Dai). I will ask myself, what should I do to sensitize people on rights of animals and consideration of alternative sources of raw materials in the fashion industry?
The fact that people have become more adaptive to technology, the establishment of ethical as well as sustainable fashion is paramount to ensuring the people uphold the highest moral regard to the source of the material itself. The fashion industry is the worst hit because people want to wear to their feelings of the current fashion, and maintenance of this fashion is something that should not be compromised credence to the fact they mean spending on luxurious latest brands that are uncommon, especially from the animal products. However, as the consumer prides itself in fashion, the animal is on a different perspective because it means torturing them and compromising their rights to sustain the luxurious fashion (Goenka and Thomas). The action of human beings cause suffering and pain to the animal, in line with Kant's sentiment regarding human's lack of regard to animals. Similarly, one fails to observe the rights of animals; it is the same way we can judge them for the lack of accord to the rights of their fellow human beings. I have identified the need to establish a distinction between human beings and the animals because the cruelty practice result in pain suffering, which would mean that as a student of ethics I had failed to use practical reason in the past. As a student of ethics, I have to inform others means might not be friendly to the environment because it will cause an imbalance of nature. Therefore, I should devise ways that will help reduce cruelty and choose more environmentally friendly products for it to be considered in the marketing and production of products.
2. Case Study
The underlying issues require ethical consideration because of the implications it has on society. Taking care of animal rights calls for the establishment of an ethical stand in the means rather than the ends. A close consideration of Kant's categorical imperative suggests that everyone should act in a manner that they would wish everyone in society to act (Guyer, p.44). Despite the fact that this formula was established for humanity, it would need reconsideration so that every creature can be treated with the dignity they deserve (Horsthemke). They should reconsider the implication of the particular case if it was applied in humans. The underlying problem of the fashion industry is dependent on animal products, need reevaluation in order to come up with a principle of defining animal rights so that there can be universally accepted standards to safeguard animal rights. John, Robert, and Cureton postulate the importance of understanding Kant’s formula that is strongly attached to goodwill, which requires intelligence and courage. The question that should be considered is “What should be done to ensure the Kant’s formula is used?”(Kant). Taking care of and observing animal rights call everyone to act out of goodwill, and they should obey the call of duty to act as reasonably as it can be. Nonetheless, does every person have the consent to act not out of duty or according to duty? Finding an appropriate answer to this question requires the establishment of the need to act as reasonably as possible, and we should not leave manufacturers to continue using animal products because this will have adverse effects on the environment (Guyer, p.37). Taking care of animals is a call rather than just fulfilling the law of nature to protect the natural resources of how natural resources can be. It is important to identify what can be done to protect these resources without justification of actions, regardless of whom they affect. Inflicting pain to an animal that has the instinct of pain would mean that acting out of duty and the value of those actions are a direct impact of selfish interests; therefore, it has not placed in moral ethics. Besides, it will be important to understand how ethical considerations influence the quality of products derived from animal products and are influenced by ignoring animal rights. The dealers in fashion industry must overlook conspicuous consumption because this usually disregards animal rights with aim of fulfilling selfish interests. What should be understood by the players in the fashion industry is to embrace the need to act morally by taking care of animals. Hypothetically, each person should ask themselves about what they should do to ensure animal rights are protected. This is the basis on which this paper relies on to establish means as necessary to protect animals and to ensure that environmental materials are used in the productions of goods. This calls for ethical behavior, denotes acting in the best interest of the social norms (Kant, p.133). Ethical consideration is important in all aspects of society because it calls for the establishment of fairness, equality, and dignity in every aspect of the environment (Harris). When such principles become a universal principle in the social setting, sustainability becomes an incompatible element with fashion. Because the animal is still in the fashion industry, their extinction causes the problem of sustainability of the rarest species, which are deemed very dear, and people would rather give up on fashion because they embrace morality above their selfish gains. This forms a firm ground on which to apply Kant’s formula “what should I do?
3. Kant’s Practical Philosophy
In Kant's philosophy, practical reason refers to the capacity of an individual to guide their actions in line with the established principles. The practical reason should be based on morals rather than being based on material, which forms the basis of the principle of the categorical imperative. It was not guided by any specific rules to guide practical reason because each individual was supposed to be the master of what they deemed to be best for them (Kant, p.187). However, humans tend to substitute morals with the law if they lack it. Besides, practical reason postulates that every person has to portray a character that they want to be expressed by all persons if they were exposed to the same circumstances.
For my question, what should I do to sensitize people on rights of animals and consideration of alternative sources of raw materials in the fashion industry? “What should I do” formula has been discussed at length through minute 6 of Group 5, when presenting Kant’s critique of practical reason. Universal law calls each person to act rationally. According to Guyer rationality is essential in practical life of an individual. Practical reason calls for the implementation of all actions with good intentions. However, the freedom to do right acts might provocative, especially when reasons differ. This calls for the freedom for every action be consistent with the will for the right outcome to be achieved.
The practical reason is taken as deciding on what to act by following a predesigned plan of action. The previously mentioned case should utilize the provisions of Kant philosophy. Every person reasons practically and should always pursue good and avoid evil at all costs. The mentioned case calls for the observation and the protection of animal rights. As a human being, it is normal to look perspectives from only the benefits that are derived from the use animal products in the fashion industry, and the beauty that such products possess. Application of Kant’s categorical imperatives, one is bound to their duty rather than what they would have preferred, therefore, it is important to consider animal rights regardless of the beauty inherent in such products. The classical provisions of the practical reason give three domains of human activity, the theoretical reason that is concerned with the fact of an event, and necessary truth that determines whether a given action is appropriate for a given course. The use of animal products is partly beneficial to those who are addicted with fashion but also be mindful to the environmentalist whose main concern is to establish balance of nature rather than destroy the nature. Using animal products will not result in general well because there will be no balance between the environmentalist and the manufacturer whose motivations of action are quite different. Practically, however, abstinence from the use of animal products will involve the use practical reasoning, which has been given less attention as a result of the need for greater certainty and other better means of proving beliefs. Basically, practical reasoning is the best approach because it can be used to disapprove unproductive processes in the fashion industry that claim the dignity of our natural environments (Kant, p.145). Practical reasoning is goal-oriented because it involves finding the best means to an end. There is a big difference between practical reason and pure practical reason. In minute 06 Group 5 described pure practical reason as connecting abstract with pure reason to act. Practical is described as reason that directs ones actions and to behave in a certain way as much as it can be justified by morality.
Application of these ethics will ensure the environment is protected from harm. Besides, it will be inappropriate top offer products in a market that has been acquired unethically, such as killing animals. Everything should be done in the right order to fulfill the need of the immediate society. Taking the necessary cause of action will only involve doing well. Human beings should choose the best means to an end because they are at liberty of defining the outcome of their actions in every scenario. People have the freedom to choose out of the competing alternatives the best course of action, but when under the influence of practical reason, they will choose under the influence of moral reason, and not best on coercion of the many of the competing alternatives. The truth will be based on the necessary reason, which calls an individual to act in line with what they consider as being a necessary course for an event. They have to determine the necessary reason that will best suit the prevailing course of action. And finally, the productive reasons that will help achieve the best outcome when applied to a course. Putting into consideration the requirements of the practical reason and the required treatment of the case, each individual would want to be sincere to them by choosing that alternative that best suits the needs of the society rather than the needs of the individual buyers in the market. Rational choices call for individuals to make choices that will have the best outcome in terms of social needs perspective. From the aforementioned in the case, there is a concern about using animal products to satisfy human needs. The application of practical reason will enable us to weigh the benefits derived from using animal products, and put environmental concerns at the core. Animal rights will be given priority before any other social concerns are addressed, and looking for alternative sources of raw materials without causing disturbance to the environment and inflicting pain to animals, which is one of the underlying pillars of practical reason.
4. Conclusion
From the discussion above, it is true that being a student for T PHIL 250 Practical Reasoning and taking the case into consideration, I have much to learn about how I can handle certain cases when they occur in the future. It gives me a reason as to why I should be well equipped with the knowledge in this field because it will help differentiate what we can and what I cannot do in the field. Calls for a reasonable man to establish the best choice in the market that are free of any cruelty means. Ethical products in the market call for practical reasons to differentiate which materials should be used and which ones need to be used in the fashion industry. Ethically produced products are the basis of ethical business practices that will preserve the environment. It is important to note that the use of animal materials not only leads to their extinction but also leads to the destabilization of nature, which will have adverse implications on the environment and other living creatures as well. Besides, advocating for animal rights will ensure striking a balance between the benefits derived from using products made out of animal materials and observance of their rights in line with the established principles of practical reason and doing the best in alignment with call for humanity. In general, using Kant's theory of practical reasoning, a natural state of balance will be established by creating a sense of responsibility for people to act to what they deem best within their immediate environment. This is why I would work to sensitize people on rights of animals and consideration of alternative sources of raw materials in the fashion industry.
Works Cited Dai, Yu. " "Social and Economic Investigation and Analysis of Wildlife Hunting Behavior."." Revista Cientifica-Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 29.1 (2019). Goenka, S. and M. Thomas. "The malleable morality of conspicuous consumption." Journal of personality and social psychology 118.3 (2020): 562. Guyer, Paul. "Kant on the Rationality of Morality.". 2019. Harris, P. G. International equity and global environmental politics: power and principles in US foreign policy. Routledge , 2017. Horsthemke, Kai. ""Moral Education and Animals."." Animal Rights Education (2018): 111-129. Johnson, Robert and Adam Cureton. "Kant’s moral philosophy.". 2004. Kant, I. Critique of the Power of Judgment. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Kant, Immanuel. Practical philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Group 1 (Esperanza, Tim, Emma, JinLing, Linjie), Minutes 02 of TPHIL 250 – Practical Reasoning Class of 22 January 2020. Published on Canvas (TPHIL 250), University of Washington under, Minutes on January 22, 2020. Accessed on 7 March 2020. Group 6 (Li, Marshall, Melgar, Walters, Zhou), minutes 07 of TPHIL 250 Practical Reasoning (Winter 2020) Class. Published on Canvas (TPHIL 250), University of Washington under, Minutes on February 10, 2020. Accessed on March 7, 2020 Group 4 (Viktoria Vasilevskaya, Jwaun Ward, Susan Mateo), Minutes 05 of TPHIL 250 – Practical Reasoning Class of 2020. Published on Canvas (TPHIL 250), University of Washington Canvas under, Minutes on January 29, 2020. Accessed on March 7, 2020. Group 5 (Sim Garcha, Chae Lim, Ella Lucente, Sarah Wade), Minutes 06 of TPHIL 250 – Practical Reasoning Class of 2020. Published on Canvas (TPHIL 250), University of Washington, under, Minutes on February 5, 2020. Accessed on March 7, 2020.1
