Pepperdine: Mission needs quick look! Applying today.
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:48 pm
Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
Soooo....Is this a good response? I'm extremely wary of turning it in but I'm desperate at this point...
I have always been intrigued by morality as it is broken up into its two defining sects: Normative and descriptive. Certainly, morality’s complexity is more easily navigated when we encounter two possible ways to define it. In its descriptive sense, morality is defined as a code of conduct adhered to by a particular society. In my case, the rules of descriptive morality that were endorsed by the Afghan community in which I grew up showed me the complex link between morality and the law.
While no one would argue against the fact that certain things are both illegal and immoral, such as murder, other scenarios aren’t as straightforward. Within the Afghan-American community, the lines between normative and descriptive morality have always been somewhat blurred. If something was considered culturally wrong, for example, it was immediately forbidden, whether the act was illegal or not. Ultimately, in my experience, Afghan culture has always dictated morality, rather than morality ruling the culture. Growing up with this backwards interpretation, then, has given me respect for the straightforward concept of normative morality.
I respect the idea that something can be right or wrong regardless of what specific individuals think. For this reason, definitive statements in regard to the concept of ethics appeal to me, and in practicing law, I hope to be able to uphold this way of thinking. The Pepperdine School of Law embraces Christian values and upholds the highest standards of academic excellence, and I choose to look at the former in terms of morality.
To me, modern Christian values are in sync with a definitive idea of right and wrong, in terms of morality and ethics. I identify with the mission because I believe that one cannot live a life of purpose, service or leadership without possessing a strong, unwavering sense of morality, regardless of cultural norms or dictations. Despite an individual’s background or culture, a normative sense of morality should dictate the actions of most people, especially those who consider themselves worthy of interpreting the law.
Whether a certain act is condemned or embraced in a particular culture should never dictate an individual’s ability to objectively evaluate the legality of the situation. By embracing this belief, I think I will be able to effectively further the mission of Pepperdine.
Soooo....Is this a good response? I'm extremely wary of turning it in but I'm desperate at this point...
I have always been intrigued by morality as it is broken up into its two defining sects: Normative and descriptive. Certainly, morality’s complexity is more easily navigated when we encounter two possible ways to define it. In its descriptive sense, morality is defined as a code of conduct adhered to by a particular society. In my case, the rules of descriptive morality that were endorsed by the Afghan community in which I grew up showed me the complex link between morality and the law.
While no one would argue against the fact that certain things are both illegal and immoral, such as murder, other scenarios aren’t as straightforward. Within the Afghan-American community, the lines between normative and descriptive morality have always been somewhat blurred. If something was considered culturally wrong, for example, it was immediately forbidden, whether the act was illegal or not. Ultimately, in my experience, Afghan culture has always dictated morality, rather than morality ruling the culture. Growing up with this backwards interpretation, then, has given me respect for the straightforward concept of normative morality.
I respect the idea that something can be right or wrong regardless of what specific individuals think. For this reason, definitive statements in regard to the concept of ethics appeal to me, and in practicing law, I hope to be able to uphold this way of thinking. The Pepperdine School of Law embraces Christian values and upholds the highest standards of academic excellence, and I choose to look at the former in terms of morality.
To me, modern Christian values are in sync with a definitive idea of right and wrong, in terms of morality and ethics. I identify with the mission because I believe that one cannot live a life of purpose, service or leadership without possessing a strong, unwavering sense of morality, regardless of cultural norms or dictations. Despite an individual’s background or culture, a normative sense of morality should dictate the actions of most people, especially those who consider themselves worthy of interpreting the law.
Whether a certain act is condemned or embraced in a particular culture should never dictate an individual’s ability to objectively evaluate the legality of the situation. By embracing this belief, I think I will be able to effectively further the mission of Pepperdine.