The most successful businesses make the biggest profits. Evaluate this view.

Possible Points for discussing whether most successful businesses make the biggest profits

  • consider the importance of making profits in business
  • discuss other factors which may contribute to a business’s success
  • make a judgement, based on consideration of the evidence and argument put forward about most successful businesses.
  • businesses needing profits to survive; exceed their operational costs, gain market share and wide recognition of their brand
  • business owners, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders requiring the business to make a profit
  • alternative goals; providing a useful or novel product or service or solving an existing problem
  • some business owners simply wish to develop or share a skill, talent or love for their product or service
  • the calculation of ‘biggest profits’ depends on the scale of the business and its revenue-to-cost ratio
  • profit and ethics not being mutually exclusive; profitable businesses can more easily achieve philanthropy, ethical sourcing or greener practices
  • environmental, social, animal welfare or ethical credentials being a unique selling point
  • other success factors including market influence, brand recognition, customer service and treatment of employees.

Nations and peoples should always forgive the wrongs of the past. Evaluate this view.

Points discussing if nations and people should always forgive the wrongs of the past

  • show an understanding of the nature and role of forgiveness, in a national and personal context
  • discuss the extent to which past wrongdoing should always be forgiven
  • make a judgement, based on consideration of the evidence and argument put forward about.
  • the role of forgiveness for past wrongdoing in international relations
  • whether past actions can or should be forgiven depends on their intention, nature and impact
  • the severity, duration and reach of the impact of the wrongdoing needing to be taken into account
  • it being necessary to forgive the wrongs of the past in order to move forward and maintain economic, personal and diplomatic relationships
  • countries, their governments and people being more worthy of forgiveness if they show genuine remorse
  • attempts to make up for past actions and for repairing the damage done
  • some actions by countries, especially during the war, being so terrible that forgiveness may be extremely difficult
  • it may take a long period of time before forgiveness takes effect.

The media has become a dangerous part of daily life. To what extent do you agree?

Possible points for discussing if media has become a dangerous part of daily life

  • examine the role that media in its various forms must play in daily life
  • explore the extent to which media has become dangerous
  • make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
  • the media benefits daily life in many ways as it is an instant form of communication
  • media can inform, educate and inspire people of all ages
  • it allows for the showcasing of talents and gives great entertainment
  • it being a simple means of promoting awareness of products, services, views and ideals
  • media isolating people resulting in various social and health problems
  • the promotion of extreme views can have a damaging impact on society
  • media can be one-sided and give narrow viewpoints on important issues
  • inappropriate media having a damaging impact on children and other vulnerable people

Evaluate whether poets have any role to play in society.

Possible points for whether poets have any role to play in society.

  • explore the various forms that poetry can take
  • assess the function and role of poets in society
  • make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
  • poetry being a distinct literary art form, conveying a message in fewer words than a novel
  • poetry having historic and current roles being central to our culture
  • poets performing their work live as well as writing it down
  • new ideas about the understanding of poetry being established in the literary world
  • many poets writing in protest against various important current issues
  • poetry being conveyed by music, which may attract a wider audience
  • poets are not always looked at with favour, as many feel their role is not important in the world today
  • it is being difficult to engage young people in poetry as they argue that other subjects are more important.

To what extent do films have to be realistic to be enjoyable?

Possible points for discussing if films have to be realistic to be enjoyable

  • explore what constitutes realism in films
  • assess whether films need to be realistic to be enjoyable
  • make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
  • films that are realistic in terms of drawing on real life
  • the need for realistic places and locations to engage the audience
  • the need for believable characters in believable scenarios to whom we can relate
  • the importance of realism in documentary films and their impact on the audience
  • escapism being the main reason for watching a film for many
  • a film may be more unpleasant to view if it is too realistic
  • some people watch films in order to view extraordinary people or situations
  • too much emphasis on real-life could render a film as dull.

There should be no limits to a country’s surveillance of its citizens. Discuss.

Possible points for limits to a country’s surveillance of its citizens

  • explore the extent to which a country uses surveillance to observe its citizens
  • evaluate whether there should be limits on a country’s surveillance
  • make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
  • how surveillance is used to monitor people without their knowledge or approval
  • the moral implications of using spyware and other hidden software on devices
  • how the use of CCTV is ensuring the safety of a country’s citizens whilst removing privacy
  • the increasing use of fingerprint and facial recognition devices and their benefits and dangers
  • how companies are using data to profile and target us without our consent
  • the use of National Identity cards and the likely disenfranchisement of some citizens
  • the increasing use of listening devices and Smart items in everyday life
  • how increasing surveillance has helped law enforcement agencies to protect people.

To what extent is it necessary to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads of your country?

Possible points for discussing the necessity to reduce the number of vehicles

  • assess the number of vehicles on the roads
  • evaluate the extent to which it is necessary to reduce the number of vehicles
  • make a judgement, based on considering the evidence and argument put forward.
  • the need to reduce pollution and noise, especially in cities and towns
  • the negative impact of reducing the number of vehicles in terms of taxes,
  • jobs and technological developments
  • the constant need to replace road surfaces due to the number of cars
  • the need to create a safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists and commuters
  • the commercial benefits of pedestrianised zones might include access for supplies and people
  • reducing the number of cars being bought would have a negative economic impact
  • many jobs in the manufacturing industry are linked to the number of cars bought each year
  • improvements in urban infrastructure are often due to increased car usage.

Using a telephone is the best way of communicating. To what extent do you agree?

Discover the benefits and drawbacks of using a telephone for communication.

  • examine the benefits of using the telephone to communicate
  • evaluate the comparative advantages of other communication methods
  • make a judgement, based on considering the evidence and argument put forward.
  • communicating on the telephone or in-person encourages oral skills, fluency, and self-confidence
  • calls taking place in real-time with instant reaction and response
  • using text messages when travelling, therefore avoiding disturbing other people with conversation
  • enhanced phone technology allowing video messages and a range of other effective methods of communication
  • verbal communication offering less opportunity for being misunderstood
  • face-to-face contact allowing parties to experience emotional reactions
  • how shy and introverted people can communicate more readily than they would in live conversation
  • in-person communication is more personal and effective as humans are social beings.

Is complete self-sufficiency  in countries ever  possible?

The notion  of complete self-sufficiency was often seen  as a myth within the modern world as the contemporary developments of globalisation reveal  the  hyper-connected world we live in today, where  countries are succumbed to  the  interdependent  nature of the  global  economy. It  is not  surprising  to  see  that  countries across  the  world are increasingly dependent on one  another for their resources and  this is also regarded as the   norm   and   trait  of  today’s  world.  However,   issues   such  as  growing  demand and   potential  import disruptions  have  surfaced  recently,  with the  notable  COVID-19  pandemic threatening many  global  supply chains  and  affecting the  sufficiency and  sustainability of resources within nations. This raises  the  question if countries should  be pursuing complete self-sufficiency to minimise the threats from the external environment and to be able to maintain  itself without  outside aid or intervention. Even though some nations have pursued self-sufficiency to some degree and  have adopted incremental progress over the past  decade to provide for their own needs, in practice, self-sufficiency is arguably still viewed to be a relative concept along  a continuum that  is highly dependent on the global  climate.  This question raises the debate if complete self-sufficiency is even possible given the interdependent nature of our global  economy today. Is there any interests or benefits to aim for complete self-dependency in countries? What  are  the  factors  that  may influence, shape or limit such possibilities?

Can beliefs affect our ability to reason?

Philosophers throughout history have attempted to explain concepts and divine processes. In achieving this they have always applied reason and logical explanation. Any explanation that seemed illogical or unreal was questioned. However, there has been a constant struggle between belief and reason. Beliefs are ideas that are based on religious, moral and political faiths. Beliefs affect the ability to reason because beliefs cannot be easily changed, they are facts for people and they create boundaries that hinder reasoning. 

Belief can hinder reasoning because once they are accepted, they imperceptibly become facts. Belief immediately gets accepted as reality and further questioning or inquiry becomes difficult. For example, Galileo Galilei faced backlash and imprisonment because his theory was against the belief of the church that the earth is the centre of the universe. The idea can also be seen in how many religious groups are against stem cell research because these groups consider stem cell manipulation equivalent to playing god. Therefore, beliefs once ingrained are treated as confirmed facts and become resistant to suggestions and challenge. Hence, belief and reason are not compatible as belief becomes grounds for unproven facts. 

Beliefs define an individual’s personal sense of reality and knowledge. Human beings have a belief system and through this mechanism, they individually, “make sense” of the world around them Humans need belief systems in varying degrees to cope with events in their lives. For example, religion may fill the human need for finding meaning and not thinking about the existential angst while supporting social movements. Everyone has opinions, biases, and feelings that shape their own beliefs. Based on these factors, people form their opinions which may lead to improper reasoning. However, reason and beliefs are not mutually exclusive. Atheists use reasoning to believe that God does not exist. Some religious faiths believe that their way is the only way to salvation.  Therefore, beliefs shape our opinions and we stick to our beliefs which eventually affects our reasoning.  

Political beliefs are also hard to change because they can be hard-wired into our brain. Political beliefs might affect the ability to think logically because people do not wish to see things from another perspective. People with strong political beliefs use arguments that support their personal viewpoint. For example, a debate in the United States ensued about spending a significant portion of the budget on national defence but in a subsequent survey when participants were asked if military funding should be reduced, the respondents disagreed according to their political beliefs. It is evident that people immediately reject ideas that even slightly threaten their beliefs as it is considered as a direct attack on their identities. Therefore, beliefs do diminish our ability to reason because strong beliefs act as facts for people.  

There are religious beliefs that place little to no boundaries on reasoning. Taoism and Paganism place few constraints over rational thinking. These religious belief systems, allow individuals to explore and develop your own path and ability to reason. Therefore, we can say that belief does not always hinder our ability to reason. However, the majority of religious beliefs create boundaries that hinder reasoning. These beliefs that have no basis in fact or proof cause the greatest distortion of perception. For example, religious beliefs rooted in Abrahamic religions or religions of Semitic origin like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have many restrictions and boundaries. Strong religious beliefs reject facts and ideas that conflict with their boundaries. For example, Sharia laws demand the death penalty for issues like the abandonment of religious beliefs and blasphemy. Therefore, not all religions are created equally and many religious beliefs do hamper our ability to reason. 

In conclusion, it can be said that belief does have the ability to affect reason. Beliefs cannot be easily changed and some beliefs also need reasoning. In most cases, though we stick to our rational or irrational beliefs whether religious, ideological or political which eventually affects our reasoning.  Science has the potential to change beliefs, but its ultimate impact is contingent upon how literate, liberal and lucid people are.