assymetric paternalism :: essays research papers

Regulation for Conservatives: Behavioral Economics and the Case for â€Å"Asymmetric Paternalism†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin to understand this article we must first define what the authors mean by asymmetric paternalism. According to the Oxford Dictionary, asymmetric is without symmetry or not divided equally. The definition of paternalism states that it is behaving in a paternal way or limiting freedom and responsibility by well-meant regulations. The authors state that the paternal regulations discussed are those developed on an individual basis. The regulations are designed so that those that are uneducated in a particular area are greatly benefited by the regulations, and those whom are already educated, or fully rational, are not affected by the regulation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To explain asymmetric paternalism, the authors divide people into two groups, those who are fully rational, people with goals, preferences and make decision based on those that suit their own best interest, and those who are boundedly rational. The boundedly rational individuals are those who fail to act in their own best interests and fail to use self-control when making choices. The purpose of the article is to help evaluate regulations which are paternalistic and have the regulations designed so that the set limits and boundaries are the boundedly rational, to help them make choices in their best interest and not make mistakes, at the same time not affecting the rational individuals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors focus on four types of policies that demonstrate examples of paternalism, default rules, provision or reframing of information, cooling off period, and the limiting of consumer choices. With defaults, the authors discuss status quo bias. This is the idea that individuals will stick with the status quo, or the existing rather than change even if the cost to change is low. The reasons for this are stated as loss aversion, omission/commission bias, and procrastination. The authors state that the status quo bias effects mostly the boundedly rational because for the fully rational the choice of defaults requires very little effort. Examples of the choices of defaults are more fully explained in the examples of insurance rights, and retirement savings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second example of paternalism is framing and information disclosure. This policy requires businesses to provide â€Å"seemingly irrelevant additional information.† Since the rational individuals have no need for the additional information, they can simply ignore it. At the same time the boundedly rational individual can benefit greatly from the information. In order to illustrate this concept, the authors give an example of the lottery.

Existentialism is a Humanism Essay

In Existentialism is a Humanism, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) presents an accessible description of existentialism. A key idea of existentialism—and of the human condition— is that existence precedes essence. The essence of something is its meaning, its intended purpose. A paper cutter is made to cut paper; that is its point. Humans, however, do not have an essence. Man exists, turns up, appears on the scene, and, only afterwards, defines himself. We have no greater purpose, no pre-determined plan, no ultimate meaning. We have, in Sartre’s words, no human nature, since there is nothing (e.g. God) outside of us which would conceive of it for us. We are simply here, and it is up to us to define ourselves. Responsibility Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. We have choice, we have subjectivity, and we choose what we will make ourselves to be; we are entirely responsible for our existence: Thus, existentialism’s first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him. This thought is often not easily accepted. ‘Subjectivity’ is a word that riles up many. â€Å"If everything is subjective then nothing is objective; nothing is absolute! Our values are nothing more than our whims! Nothing is right or wrong! Rabble, rabble, rabble!† Sartre replies that, â€Å"it is impossible for man to transcend human subjectivity.† He isn’t saying â€Å"I prefer subjectivity over objectivity,† he’s asking, â€Å"how can we possibly not be subjective?† Even the religious individual who believes that morality is absolute and comes from God must, at some point, choose to bel ieve that this is the case. Our responsibility is a blessing and a curse. It leads us to feel things like anguish, forlornness, and despair. Anguish We experience anguish in the face of our subjectivity, because by choosing what we are to do, we ‘choose for everyone’. When you make a decision you are saying â€Å"this is how anyone ought to behave given these circumstances.† Many people don’t feel anguish, but this is because they are â€Å"fleeing from it.† If you don’t feel a sense of anxiety when you make decisions, it’s because you are forgetting about your â€Å"total and deep responsibility† toward yourself and all of humanity. Forlornness Forlornness is the idea that â€Å"God does not exist and that we have to face all the consequences of this.† There is no morality a priori. There is no absolute right or wrong. There is no ultimate judge. This is a very distressing idea. As Dostoievsky said, â€Å"If God didn’t exist, everything would be possible [permissible].† Without God we have nothing to cling to. â€Å"There is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom. [†¦] We have no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct.† In other words, we have no excuses, and we are entirely responsible for our decisions. What are our values? The only way to determine them is to make a decision. At the end of the day, your ideals aren’t what matter; what matters is what you actually did. Despair Despair arises because we only have power to change things that are within our power to change—and there is a lot we cannot change. Reality is impartial and out of your control, except for small aspects of it here and there. We despair because we can never have full control of the future. What Will Happen Will Happen Tomorrow, after my death, some men may decide to set up Fascism, and the others may be cowardly and muddled enough to let them do it. Fascism will then be the human reality, so much the worse for us. Regardless of what is right or wrong, good or bad, and regardless of whether these are absolutes or not, â€Å"things will be as man will have decided they are to be.† What will happen will happen and humanity will be entirely responsible for what it does. Does this mean we ought to become passively accepting of what will happen? Sartre says the exact opposite. Does that mean that I should abandon myself to quietism? No. [†¦] Quietism is the attitude of people who say, â€Å"Let others do what I can’t do.† The doctrine I am presenting is the very opposite of quietism, since it declares, â€Å"There is no reality except in action.† Moreover, it goes further, since it adds, â€Å"Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is therefore nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life. No Excuses This is why existentialism horrifies some people. It puts such a burden of responsibility squarely on their shoulders. They can’t stand to think they were at fault for not being a great or successful person, for having no great friendships or love. They think they are the victim of circumstances; they haven’t had the proper education, leisure, or incentives; they haven’t found the right person yet; they haven’t had the opportunity to show their greatness. Sartre, however, says that â€Å"The coward makes himself cowardly, the hero makes himself heroic.† The artist is an artist because of the works of art he created, not because of what he could have created. The mathematician is famous for the math he did, not what he maybe could have done. We find that this is â€Å"a harsh thought to someone whose life hasn’t been a success.† We are responsible for our successes and failures. But at the same time, this harshness forces us to face the incredibly important fact that: Reality alone is what counts. Sartre sees these views not as a pessimism, but as an â€Å"optimistic toughness.† Optimistic in that we are the rulers of our lives; our destiny is within our hands; we are encouraged to take action. Sartre summarizes his idea of optimism and action in the following passage. Thus, I think we have answered a number of the charges concerning existentialism. You see that it can not be taken for a philosophy of quietism, since it defines man in terms of action; nor for a pessimistic description of man—there is no doctrine more optimistic, since man’s destiny is within himself; nor for an attempt to discourage man from acting, since it tells him that the only hope is in his acting and that action is the only thing that enables a man to live. Is Choice Arbitrary? Sartre ends this piece with a further defence of subjectivism, in which I wish he had gone into a little more detail. He says people are still not satisfied with the idea of subjectivism, and objections usually come in one of the following forms: 1. â€Å"Well then, you’re able to do anything, no matter what! You’re promoting anarchy!† But this isn’t the point. It is not possible to not choose. In not making a choice you are still choosing not to choose. Choice is inescapable; we are â€Å"condemned to be free† because we are human, whether or not we are existentialists. 2. â€Å"You can’t pass judgement on others, because there’s no reason to prefer one idea to another!† We can still hold values, and values appear out of the choices we make. Through our actions (as an individual and as a group), we create ethics. 3. â€Å"Everything about your choice is arbitrary!† We define ourselves through our actions, â€Å"in relationship to involvement.† And as we make ourselves—as we make choices—it is absurd to say we are choosing arbitrarily.

Should Divorce Rates Increase Over Time - 1270 Words

Anyone going through a divorce can have a stressful toll no one can want or afford to get. Over time divorce has drastically changing over the years. Divorce was relatively uncommon and difficult to get before 1970 (Why have divorce rates increase over time?). In the United States researchers estimate that 40%-50% of all first marriages will end in divorce or permanent separation (How common is divorce and what are the reasons?). The risk of divorce is even higher for second marriages, about 60% (How common is divorce and what are the reasons?). In today’s society divorce is increasing more often than ever. As the number of divorced parents increase, the children of the divorced parents are more likely to get divorced (Why have divorce rates increase over time?). For many reasons can be the case when divorce happens. There are many factors leading to cause divorce, also there are alternative routes to help cope with divorce. Couples change, grow and develop from their spouse. Couples interests become incompatible as a result, their marriage begins to suffer. The divorce rate is four times as high among drug and alcohol users (Addiction and divorce help). Addiction on drugs can destroy a happy family. Abuse of addiction in a marriage can lead nothing more than an ugly relationship between themselves and their children.According to the substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report, over 7 million children in the United States, more than 10% live with aShow MoreRelatedDivorce808 Words   |  4 PagesFrom the past to present, people all over the world have determined to get marriage. Nevertheless, some couples are unable to maintain their relationship so they choose to divorce, which is one of the solutions to cope with problems between a husband and wife. Most people claim to think carefully before they get married, but the divorce rates continue to increase. 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Today, marriage is generally recognized as a commitment that may satisfy some, though many choose to forgo the process. The differencesRead MoreThe author I have chosen to use to write about is Laura Kipnis and her essay: Love’s Labors. For1700 Words   |  7 Pagesabout Divorce rates, and how they have been increasing over the years. Divorce can come about in many different ways, each unique in the reason of interest/motivation to get a divorce. Kipnis speaks entirely to an audience ripe for divor ce; adulterers, fantasizers, the side chick/guy, or even the suspicious spouse. The reasons of increased divorce vary depending on the period of time that you are looking at, or the situation in which the divorce is taking place. Due to the increased rates of divorce