Sociology Report: Examining Applied Ethics and Integrity Issues

This sociology report explores various aspects of ethics and integrity, addressing questions related to fairness in business, strategies for strengthening self-control, lessons learned from influential figures, the role of determination in overcoming adversity, and the significance of 'happiness' versus 'pleasure' in the Declaration of Independence. It also delves into plagiarism within the legal profession, offering advice to students on avoiding academic dishonesty. Furthermore, the report analyzes human moral sense as an evolutionary survival strategy and concludes with a personal definition of a good life, emphasizing virtue, kindness, and compassion. The reference list includes academic sources used to support the arguments presented.

Running head: SOCIOLGY REPORT
SOCIOLGY REPORT
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Response to Question 1.
Though I agree with Mr. Greenspan’s words, “Human relations--be they personal or
professional--should not be zero sum games”, it is not always correct that a reputation for being
fair is considered to be a virtue in the business field. From Chairman Greenspan’s experience, he
has found trust and honesty to be of high values not only in terms of personal satisfaction, but
also in terms of progress in economic growth of the business. However, some international
businesses view complete honesty with suspicion, like the Japanese (Yamada).
Response to Question 2.
I would recommend using Assagioli’s therapy of “psychosynthesis”, which is the
integration of one’s personality with the spirit, for strengthening self-control and tolerance
(Keller). A helpful strategy that I personally practice, is training the will to be stronger and to
resist temptation. I also use the strategy of replacing any desire or fascination with a mental
image of a completely different context.
Response to Question 3.
From my grandmother, I learnt to have patience and control my temper. From my father,
I learnt the knowledge of various things around me. From my mother, I learnt compassion and
kindness, especially to those less fortunate than I. From my teacher, Mrs. Smith, I learnt reading,
writing and arithmetic. From my friend, Megan, I learnt to love without condition. From my
aunt, Rose, I learnt how to properly conduct myself, especially in the company of others. From

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my brothers, Jack and Tim, I learnt to have courage for facing my fears. I am indebted to God
and all my family members, teachers and friends for teaching me to be grateful for my good
fortune.
Response to Question 4.
Though Abraham Lincoln suffered from two breakdowns because of depression, he was
determined to live for his intense desire “to link his name with something that would redound to
the interest of his fellow man." Lincoln kept himself engaged during off-duty hours as it helped
him to avoid feeling depressed. He spent this time researching and collecting important data and
materials from talented resources. He vented through poetry on death and despair, reading and
recitation. Lincoln used his “melancholy” to his advantage also by infusing his oratory with deep
feelings against slavery. Lastly, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, officially
freeing all slaves (Lincoln).
Response to Question 5.
In the Declaration of Independence, “happiness” should not be replaced with “pleasure”.
Though the word, “pleasure” is synonymous with “happiness”, the former is often associated
with hedonism (Ksendzova et al.). The word “happiness”, often associated with satisfaction,
sounds purer, and more ethical, especially to the conservative society. The phrase “pursuit of
pleasure”, is therefore, inappropriate on such an important legal document, whereas “pursuit of
happiness” can be appropriately used in association with the rights to “life” and “liberty”
(Jefferson).

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Response to Question 6.
[a] Judges and lawyers should care about plagiarized briefs being submitted as another
person’s ideas are not only being used without citation, but are also being misrepresented
(Richmond).
[b] I believe that the decision taken by the court and the attorney disciplinary committee
were about right for the nature of crime attorney Peter Cannon had committed, in comparison to
a similar case involving attorney Lane.
[c] The Iowa Supreme Court justified that attorney Lane not only plagiarized a brief, but
also attempted to hide it from the court, whereas attorney Cannon had admitted his dishonesty
candidly. Lane has also charged his client with excessive fees, which Cannon had not. I agree
with the court’s reasoning, as their punishment of Cannon in comparison to Lane appears to be
justified.
[d] I believe that such public shaming, as in the state of Florida, is too harsh. It aggravates
the feeling of vengeance in people, due to which justice often suffers (Pound).
Response to Question 7.
I would advice my fellow students to raise questions in class so that the professors might
be able to help them understand difficult concepts. This way, they would not have to copy
another student’s work, the perception of which they do not agree with. To avoid copying text
material, I would recommend my fellow students to thoroughly study the text and use their own
words for expressing themselves, and to properly use citations (Lipson).

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Response to Question 8.
From the excerpts of Terrence Des Pres’s An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps, it is
evident that he thinks the human moral sense is an evolutionary survival strategy. I agree with
Des Pres’ analysis that a majority of humans essentially find an instinctive need in helping each
other during extreme conditions [7]. Moral sense, to us humans, is as necessary as the need to
survive crises [4]. Group formation for defending against predation is true for most primates and
insects [10].
Response to Question 9.
A good life is often defined by one’s material possessions and achievements. However, a
good life to others is defined by their good deeds and morals. Being virtuous, kind, just and
having compassion for the less fortunate is my definition of a good life. I plan on continuing on
the path of virtue, being ethical and just to those around me and caring for the less fortunate in
any way I can. I would then consider myself to have lived a good life.

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Reference List:
Jefferson, Thomas. The declaration of independence (1776). Spark Publishing, 2014. Print.
Keller, Michael. "Psychosynthesis (Assagioli)." Encyclopedia of Psychology and
Religion (2014): 1439-1442.
Ksendzova, Masha, et al. "The portrait of a hedonist: The personality and ethics behind the value
and maladaptive pursuit of pleasure." Personality and Individual Differences 79 (2015):
68-74. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. Emancipation proclamation. Sheba Blake Publishing, 2017. Print.
Lipson, Charles. Doing honest work in college: How to prepare citations, avoid plagiarism, and
achieve real academic success. University of Chicago Press, 2019. Print.
Pound, Roscoe. Criminal justice in America. Routledge, 2018. Print.
Richmond, Douglas R. "Unoriginal sin: the problem of judicial plagiarism." Ariz. St. LJ 45
(2013): 1077.
Yamada, Haru. "Yappari, As I Thought: Listener Talk in Japanese Communication." Global
Advances in Business Communication 4.1 (2015): 3.