Immanuel Kant: Duty and Reason Essay

The action of an individual is said to depend on lots of factors. The value of these actions is weighed based on the different point of views of humans. Immanuel Kant, a philosopher, classifies the moral worth of an action through the use of two concepts; duty and reason. Acting based on duty and reason can be better understand by looking at these cases from Kant’s point of view and by means of thoroughly analyzing the arguments presented to consider an acts moral worth. Considering the case that a husband loves his wife because he loves her such that he has an inclination to be faithful to her, Kant’s view for this example will be that this case has no moral worth. For Kant, the foundation of morality is duty. The factor that causes human to be moral beings is their duty and the factor to be considered in determining the moral of an act is the persons will to follow his duty. (www. ipf. edu, n. d. ) On the other hand, a husband’s act to remain loyal to his wife as a matter of duty, although he finds it decidedly unpleasant will be considered by Kant to have a moral worth. A moral action has a moral worth not because of the effect of the action itself but because of the value that the action done according to duty that was set by the society. (Abbott, 1907) For Kant, the fact that the action is done only for duty alone is in itself makes the action to contain a moral worth. (Herman, 1981) It refers mainly to duty being implemented through the law that makes an action of moral worth. (www. philosophypages. com, n. d. ) The moral worth of both cases can be better understood through differentiating acting in accordance with duty and acting from duty. Acting in accordance with duty has no moral worth since it is just an act that conforms to duty as guided by self-interest. Acting from duty, on the other hand, is an act that is done because the duty is requiring it. It means that actions will only have a moral worth if they are performed from duty while those actions that are taken as caused by self-interest that accords with duty for whatever reason, have no moral worth. In the example of a husband that loves his wife due to two reasons, we can say that the first case, which is loving the wife because the husband has an inclination to love her is considered by Kant to be of no moral worth since the husband does not love his wife from duty. He just loves the wife because it is his self-interest that motivates him to love her. In that way, he loves according to self-interest that just so happen to be in accord with loving from duty. Thus, he is loving his wife in accordance with duty and is thus it has no moral worth. For the second example of loving which is loving his wife because it is his duty as a husband even if he finds it unpleasant, this act has moral worth for Kant because the act is done out of the need to follow duty. The husband loves his wife because it should be his action towards his wife as it is set by the laws and rule of the society. Even if he will not gain self-pleasure from it, he is still doing it because it is his duty as husband to love his wife. Thus, he is acting from duty and his act contains moral worth for Kant. Upon understanding Kant’s philosophy, I can say that he has a good point on why he believed that the moral worth of an act is based on the duty that forces a person to commit such act. The good thing about his account of moral worth is that an act can be considered to have a moral worth if that is done without self-interest but is done only as dictated by duty. His philosophy is good in a sense because it can assess the moral worth of a person in terms of the responsibility that he should carry and not only acting as a result of his own decision in order to gain pleasure from it. However, I disagree with him. I believe that if an act is done whether for the sake of following your duty or the laws implemented by the society as based from their reasoning, an act can still have a moral worth depending also on its effect on the society. For me, I think that what Kant is trying to say is that the moral worth in different cases that we have to make a decision or an act lies on the will to follow the duty itself. It only means that the one of moral worth is the ability to follow duties or the rules and not the act itself. If we are doing something even if we can just derived pleasure or get something out of it, as long as we don’t step on the rights of others and can contribute to our society, our acts can still have moral worth. In line with this, I can say that acting from duty is morally right as well as acting according to duty as long as our interests do not conflict with the violation of the rights of another people. I think that pursuing self-interest that will lead to the good of other people, as in the case of Mother Teresa, is morally worth. The self-interest in that sense does not conflict with the violation of the rights of others, but instead, it leads to the good of the needy. Hence, it still has its moral worth. For example, a lifeguard is saving the lives of drowning people, even if he doesn’t want too and what he is doing is just a burden for him has a moral worth. Also, a lifeguard that is saving the lives of drowning people and expecting in return that he will receive a word of thank you from the people that he saved still has a moral worth. This is because, I think, that no matter what motivates you to do an act as long as it can help others and does not bypass human rights, that act has a moral worth. In the case of a lifeguard, saving people as caused by duty and saving people as caused by an expectation to receive a word of thanks are both morally correct. It is because the fact that the lifeguard has saved a life no matter what is the reason that makes me considered it to have a moral worth. I also believe that morality is subjective depending on a person’s bringing up, culture, experiences and way of thinking. One act can be of moral value to a person but for some, may be the same act has little or no moral worth at all. That is, morality lies on each one of us and that the effect that it can make to ourselves and especially to our society will greatly dictates its moral worth. Different societies may evaluate the same act to have a different moral worth. A way to explain this is by looking at the case of Eskimos. For Eskimos, offering their wives to have sex with a guest is a polite action as a way of entertaining a visitor. In their way, their act has a moral worth because they are acting from duty. However, if a wife from other country will ask his husband that she wants to have sex with their guest as a way of entertaining the guest, the action is resulting from self-interest and not from duty that is dictated by the culture. Thus, it does not have a moral worth. This explains that the value of moral worth is subjective to culture, and to the specific society itself. Thus, in conclusion, I can say that the first case of loving a wife that was mentioned, which is loving as motivated by inclination, has moral worth because he is still doing his responsibility or duty even if he really wants to do it as directed by his emotion. The second case, which is loving because that is dictated by duty, also contains a moral value, although lesser than the first one. For me, it’s moral worth is less than the first because he is not loving his wife whole heartedly but only loving her because he is required by his duty. I think that in general, Kant’s theory is good but is lacking in a certain aspect that greatly affects the action of human, which is emotions. This is because aside from intellectual reasoning, we also have emotions and that these emotions can also dictate us on how we are going to act. Whether we act from duty or we act in accordance with duty as directed by self-interest which is controlled by emotions, our action can both have moral worth. Thus, in summary Kant had contributed a view about the reason for one’s act in terms of the assessment of the action. However, it is limited and there must be other factors to be considered in assessing the moral value of one’s act, in which his theory must contain. Works Cited Abbott, T. K. (1907). Immanuel Kant Duty Is Prior to Happiness. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://books. google. com/books? id=Y2oIobRXrWIC&pg=PA92&ots=lqnR0qrkHw&dq= On+the+Va lue+of+Acting+from+the+Motive+of+Duty,&ei=wT9FR63gI4KktAPBgYXbBg&sig=Z8 QYGzRw_L9lc eC8Xkj1_JOZjKA Herman, Barbara, (1981). On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty. The Philosophical Review. Volume 90, No. 3 pp 359-382. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://links. jstor. org/sici? sici=0031- 8108(198107)90%3A3%3C359%3AOTVOAF%3E2. 0. CO%3B2- B www. ipfw. edu. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://209. 85. 173. 104/search? q=cache:_3cincyqJb0J:www. ipfw. edu/phil/faculty/Esteve z/Kant. ppt+Duty+and+Reason-+immanuel+Kant&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us www. philosophypages. com. (n. d. ). Kant: The Moral Order. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://www. philosophypages. com/hy/5i. htm.

Externalities, Pollution and Global Warming

Topic 4: Externalities, Pollution and Global Warming ECON 1210B Economics and Society 1 Introduction Recall: Markets are usually a good way to organize economic activity In the absence of market failures, the market outcome is efficient, maximizes total surplus One major type of market failure: externalities Externality: the uncompensated impact of one person’s actions on the well-being of a bystander 2 Externalities and EfficiencyIn the presence of externality, market equilibrium is no longer efficient Individual’s estimates of resources value (or cost) are not correct (from the society’s point of view) Traditional belief: Government to step in to ensure efficient resource allocation And to protect the interest of bystanders as well 3 Negative Externality Negative Externality: the effect on bystanders is adverse Example: the neighbor’s barking dog talking on cell phone while driving makes the roads less safe for others health risk to others from second-ha nd smoke noise pollution from construction projects 4 Pollution: A Negative ExternalityFirms burn huge quantities of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil) that cause acid rain and global warming Firms dump toxic waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans These environmental issues are simultaneously everybody’s problem and nobody’s problem 5 Pollution: A Negative Externality Example of negative externality: Air pollution from factory Firm does not bear the full cost of its production, so will produce more than the socially efficient quantity How govt may improve the market outcome: Impose a corrective tax on the firm equal to the external cost of the pollution it generates 6 Recap of Welfare EconomicsP $5 4 3 $2. 50 2 1 0 The market for gasoline The market eqm maximizes consumer + producer surplus. Supply curve shows private cost, the costs directly incurred by sellers Demand curve shows private value, the value to buyers (the prices they are willing to pay) 0 10 20 25 30 Q (gallons) 7 Analysis of a Negative Externality Key: distinguish private and social costs Private costs and social costs diverge in the presence of externality Producer concerns private cost, which neglect the external cost (pollution cost) Social cost represents the resource cost to a society social cost = private cost + external cost 8Analysis of a Negative Externality P $5 4 3 2 1 0 The market for gasoline Social cost =private+ external cost external cost 0 External cost = value of the negative impact on bystanders = $1 per gallon (value of harm Supply (private cost) from smog, greenhouse gases) 10 20 30 Q (gallons) 9 Analysis of a Negative Externality P $5 4 3 2 D 1 0 The market for gasoline Social cost S The socially The socially optimal quantity optimal quantity is 20 gallons. is 20 gallons.At any Q < 20, At any Q < 20, value of additional gas value of additional gas exceeds social cost exceeds social cost At any Q > 20, At any Q > 20, social cost of the social cost of the last gallon is last gallon is greater than its value greater than its value 10 0 10 20 25 30 Q (gallons) Analysis of a Negative Externality P $5 4 3 2 D 1 0 The market for gasoline Mkt eqm (Q = 25) Social cost is greater than social optimum S (Q = 20) overproduction resulted in DWL (red triangle) One solution: impose a corrective tax of $1/gallon on sellers, shift supply curve up $1 11 0 10 20 25 30 Q (gallons) Internalizing the ExternalityInternalizing the externality: altering incentives so that people take account of the external effects of their actions previous example: $1/gallon tax on sellers makes sellers’ costs equal to social costs When market participants must pay social costs, the market eqm matches the social optimum. Imposing the tax on buyers would achieve the same outcome: market Q will equal optimal Q 12 Summary For Pollution: A Negative Externality With negative externality, QMarket >QSocial Optium firms over-produce (DWL exist) Remedy: The government can intern alize the externality by imposing corrective tax Price tax S’ SQ = Qmarket = initial eqm Q’ = QSocial Optium = eqm after tax D Q’ Q Quantity 13 Externality in Consumption Consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and gasoline (private driving) all create negative externality to the society Got impose a heavy corrective tax on these goods to alter the incentives of customers, in order to mitigate of negative externality 14 Corrective Tax Rate (Levy / Charges) in HK Alcohol: 100% tax rate for alcohol with strength of more than 30% by volume Cigarettes: $1. 7 / each cigarette, tax for a pack of 20-stick cigarettes = $34 70% of the selling price of $50 / pack Leaded petrol: $6. 823/ litre, unleaded petrol: $6. 6/ litre About 40% of the selling price of each litre of gasoline 15 Example: Gasoline Tax Targets 3 Negative Externalities Congestion: the more you drive, the more you contribute to congestion Accidents: larger vehicles cause more damage in an accident Pollution: burn ing fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases 16 Case Study: Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags in HK Survey indicates that some 8 billion (8,000,000,000) plastic shopping bags are disposed of at landfills every year in HK This translates into more than 3 plastic shopping bags per person per day, which apparently go beyond our needs 7 Case Study: Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags in HK Address the problem of abuse, gov introduced an levy of $0. 5 HKD on each plastic shopping bag at the retail level Estimated negative externality of each plastic bag = ? 18 Positive Externality Positive Externality: the effect on bystanders is beneficial Example: When you get a flu vaccination, everyone you come into contact with benefits Research and Development (R&D) creates knowledge others can use Renovating your house increases neighboring property values Restores of historical building 19 Positive Externalities from EducationA more educated population benefits society: lower crim e rates: educated people have more opportunities, so less likely to rob and steal better government: educated people make better-informed voters People do not consider these external benefits when deciding how much education to â€Å"purchase† 20 Positive Externalities from Education Result: market eqm Q of education too low How govt may improve the market outcome: subsidize cost of education In the presence of a positive externality, the social value of a good includes private value: the direct value to buyers external benefit: the value of the positive impact on bystanders 21Analysis of a positive externality P The market for flu shots $50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 S D External benefit = $10/shot Draw the social value curve. Find the socially optimal Q. What policy would internalize this externality? Q 22 Analysis of a positive externality P The market for flu shots $50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 25 30 external benefit S Mkt eqm Q = 20 Social optimal Q = 25 underproduction result ed in DWL (red triangle) Social value = private value + external benefit D To internalize the externality, use Q subsidy = $10/shot. 23Case Study: Innovation and Technology Policy in HK Should government subsidize high tech companies? Pros: Spillover effects International competitiveness Cons: Potential misallocation of public resource Potential problems of unfairness & corruption 24 Case Study: Innovation and Technology Policy in HK Eg: Cyberport IT project? 25 Summary: Corrective Tax and Subsidy to Deal With Externalities If negative externality market produces a larger quantity than is socially desirable If positive externality market produces a smaller quantity than is socially desirable 6 Summary: Corrective Tax and Subsidy to Deal With Externalities remedy the problem: â€Å"internalize the externality† tax goods with negative externalities ideal corrective tax = external cost subsidize goods with positive externalities ideal corrective subsidy = external benefit 27 Pri vate Solutions to Externalities? Government intervention is always controversial Major concerns of government intervention include fairness and efficiency The market does develop some possible solutions to externality over time 28 Private Solutions to Externalities?Social norms / moral codes Eg: littering Mergers Eg: MTR as a property developer Contracts between market participants and the affected bystanders However: If an externality affects many people, contract negotiation is virtually impossible 29 Public Policies Toward Negative Externalities Market-based policies provide incentives so that private decisionmakers will choose to solve the problem on their own Corrective Tax Tradable Pollution Permits 30 Public Policies Toward Negative Externalities Command-and-control policies: Regulation regulate behavior directly.Examples: limits on quantity of pollution emitted requirements that firms adopt a particular technology to reduce emissions 31 Policy Option: Example â€Å"Ace Elec tric† and â€Å"Billy Power† both are running coal-burning power plants Each emits 40 tons of sulfur dioxide per month SO2 causes acid rain & other health issues Policy goal: reducing SO2 emissions 25% to 60 tons/month 32 Policy Option: Regulation Vs Corrective Tax Policy options 1. regulation: require each plant to cut emissions by 25% 2. corrective tax: make each plant pay a tax on each ton of SO2 emissions. Set tax at level that achieves goal. 33Policy Option: Regulation Vs Corrective Tax Under Policy option 1, regulation, firms have no incentive to reduce emissions beyond the 25% target Suppose cost of reducing emissions is lower for â€Å"Ace Electric† than for â€Å"Billy Power† Socially efficient outcome: â€Å"Ace Electric† reduces emissions more than â€Å"Billy Power† 34 Policy Option: Regulation Vs Corrective Tax Corrective tax is a price on the right to pollute Under policy option 2, tax on emissions gives firms incentive to conti nue reducing emissions as long as cost of doing so is less than the tax If a cleaner technology available, tax gives firms incentive to adopt it Tax payment is money!So, corrective taxes enhance efficiency by aligning private with social incentives 35 Policy Option: Tradable Pollution Permits Recall: â€Å"Ace Electric† and â€Å"Billy Power† each emit 40 tons SO2, total of 80 tons. Goal: reduce 25% emissions to 60 tons/month Policy option 3: Tradable Pollution Permits issue 60 permits, each allows its holder to emit one ton of SO2 give 30 permits to each firm establish market for trading permits 36 Policy Option: Tradable Pollution PermitsEach firm can choose among these options: emit 30 tons of SO2, using all its permits emit < 30 tons, sell unused permits buy additional permits so it can emit > 30 tons 37 Policy Option: Tradable Pollution Permits A system of tradable pollution permits achieves goal at lower cost than regulation Firms with low cost of reducing pollut ion (Ace Electric) sell whatever permits they can Firms with high cost of reducing pollution (Billy Power) buy permits Result: incentive to reduce pollution: permit = money 38Tradable Pollution Permits in the Real World Emission of greenhouse gases causes the global warming The primary greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is the emission of carbon dioxide Carbon emissions trading is a form of emissions trading that specifically targets carbon dioxide 39 Tradable Pollution Permits in the Real World Carbon emissions permits traded in Europe since January 1, 2005 Recall: permit = money Firms will have strong incentive to reduce carbon emissions 40

Yellow Journalism essays

War of Deception/ Yellow Journalism essays Newspapers are a major influence on the way people perceive the world. It is a source which connects readers to many different topics of interest. Newspapers have also become a competitive business. With a desire to increase circulation and obtain more advertising revenue, a different type of journalism was developed in the late 1900s. The press industry began to evolve into a media that had not been seen before. Critics were labeling this new style of publishing all types names such as jingoism, sensationalism, and as it is wildly known today, yellow journalism. Many battles between publishers to get the first scope of a story created a market that would become almost fictional and have serious consequences on the stability of society. The first most notable incident was the Spanish-American War, known as the Newspaper War. With the use of sensationalism and yellow journalism the newspaper industry exploited the American population and government to instigate a declaration of war on Spain. In the mid-1890s, Joseph Pulitzer (New York World) and William Hearst (San Francisco Examiner) transformed newspapers with sensational and scandalous news coverage. This turned the high drama of life into a cheap melodrama and led to stories being twisted into the forms best suited for sales by the hollering newsboy at the corner of every New York intersection. The main event in the press was the growing controversy in Cuba. Cuba and Puerto Rico were the only remnants of Spain's once vast empire in the New World (Brenan 211). The Spanish government was using unconventional and sometimes brutal methods to control the uprising in Cuba. Stories about the Cuban rebellion sold papers, and continued to appear. Every little bit of Cuban turmoil drew public attention. Newspapers started reporting atrocities and many mass executions of prisoners and sympathizers in detention camps. Although some of the reported e...

The Disuniting of America essays

The Disuniting of America essays Those who want to join America must be received and welcomed by those who already thnk they own America. ... Not only must they want assimiliation and integration; we must want assimilation and integration too. With the complacent majority than with the beleaguered minorities. (pg24) Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Who Schlesinger was referring to by they are the minorities and the new immigrants to the United States of America. And when he said we he was referring to the people who consider themselves Americans. We do have the power to make this a just land for all but, the question is will we ever do that? The Constitution has rights for everyone supposedly. The constitution was initially written for the rich white man and this will never change unless the people do something about it. Yes, I agree with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. that we must except everyone and strive to be one people. How can we say that we are moving in the direction of becoming one people when there is still segregation going on. I am not saying that segregation is going on like it was after the African Americans were freed from slavery, it is going on in other forms that are not very easy to see. For example if it is a rich area they will have the best schools and education. Those people will get further in life and the people that live in a rundown neighborhood will get a very low form of education and will not succeed they will always stay at the bottom. How can all the schools in Oakland in the rundown areas, where the majority of the students are African Americans, do not have good schools. Why is there a difference between the schools in Oakland and lets say Pleasanton, which is a dominant white area. These are all public schools so why are the standards so different. When you walk in to a school in Oakland it will be mostly minoritie ...

Battle of Patay in the Hundred Years War

Battle of Patay in the Hundred Years' War Battle of Patay - Conflict Date: The Battle of Patay was fought June 18, 1429, and was part of the Hundred Years War (1337–1453). Armies Commanders: English Sir John FastolfJohn Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury5,000 men French La HireJean Poton de XaintraillesJoan of Arc1,500 men Battle of Patay - Background: Following the English defeat at Orleans and other reverses along the Loire Valley in 1429, Sir John Fastolf advanced into the area with a relief force from Paris. Joining with John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, the column moved to relieve the English garrison at Beaugency. On June 17, Fastolf and Shrewsbury encountered a French force northeast of the town. Realizing that its garrison had fallen, the two commanders elected to fall back to Meung-sur-Loire as the French were not willing to give battle. Arriving there, they attempted to retake the bridge guardhouse which had fallen to French forces a few days earlier. Battle of Patay - the English Retreat: Unsuccessful, they soon learned that the French were moving from Beaugency to besiege Meung-sur-Loire. Outnumbered and outgunned by Joan of Arcs approaching army, Fastolf and Shrewsbury decided to abandon the town and retreat north towards Janville. Marching out, they moved up the Old Roman Road before pausing near Patay to rest. Leading the rear guard, Shrewsbury placed his archers and other troops in a covered position near an intersection. Learning of the English retreat, the French commanders debated what action to pursue. The discussion was ended by Joan who advocated for a swift pursuit. Sending forward a mounted force under the leadership of La Hire and Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, Joan followed with the main army. Ranging ahead, French patrols initially failed to locate Fastolfs column. While the vanguard paused at St. Sigmund, approximately 3.75 miles from Patay, the French scouts finally had success. Unaware of their proximity to Shrewsburys position, they flushed a stag from along the road. Racing north it bounded through the English position. Battle of Patay - the French Attack: Spotting the deer, the English archers sent up a hunting cry which gave away their location. Learning of this, La Hire and Xaintrailles raced ahead with 1,500 men. Rushing to prepare for battle, the English archers, armed with the deadly longbow, began their standard tactic of placing pointed stakes in front of their position for protection. As Shrewsburys line formed near the intersection, Fastolf deployed his infantry along a ridge to the rear. Though they moved quickly, the English archers were not fully prepared when the French appeared around 2:00 PM. Riding over a ridge south of the English lines, La Hire and Xaintrailles did not pause, but instead immediately deployed and charged forward. Slamming into Shrewsburys position, they quickly outflanked and overran the English. Watching in horror from the ridge, Fastolf attempted to recall the vanguard of his column but to no avail. Lacking sufficient forces to deal with the French, he began retreating up the road as La Hire and Xaintrailles horsemen cut down or captured the remnants of Shrewsburys men. Battle of Patay - Aftermath: The final battle of Joan of Arcs decisive Loire Campaign, Patay cost the English around 2,500 casualties while the French sustained approximately 100. Having defeated the English at Patay and concluded a highly successful campaign, the French began to turn the tide of the Hundred Years War. The defeat inflicted significant losses upon the English longbow corps as well as was one of the first times a massed French cavalry charge had overcome the skilled archers. Selected Sources Battle of PataySiege of Orleans and Loire Valley Campaign

Eassay Analysis (human resources) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eassay Analysis (human resources) - Essay Example It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications†¦ Persons with HIV disease, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, have physical impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities and are, therefore, protected by the law. â€Å"(1) A. The act of Marion County in requiring an applicant be medically examined prior to any offer of a job is illegal. In a decided case it was ruled that the â€Å"Chicago Board of Educations requirement for any job applicant to provide a complete medical history and to submit to a medical examination is tantamount to requiring HIV status disclosure and is thus violative of the Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and Federal and State constitutional guarantees to privacy and equal protection under the law.†(3) Thus the â€Å"Board agreed not require applicants to submit to the medical exam unless they have a conditional offer of employment.† (4) B. The act of denying Mr. Poole employment on account that he has AIDS. This allegation by Mr. Poole must first be proven. For him to find a basis for his allegation he must be found to possess all of the following: The ADA prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. A "qualified individual with a disability" is a person who meets legitimate skill, experience, education, or other requirements of an employment position he or she holds or seeks, and who can perform the "essential functions" of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. (5) Essential functions of the job are those core duties that are the reason the job position exists†¦Requiring the ability to perform "essential" functions assures that an individual with a disability will not be considered unqualified because

The Sexualization of Disney Charaters Research Paper

The Sexualization of Disney Charaters - Research Paper Example The problem, is that Disney has began marketing itself as a brand that reaches out and entertains family members of all ages. The company also uses unrealistic depictions of the physical image of their princess characters in the sense that rather than having a little girl playing a role, the character is always a young woman whose figure and actions depicts that of an unrealistic fashion model rather than that of a real world child dealing with image issues. In other words, Disney sexualizes their characters to the point that instead of inspiring little girls to love themselves, they instead learn to self-loathe because they do not meet the standards set by the Disney characters that they admire the most. They do not learn to love themselves as they are because the Disney characters are not depicted in a realistic manner. The problem with this situation is that Disney princess characters carry a tremendous amount of influence over the minds of little girls. Peggy Orenstein explains that: â€Å"The company’s wares reflect the changing taste of their demographic and it’s the change that’s disturbing. â€Å"Think of their memory as a blank slate that is ready to be written upon. Little girls know nothing about demographics, what is right or wrong, or even how a girl should perceive herself. That is something that is influenced by the mass media marketing that is controlled by Disney. That writing becomes the impression by which the child leads her life afterwards. In the case, Disney, through its artists rendering influences the little girl into believing what they want her to believe in order to move their products and sell their movie tickets and videos. Previous Disney incarnations of their princesses were mostly passive females who looked to men in order to be saved. However, D isney decided to go a different route in an effort to keep up with the feminist cause. Hence the empowered and sexually charged portrayal of their current crop of princesses (Greenfield, Beth â€Å"Disney Princess Makeover Sparks Outrage: Merida Petition Goes Viral†). Let us remember that starting with Ariel, the little mermaid, Disney began serving up young women who are basically self-centered and with a knack for getting themselves into trouble. Ariel as a princess of the sea thought only of herself and her dreams and her ambitions. When she came across her prince charming, she then set her sights on snagging him to the extent of endangering herself in the process.