Freedom in an Age of Distraction: Satisfying Preferences for Self-Worth - Essay Sample

Introduction

The second quotation in this category is derived from Matthew B. Crawford's Book titled The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction. From the passage, the aspect of the current society whereby one setts preference and satisfies them for them to feel contented and self-worth is outlined. The author of the passage argues that in the current generation, a person who fulfills their preferences consider their selves to have attained freedom (Crawford, 2015). To an extent, the author goes on to explain that democracy is partially the desire that somebody has to fulfill their necessities, demands, and wishes. Although trying as much as possible to satisfy oneself need is considered to be attaining freedom, this does not bring a clear picture of a person being free should be. These personal preferences in recent times have become an essential aspect in the way the society has been reshaping over time, with more influence as a result of social media.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Preference in this passage is a person's wish on how something is being conducted. Preference-satisfying behavior is how individuals conduct themselves, to attain a specific goal. Authenticity is the virtue of being real, while social engineering is the gradual change in how society is shaped. A notion is a general belief or conception about something imagined, experienced, or well known. Rational scrutiny is a sensible and logical examination of something to obtain information from it. An encumbrance is a hindrance preventing somebody from achieving something. A preference-satisfying behavior in the context of this passage can be said to be a manner in which a person conducts themselves with an expectation that their actions would fulfill their wish. Contemporary life can be termed as the existence of two or more people of things at the same time. Welling up as used in this context refers to a person growing up to outpace a certain age or character. Social engineering is the use of central planning to regulate the behavior and future development of a humane society. In contrast, a mind-bogglingly wealthy corporation armed with big data refers to an extraordinarily large institution with access to vast data.

This passage on the relationship between a feeling of being free as a result of accomplishing some set preferences is directly derived from Matthew B. Crawford's Book titled The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction. The quotation brings out the main ideas addressed in the Book, though in a brief outline. Matthew B. Crawford's Book is a continuation of the concepts discussed in the passage, which mainly touches on freedom and preferences by individuals. The passage talks about notions by the modern society of being free by attaining some choices, which is the main idea in the Book (Crawford, 2015). The current cultural crisis of attention and distraction within the community is deeply looked at in Matthew B. Crawford's Book. Both the passage and the book outline measure that one can adopt to maintain coherent self-worth when attention to their mental lives is distracted by society. According to the two sources, this distraction arises mainly from outside forces that destroy a person's focus and disrupt their peace of mind, mostly from digital content platforms.

The passage, which mainly addresses preferences and beliefs by the modern society on what being free implies, compares to Raoul Martinez's Book titled Creating Freedom: Power, Control, and the Fight for Our Future, in that the two address one common topic. In Raoul Martinez's Book, the subject of freedom is thoroughly brought into perspective. In the Book, the author binds together arguments, facts, and ideas to break consecrated myths about society -these are myths concerning free elections, free media, free markets, and free will (Martinez, 2017). Thus, addressing the notion of freedom in modern society just like in the passage. While Raoul Martinez believes that democracy is at the heart of economic and political systems, exhibited in the societies' way of life. Freedom is the conception of what it is to be human and to be foundational to the people's sense of justice. He goes on to ask whether society is actual as free as it thinks. Raoul Martinez goes on to argue that freedom ought to be something the community can create out of determination, imagination, and empathy. Democracy should not be something the political system gives the society. According to Raoul Martinez, freedom should not even be something the community can easily take.

Morality & Happiness

The first passage in this group is extracted from Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. The author in the passage explains how virtues are acquired by thoroughly practicing them. An attributee is a temperament to act and behave in the right manner (Ameriks & Clarke, 2000). The passage clearly outlines that moral virtues are learned mainly by habits and practice and not by reasoning. Moral virtues are habits acquired by practicing them and emulating remarkably virtuous people by practicing their noble actions. The author goes on to explain that good attributes are also destroyed in the same manner. In the same way, one acquires character by involving themselves in similar activities overtime.

Habit or rather, practice is one of the keys to success; this is because no matter how talented one is, there is a possibility to forget the skills if one does not practice on them. Similarly, this aspect applies to virtues. The frequency engaged in practicing something and the desire to learn and achieve more will determine a person's progress in mastering the particular activity. Practice can lead to success, whether it is in academics, sports, or in morals. Perfection implies the improvement made towards achieving a specific goal. The more effort and dedication are put towards a purpose, the more one is closer to achieving the goal.

From the passage, when one acquires a particular moral value, or rather a virtue, the person is bound to stick to that virtue in their entire life. Attributes learned during one's childhood make a very significant difference in that person's life. The aspect of virtues and self-discipline is just like any other skill and can be learned and mastered by continuous practice and repetition. This requires a lot of effort, willpower, and self-discipline, just like going to the gym.

This passage entirely discusses the formation of character from habit, the cultivation of such nature to improve it, and the continuous learning of new good morals. The quotation consists of three sections directly extracted from chapter one of the Nicomachean Ethics (Ameriks & Clarke, 2000). The first section of the quote deeply sensitizes the acquisition of virtues by habit. The second section emphasizes the importance of a continuous practice on art such as a talent, for it will be lost if effort towards perfecting it is not made. The final section of the quotation, which comprises the last chapter in the chapter outlines that a person becomes what they do regularly.

The quotation fits in the source from where it is extracted since the Nicomachean Ethics is an extension of the ideas brought forth in the quote, whereas the context from where the passage is extracted discusses both character formation from habit and learning. Aristotle defines and describes the various virtues, and also discusses the kind of habit-formation and moral education that are essential for the development of a virtuous character. According to Nicomachean Ethics, there are two sorts of virtues; intellectual and moral (Ameriks & Clarke, 2000). The teaching results in intellectual virtues while moral virtue is derived from habit. However, this impliess that while intellectual virtues can be learnt for instance by reading a hardcover, a moral virtue may be obtained only by means of practice.

This passage from the Nicomachean Ethics similarly relates to William Bennett's Book titled The Moral Compass in several ways. While the passage discusses the development of virtues and character, William Bennett's Book focuses on helping society to learn the vital traits of good character (Bennett, 1995). The Book offers exemplary stories from history and significant works from literature, essays and poems that illustrate or defend to teach families of good and bad deeds, and right and wrong. William Bennett's Book further sensitizes on having faith in God, family fidelity values, showing compassion to others, being perseverant, responsibility, and unity among the community.

Freedom & Determinism

The second quotation in this third group is derived from the essay Freedom Compromised. The essay from which the passage is extracted is from the Book titled The Importance of What We Care About, which is a collection of philosophical essays by Harry Frankfurt. This quotation mainly focuses on the consequences one has to face when they make individual choices. One's results in any activity are directly related to the decisions that a person chooses (Harry, 1988). Ideally, a person cannot make poor and uninformed decisions and evade the repercussions of those decisions. It's a common saying that If one picks up one side of a stick (a choice), they also pick up the other side of the stick (a consequence of the option) and that No amount of excuse or complaints can reverse the effects.

A person should be responsible for the actions they do, not because they are capable of doing them, but because they are doing the right thing. One way of making sure that the consequences of the choices one makes are positive and of success is through the responsible use of the freedom to choose in whatever direction to take in life. And this is mainly achievable by making the right choices; even no one is watching. Instead of taking the easiest or most convenient option, everyone is obligated to making the right decisions. The one thing that matters is whether the person recognizes the driving force to do such an act and is aware of the repercussions of whatever it is they choose to do.

Any desire to do something should be accompanied by the fact that the person intending to undertake the act can reflect upon it and make a decision on whether it would be wrong or a good move to act the desire. A person will change their life for the better by being accountable and responsible for the decisions they make. By making the right choices, one leads a happy and positive, which makes them handle life challenges.

To brainwash someone, as used in this passage, means to try to persuade them to adopt a particular belief or attitude, mainly religious beliefs, social or political. Higher-order thinking refers to reasoning, which involves the knowledge of complex judgmental skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. A first-order desire refers to an inclination for anything other than a wish and usually is weak, such as a desire to own a new car or meet the president.

Whereas the essay from where the quotation is derived addresses the relation of having a mental problem and the capacity to act freely in making choices. Harry Frankfurt argues that free will of the ability to make informed decisions in many times may be reduced or restricted as a result of having a compromised or freedom. Compulsion, weakness of the will, addiction, and Obsession are some of the factors that negatively affect a person's self-control, and thus resulting in reduced capabilities of acting freely. They can also highlight what is essential for freedom. The passage only addresses the responsibility expected of someone for their actions. The quotation outlines one main objective, people doing the right thing.

This quotation from Harry Frankfurt's essay Freedom Comprom...