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Preface:
This was one of my writing assignments in my Philosophy 1000 class. I discuss three philosophical theories of morality and my personal viewpoint of them.
Normative Ethics vs. Divine Command Theory and Cultural Ethical Relativism
Normative ethics studies the set of moral principles that people ought to have. Divine Command Theory is the view that God’s commands are what make particular actions right or wrong. The issue with this theory is that it presents a problem for doing normative ethics. The problem with normative ethics, while assuming Divine Command Theory, is that only God can say what is right or wrong and he has already done so. With this theory, there is no reason to discuss or argue what ought to be done if all one has to do is pray or read the bible. Euthyphro’s dilemma is about Socrates challenging Euthyphro’s beliefs about piety. Socrates states that either right actions are right because God says they are right, or God says they are right because they are, in fact, right. These statements that Socrates makes lead us to conclude that if Divine Command Theory is true, then God is irrational because he has no reason behind what he chooses to be right or wrong. Cultural Ethical Relativism is the view that what is right, wrong, good, or bad is relative to cultures or societies. The truth or falsity of ethical judgments depends on the majority attitude in the culture. Right or wrong simply means that it is approved by a particular culture. Relativism of any kind also presents a problem for normative ethics. Cultural Ethical Relativism specifically opposes normative ethics because one cannot judge the morals of any culture while obeying this type of relativism, whereas normative ethics judges and questions the morality of everyone’s actions in all cultures. There are a few specific bad consequences of accepting Cultural Ethical Relativism, one of which is that this relativism implies that the right way to determine whether an action is morally permissible is to take a poll. Another problem of Cultural Ethical Relativism is that if it is true, then the idea of moral progress or reform is incoherent. The reasons for rejecting these two ideas opposing normative ethics, such as Divine Command Theory and Cultural Ethical Relativism, that God is irrational, that we cannot judge other cultures’ morals, and that there is no moral progress in these cases seems very legitimate. To say that God is irrational in Divine Command Theory makes sense because one naturally believes there is logic behind each moral. Also if God says what is right because it is right, then that means there is a natural code of morality in the world, which is what I believe to be true based on evidence of human nature and what actions create health and happiness in the world. To imply that we cannot judge the morals and actions of another culture, or even our own culture, does seem problematic because of the fact that we as people do naturally judge others on the basis of our own moral beliefs. I believe that the reason for people to naturally judge the actions of others is, again, that there are true natural morals for people to live by in order to have the most successful existence possible. Lastly, the problem of having no moral progress is difficult to accept with my belief of natural moral standards that apply to anyone and everyone, because if one is to assume that there is no progress, then one must assume that morals simply change in societies or individuals but are of equal value and legitimacy. Whereas if my belief is true, all moral views are not created equal; some are, in fact, correct and others are misguided. I am aware of an argument against my natural moral belief, which is that people simply prefer certain lifestyle choices over others and not everyone agrees on what type of lifestyle choice is best for them. My response would be that they may most likely be assuming this lifestyle with specific morals which may or may not be correct because they have either not found or let themselves test out the moral lifestyle which is correct. People do not enjoy being told what to believe and what to do, so even if someone who has realized the correct morals makes an effort to help them realize the best way to live, the person will reject the ideas simply out of pride. This does not mean there are no right or wrong moral values.

My Love Language
Of the five love languages, Words of Affirmation are what affect me the most. All of the other four love languages are important to me as well in the order of Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Quality Time, and then Receiving Gifts. Learning about the love languages and finding out which one is my primary language has given me a new perspective on love and my relationship. These have also helped by knowing which one is my partner’s primary love language, so that I can speak it better and improve our relationship.
growing up.
If I take the time to picture the perfect relationship with the perfect partner, there would definitely be a lot of special words involved. I would like to hear a lot of complimenting, encouragement, and verbal expressions of my value as a person. If my partner were to make a habit of saying those kinds of things quite often, I feel like that would fill my love tank. One issue though is that if there are any instances of the negative things that drain my tank, I feel like it takes a lot more than normal to begin to fill it back up again. Therefore, there can be no harsh words even in the midst of many compliments, or the compliments will seem emptier.

Preface:
I wrote this essay for my CHF 1400 class this semester. In this paper I explain my love language, what it means, and how it will affect my relationship and future marriage.
My Love Language
Of the five love languages, Words of Affirmation are what affect me the most. All of the other four love languages are important to me as well in the order of Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Quality Time, and then Receiving Gifts. Learning about the love languages and finding out which one is my primary language has given me a new perspective on love and my relationship. These have also helped by knowing which one is my partner’s primary love language, so that I can speak it better and improve our relationship.
Since I have discovered that I am a Words of Affirmation person it has helped me understand things about myself that point to that love language. For example, I have always worried about what people might say to or about me, which is probably one reason why I have always been a rather quiet person. Criticism and name calling, especially from someone close to me, are especially hurtful. Also, not talking to me at all can make me feel unloved, such as the case with my dad. My dad and I never really talk to each other, and hardly ever have even though we lived in the same house until I was seventeen. That is most likely why he was a source of pain for me growing up.
If I take the time to picture the perfect relationship with the perfect partner, there would definitely be a lot of special words involved. I would like to hear a lot of complimenting, encouragement, and verbal expressions of my value as a person. If my partner were to make a habit of saying those kinds of things quite often, I feel like that would fill my love tank. One issue though is that if there are any instances of the negative things that drain my tank, I feel like it takes a lot more than normal to begin to fill it back up again. Therefore, there can be no harsh words even in the midst of many compliments, or the compliments will seem emptier.

Preface:
This short essay is related to the essay And They Lived Happily Ever After...If They Married by Carson Tueller, a student at Weber State University. In Tueller's essay he talks about how Disney films portray women as being dependent on men. My response is about my mom, an independent woman and good friend of mine.
My Best Friend Named Mom
My mom has always been one of my closest friends. Even though there have been some times in the past when she should have been more like a mother than a friend, I still appreciate that she has always been there for me. My mom is one person who I tell almost everything about my life. Now that I am an adult we have slightly different boundaries on our relationship than we had before. We can now have more adult-like conversations and enjoy adult activities together. She has always been an independent woman, and has been taking care of the house, in which I grew up, by herself for the past three years now. She demonstrates the capability of women.

Preface:
This short essay is a response to the essay The Tragedy of the Un-commons from the book Weber Writes 2013. In my essay, I respond by agreeing with the points made in James Stolhand's essay, and discuss homosexuality supportively.
Equal Rights
In James Stolhand’s essay, The Tragedy of the Un-commons, he explains not only his experience of discovering his homosexuality and the treatments he was submitted to but also some other treatments that other people have been through to “cure” them of their same sex desires. Stolhand, a student at Weber State University, talks about methods such as counseling sessions with a minister, electroshock therapy, and increasing the activities that boost the hormones of the person’s own gender to cure their homosexual desires. The point in his essay seems to be that no matter what reparative therapy is done, there is no cure for any sexual orientation.
I would definitely agree with every point that Stolhand makes in this essay. Homosexuality is not some unnatural abomination, especially since humans are not the only animals who demonstrate it. There have been many findings of other homosexual animals, both in zoos and in the wild. In fact, a friend of mine used to have a pair of peahens who were supposedly homosexual. Sexual orientation is all about attraction, which is something we do not control. It may in some ways seem as if we decide who we are or are not interested in, but in reality it is not a conscious choice. If we could choose who to be attracted to and who not to, we would never find ourselves “always choosing the wrong kind of people”. We also would not feel the need to turn down all of the "unattractive" people who try to pursue us, because we could simply choose to be attracted to them. Attraction is not a choice, and neither is homosexuality. They did not choose to be gay, just as you did not choose to be straight.

Preface:
believe that all forms of corporal punishment is wrong in all forms,wrong, and in
To Hit or Not to Hit
Results from a study designed to determine a possible correlation between physical punishment being used in schools, and large scale social consequences, state that, “Of the states with the ten highest murder rates in the United States, educators paddle children in eight of them.” (Guthrow) This is only one example of the effects of physical, also known as corporal, punishment. There are many other results from this study that indicate many negativities in states that practice paddling of students, including higher incarceration rates, lower average proficiencies in math, lower high school completion rates, and higher percentages of poverty. The practice of corporal punishment has been around since ancient times, and has not always been limited to children.

Preface:
I wrote this as my second essay for this class. I used this topic because it is one that is very important to me. I strongly believe that corporal punishment is wrong in all forms, and in this essay I explain why, using various sources to support my claims throughout the paper.
To Hit or Not to Hit
to children.
The word “corporal” means ‘of the body’, which is why this is also called physical punishment. Some definitions of the term Corporal Punishment from the Merriam-Webster dictionary include, “1: punishment applied to the body of an offender including the death penalty, whipping, and imprisonment; 2: punishment administered by an adult (as a parent or a teacher) to the body of a child ranging in severity from a slap to a spanking”. There is also a brief encyclopedia description, which states that corporal punishment is:
Infliction of physical pain upon a person's body as punishment for a crime or infraction. Such penalties include beating, branding, mutilation, blinding, and the use of the stock and pillory. The term also denotes the physical disciplining of children in the schools and at home. From ancient times through the 18th century, corporal punishment was commonly used in instances that did not call for capital punishment, ostracism, or exile. But the growth of humanitarian ideals during the Enlightenment and afterward led to its gradual abandonment, and today it has been almost entirely replaced in the West by imprisonment or other nonviolent penalties. Several international conventions on human rights prohibit it. Beatings and other corporeal punishments continue to be administered in the prison systems of many countries. Whipping and even amputation remain prescribed punishments in some Middle Eastern and Asian societies. Corporal punishment of schoolchildren is still sanctioned in many states. (Corporal Punishment)

Preface:
To Hit or Not to Hit
Results from a study designed to determine a possible correlation between physical punishment being used in schools, and large scale social consequences, state that, “Of the states with the ten highest murder rates in the United States, educators paddle children in eight of them.” (Guthrow) This is only one example of the effects of physical, also known as corporal, punishment. There are many other results from this study that indicate many negativities in states that practice paddling of students, including higher incarceration rates, lower average proficiencies in math, lower high school completion rates, and higher percentages of poverty. The practice of corporal punishment has been around since ancient times, and has not always been limited to children.
The word “corporal” means ‘of the body’, which is why this is also called physical punishment. Some definitions of the term Corporal Punishment from the Merriam-Webster dictionary include, “1: punishment applied to the body of an offender including the death penalty, whipping, and imprisonment; 2: punishment administered by an adult (as a parent or a teacher) to the body of a child ranging in severity from a slap to a spanking”. There is also a brief encyclopedia description, which states that corporal punishment is:
Infliction of physical pain upon a person's body as punishment for a crime or infraction. Such penalties include beating, branding, mutilation, blinding, and the use of the stock and pillory. The term also denotes the physical disciplining of children in the schools and at home. From ancient times through the 18th century, corporal punishment was commonly used in instances that did not call for capital punishment, ostracism, or exile. But the growth of humanitarian ideals during the Enlightenment and afterward led to its gradual abandonment, and today it has been almost entirely replaced in the West by imprisonment or other nonviolent penalties. Several international conventions on human rights prohibit it. Beatings and other corporeal punishments continue to be administered in the prison systems of many countries. Whipping and even amputation remain prescribed punishments in some Middle Eastern and Asian societies. Corporal punishment of schoolchildren is still sanctioned in many states. (Corporal Punishment)
This description mostly focuses on the uses of corporal punishment as used by government, but there have been many types of physical punishment used in schools and in home environments as a means to “correct” children for centuries. A common form of corporal punishment, which was banned for use on civilians in Britain in 1948, is birching. Birching is described as the beating of a person across the buttocks with birch twigs. Many teachers until the late 1900s would even beat the children as punishment. Some other methods commonly used in schools until the 21st century include, hitting with a bamboo cane, hitting the hand with a wooden ruler, spanking with a shoe, and using a leather straps as a whip to the hands or buttocks. (Lambert) Today the most common method is spanking, which is mostly used by parents. However, there are some states in the U.S. which still allow spanking in schools.
Since these methods are still used today, that brings up the question of why they are. Many people argue that it works and that it is necessary. Indeed, it is generally effective for immediate compliance that is often needed of a child. Adults who were raised with corporal punishment themselves often state that they were spanked or whipped with a belt and they still “turned out okay”. This statement is commonly used as a justification for the use of corporal punishment. There are some advocates who may even argue that those who are raised with physical punishment tend to respect their parents more than those who are raised without it.
There are many influences to the use of these punishments. In more ancient times, there was much more pressure from society in general to use such punishments because it was something that almost everyone was doing. Even today, many people believe that our youth are lazy and disrespectful due to the lack of physical punishment. Family members are likely to pressure parents into using these methods because they believe it is simply a part of being an effective parent.
Besides possible injury and other physical health problems that may result from corporal punishments, there are a variety of other side effects. Increased aggression, poor moral development, poor cognitive functioning, and increased antisocial behaviors are among these side effects. Some research also suggests that spanking poses sexual dangers to the child since it is inflicted on the buttocks, which are a sexual zone. The child may easily develop sadomasochistic tendencies, in which they confuse pain with pleasure, and could even take pleasure in causing pain to others. These side effects are not always noticeable during the time when these punishments are being inflicted, which makes it easy for advocates to deny them.
Rebecca, a blogger on positive-parents.org, wrote an article about four alternatives to spanking. Rebecca’s list consists of having a calm-down area, helping them learn how to problem solve, allowing them time in instead of time out, and allowing them to learn from natural consequences. The purpose of the calm down area is to allow the child to reach a state of mind in which they will be able to effectively receive your message. By helping them learn how to solve problems on their own, you are providing them with the tools they will need as an adult. Time in is similar to the calm down area, except that you stay with the child and help them through the issue by empathizing before getting to your lesson for them. Of course we need to be a bit selective about which natural consequences we allow to happen, but in general they are the best teachers. (Rebecca)
Corporal punishment has long been a common form of discipline, especially for children, with a wide variety of ways to inflict pain for the purpose of teaching. This practice is still used today because of its popularity, especially with older generations, and it is assumed to be necessary to raise decent children. Since there are side effects associated with corporal punishment, we should not run the risk of causing a child to have them. There are alternative methods to spanking and other corporal punishments, which are effective in teaching children the life skills they need to know. Parents, and future parents, need to be educated about these methods rather than simply deterred from corporal punishment, because if the alternatives are not presented, parents will either keep doing what they know, or do nothing.
Works Cited
"Corporal Punishment." n.d. merriam-webster. October 2013 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment>.
Guthrow, John. "CORRELATION BETWEEN HIGH RATES OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES." December 2002. nospank.net. 22 October 2013 <http://www.nospank.net/correlationstudy.htm>.
Lambert, Tim. "Brief History of Corporal Punishment." 2012. Local Histories. October 2013 <http://www.localhistories.org/corporal.html>.
Rebecca. "Alternatives to Spanking." April 2012. positive-parents.org. October 2013 <http://www.positive-parents.org/2012/04/alternatives-to-spanking.html>.

Preface:
I wrote this essay as part of an assignment for this English 2010 class. The introduction was pre-written by another student, but I completed the story with my own personal experience. In this essay I wrote about when I went to Los Angeles for the first time.
Adjusting to New Surroundings
Kalervo Oberg's famous speech in 1954 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, gave us an understanding about four common stages that people experience when going to live in a new culture, city, or country. Oberg was an anthropologist who lived in countries around the world and the process he described is still used by experts even in 2013. Briefly, here is what people often experience. In the first stage, everything seems interesting and exciting. It's the "honeymoon" stage. But fairly quickly, you are hit with "culture shock." In this second stage, the new language, places, faces, and customs can seem overwhelming. You might feel like hiding in your room. Then in the third stage, you feel strangely "schizophrenic" or "up and down": one day very happy, the next homesick or depressed, maybe confused by people and a place that seems so strange. Finally, the fourth stage brings a resolution. You figure out how "to make it," and this resolution can be very different for every person because we all have different goals and interests. In this essay, I want to tell you how I experienced Oberg's four stages of cultural adjustment.
I remember my honeymoon stage when entering California for the first time. It was very short. At first it seemed exciting going to a famous city like L.A., and being close to the ocean. I really liked the palm trees they have all around the city. It was very warm, and I also enjoyed the fact that there are many restaurants over there that we don't have here in Utah.
But then culture shock hit! When I saw the place where we were staying for the weekend, it made me wonder whether or not I would feel comfortable there. We stayed at the home of a relative. The house was very small compared to what I am used to. I wondered whether or not everyone would fit in that house, with only two small bedrooms and a relatively small living room area.
Somehow I made it to stage three. There were some good things and some not so good things. I certainly didn't feel as safe in the city of L.A. as I do when at home in Ogden. However, L.A. is a more exciting place overall and there are more activities to do for fun.
Now I have found my own way in this still strange and funny new place. I'm sure we all go through these stages a bit differently. What worked for me was to focus more on the adventure of being in a new place and experiencing a new culture. I just tried to stay positive when I was homesick, and remember that I would be going home eventually. It was a fun new place, but I'm glad that I don't live there.

Preface:I began this essay earlier in the year out of personal interest, but had not finished it. I decided to finish this essay and use it for my third paper. In this argumentative essay I explain the nature vs nurture debate and reference two different articles about which one is dominant, nature or nurture.
Essay Three
Nature & Nurture: The Cause of Behavior