General Paper (Ver 2)

General Paper Complete Package (Ver 2)

Contents
Topic Page
GP Global Conditions 2
Globalisation 20
Science, Technology, Ethics, and Religion 32
Social Issues – Crime and Punishment 95
The Environment 107
Singapore Issues 131
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GP Global Conditions
Tips on using these notes:
 Today’s world issues and trends can be grouped into specific global conditions (globalisation,
mass and new media, advancement in science and tech, etc)
 By studying and analysing each condition closely, many of the following points, their
elaborations and examples can be plugged into paragraphs to be used in your essays.
 You should improve these points by adding more relevant examples (from your own
example and case study bank/journal) as well as expanding on the global conditions that you
are more interested in using in your essays
1. Economic globalisation
Economic globalisation enables to rising affluence and high net-worth individuals. Migration
They see an incentive to utilise wealth to exploit and create unfair opportunities
for themselves in other countries, thus it is critical for international community to
develop measures regulating such movements and behaviours
 The purchase of citizenship status under questionable circumstances by
high investments and set-up companies in countries like Malta, Taiwan,
and Singapore
Modernity has propelled rapid and unmanageable urbanisation, leading to the Modernity,
loss of public well-being, this thus incentivised governments to initiate population urbanisation
policies to romanticise the aesthetic and emotionally satisfying aspects of living in
the countryside (suburbs and towns)
 Japan and Taiwan’s agricultural ministry encouraged young city dwellers
to relocate to traditional ancestral homes and returning to one’s heritage
in response to the high costs of living and manpower challenges in the
rural regions
Economic globalisation has encouraged the growing worldwide demand and Environment
sourcing of products that endanger the environment with unsustainable practices
that are nearly impossible to be eradicated.
 Unsustainable rising demand of blue-fin tuna from the increasingly
affluent Asian markets compelled fishing industries to have higher
tendencies to overfish, thus critically endangering these species
Today’s competitive global economy has spurred corporations to carry out Environment
morally and practically unsound decisions to develop the economy and maximise
profits at the expense of the environment, therefore aggravating the already
severe environmental challenges.
 Today’s ever-deeper undersea drilling and prospecting of oil in leading
energy companies and countries like Norway, USA, and Russia have
utilised methods to fully exploit the Arctic Circle’s natural gases deposits
despite evidences of an irreversible climate change of melting icecaps,
rising sea level, and increased flood risks.
Present and escalating levels of economic globalisation has amplified exploitative

practices of economically influential corporations, thereby intensifying public
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 Technology agglomerates like Google, Facebook and Uber have extended

their influence to every sector of the economy. For instance, the transport
sector has seen rising fears in traditional automobile manufacturers and
middle class workers in the transport industry.
Economic globalisation has increased the incentive for profitable but Environment;
environmentally unsustainable activities, thereby violating the environmental Corporations
justice and rights for a wide range of marginalised stakeholders
 Precarious situation facing these economies are now more open, thus
expose local economies to foreign and influential firms, investment
activities, and physical operations. This increase the likelihood of
exploitation resulting in environmental injustice
 For example, extraction activities with accompanying pollution in Nigeria
by Shell has seen a trend of exploitation by large TNCs. This continues till
today in which in 2010, similar extraction activities of timber and minerals
from the Amazon Forest by businesses have harmed rights to likelihood of
the indigenous tribes
2. Cultural globalisation
Cultural globalisation and increase in connectivity increases the generation of highly educated and
vocal individuals in the public with the belief of freedom of speech, which then increases the
opportunity of misunderstanding between different communities
 Multicultural societies undergoing intense demographic transitions have seen the rise of
thoughtless comments against immigrant Muslims who are wrongly perceived as
terrorists. This sets up a vicious cycle of online retaliation and further undermine frayed
relationships between communities
 For instance, in the EU countries like Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, there have
been over-reactions towards the Charlie Hebdo incident by far-right racist groups online
Cultural globalisation increases the usage of some languages but undergo adaptation in local
cultures, thus leading to increase in confusion and misunderstanding when speakers from
different cultures utilise the same common language
 English was adapted by local cultures into Singlish, Chinglish, and Hinglish
Cultural globalisation has passed on questionable values from other cultures, thus eroding our
own national identities
 Westernisation: Sensationalised depictions of glamourised and materialistic lifestyles
However, this occurs merely on the surface, as our cultures can be more resilient than external
cultures imposed on us due to our own critical framework of thinking and media literacy to bring
in our own internal references from the media we are exposed to
 The media’s spread of common cultural grounds are bonded to us on a short-term and
shallow manner, therefore can be difficult to reach out into the roots of our core societal
beliefs
Commercial tourism has displaced the noble intent of sharing cultures. Today, it is thus imperative
to rediscover the sharing of cultures.
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 Sacred and religious cultural traditions of indigenous communities have been sacrificed to
attract tourist revenues. For instance, the whale-hunting tours have provided means for
rich tourists to satisfy their pride and ego through the thrill of hunting, but it has
inadvertently disrespected such traditions
In various communities, the unity and consensus on environmental issues have compelled tourism
to be increasingly focused on environmental sustainability
 Throughout the world, countries have organised eco-tourism via nature trials, mountain
hiking, and exposure trips to nature reserves. For example, in Singapore’s Pulau Semakau,
tourists can observe indigenous marine lifeforms such as sea slugs, mud skippers and
horseshoe crabs and their ecological role through the inter-tidal walks that visitors will go
through. As such, these activities will educate the tourists to preserve these species and
ensure their biodiversity in an increasingly urbanised world.
The use and teaching of language provide platforms to facilitate understanding and positive
interactions between different communities, as a part of today’s trend of cultural globalisation
 In education institutions, students on cultural exchange programmes communicate in
either a common language or different languages to encourage and enhance the
appreciation of different cultures in terms of their histories, aesthetic traditions, and
cuisine
Cultural globalisation also encourages consensus and agreement on protecting and advancing
human rights across nations in terms of the growth of advocacy and support for cultural diversity
and the right to practise one’s culture free from discrimination
 In most liberal countries in the North America like USA, Canada, and EU countries (Britain,
Germany, and Ireland), they are known to be immigrant countries that welcome
foreigners enthusiastically to celebrate their traditions and festive occasions in public
spaces with great interaction with the locals in cultural exchange events
3. Political globalisation
Changing geopolitical landscape heightens incentives for countries to tap onto the issue by
focusing on narrow national interests, thus becoming a source of suspicion and mistrust in
international relations
 Relationship between China and the USA: differing positions on maritime disputes in the
South China Sea
As a result of political globalisation, there is an increasing acceptance of progressive values that

emphasise human rights and equality across societies. This develop young people to have vision
and aspirations to nurture similar values in societies lacking them.
 People living under oppressive political situations would utilise available means to alert
the community and mobilise support in addressing some of these oppressive practices
 For example, Malala Yousafzai made efforts on online blog to promote education and safe
learning environment for women and children under terrorist rule, thus prompting young
people to continue valuing knowledge and education.
It becomes increasingly necessary for countries to cooperate in monitoring the movements of

people as a result of the increased flow of unwilling victims of crime and other subversive
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elements as a result of greater political globalisation and our love and regard of providing basic
human rights
 In ASEAN, there are efforts in monitoring and providing assistance towards the Rohinya
refugees who are exploited by trafficking organisations
4. Rapid scientific and technological innovation
Technological innovation can be directed towards finding solutions to Environment

environmental challenges and addressing them more comprehensively than ever
before
 Alternative energy sources and green technologies can help reduce
pollution and energy consumption through eco-friendly building designs
and intelligent systems design such as automated on-off systems for air-
conditioning and motion detecting sensors for lights
Modernity, globalisation, and the heightened expectations of an increased Transport;

mobility today has aided healthcare developments by facilitating treatment and Healthcare
response to health issues across borders
 Increase in transport accessibility has enabled the access to doctors not
available in one’s home country or in remote underprivileged
communities, therefore enabling the link-up to be more convenient via
transport and opened borders
 Help of healthcare professionals and humanitarian aid groups: Doctors
Without Borders and the Medicins Sans Frontieres
Modernity has enabled the unanticipated changes and erosion of values in the Healthcare;
medical profession, including the exclusivity in healthcare and the corresponding SOL
loss of well-being for the public
 Research and development into life-threatening and common diseases in
the developing world is underfunded due to the diversion of medical
practitioners towards conducting research on diseases afflicting the rich in
the developed countries (such as early onset diabetes)
 Increasing number of doctors specialised in lucrative subfields and
healthcare services which are non-essential but in demand by well-paying
clients such as in the aesthetic procedures
Increasing technological innovation can increase the diversity of medical treatment Healthcare
methods, thus enabling medical practitioners and doctors to deliver the most
appropriate treatment methods to patients
 The practice of “customised healthcare” has been improving in which
medication can now be custom-designed and personalised to overcome
varying allergies in different patients
Technological innovations enabled medical practitioners to improve healthcare
and response to illnesses and patients, which is an improvement from the past
where such advances were unavailable. Increasingly, technology has indeed
become a game changer in raising the quality of healthcare at unprecedented
levels. Such improvements allowed more diseases to be cured and thus the quality
of life too enhanced than before.
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 The Da Vinci surgical robot system has increased the efficiency and
effectiveness of surgical procedures
Rapid scientific innovation often provided solutions that are ethically doubted and Ethics;
also responsible for a variety of moral ramifications. Healthcare
 The improvement to healthcare provided by scientific innovation has been
compromised and even rejected by the public who are hostile to these
innovations. As such, medical practitioners face difficulties in conducting
any further research and practising these medical procedures
 For example, the modification of genes of foetuses, which can potentially
provide practical benefits, is over-shadowed by the high levels of public
condemnation
Rapid scientific innovation has heightened connectivity, thus empowering Security;
individuals with an access to information; however this has increased the risk of New media;
sensitive information being exposed. This is accompanied by political fall-out and Political
frictions between governments and countries. tensions
 Edward Snowden leaked confidential NSA files, leading to rising diplomatic
frictions between USA and Germany and EU allies
Technological advances and innovations in media and connectivity platforms has Crime
widened the window of opportunity for subversive and criminal elements to
further their operations
 Through the Silk Road website, it has enabled subscribers to engage in
illicit and potentially illegal activities with secure transactions. For
instance, drug, firearm purchases, and money laundering can be
potentially enabled by encryption technology of bit-coins (virtual currency)
Governments can utilise technology to further their narrow national interests at Political
the expense of positive international relations tensions;
 The use of spyware programmes can be used as espionage on a country’s Security
allies, and can potentially strain bilateral relations. For example, the
National Security Agency (NSA) of USA has used encryption and de-
encryption software (known as ‘Myriad’ program) to carry out surveillance
activities on German and EU leaders
Technological innovations have induced scientists and the public to normalise

previously ethically problematic behaviours and practices
 Gene modification was initially applied to enable safer birth by identifying
defective embryos. However, it has regressed into the deliberate
tempering of genetic materials, resulting in the formation of designer
babies. This practice can potentially be a norm and legalised in future.
Advances in technology have been capitalised by various profit-driven industries

which spur obsession by public in their misperceptions and idealisation of beauty
 Plastic surgery has set norms and generated abnormal demand for
excessive number of aesthetic procedures to attain the physical look of
Barbie and Ken doll
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5. Influence of mass media (and new media)
Our rapid information dissemination in everyday life and economic activities have
maximised convenience while minimising disruptions surfacing from changes in
today’s dynamic socio-economic environments
 New Media enabled networking and conferencing, boosting convenience to
work at home, especially critical in unexpected situations (like medical
quarantines)
Regrettably, the initial gains to human happiness provided by new media’s

socialisation platforms are negated when we utilise them to engage in impulsive and
regrettable actions which bring about high levels of social disruptions instead
 Online infidelity and cyber-bullying
Public’s use of new media can be hasty and unreflective, therefore prompting
censorship and editing to avoid any misrepresentation and miscommunication of ideas
New media can render the public to be vulnerable to publishing highly critical but
unsubstantiated allegations against others, therefore it is wise to consider self-
censorship
 Political website Yawning Bread and activist Alex Wu in Singapore had
unsubstantiated and personal attacks alleging corruption in members of the
government including the PM. A more thorough self-censorship would have
helped him to avert costly libel and defamation suit
The proliferation of new media empowers masses to undertake political revolutions,

thereby pushing for democratisation of societies that have previously been under
repressive regimes
// empowers the masses to critique governmental policies and compel reforms to
serve the public interest.
// political liberalisation increases the levels and frequency of uncivil discourse which
are inevitable and necessary in the exchange for unprecedented levels of freedom and
active citizenry voice which the trend currently promotes
The inevitable proliferation of unreliable media content, often due to biased citizen
journalism, is impossible to be regulated by officials and authorities. It is the
responsibility of the individual to accept its inevitability but also exercise vigilance and
critical thinking in rejecting more outrageous misinformation posted online.
New media is a major source of entertainment that raises the exposure to moral and
ethical erosion, thereby leading to the loss of many cherished values and ideals.
Conservative societies need to regulate these platforms to prevent further erosion of
societal ideals
 Celebrity blogs portrayed questionable values through their works, including
Miley Cyrus’s (in)famous music videos on the “Wrecking Ball” and executing
twerking stances in many music events
The increasing popularity of new media will become a common ground for the spread
of extremist political ideologies which can cause instability in our social fabric and even
catastrophic impacts on citizens’ security and well-being if they remain uncurbed.
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 The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has revolutionised international
terrorism with their increasing recruitment worldwide (growing to be > 20000
foreign fighters) with the help of social media platforms to promote
propaganda in a wide-ranging manner.
 ISIS’ recruitment of aspiring jihadists via propaganda campaigns on their social
media platforms including Twitter despite actions by Twitter to shut down
many ISIS accounts. Through its online propaganda, ISIS has touted its violent
acts against non-believers and also touted the lifestyle the group claims to
offer to its members, known as the “Five-star jihad” life [ISIS announced the
reopening of luxury hotel in Mosul].
 Not only that, ISIS also targets foreigners, including Westerners as well as
females to join the caliphate
 Recruiters utilised messaging apps like Kik to communicate with those who
want advice on crossing into Syria
 Aspiring jihadists also can create a Twitter account and pledge allegiance to
ISIS even if they have no previous connections  Social media has made it
easy for fighters and recruiters to communicate and connect  widening the
spread of terror
 New: ISIS has started to use the app ‘Telegram’, after being kicked off Twitter.
Telegram is known for its high level of encryption and allows the jihadists to
make public broadcasts to an unlimited number of followers on their ISIS
channel, thus a platform to be exploited for them to spread massive
propaganda. Currently ISIS has more than 4500 subscribers (October).
 SG example: 2 Singaporean teenagers (19 and 17, one name: M Arifil Azim
Putra Norja'i) were arrested under the Internal Security Act for their intention
to join ISIS and will strike in Singapore if they were not unable to do so.
o Mainly due to viewing of terrorist propaganda online since 2013
o Arifil had actively looked up travel routes to Syria online and also
researched ways to make improvised explosive devices
o Youths today are not yet mature enough to differentiate what are
ideals and what is practical in reality
Despite the high costs in human lives and tragedies caused by war, effective media
coverages may catalyse in the international community previously untapped feelings
of good-will and altruism towards fellow human beings, ensuring that some good
comes out of war
 Germany is willing to accept unprecedented levels of refugees in response to
the press coverage of ongoing humanitarian crisis, especially from the Syrian
conflict
Globalisation of media and increased connectivity of deepening networks and

communities have increased awareness and assistance to human rights issues. The
coverage of human interest stories spurs public sympathy and support for human
rights issues.
 For example, European Union news agencies have coverage of refugees’ plight
with graphic footage of Aylan Kurdi drowning, thus shocked the complacent
public to sympathise with the refugees thus have greater support for the
provision of aid and asylum
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6. Security challenges, political extremism and terrorism
Escalating security issues and conflicts in various regions of the world have precipitated
unprecedented refugee crises which make it imperative to monitor and direct their movement. It
is important to identify the best means of assistance to secure their basic rights to safety, life and
dignity.
 The refugee crisis in the EU has pushed the council to develop measures and protocol to
help direct suitable numbers of refugees to countries with the most appropriate resources
In today’s modern day societies and highly dysfunctional social institutions, internal security
threats are escalated and thus critically require the foresight and caution by governments to pre-
empt and address these problems before they deteriorate.
 Early identification of criminals in crime-prone societies via strong cooperation between
authorities and citizens can be useful in the prevention and alleviation of the USA mass
shooting incidents
Current security challenges have catalysed existing tensions and frictions between different
communities in previously stable societies. Different political ideologies between countries can
perceive violence to be acceptable in resolving differences.
Present and escalating levels of extremism and self-radicalisation have created an atmosphere of
toxic suspicion and mistrust in societies. Such a trend is likely to persist in the near future, thus
can bring great inconvenience and hardship for unfairly discriminated communities and
individuals
 Ahmed Mohamed created a clock for his Science class, but it was misperceived by the
teacher as a bomb threat. Alongside with an over-reaction by school authorities and
uproar in the online community, many, including President Obama, has encouraged
citizens to not discriminate actions by Muslims and have a general stereotype that all
Muslims have radical and terrorist intents
Imminent security threats have compelled governments to violate rather than promote some
aspects of citizens’ privacy
 In today’s landscape of growing radicalisation, we are exposed to sabotage and conflicts
raised by subversive groups, extremist elements, and non-state actors
 For example, accessing meta-data: surfing habits, recurrent themes, online mobilisation
Personal details and information should be protected more vigorously to ensure higher and
optimum security from subversive elements
 There needs to be a high level of protection for personal addresses of high profile
politicians so as to reduce risk as kidnapping targets by terrorists and organised criminal
syndicates. Countries exposed to such risks include Pakistan, Mexico, and Nigeria
Regrettably, young people’s idealism and enthusiasm for political activism may be misdirected to
legally and ethically questionable causes that can pose potential national security implications,
thus such activism should be discouraged
 In Malaysia, youth activists for both the Bersih and Red Shirt movement aggravate
inherent race tensions, thus compromising national cohesion further
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7. Environmental challenges
Rapidly developing countries in today’s competitive global economic system are driven and kept
functional through unsustainable processes, thus prioritised economic growth over environmental
conservation, regrettably forgone the latter. The protection of the environment would require the
drastic and unacceptable overhaul of the system.
 Newly industrialising economies like China and India
 Lack of resources to oversee and prevent pollution actions by all firms in developing
nations due to the inevitable and more important focus on alleviating poverty and
provision of basic amenities to citizens over their short-term capacities to solve
environmental challenges in some parts of the country
Past human activities have culminated in today’s catastrophic effects on biodiversity and
environment, which has become too severe and almost impossible for current generations to
reverse such effects
 Extinction of many wild species, and the endangering of animals like the Northern Right
Whale which have less than 100 in the wild today
Severe environmental challenges are also beyond our present technological might to fully resolve
although we can take measures to mitigate and alleviate their effects
 The bleak future of global warming and climate change, which seemed to be resolvable by
the replacement of fossil fuels with promising alternative energy sources in the past,
continues to worry activists, environmentalists and world leaders today due to the
inability of current innovations in solar cells to reach a high energy conversion efficiency
capable of meeting our increasing consumption rates. The recent catastrophic accidents
revolving around nuclear energy and rising worries in citizens have also compelled
governments to stay away from the use of nuclear energy as an alternative energy source.
 Geographically vulnerable countries are also challenged by the rising sea level due to their
location in low-lying areas, therefore inevitable for them to face extreme flooding in
future (Maldives)
Increasing collaboration between governments in the international community to work on

common policies using collective strengths and resources to maximise our potential to resolve
environmental challenges
 1987’s Montreal Protocol helped to recover our ozone layer by 2002 and many promising
climate change summits in recent years to work on carbon taxation and reforestation of
carbon sinks to alleviate our damages on the environment
The use of modern technology and new media social networks enabled more members of the
public to be increasingly aware of environmental challenges, and thus take up social
responsibilities as environmental activists to be more vocal and mobilised in developing individual
solutions to help counter environmental issues
 Previously apathetic Singaporeans are now more involved in activism and campaigns to
fight for animal rights and preservation of biodiversity in Singapore: “Say no the sharkfin”
and “The world’s saddest dolphins”
Young people have the capacity to be highly connected and thus are in unique and highly suitable
position to be involved in environmental activism which requires high degrees of public awareness
and action
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 Singapore is a highly urbanised city with many young people who are disengaged from the
natural environment. However, this is addressed by the rise of youth activists, for
instance, the Singapore Nature Society which aims to raise awareness and public support
for funding to save the horseshoe crab species. This is a step forward in protecting fragile
biodiversity in Singapore
The idea of sustainable development has been increasingly accepted and implemented as a way
of life in more countries today, lighting up the hope for our amelioration of major environmental
challenges
 EU developed nations like Germany and France developed and promoted the electric cars
in urban areas whereas developing countries like China are currently also working on
feasibility studies of these green technologies
8. Expansion of religious practices and beliefs
Religion and their institutions, in both past and present times, have fundamental principles
centered around emphasising human rights and dignity, thus representing and reflecting
truthfully our human condition and potential for moral enlightenment
 Holy scriptures and writings of major religions like Christianity and Islam have emphasised
respectful and humane treatment of refugees and immigrant communities. This continues
to be emphasised by present day religious leaders like Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic
Church and influential imams in Islamic countries
Religious leaders and institutions exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of followers, encouraging
them to carry out actions to prove their piety. However, this is merely a cover-up for leaders to
enrich themselves unethically.
 Mega-churches in the USA have seen high profile cases of investigation by federal
authorities for corruption and questionable practices involving donated funds. This
reminds us of the past historical developments of religious institutions, whereby in the
medieval Europe (1300s to 1500s), there has been practices of selling ‘indulgences’ to the
Roman Catholic Church
The expansion of religiosity in some societies has regrettably heightened the risk of politicisation
which amplifies existing social problems and conflicts.
 Extremist controversial and high-profile Buddhist monks in Myanmar incited and
provoked discrimination towards other religious minorities
In multi-cultural societies, religion, instead of being a unifying force, can be a strong divisive force
that intensifies desires in communities to live apart, thus aggravating, rather than resolving, social
tensions between communities.
 In the UK, religious leader with extremist ideologies and prejudiced views can influence
followers to identify solely with the religious community and in opposition with the other
religious communities and even the state
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9. Poverty
Education can equip people with relevant skills necessary to direct them mostly to Education
workforce preparation, thus can be a mean to address poverty in countries with
limited resources
 In the situation that there is a high proportion of young people in a
population that is ready to enter the workforce along with the age of
industrialisation, education can aim to mainly focus on vocational and skills
training to equip people with necessary skills for work
 For example, in developing nations like Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, if
the people are adequately educated with the appropriate skills, they can
be trained into a competitive workforce to compete with more established
neighbouring nations
10. Income disparity
11. Social disruptions (dysfunctional families)

State intervention is critical in pre-empting potential problems that can arise in State
societies with families afflicted by poverty and other social problems and intervention
dysfunctions that can potentially be escalated.
 Educational policies nowadays remain accessible and affordable for low-
income and financially vulnerable families through the provision of
bursaries, school fee subsidies, and scholarships. After-school hours
programmes can also be practised to reduce exposure of young children to
delinquency in dysfunctional neighbourhoods. Such policies are practised
in USA’s inner city neighbourhoods
12. Health problems (includes obesity, hunger, epidemics)
It is a moral obligation for governments to direct more resources to the under-serve public
healthcare sector to cater to the many underprivileged societies which lack access to proper
healthcare
 India and Cambodia’s rural communities lack access to doctors and basic healthcare,
including innoculations for children, basic gynaecological services for women, and
geriatric care services for the elderly
The growing levels of health consciousness in people, especially in the developed nations, have
raised emphasis on striking the work-life balance rather than obsessive pursuit of career success
and wealth
 For example, people are now more educated thus have greater access to information on
health issues. With strong awareness and health-conscious, their mind-sets have
prompted them to actively participate in activities that promote personal health via
exercises, diet and consumption, greater intake of vitamins and supplements.
 There is also a rise in demand and usage of wearable technologies that monitor one’s
personal health and exercise habits
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13. Economic crises (financial crises and meltdowns)
14. Human rights
Society’s ongoing emphasis on human rights necessitates caution by governments in the

formulation of policies and anticipation of problems
 Largely unregulated surrogacy market in some countries like Thailand and India
potentially trigger international backlash when abuse of technology can cause human
rights issues; Birth parents’ rejection of a surrogate child due to health complications in
child
Globalisation increases the connectivity and global consensus on human rights issues and
challenges to enable and empower activist organisations to mobilise public support in aid of
communities suffering from human rights deprivation
 Increasing awareness of child rights violations in less progressive communities have
enhanced mobilisation of human and financial resources to assist the victims
 The growing funding and volunteers in anti-child slavery organisations that aim to reduce
and eradicate indentured child labourers in Peru (for copper mines), Ghana, and the Ivory
Coast (Cocoa plantations), Saudi Arabia (camel-jockeys), India (farms and domestic
helpers)
15. Role of state

a. Focus on economic growth
Economic competition in our world today compels governments to develop policies to empower
women to overcome traditional stereotypes at the workplace so as to allow them to contribute
effectively to the country’s economic growth and therefore acquire their rightful place as equals
besides males
 Japan’s current government developed ‘Abernomics’ which includes a key pillar of
providing incentives to increase the availability and accessibility of childcare, review if
unfair promotion practices favouring men, and tougher laws against workplace women
sexual harassment. This compels women to re-enter the workforce and contribute to
economy
Highly competitive economies in some rapidly developing societies provides incentives for
unethical, deceptive and unjustifiable behaviours amongst members of some respected
professions, thereby breaking trusts and expectations of the society towards the profession
 Illegal organ transplants have been rampant in India, the Philippines, and Indonesia
whereby doctors, who are driven by desires for profits, pressurise the donors and
downplay long-term costs of living with only one kidney
b. Population issues
Countries with population dependency challenges or with ageing population require state
intervention into family life to meet the aim of population replacement and a sustainable
economy.
 Singapore raised supply of public housing from 2012 and beyond so as to provide
incentives for young couples to start a family and raise children so as to increase the birth
rate and thus replacement rate These notes are shared on
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State intervention is justifiable in intervening into family life despite drastic implications on
human rights in extreme conditions so as to prevent any unnecessary long-term repercussions on
the country’s economic and social progress.
 China’s one-child policy is a form of coercive and enforced family planning strategy that
drastically reduce the population growth of the country via the reduction and denial of
subsidies to subsequent children
c. Security – Internal and external threats
d. Education
Education should not just equip people with the means to secure a good livelihood as the
enhancement of civic participation and inculcating moral values are equally important as it is
critical to address social apathy and the erosion of cherished social values.
 In some societies, the excessive emphasis on educational qualifications as a means to a
better livelihood has resulted in excessively anti-social behaviours in people in terms of
practices like institutionalised cheating, lack of empathy in the young, and even the
growth of mercenary tendencies. For instance, in China and India, due to the strong
emphasis on economic imperative in education, it has led to the growing cynicism and
materialism in the young
e. Moral and ethical direction/compass
f. Encouraging civic and public participation
g. Provision of basic needs and public amenities
War is harmful to both immediate participants and surrounding countries where its effects spill-
over, causing governments to divert resources for basic social needs of the locals towards
enhancing security instead
 In the EU counties, frayed public infrastructure and amenities are shared with helpless
refugees from the Syrian conflict
h. Human rights issues

Some believe that war can help address acts of aggression and eliminate injustice War
arising from belligerent governments who actively violate the basic human rights in
the citizens
 In 1991, the Operation Desert Storm removed Iraqi forces illegally occupying
Kuwait
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However, wars waged without thorough thinking of the long-term conseque3nces

result in needless loss of lives and stability, thus should not be justified.
 For instance, the invasion and occupation of Iraq from 2003 to 2011 b y the
USA has resulted in the loss of countless lives. Even till today, there is a
continued instability due to the military’s mismanagement of the conflict
In politically repressive regimes, sacrifices are made by artists in pursuing their art and
using it as a platform for political commentary to spur public debate and call for
political reform
 In China, Ai Wei Wei’s art works question government’s poor human rights
record and implicated the poor and underprivileged in China
In societies where the governments have engaged in morally political actions, art work
done by artists use them as platforms for political commentary so as to spur public
debate and calls for greater transparency
 The film “The Good Kill” draws public attention to the controversial usage of
drones in war zones by the USA military
16. My society/country – Singapore

a. Competitive economy
b. Social cohesion
It is a valid reason for censorship and state control over curriculum materials in educational
institutions so as to prevent undesirable misinterpretations by students to avert threats to our
social cohesion and stability
 The aggressive and racist illustration of sensitive events, like the 1960s racial riots, in
History and Social Studies textbooks, is glossed over and edited to be appropriate for
young readers in order to strike a balance between achieving learning objectives and
avoiding contamination of misguided ideas that can threaten social stability
c. Environmental challenges
Educational institutions helped to inculcate values and practices of environmental sustainability as

a way of life in students with the greater emphasis, attention, and a variety of programmes to
protect the environment
 Recycling drives, ecological trials, and student-initiated activist activities to help advocate
on environmental protection and conservation in Singaporeans, promoting the
harmonious and sustainable lifestyle along with environmental protection
In view of a bleak catastrophic future plagued by global warming, climate change, and rising sea
level, there has been an increasing attention of governmental policies to respond to rapid
urbanisation and the loss of biodiversity in Singapore, therefore prompting leaders to allocate
land usage towards restoring biodiversity
 National Parks in Singapore have intensively greened the country with reservoirs, nature
reserves, and park connectors, aligned with our aim of developing into the title of “City in
a Garden”
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 The Singapore government also encouraged public to reduce pollution while discouraging
highly polluting activities and carbon footprint from personal activities such as the
implementation of high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices to restrict excessive car
usage while shifting towards improving public transports for all
Local corporations, as part of their fulfilment of the corporate social responsibility, have
implemented programmes to encourage the public in adopting environmentally friendly and
sustainable practices and lifestyles
 Eco-friendly features have been implemented in major malls, including the City Square
Mall which have toilet facilities with features to optimise water and energy usage to
sustainable and non-wasteful levels
Environmental concerns are largely still token attention given by local consumers and the public
as they mistake token efforts as sufficient means to protect the environment as a result of their
bred complacence and under-estimation of environmental sustainability challenges in our modern
and urban environment
 Energy usage and pollution arising from driving to supermarkets overwhelm any
environmental gains from “Bring your own bag day” initiated by local supermarkets
 Lukewarm environmentalists promoted energy conservation during Earth Hour instead of
focusing on major solutions to resolve environmental challenges
d. Multi-racial and multi-cultural

Our society faces cultural erosion due to globalisation and rapid development of technology;
However, by positioning traditional artforms, we can address this challenge
 Preservation and the continued development of traditional artforms will enhance the
heritage and national culture
e. High cost of living

f. Technology-dependent
g. Highly educated population

Our highly educated population has ironically promoted unhealthy levels of mistrust and
scepticism, thereby triggering negative implications on governmental policies and even our
government’s legitimacy to lead
 It has become a prevalent trend in my society today in which the government needs to
constantly respond to public’s demands if not the public confidence levels and support for
governmental policies will be eroded
 For instance, with the help of online discussions on social media and blog platforms,
netizens have utilised official narratives and accounts with problematic or even
groundless allegations against the government. Roy Ngerng’s “Return our CPF” campaign
was found out to be largely based on groundless allegations and defamations against PM
Lee.
h. High connectivity and accessibility

i. Demographic transitions: Population issues, low BR, immigration concerns
j. Paternalistic government
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Does tragedy always unite a nation?

1. Security challenges can unite a nation when faced with acts of terrorism
a. 9/11 and Boston marathon bombing
2. Social problems of crimes can unite a population together to improve social stability and
progress
a. India assault and rape cases
3. But social problems can also divide a nation if different communities do not agree with each
other
a. Gun violence and mass shooting incidents in USA
4. Regional and world wars can both unite and divide a nation
a. Singapore gained independence; while Korea – split between South and North Korea
5. Civil wars divide a nation to a large extent
a. Rwandan massacre and Syrian crisis
Syrian conflict
 >250,000 Syrians lost their lives in this 4.5years of conflict
 Began with anti-governmental protests in an Arab Spring initially and escalated into a full-
scale civil war – forces loyal the President Bashar al-Assad fought with those opposing his
rule as well as complications brought in by jihadist militants from the ISIS
 Start: pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2011
 Descent into a civil war when the conflict now has become more than just a battle for or
against Mr Assad, it has also pitched the country’s Sunni majority against the president’s
Shia Alawite sect, and of course has drawn in neighbouring countries and world powers. The
rise of ISIS added in further complications
 War crimes: UN has evidence that both sides of the conflicts have alleged human rights
violations in terms of murder, torture, and rape. Government has also been accused to be
using civilian suffering as a method of war, in terms of blocking access to food, water, and
health services;
 Use of chemical weapons: Hundreds of people killed in August 2013 due to the rockets filled
with nerve agent Sarin gas; Western powers were outraged by the inhumane attack and said
it is done by Syrian government while Syrian government and ally Russia has blamed the
rebels. ISIS is also accused of using homemade chemical weapons like the blistering agent
sulfur mustard against the Kurdish forces and civilians in northern Syria
 Large scale refugee migration: >4M people fled Syria, with exodus accelerated dramatically
in 2013 as conditions in Syria deteriorated. Refugee destinations: Turkey (~2M), Lebanon
(>1M), Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and N. Africa
 Rise of ISIS: Capitalising on the crisis of the region, Islamic State has taken control of large
territories across Northern and Eastern Syria and also neighbouring Iraq. US-led coalition
launched air strikes inside Syria to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIS, helping the Kurds
to repel a major assault on the northern town of Kobane
 Proxy war: Initial Arab Spring uprising against the autocratic ruler has mushroomed into a
brutal proxy war that has drawn in both regional and global powers  Iran and Russia has
supported Mr Assad and his Alawite-led government (Moscow has launched air campaign on
Mr Assad’s opponents in Sept 2015, saying it was only targeting the terrorists, but many hit
the Western-backed rebels and civilians); Lebanon’s Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement also
supported the government;
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o Meanwhile, Sunni-dominated opposition (against the government) has attracted

degrees of support from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Arab states along
with the USA, UK, and France
o However, the rise of ISIS jihadist terrorists around the world have led to the
decrease in US backing
 A programme to train and arm 5000 civilian rebels to take the fight against
ISIS by the US has suffered embarrassing setbacks
India rape problem

 The 2012 gang rape of a 23-year-old Indian female student in New Delhi and the subsequent
trials of 5 men for her murder has prompted protests, unity in the Indian population against
such a social problem, and passionate discussions about women’s rights and safety in the
rapidly urbanizing country
 Protests took place in New Delhi with thousands of protesters and throughout the country
with thousands of people silently marching in Kolkata.
 Protests also occurred online via social networks like Facebook and WhatsApp with users
replacing their profile images with a black dot symbol and tens of thousands signing an
online petition against the incident
 A BBC documentary, titled “India’s Daughter” was broadcasted in 2015 which reignited
passions about the case
 Problem: Large gender inequality, entrenched mind-sets in many males of the society, and
poor social order and stability within the developing country.
 One of the Indian rapists commented that the female victims should be blamed and
responsible for their rape, as he claimed that a decent girl will not roam at late night. He felt
that males are more superior and have more rights than females who should be doing
housework and not roam late at night doing the ‘wrong’ things.
USA’s gun violence and mass shooting

 After multiple cases of mass shootings including the Sandy Hook Elementary School (27
killed) in Connecticut in 2012, Charleston shooting by a believed-to-be white supremacist at
a historic black church (9 killed), and the most recent Umpqua Community College mass
shooting (9 killed)
 A Pew Research Center study concluded that more Americans said protecting gun rights was
more important than imposing controls on gun ownership  Divide in opinions within the
country on whether they should expand or impose controls on gun rights
 Involvement of Walmart: They would no longer stock semi-automatic weapons
9/11 and Boston marathon shooting

 During war time or in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, most people would develop a
simple mentality of ‘good vs evil’ and a perspective of ‘splitting’ which causes the victims of
a tragedy to view the terrorists as opposing and antagonist, while positioning themselves as
a united group against the opposing group
 Politicians like George Bush and Obama give speeches to the country which further enhance
sense of unity and togetherness within the American population in face of external threats
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Can we ever be prepared for crises?

1. Security challenges and international conflicts – Rise of terrorist and radicalized groups
a. Availability of past experiences can help political leaders to be more prepared for future
diplomatic issues
i. US annihilated the central based of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and also killed
Osama Bin Laden
ii. Lessons learnt from engaging with Al-Qaeda can be useful in dealing with ISIS
b. However, with the rising use of propaganda via various wide-reaching social media
platforms, the influence of many terrorist groups have amplified more than ever before
i. ISIS has utilized social media platforms like Twitter, Kik messaging app, and the
new app Telegram to spread propaganda, recruit new members, and also to
communicate with self-radicalized individuals in crossing into Syria to join the
caliphate. It is known that ISIS has recruited more than 20000 foreign fighters
with exponential rise in global outreach and web
2. Unpredictable and fluctuating nature of the global economy, due to a large spectrum of
impending issues, makes it vulnerable and volatile
a. Bankruptcy of one of the most stable companies like the Lehman Brothers ushered the
2007 Global Financial Crisis (GFC). People and companies who put their monetary trust
and security into these large firms can always be prone to huge losses.
b. However, policies can be put in place to prepare a country for a possible crisis. For
example, Singapore has a large sum of economic reserves such that fiscal measures can
be utilized to drive the nation to safety in the event of a recession and large global
economic meltdown like the 2007 GFC
3. Rapid technological innovation allowed us to predict and prepare for crises that were once
thought to be inevitable
a. Prediction measures of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, cyclones etc
i. However, many prediction technologies can still be further improved to ensure
greater success of crisis management in future to reduce the vulnerability of a
population
b. Furthermore, the exponential growth of technology unfortunately also enabled more
individuals with criminal intent and radical mind-sets to bring even more harm to
innocent communities.
i. Advancement in encryption technologies and internet penetration in the world
has made unethical and illicit activities even more difficult to be regulated than
ever before. The use of “Dark Web” (within the deep web which require special
tools to access and cannot be easily searched on the “Surface Web” via typical
search engines like Google) by criminals, terrorists, and hackers resulted in a
plethora of negative and immoral consequences that bring harm to vulnerable
communities. For instance, the “Silk Road” was used to allow illegal purchases
and transactions of drugs, guns, and even child porn, often using Bitcoins, before
it was shut down. However, more of these illegal websites in the Dark Web have
surfaced and can be very difficult to be tracked and shut down, for instance “Silk
Road Reloaded” was almost immediately set up after “Silk Road” was removed
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Globalisation
General concepts
 Globalisation is the standardisation of norms globally
 “Spider-web analogy” – Strength vs Vulnerability
o Strength = increase in linkages between countries
o Vulnerability = countries too dependent on each other
Globalisation depends on the following for increase of positivity trends:

1. Human goodwill / altruism of countries
a. But possible complication: Selfish interests of some parties
i. Globalisation can become a force of evil
ii. E.g: Criminal networks increasingly connected around the globe
2. Cooperation and collaboration

a. But possible complication: Inbuilt tensions and antagonism + competing interests of countries
3. Common interests, values, and aspirations for the future (Harmony, peace, compassion, upright, law
and order)
a. Positive outcomes: World and societal progress + increase in diversity in religion and culture
with greater harmony and peace with coexistence
b. But possible complication: Subversive and violent ideals
i. Terrorists and extremist movements
ii. Negative outcomes: World and societal regression
iii. E.g: ISIS monocultural aims to destroy other religions
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Political globalisation
 Institutions, norms
 Democratisation of countries  greater human progress
o E.g: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
 Can be negative = increase in terrorist movements across the globe
 Traditional notions of self and political identity are rapidly challenged and replaced by more resilient
notions that advocate common global values and a love for a wider humanity
o Past: Preoccupations with nationalism and the need to expend their energies and resources on
raising the status and power of individual nations over others
o Present: Social entrepreneurs and visionaries united together in a common mission of service to
humanity
o We have morphed into a species previously driven by the divisive fear of others to one that
rejoices in and celebrates our collective successes in alleviating global challenges
 Globalisation has enabled widespread travel; including influxes of refugee boat people fleeing from war-
torn and economically impoverished countries
o Failure of globalisation’s promises: A world united by visions of brotherhood and harmony and
shared values have imploded under the weight of its own unrealistic aspirations of a more
common world
 E.g: Australian boat people: More than 18000 people arrived in Australia illegally by sea from 2012 to
2013, mainly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, or Myanmar. Hundreds have died making the dangerous
journey.
o Most of them are asylum seekers, and the Australian government introduced the Nauru and
Papua New Guinea (PNG) policy as temporary detention camps for asylum seekers  The living
conditions in PNG and Nauru camps are very inadequate, causing physical and mental health
issues in detainees
o The government also introduced controversial temporary visas for the refugees, allowing them to
work in Australia for 3-5 years but denying their permanent protection
o The government also utilised the ‘tow-back’ policy in which many asylum seekers at sea were
intercepted and returned to their countries  sending them back to the country where they will
be persecuted + Australia criticised to have failed to meet its international obligations by sending
refugees back to impoverished nations ill-equipped to handle them  potential inadequate
protections
Economic globalisation
 TNCs, capital flows, liquidity of labour, markets
 Increase in integration and interconnectedness of global economy
 Positive multiplier effect for trade and economic activities
 Increase in advancement and globalisation of technology and transport connectivity
 But increase in the risk of crash of stock markets between dependent countries (vulnerable)
 E.g: US-China markets
 ISIS: Increase in attacks and fear of stock markets
 E.g: Uber threaten local jobs (mainly taxi-drivers) and can be means of crimes in the community (security
risks of globalisation)
 Globalisation today expands our networks with complex interconnections of ties, interactions, and
resources being bases for economic and scientific progress
o High levels of trade activities, businesses work round the clock, and an increase of choices and
consumption by people worldwide
 Economic globalisation implosion: Inequality; Globalisation only served to enrich a small minority that was
fortunate and skilled enough to capitalise on the opportunities made available by the explosion in global
trade and technology from 1990s onwards
 The arrival of the Internet has provided the new generation of digitally savvy technopreneurs the means
to make products and services demanded by consumers worldwide These notes are shared on
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 However, in reality, there is the existence of the corporate social responsibility and “give-back” movement
in which many entrepreneurs who have become rich due to globalisation have taken part in philanthropic
movements to give back their accumulated wealth to those who need them
o E.g: Warren Buffet, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates
o Most of them have an obligation to donate
 Globalisation implosion: Injustice and degradation of human rights + increase in opportunity for
exploitation of social and human rights
o Globalisation can bring out the worst in human nature, incentivising those with power to use it in
oppressing their fellow human beings and illegally taking from the weak their material
possessions, dignity, and even their right to life
o E.g: Petty officials in China forcefully evict poor farmers from their land and sold them to
developers who are eager to attract foreign investments
o “Crowding-out” effect: Global cities wish to position themselves well in the globalised world to
attract rich investors to buy lands in the city: London has one of the highest land process in which
Middle Eastern rich buyers purchase the land that the middle income locals cannot afford  Cost
of living for the middle and low income locals decreases
o Global demand for cheap retail clothing has incentivised local contractors in Bangladesh’s textile
industry to deceive their employees to work in poor-paying jobs in industries with working
conditions  Exploitation of cheap labour to maximise their profit in this globalised world
Technological globalisation
 Exponential improvements due to popular demand by globalisation (technology is a crucial enabling tool
for globalisation)
 Public perceptions for the basis of increase in quality of life
 Containerisation, increase in health/services, transport technologies, communication
 Increase in collaborations for developments of technology
 Propel positive change for increase in quality of life and decrease in income disparity
 Networked society (big data and the internet of things)
 Smart cities  infusion of technology and information into urban life
 Exponential growth of information = increase in power and money
 Increase in technological systems = increase in convenience and sustainability
 Expanding networks enabled us to elevate our quality of life and prosperity to high levels
 E.g: Human Genome Project involves the collaboration of scientists with talents diversified among the
different countries, completed in 2003  data now are routinely available to all scientists worldwide to
pioneer the next innovation
 However, there is an increasing innocuous trend of indolence among citizens  disrupt our lives
o Generation Y youth are more self-indulgent than before with today’s age of new media and
internet  Young people are more obsessed over online games and social networking sites than
real world problems like energy crisis, global hunger, and human rights abuses  A culture of
self-gratification, self-promotion, and self-indulgence
Cultural globalisation
 Globalisation informs the masses and the societies of cultural changes
 Homogenisation of cultures vs Nationalism
 Identity, behaviour, values, perceptions
 Soft power of countries
 Increase in positive friendly perception of the country  marketing to other countries so as to increase
investment opportunities and collaboration between countries vs going into conflicts
 Increase in the free expression of religions and practices
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Globalisation and Culture
General arguments:
1. The homogenizing influences of globalization promote integration and the removal not only of cultural
barriers but of many of the negative dimensions of culture
a. Globalization is a vital step toward both a more stable world and better lives for people
2. However, homogenisation is often condemned by the new nationalists and by cultural romanticists
a. Many societies, particularly indigenous peoples, view culture as their richest heritage, without
which they have no roots, history or soul.
b. Its value is other than monetary. To commodify it is to destroy it.
A. Influence of US corporations on local mores

“Americanisation” of world cultures and the dominance of the American Market
a. Reasons for their dominance:
i. Large size of US market (nearly 300 million consumers)
ii. Large wealth of US economy (nearly 25% of global economic output)
iii. Comparatively homogeneous culture (97% of population fluent in English language
B. Integration of Cultures
Many cultures have contributed to global culture, including American culture itself. Just like how American
popular culture influences foreign countries, other national cultures are influential within the United States
and also increase their presence worldwide.
 E.g: Hollywood is a good example of an industry that integrates elements from more than one culture;
while Hollywood dominates world cinema, American movies are subjected to foreign influence
o Many American movies are remakes of foreign films: “The Departed”, 2007 Academy Award
Winner for Best Picture, is a remake of the Chinese successful film “Infernal Affairs”
o James Cameron, producer of the movie “Titanic” is Canadian
 While Hollywood may incorporate many foreign elements into its craft, its public face is still distinctly
American
C. Reaffirmation of Local Culture

 E.g: India satellite TV permits an increase in number of regional channels that telecast Indian content 
gives Indian individual new opportunities to identify with his regional ties
 The homogenising effects of globalisation on national cultures may in fact tends to produce a reaction
among indigenous people  influencing them to want to reaffirm their own local cultures and traditions
o E.g: Capitalism favours a more fast-paced environment and a consumer culture which differ from
the lifestyle that people in some countries are used to  This is particularly hard to accept for
people who are afraid of change and want to preserve their own
D. Cultural Impacts of Globalisation

1. New global professions
a. Increased volumes of immigration and mobility + multiculturalism + problems of diversity and
tolerance of different races and ethnicities
2. Pop culture
a. Many complain that this form of globalisation is actually Americanisation because United States is
the largest producer of popular culture goods
b. Growth of influence of American television and film industries
The Canadian Magazine Dispute

 89% of magazines sold in Canada are foreign, with high percentage from America
 Despite a low proportion of domestically produced magazines in Canada, the Canadian government still
has nonetheless identified the production of magazines as an important touchstone of the Canadian
national identity
 Attempts to protect the Canadian culture from domination: 1920s – imposed protective tariffs on foreign
magazines  Absolute prohibition was easily applied and enforced at the port of entry
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o However, globalisation has recently changed this: Advances in technology have blurred the line
between foreign and domestic and trade agreements have limited the options that governments
may choose in giving preferential treatment to domestic goods
o E.g: Time Warner was able to print “Sports Illustrated Canada” electronically via satellite printers
in Canada without having it being stopped at the border
o Because these American-originating magazines serve a much larger market, they are able to take
advantage of the principle of economy of scale, and to offer lower advertising prices. It was
predicted that the diversion of advertising revenue would force many Canadian periodicals out of
business.
Globalisation vs Asian Values

 Some government officials in East Asian nations have boldly proclaimed an alternative to the Western
cultural model by declaring an adherence to the traditional Asian values
 Asian values are typically described as embodying the Confucian ideals of respect for authority, hard work,
thrift, and the belief that the community is more important than the individual. This is said to be coupled
with a preference for economic, social, and cultural rights rather than political rights.
 The most frequent criticism of these values is that they run contrary to the universality of human rights
and tend to condone undemocratic undercurrents in some countries, including the suppression of
dissidents, and the excessive use of national security laws.
 Singapore's former leader Lee Kwan Yew has used the term to justify the extremely well-ordered society
Singapore maintains, and its laissez-faire economic approach. His theories are often referred to as the
"Lee Thesis," which claims that political freedoms and rights can actually hamper economic growth and
development. According to this notion, order as well as personal and social discipline, rather than political
liberty and freedom, are most appropriate for Asian societies. Adherents to this view claim that political
freedoms, liberties, and democracy are Western concepts, foreign to their traditions.
 Other critics have more strident criticisms against the use of the Asian values argument. They argue that
these supposed values have stymied independent thinking and creativity and fostered authoritarian
regimes. According to this view, Asian values were partly responsible for the corruption that affected so
many nations in the region, making the press and people reluctant to criticize their governments.
Western Values and Islam

 Globalization is accelerating some people’s concerns about the infusions of Western values in Islamic
countries.
 In the 1960s, the Shah of Iran sought rapid modernization--regardless of conservative Muslim opinion. His
plan called for land reform designed to aid the poor, the extension of voting rights to women, and the
allowance of the formation of political parties. His plan, along with other social and economic changes, led
to increased resentment and hostility toward the Shah. Rightly or wrongly, reform efforts became
symbolic of what was wrong with Iranian society. Fundamentalist clerics began to rail against Iran’s
“westoxification,” and brought about a radical revolutionary movement that sought to expel all western
influence from their ancient civilization.
 The clash between Western values and Islam culture reached an all-time high on September 11, 2001 with
the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. The event widened the chasm between
the cultures, exemplified by anti-America riots in several Islamic countries, or the post 9-11 ‘anti-Muslim
backlash’ in the United States.
 During the recent Arab Spring, western cultural values were used to achieve popular political goals in the
Middle East. Western cultural staples such as social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter were
essential to the organization of recent uprisings in the Middle East. According to The National, “nearly 9 in
10 Egyptians and Tunisians surveyed in 2011 said they were using Facebook to organise protests or spread
awareness about them” And almost all of these protests came to fruition, inciting popular political action
through westernized means.
Protecting Languages
 France has attracted the most notoriety for attempting to protect its language from the immigration of
foreign words; the government decided to replace the word "hashtag" which is used frequently in Twitter
and other social media, with the Gallic word "mot-dièse” These notes are shared on
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 China: Authorities in China recently scrutinized the brands and names of over 20,000 western companies,
forcing them to change 2,000 to more Chinese-sounding names.
 This movement demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of cultural issues, and the visceral reaction that
many people have to what they perceive to be threats to their traditional ways of life.
Globalisation and Technology
Advances in Information Technology

 Moore's law: The amount of power in a processor doubles approximately every two years
 Rapid advancements in fiber optic technologies have also been critical to the IT revolution: allowing data
to be captured in digital form to be transmitted at speed of light through telecommunication cables
Impacts of Information Technology on Societal Sectors

 By improving access to health care, education, and government services to these sectors, new IT has the
potential to help people around the world overcome geographic or income barriers which currently
degraded the quality of their lives.
 By dramatically increasing access information, the advances can enhance knowledge, break down barriers
to participation, and improve the accountability of public and private institutions to its people.
 Health care
o Efforts to contain outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases require the rapid collection and
transmission of detailed patient data to medical labs or public health centers. Health professionals
need tools to communicate important scientific or epidemiological findings to other parts of the
health care community. IT is enhancing capacity in each of these areas.
o Digital records and images utilizing digital cameras have made it possible for doctors around the
world to share information or offer advice on treatments for complicated ailments.
o E.g: Using Internet connections, doctors working in remote regions of northern Uganda during an
outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus would be able rapidly to transmit their findings to experts at the
World Health Organization in Geneva and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
o IT systems have had a profound effect on the healthcare system in the U.S. as well as other systems
around the world wherein new technologies are utilized in an effort to efficiently providing
healthcare to a large audience. New initiatives are being undertaken by governments in a
multilateral effort to provide for patients that are not within accessible reach of a hospital.
o E.g: John’s Hopkins University is providing individuals with mobile technology to seek advice or
treatment from a doctor that is unattainable due to a lack of resources.
 Education
o IT improves educational opportunities by enabling educators and students to overcome barriers of
distance and by enhancing the content of instructional materials.
o Most colleges and universities across the United States offer some online course offerings. In 2012,
the latest development is the rise of Coursera, which offers free online courses from elite
universities, such as MIT and Harvard, reaching more than one million registered students in 2012.
o The Internet provides an extraordinary opportunity for students to extend the reach of their
learning. Before the Internet, the resources available to students were largely those that could be
found in their classrooms, in their outdated textbooks or in public libraries. The Internet enables
students to reach well beyond the physical confines of their classrooms and gain access to virtually
unlimited quantities of information on the topics or events they are discussing in their classrooms.
o IT offers especially valuable educational opportunities for poor people in developing countries.
Students and other residents of poor countries are increasingly using the Internet—often in
community Internet centers
o Countries such as Norway and New Zealand have implemented classroom programs into their
classrooms that help students become proficient in ‘digital literacy’ and ‘media literacy’ in the
globalized world.
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 Journalism and Media

o The technological revolutions of the Internet have ushered in a new age of journalism that cannot be
confined to one medium or one platform of exchange. It has made publishing and accessing news
easier and cheaper than ever before with more sources and varied voices.
o The Obama campaign, utilized the internet as a communication, information and outreach platform
in an unparalleled fashion. In 2012, voters used their cellphones, particularly their smart phones, to
get information about the elections or to keep up to date about political issues
o In the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election, the debates were live-streamed using YouTube, giving greater
access to the events as it allowed voters to watch it on phones and other devices. The use of the
Internet as a medium became more important in the recent election as it allowed the nominees to
connect with citizens who would otherwise not watch cable news
o As of October 2012, there were an estimated77 million Tumblr and 56.6 million WordPress blogs
o The purpose of a blog ranges from personal use, functioning like an online diary, to political
commentary and trend analyses. Web blogs are increasing in popularity due to the ease with which
one can be publish material online.
o Twitter may even be replacing blogs as it becomes a major source of news stories for millions of
followers worldwide. In 2012, people sent 340 million tweets per day
o Controversies over such media revolution:

1. Crime and punishment / crime reporting via everyday user of the Internet: High school in
Steubenville Ohio: Members of the football team posted pictures and tweets that suggested a
rape had taken place at a large party. The pictures posted on both Twitter and Instagram
quickly resulted in rape charges being filed for some of the teens, without which the
information may never have come to light.
2. Some governments tightening internet restrictions further as blogging becomes more
popular: Users who mention topics such as corruption, prostitution, or apostasy can possibly
face a death sentence in countries such as Iran. Iran was also amongst the first countries to
ban YouTube from the Iranian Internet providers
3. The media revolution is consequently hurting print media, such as newspapers and
magazines; In the past six years, print ad revenue has fallen > 50%
 But less consumption of print  less environmental damage
 Government
o The use of IT in government, sometimes called “e-government,” can enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of government services. E-government can also help achieve other important goals of
good governance, such as accountability and transparency.
o In democratic societies, information on government activities should be readily available for review
by the public  IT revolution as a facilitator and enhancement to the democratic process
1. Using these technologies, governments today can provide citizens with fast and free access to
a wide variety of documents and records.
o IT can also provide mechanisms through which governments can interact with citizens. Information
technology can also improve the performance and efficiency of government bureaucracies, and
enhance interagency cooperation. In these ways, technology can strengthen the delivery of
government services.
Technology in Warfare
 Radar – Any location can be detected using EM waves
 Weapons of mass destruction raised questions of morality as these technologies are unable to
indiscriminate harm
 Modern warfare:
o Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)
o Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems
o Reconnaissance Satellite: “Spy satellites” capable of eavesdropping on others to prevent
potential terrorist plots
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However, many others believe this is a flagrant violation of individual rights, with the
desire to protect taken a step too far
o Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Armed Drones
Science was long associated with war: Archimedes and Leonardo Da Vinci built machines for fighting. But they
became more closely related after the 2 world wars.
WW1 = Chemists’ war

 Heavy usage of poison gas, high importance of nitrates and advanced high explosives
 Approximately 6000 French troops died from poison gas within 10mins of deployment
WW2 = Physicists’ war

 Atomic bomb resulted from the Manhatten Project
o After describing the current uses of X-rays and radiation therapy in medicine, Charles Mohun
stressed the importance of using research on atomic theory and radiation only for peaceful
purposes: “The secret of the atom and the controlling of its force is the problem science is
attempting to solve … for a power will be available in the world so mighty in its potentialities that no
person would dare consider its use except for some constructive purpose.”
 Radar research by British and Americans, cryptography, meteorology, rocket science, jet aircrafts
 Military leaders gradually view technological advancement as important element in war success
Cold War
 Solidified links between Military and Science, especially between USA and USSR
 Computer science almost fully funded by military
Social science and war

 Social scientists researched on propaganda, decision making, and the psychological causes of communism
 Project Camelot was cancelled due to concerns raised about scientific objectivity in political research
Military funding for Military Science

 Many research areas are oriented towards military and war due to the high fraction of war-oriented
science funding
 New fields of scientific research grew from wars: Operations research grew from WW2 when scientists
study military problems
 2.4% of world’s GDP ($1747B), and 3.8% ($640B) of USA’s GDP on military spending
War resulted in the growth of new scientific research areas and innovation
 Rise of nuclear science (and nuclear power), genetic engineering, plasma physics, and weather research,
all originated from military interests
 Rise of computing, which was originally used in wars to solve mathematical problems like building more
efficient nuclear weapons, which slowly grew towards microprocessors for ‘smart weapons’
Science is part of the War system, rather than just a servant of it

 The orientation of modern scientists is mainly controlled by the requirements of the government, as seen
through the 2 world wars
 Scientists are no longer independent of the state as they depend on the state heavily for funding
 The power elites of science are another part of the admin class which often benefited from the war
system, in which they also promoted the war system at the same time
 Antiwar action by scientists is very challenging because of the great power of the underlying institutions of
war: the state, bureaucracies, military, and the structures of unequal power in which the admin class has
the highest power of all in any country
 The foundation of science, as a form of a career in any nation, is based on the state system, and thus the
career structure of scientists are highly linked with the war system
Science, itself, can be evil

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 Science is thought to be morally neutral, and it is up to the society to decide how to use it. However, the
‘society’ includes the government and large corporations and they decide how scientists work
 Science costs money, and the ‘society’ can supply money for what they want to profit
o Yury Ovchinnikov, leader of Soviet bioweapons research, "Nobody would give us money for
medicine. But offer one weapon and you'll get full support."
 Nothing in this world is so completely good that it can't sometimes serve evil ends.
o Soviet bioweapons research, a large waste of money, was used to produce a bacterium that causes a
victim to suffer Legionnaire’s disease, a huge damage to one’s nervous system
 It is the nature of a corrupt system, like the Soviet Union communism, that corrupts the people who work
within it such that ordinary men end up doing extraordinary wicked things.
Web 2.0
 A core aspect of Web 2.0 is harnessing collective intelligence through open source project, mass
collaboration, user engagement on social networks, and rethinking the traditional business model.
 Social Networking Sites (SNS):

o Along with a profile, another important aspect of social networking is being able to link to the circle
of friends that your acquaintances have built, creating a world that is truly connected by a few clicks
of a mouse.
o Social networking sites have gotten much attention recently as privacy has become an increasingly
important issue as younger children begin to use these sites
o Recent study by USC revealed that the younger generation is less likely to hesitate to give out
personal information on sites like Facebook.
o SNS and Law enforcement: The use of social networking has begun playing a prominent role in
combating terrorism and seen by the recent Boston Bombings event. Thousands of witnesses
flooded the Internet and authorities with evidence in the form of pictures and video, taken mostly
from cell phones. Users of online social networking sites like Facebook and Reddit, began examining
evidence that was made available by other users and started making conclusions based on it. These
amateur investigations began to hurt the official one, forcing authorities to stay one step ahead of
the Internet vigilantes.
  The events of the Boston Bombings highlight both the benefit and the drawback of an
interconnected world, with untold amounts of recording devices being used on a daily basis.
 The use of social media will continue to be instrumental in law enforcement in the coming
years, however, it also showcases its limits and how police should deal with similar events in
the future.
o SNS and activism: SNSs facilitate the mobilization of grass-root movements, especially among the
younger generation
 SNSs played a significant role in the spread of the Arab Spring and revolts of early 2011. In
Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, civil unrest was spread through social media sites and protestors
were given a place to organize. Due to restrictions placed on conventional media, the Internet
provided a perfect platform for dissenters to voice their opinions and spread their ideals
 President Morsi of Egypt issued his policy announcements via Facebook. In other countries
such as Iran, political candidate Hooshang Amirahmadi has taken to Reddit, answering
questions from all over the world.
 Peer Production: Fortress of Collective Creativity and Mass Collaboration / Open Source
o One of the key elements of peer production is the widespread availability of information. Projects
are open to anyone who feels the desire to contribute.
o One of the most successful open source projects: Firefox. It is a web browser managed by Mozilla
whose aim is to “promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the web”. There is no hierarchy
that dictates the method of production; ordinary Internet users are encouraged to give feedback and
partake in the Firefox venture. Currently it is one of the most popular open source project (but facing
competition from Google Chrome)
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o Because opensourced products are constantly being improved and updated, there is little reason to
purchase software that only comes out once a year. For instance, OpenOffice, an OS software aiming
to compete with Microsoft Office, is updated as often as every two months. On the other hand,
Microsoft Office software comes out once a year. OS projects are free-to-use and free-to-update.
The 2010 Microsoft Office products range from $150 to $500.
o Open source software saves organizations millions of dollars in information technology. One of the
most popular uses of open source software today is in education, which allows schools that are hurt
by budget cuts to move from paying for closed source tools to free open source options, such as
switching to Linux, a free open source operating system, One school reported saving over $4,000 in
resourcing costs alone by switching to open source software.
o In 2012, the Obama Administration released the “We The People” online petition application to help
U.S. citizens start petitions or register their point of view. The Administration wants to support more
open source initiatives and hopes this is the first of many new programs and apps. Recently, open
source software has been developed for the express purpose of allowing the free flow of information
from governments to people who request it.
 Cloud Computing
o The basis of cloud computing is that data is not stored on a person's physical machine but hosted in
third party pools known as the cloud. This allows for businesses to store more information without
having to worry about failure of their own computers and risk losing vital information. This type of
storage has already been adopted by Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
o These services also allow virtual collaboration on projects that can also be worked on simultaneously,
making meetings and traditional office work obsolete. One of the key benefits to cloud storage is the
ability to recover from a disaster, since the data is stored in a third party location any problems can
easily be mitigated.
o However, there have been concerns about the security of data that is stored in the cloud and
whether this information could be sabotaged easily.
Concerns of the Technological Age

 International Digital Divide
o Only approximately 38% of world’s population uses the Internet
o Although many individuals think globalization has led to an increase in global inequality the truth is
technology has widened the gap between the rich and the poor in the world. Technology continues
to adapt and grow at such an accelerated rate that most countries cannot afford the new technology
innovations. The lack of resources hampers country progressions in economics, education,
healthcare, and so on.
 Privacy and Security Concerns

o Personal information that may be of interest to businesses or people with malevolent aims is
generated whenever people surf the Internet. Companies, for example, are able to learn a great deal
about web surfers who visit their websites. Using tracking devices known as "cookies," companies
are able to track purchases and gather personal data.
o They can use this information to target their marketing efforts at individual consumers or groups of
consumers.
o It will be difficult to strike a balance between protecting privacy and ensuring a flow of information
and data that can enhance quality of life
o Recent data forecasts that worldwide spending on security will hit $86 billion in 2016 as a result of
increased concern over cybercrime from China, which has been made a priority by the Obama
administration.
o Internet or computer service disruptions have become a major problem not only for companies, but
for governments, associations, international institutions, and private citizens around the world.
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Globalisation and Environment
Introduction
Increased economic integration has caused environmental problems to be a global problem
 Growing environmentalists and NGOs suggesting rigorous environmental protection regulations and
international laws, but the UN environment body has not been created mainly due to the unwillingness of
USA and China
 Growing debate on whether too much environmental regulation is good in the long run:
o Environmental protection can entail a drag on economic growth in the short-term. Industries that
have to adjust to environmental regulations face disruption and higher costs, harming their
competitive position.
o Some argue that it may be worth slower economic growth in order to protect the environment.
o Others say that the free market and technological advances are the best tools to solve
environmental problems and lift people out of poverty, rather than greater regulation.
 However, the link between environment and economic development is much more complex than that, in
fact, many ways can prove that protecting the environment while promoting economic growth are
actually complementary goals
o Poverty in LDCs is a leading cause for environmental degradation
o E.g: “Slash-and-burn” land-clearing method by subsistence farmers has been a major cause for
the depletion of the Amazon rainforest  boosting economic growth may be effective in
promoting the protection of the forest
o  Idea of sustainable development movement
 2013: 100+ students in Istanbul, Turkey, protested against an urban development project to build a mall in
the city's largest green space, Gezi Park
Sustainable development
 The first major endorsement of sustainable development came at the 1992 Rio Conference which set forth
the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development and the Agenda 21. The declaration outlined
the goals of sustainable development
 States were enjoined to "cooperate to eradicate poverty" and to "cooperate in a spirit of global
partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem"
 The ‘differing responsibilities’ of nations at different development levels were emphasised: DCs should
provide scientific know-how, technology, and financial resources to poorer countries to help them
develop and protect the environment
 The idea of sustainable development has not, however, ended controversies over the relationship
between economic growth and environmental protection. In fact, in many ways the World Conference on
Sustainable Development in 2002, intended to review progress since the Rio Summit, demonstrated the
continuing divisions in the international community
 It remains to be seen whether the continuing disputes in the international community can be overcome to
lead to real progress on eliminating poverty and simultaneously protecting the environment
 More than 40 years since the 1972 Stockholm Conference, dozens of international conferences, national
laws, local initiatives, government programs and non-governmental campaigns have not resolved the
fundamental tensions that underlie the relationship between globalization and the environment. Instead,
all these efforts have challenged countries to manage those tensions in ways that are politically feasible
within their domestic political context and their financial resources. The results of this process for the
environment and for human development are still unfolding.
Climate refugees
 People who must leave their homes and countries because of the effects of climate change and global
warming
 Rising sea level can cause some land completely underwater, making it uninhabitable
 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that sea level will rise a total of 0.18 to 0.6m
from 1990 to 2100, and Scientists predict that Bangladesh will lose 17% of its land by 2050  20 million
climate refugees from Bangladesh alone
 Island states: These notes are shared on
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o Mauritius, Solomon islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga  Predicted to be wiped out by rising sea level by
2050
o Maldives is only max 2.4m above sea level; Tourism supports > 25% of the economy
 Further sea level rise will threaten economy greatly + affects fishing industry (2 nd largest
industry)
 Sea level rise may sink all 1200 islands of Maldives, forcing them to evacuate
 Environmental refugees are not protected by the international laws, they face greater political risks as
they can be sent back to their devastated homeland or forced into refugee camps
 These refugees have to also adjust to new environment (different laws and cultures)
 Refugees also will lead to increase in competition for resources and land with locals, thus triggering
conflicts and possible wars
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Science, Technology, Ethics, and Religion
Contents
SCIENCE ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Science in the Media: Misunderstood .............................................................................................. 35
Practical benefits of Science ............................................................................................................. 35
Responsibilities of the Scientist in our society.................................................................................. 35
The Scientist, far from being man’s friend, is today his greatest enemy. ........................................ 37
How important are values and ideals in scientific developments? .................................................. 38
Science is unreliable, being based as much on theory as on facts.” Is this a fair comment? ........... 39
“The more we know, the more we know we do not know.”............................................................ 40
Discuss the view that too much faith is placed in scientific knowledge. .......................................... 41
Social Impacts & Implications ........................................................................................................... 43
Effect on Work & Employments.................................................................................................... 43
Effect on Relationships ................................................................................................................. 44
Social problems and cyber crimes ................................................................................................ 44
Effect on Identity........................................................................................................................... 45
Education ...................................................................................................................................... 45
Political Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 46
A Surveillance Society ................................................................................................................... 46
People Power ................................................................................................................................ 46
Misuse of the Internet .................................................................................................................. 47
Mathematics ..................................................................................................................................... 47
Science Fiction .................................................................................................................................. 48
Criticism of future technology ...................................................................................................... 48
Inspiration for future technology.................................................................................................. 49
Should research into expensive medical treatment be allowed when only a few can afford them?
.......................................................................................................................................................... 49
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Technology ............................................................... 50
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Arts............................................................................ 51
Ethics .................................................................................................................................................. 52
Making moral judgements ................................................................................................................ 52
Ethics vs Religion ............................................................................................................................... 52
Moral Relativism vs Absolutism ........................................................................................................ 52
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Science and Ethics ............................................................................................................................. 53

Do moral standards impede the progress of Science? ..................................................................... 54
1. Duty of the doctor ......................................................................................................................... 55
2. Euthanasia (Assisted Suicides) ...................................................................................................... 56
3. Abortion ........................................................................................................................................ 57
4. Stem Cell Research / In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) ............................................................................ 58
5. Designer Babies ............................................................................................................................. 59
6. Animal Experimentation ............................................................................................................... 59
7. Donor eggs .................................................................................................................................... 60
8. Ethics spur Science to advance ..................................................................................................... 61
9. Cloning .......................................................................................................................................... 61
10. Genetic Engineering .................................................................................................................... 62
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Ethics......................................................................... 63
Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 65
Artificial Intelligence – Technological Singularity ............................................................................. 65
Does the modern world place too much reliance on technology?................................................... 65
Has modern technology made people lose sense of their priorities? .............................................. 67
Does technology divide or unite your country? ............................................................................... 69
Man is technologically advanced, but morally backward. ................................................................ 70
To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your country? ...... 71
To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? ..................... 72
Technology has failed to simplify our lives. To what extent is this true? ......................................... 74
“Technology has made our lives busier, not better.” ....................................................................... 75
Consider the view that modern technology is the only answer to world hunger. ........................... 75
Nuclear Technology .......................................................................................................................... 77
Right Technology used for the Wrong Reasons ................................................................................ 78
Technology and Arts ......................................................................................................................... 79
To what extent has technology revolutionized the arts? ................................................................. 81
Religion ............................................................................................................................................. 83
Religion: Misunderstood ................................................................................................................... 83
Religion divides more than it unites? ............................................................................................... 83
Religion and Politics .......................................................................................................................... 86
Science and Religion ......................................................................................................................... 87
Similarities of Science and Religion............................................................................................... 88 on
These notes are shared
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Conflicts between Science and Religion ....................................................................................... 88

Science and Religion to coexist ..................................................................................................... 89
The more science advances, the more religion will decline. To what extent do you agree? ........... 90
Science encourages doubt; religion quells it. (KSBULL 2008, p14) ................................................... 91
Religion is becoming irrelevant in today’s secular society. .............................................................. 92
Religion and progress cannot co-exist. Do you agree? ..................................................................... 92
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Religion ..................................................................... 93
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Science
The process by which knowledge about the physical universe is obtained, interpreted, and explained
from tangible testable evidence.
 It is significant but it is not the only way to get an answer to all things
 However, we cannot depend solely on science especially in the discussion of values, meanings,
final causes, and invisibles – anything that cannot be tested with empirical and tangible
evidences not within the science’s domain
 In the modern scientific community: Theories are only accepted through a process of rigorous
peer review and peer experiment, and they must be verified by committees of experts from
different scientific fields to ensure accuracy of work
Science in the Media: Misunderstood

 The media misleads the public by talking about scientific issues as if they have been settled once
and for all though in reality there is still a lot of uncertainty (still part of the process and not the
final conclusion in the theory)
 The media pays a lot of attention to scientific discoveries as there is a lot of public interests
o Stephen Hawking’s “Brief History of Time” world-wide best seller despite its contents
were nothing new in the science field according to many physicists, his popularity was
mainly due to his Lou Gehrig’s disease that left him severely crippled
Practical benefits of Science

 Improved overall SOL
o Cumulative effect of scientific discoveries and technological innovations which in turn
evolve our civilisation from the primitive hunter-gatherer status to agricultural economy
to an industrial society and finally to today’s knowledge-based economy
o Advanced transport and communication technologies contribute to globalisation, in
which capital is further invested in the development of the community
o Advances in medicine and healthcare lowers death rates and inventions make life more
efficient and convenient
 Dramatic potential solutions to the world’s greatest problems
o Hunger – GM foods allow LDCs to plant cheap and nutritional crops
o Poverty – Nanotechnology and materials science allow creation of materials
o Healthcare – Genetic engineering and stem cell research potentially cure all diseases
o Environment degradation – New sources of clean energy and finding habitable planets
 Invaluable way to discern truth from lies
o Mathematical calculations and logical proofs from repeated experiments dispute lies
o The Flat Earth society claiming the Earth is flat; Clonaid’s claim to have created the first
human clone should be tested out to not cheat desperate couples of their money
 Adds great sense of awe and mystery to our lives
o Imagination of the nature is far greater than the imagination of mankind
 Gives us healthy recognition that there are a lot of things we are ignorant about
Responsibilities of the Scientist in our society

 Layman not able to understand latest developments in Science, only trained scientists are able
to foresee the potential applications or problems
 Only through intense peer review and peer assessments, scientists can then monitor
developments within the scientific community
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o 1995 Manifesto: philosopher Bertrand Russell and physicist Albert Einstein wrote the
manifesto to condemn the development of nuclear weapons in which several nuclear
physicists and experts of radiology and chemistry also signed it
 However, scientists are humans too and are prone to corruption and wilfulness
o Career pressure: Scientists depend on a good reputation in their papers to receive
continual support and funding, with the strong imperative of “publish or perish”
mentality  pushes desperate scientists to fabricate results
o Assumption about the right answers: Scientists tend to introduce a fact that they believe
is true without going to the trouble and the difficulty of actually performing the
experiment required
o Ability to get away with fabrications: Experimental results are often difficult to
reproduce accurately by other scientists
o 2006: Hwang Woo Suk renown South Korean Supreme Scientist cloning researcher said
that “I was blinded by work and my drive for achievement”
o 1989: 2 chemists called for a press conference in Salt Lake City, claiming that they have
produced controlled nuclear fusion in a test-tube, but after peer reviews, the claims
were not true. However, this incident further increased their donations and funding for
cold-fusion research due to its popularity on the news
 Scientists also face the limitations of human intellect – they are not omniscient, omnipotent, nor
omnipresent enough to foresee long-term implications of their research
o Manhattan Project: Oppenheimer, the project leader, along with many of the physicists
like Richard Feynman were shocked by the devastation the bomb produced.
Oppenheimer was overwhelmed with guilt and became a champion against further
development of nuclear weapons, quoted becoming “Death, the destroyer of Worlds.”
 Scientists face external constraints and their power to change the status quo is limited since the
application of their scientific discoveries and technologies is defined not by them but by:
o Governments to maintain power and control of population
 Lysenkoism: Fascists tried to use Genetics to justify their theories on eugenics
and the master race, in which scientist Lysenko claimed that he had developed a
cultivation technique that would quadruple yields. With Lysenko’s advice and
Stalin’s approvals, many geneticists were executed or sent to labour camps, and
leading to long-term and serious harm to Soviet biology in 1930s
o Corporate agendas to maximise profits and reputation
 1997 Monsanto: Pharmaceutical company selling expensive GM crop seeds to
farmers
o End-users with criminal intent
 Sarin gas: created in 1938 in the quest for a stronger pesticide, but ended up as
a lethal chemical used for war by Germans in WW2, terrorism by the Aum
Shinrikyo cult in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack, and the recent Syria killings by
the government to oppress the riots
 Human enhancement technologies: Scientists unable to control what people use
technologies (cheat during Olympics)
 2002: Clonaid company receiving large sums of money from people anxious to
have cloned children
 Society at large can also help to maintain accountability
o Governments can draft legislation to control research and development
o Media should be more discerning with the way they research and present scientific
issues. They need to prioritise truth over a good marketing story
o Watchdog groups like Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
o “To every man is given a key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of
hell.”
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The Scientist, far from being man’s friend, is today his greatest enemy.
 Although scientists are equally capable of salvaging men from the abyss of poverty and thus
are arguably invaluable friends, the propensity for scientists to betray us due to the
enticement of unimaginable riches means that it would be far wiser for us to consider
scientists as our greatest enemies today
Detractors of the notion that scientists are our greatest enemies today often support their argument
with the point that scientists have contributed greatly to destroying the viscous cycle of poverty, and
thus are mankind’s friends
 Through their quest for cutting-edge technology, scientists have indeed discovered/invented
technology that lessens the burden of meeting the necessities for life on the part of the poor
 Facilitates knowledge-based skills, increases efficiency of poor  greater profits heighten
SOL
 E.g: Mexican farmers able to afford cheaper farming technologies like automated irrigation
and small-scale tractors  reduce their workload + allow them to focus on improving
qualities of crops instead
 Scientists thus are saviours to those in poverty as they empower them to break out of
poverty cycle
These detractors are naive as they fail to spot the monetary incentives that spur scientists on their
supposedly noble quest of lifting he poor out of their abyss of gloom  they do not work out of
altruistic incentives
 Scientists are liable to abandon projects that aid the poor in favour of less noble projects
should there be more money profited elsewhere
 Instead of mankind’s constant friend, as detractors would have believed, scientists can at
best be labelled as our fair-weather friends whose presence and help is contingent upon the
amount of money we can pay them
Even labelling scientists as our fair-weather friends seem too generous on our part when we
consider that scientists are more susceptible that ever in exploiting and supressing the poor for
research purposes
 Acceptance of projects helmed by multi-billion dollar companies also necessitates a profit-
making mindset cognisant with their companies’ business principles  scientists are
therefore more willing to exploit the poor in order to attain profit-making goals
 E.g: Monsanto which specialises in developing GM crop seeds, scientists under the company
fulfil the profit-making goals of their employers have purposely developed crop seeds which
yield infertile crops, thus creating a complete dependence for farmers on Monsanto to
continue their crop harvest  putting the livelihood of farmers at stake while increasing
their own profits
 E.g: Tuskegee Syphilis Project in Alabama exploited the poor in order to cut costs on paying
human subjects to engage in trial tests  scientists deliberately injected African-Americans
with Syphilis in order to observe the virus’s effects on the human body while leaving them to
believe they were receiving free vaccinations.
 Scientists, in today’s profit-driven environment, thus become our greatest enemies by
exploiting the poor economically and also exploiting their trust in authority while putting
livelihoods and health at risk
Scientists are capable of inflicting harm upon innocent civilians both directly and indirectly
 Can utilise their esoteric knowledge of science to develop fatal technologies that supposedly
advances the agenda of the terrorist organisations they belong to
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 E.g: Japan Aum Shinrikyo Cult develop dangerous biochemical weapons with the help of its
followers with scientific expertise  Tokyo Subway Sarin gas attack in 1995, killing 12 and
injuring thousands
 Assad regime, Syrian conflict and the usage of Sarin gas and biochemical weapons
 In today’s increasingly divided world, scientists with their scientific knowledge have
empowered their organisations to inflict harm on innocent civilians
How important are values and ideals in scientific developments?

 Science approaching dangerous frontiers could have devastating consequences on
mankind’s existence
 Supporters of science argue that values and ideals only serve to restrict scientific progress,
and that such values and ideals that should not apply to scientific developments that do not
have direct influence on humanity
 However, to act responsibly, we should exercise our values lest we fall victim to the
temptation of unimpeded scientific iniquity and development
Values and ideals only serve to restrict scientists’ progress and scientific developments thus their
influence on such developments must be minimised for mankind to truly be able to understand the
physical world
 When scientists try to venture outside the existing pool of knowledge, where values and
ideals are then described as leashes that rein science in
 Stem cell research
Irrelevance of human ideals and values when scientific development in question has no direct
influence on humanity
 Conservative individuals have no right to raise barriers to obstruct the path of such progress
for new discoveries for the sake of their own beliefs
 E.g: De-exfoliation to possibly bring back extinct animals and the study of animal poisons and
bacteria  fields with no direct influence on humanity  restraining them would only
prevent us from expanding our knowledge
 However, such scientific developments if landed in the wrong hands, can develop into
threats to our existence
 E.g: Study of poisons have been applied to manufacturing chemical weapons where ill-
intentioned individuals and organisations gained access to such knowledge  Tokyo Subway
Sarin gas 1995
 Potential danger such developments may pose to the global community when adapted for
misuse
Importance of making ethical decisions when it comes to sensitive issues

 As we increase our knowledge in something, we automatically increase our power over it as
well
 However, as science progresses  more is known  but each person knows less of what
there is to know; meaning, scientific development has led to the extreme fragmentation and
specialisation of the scientific enterprise
 With greater power comes greater need for moral obligation to make ethical choices for the
excuse of that power
 Cases of possible medical ailments where a danger lurks in the darkness we cannot ignore
We have an immense moral obligation to stick to our values and ideals, especially if said
development applies to others These notes are shared on
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 United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that no individual has the
right to force other to comply with his or her actions
Values and ideals are of critical importance in scientific developments as it is only sensible to do so.
 As fellow human beings, we are obliged to make decisions and create scientific
developments that are for the greater good of humanity instead for our own personal gain
and greed for honour and recognition
 Scientists when approaching dangerous frontiers need to make wise decisions that
underscore values and ideals
 The issue of argumentation of human abilities where GM people with increased physical and
mental capabilities may result in the extinction of the original human species who will be
comparatively less advantaged to survive in this increasingly dynamic world
Conclusion
 While scientific developments are significant milestones we should celebrate, it would be
wise to be more mindful of their potential negative implications they can pose, and thus
stick to our ideals and values
Science is unreliable, being based as much on theory as on facts.” Is this a fair

comment?
The word ‘Science’ means knowledge in Latin, and is touted as a systematic enterprise that builds
and organises knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Though this seems largely true, there are those who assert that scientific knowledge is controversial
and evolving which in turn indicates that science itself is based on theories and conjectures as much
as it claims to be on hard, solid facts. Until the recent discovery of a planet, name PH1, with four
suns orbiting it, scientists never thought this type of planetary system existed because it was
deemed highly unstable in theory. As it is, science is still a much cherished and revered scheme of
deriving knowledge because of its feasibility and basis on facts. That science is unreliable is not a fair
comment.
Admittedly, science is controversial. The beliefs within this realm are constantly being challenged by
scientists worldwide. However, certain facets of science have been well-established and serve as the
knowledge set that has been rigorously tried and tested, so much so that we trust these facts to be
extensively applied in our daily lives. Evidence of this claim lies in the very buildings we inhabit, for
their design is based on our scientific understanding of gravitational field strength, atomic properties
of the cement and steel bars such as their tensile strength, and how they absorb or emit heat. The
very mobile phones we use seem simple on the surface, but their reliability stems from our equally
rigorous understanding of the electromagnetic system, sound wave propagation, transistors, and of
electricity; the list goes on. That science forms the foundation of such a large part of the modern
human’s daily life is testament to the fact that it is indeed reliable, and the employability of such
knowledge consequently results in more than just chance successes that we can send an overseas
text message.
Harking back to a time when the facts of the above mentioned aspects of science were not well
understood, one realises that their reliability stems from rigorous, ruthless and rational
experimentation. The scientific method is celebrated for its ability to dispassionately disregard all
‘facts’ which cannot be proven. It is a powerful tool whose lethality is in challenging status quo.
When scientists question existing aspects or existing theories or propose new ones, they present the
best evidence they possibly can and make the strongest case to their contemporaries. Since
scientists have to fight hard for their ideas to get accepted and to refute what they feel their
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colleagues are misguided in believing, only the soundest ideas are able to stand the test of time and
any form of attack. Ideas are sound and factually correct if each and every scientist can reproduce
the same set of results under the same given controls, the same way as it is factually proven
scientific knowledge that a person will die if he leaps off a ten story building, accelerates at the
earth’s gravitational field strength of 9.81 metres per second squared, and then falls flat on the
ground.
Having said that, I concede that there is a fine line between theoretical science and science fiction
because assertions in these fields are difficult, if not impossible, to prove or disprove. An example
would be the scientific debate over the origin of the universe. Multiple theories imply a higher
being’s involvement in the process, such as the Theory of First Cause and the Theory of Design, but
one theory that does not is the Infinite Universe Theory. It is unlikely that any scientist will be able to
prove or disprove the Infinite Universe Theory, simply because there is no way of ever knowing if
there are an infinite number of universes, and that by pure chance, this one is able to support life. As
a result, such aspects of science are rooted completely in theory. However, qualifying that these
assertions are theories so that they do not mislead the common man into thinking that they are
factual actually iterates the reliability of science, however ironically.
Furthermore, many people rely on science for their practical applications, whereas the group which
studies theoretical science forms the minority. We use it to form the basis of our judgements a large
part of the time, because we are rational beings who seek to maximise self-interest, and hence
would opt for the most objective and proven methodology that stands to yield the optimal result.
Additionally, there are no good alternatives to science. Opponents of the view that science is
grounded in fact and is indeed reliable can hardly suggest a better option to rely on. Science forms
the basis of what we believe and what we pass on as beliefs to our children through education
precisely because we have a strong preference for the objective. In the more practical aspects of our
lives, we need an objective basis for our decision-making and systems planning and we have not
discovered a more objective foundation than science. It is well and good to occasionally check one’s
horoscope and to engage a geomancer to help us to decorate our office in a hopefully auspicious
way, but these methods are subjective and there is no consensus as to their reliability. Lastly, a
reliance on theory may not necessarily be a bad thing as the question implies. Theories promote
thought, and encourage people to see an issue from different aspects before being entirely
convinced by the one which has been proven. The presence of many theories also increases the rate
at which facts are discovered, since many well-established facts originated in theory.
In conclusion, science is an indispensable pillar of civilization that has gained weight over the
centuries as an important buttress of society. Even with the flaws science may seem to have, the
Scientific Method is one that prizes nothing but the most logical thought and tears apart any
argument which is unsound to result in a knowledge set grounded in facts and not theory. Hence I
believe that science is reliable. Science does not provide all the answers, but it has certainly afforded
us many crucial answers which have underpinned centuries of phenomenal progress by our species.
“The more we know, the more we know we do not know.”

The idea of 'non-knowledge' that nor-knowing is a form of knowing too is a strain of thought that
has persisted from Socrates to modern day philosophers. Socrates famously wrote, 'wisest is she
who knows she does not know', which is an exposition not only on the value of modesty, but ado a
philosophical statement about the profundity of an awareness of one! Limitations-this has been
sustained by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, who contends that we will never achieve complete
knowledge. But can aspire to further human understanding by pointing out the absences and
omissions in human thought- scientific research demonstrates this essential irony, for the one tool
that we have assumed since the enlightenment, will bring us certainty has in fact provoked greater
ambition. The light of science has made us all the more aware of the surrounding darkness.
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Science has always been a crude tool, and its history is one of changes and corrections, just as it was
once taken for granted that the world is flat. Many of the prevalent 'scientific' beliefs that we believe
to be concrete may in fact have little scientific basis. Newtonian physics, once regarded as absolute
truths, has been proven nor to hold at high levels of speed outside of earths gravitational conditions
even Newton’s ‘laws’ are not absolute. Stephen Hawking recently rescinded his earlier theory
regarding the nature of black-holes, and scientists are beginning to find faults with Darwin’s
‘Evolution Theory’. Science has been a continual process of refining human though and this entails
an awareness of our short-comings rather than a belief in our scientific wisdom, as human
knowledge has grown, we are increasingly forced to come to terms with our ignorance and inability
to comprehend the hidden forces behind the universe - this, in itself, is a furthering of human
knowledge. It is in fact a healthy process the state of non-knowing, as Socrates wrote, brings us
closer to wisdom. It is crucial that we do not take knowledge to be absolute, so that human
understanding will not be static but instead will continue to evolve and develop a complete belief
and the rationality of Science is, in fact, irrational.
This is reflected in the very nature of science - it is a method, an approach, an attitude, not an
omnipotent system- scientific thinking involves scepticism not only of new strains of thought but
also of conventional ones that are taken for granted. Moreover, the scientific method is designed
not to verify truth, but to detect untruth. Take, for example, a simple experiment to test if a copper
wire conducts electricity. If it does conduct electricity, it cannot be concluded that all forms of
copper conduct electricity as only this one has been proven to do so. Likewise, if it does not conduct
electricity, it cannot be concluded that all copper does not conduct electricity. Science is a method to
rest specific circumstances instead of a system that draws complete conclusions; this has been
advocated by Carl Sagan, who wrote that 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.' Even if
we cannot prove that something exists, we have to make provisions for the possibility that it does
exist, only we lack the scientific tools to verify its existence. As such, the continuation of scientific
research will always be a labour to approximate real truth even though we will not, because we
cannot, find it.
Modern scientific developments such as cloning and genetic engineering have also stumbled into
another lightless region that of human morality. Scientific progress into these areas has revealed
that even as we find out more scientifically, there is much within ourselves that we do not know. Are
we willing to integrate clones into our society? Can we accept that we can manipulate the very
substance of life? How far can we go in our attempt to change what we are born with? Our attempts
have yielded no answer - except that we do not know. In a sense, controversial scientific
developments are great social experiments, forcing us to look inward and test our consciousness of
what it means to be human. The technological answers have been found, but the theological ones
have not. The more science empowers us, the more we will find ourselves without moral, ethical, or
religious compass. Perhaps, just as with scientific testing, we will never know where to draw the line
between 'right' and 'wrong. The US congress has prohibited stem-cell research for now but this is a
postponement of a judgement that it will eventually be forced to make. The light of science has
shown us the obscurity of our humanity science has given us more questions that we cannot answer.
It has shown us what we do not know of the world and of ourselves.
Discuss the view that too much faith is placed in scientific knowledge.
 Discovery of ‘Higgs Boson’ particle is a crucial first step to explaining why things have mass,
paving the way for scientists to probe the origin of life
 Ability of science to explain many previously thought unexplainable phenomena 
increasing reliance
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 Excessive belief placed in science and such belief could be easily misplaced since science is
also susceptible to bias and uncertainties
 However, still the most reliable source of knowledge we have  thus faith placed is
justifiable and not excessive
Too much faith Faith is justifiable and thus not excessive

Scientific knowledge today is based Scientific knowledge is built upon thorough consensus-
on theories and postulates, thus seeking, thus improving its reliability
cannot be objectively verified  Centred on discussions and debates between scientists
 Naively and unquestionably to express own opinions on experimental data 
accepting what science tells us increases subjectivity in science, allowing scientists to
 putting excessive faith in point out others’ blind spots  complementing each
scientific knowledge other
 Basic premise of scientific  E.g: Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection + Gregor
research is to form hypotheses, Mendel’s Pea Experiment = Neo-Darwinism
then prove them via (combination of each aspects of the separate theories)
experiments – however, many  E.g: Japanese Stem cell scientist Haruko Obokata
hypotheses cannot be proven produced errors in her research that were
objectively  either due to the unreproducible by other scientists when she claimed
fact that they are extremely big she has produced STAP stem cells experimentally
or small thus cannot be directly  Discussion process in the acquisition of scientific
observed to give us an knowledge makes science more reliable  our faith in
explanations science is thus justifiable and not excessive
 E.g: J.J. Thomas postulated that
electricity is conducted by Scientific method provides a dynamic and robust
electrons, but till today, no one framework by producing accurate experimental results to
has actually observed electrons prove theories
conducting electricity because  Theories in scientific knowledge are often postulated
of their small sizes  but from facts and backed by experimental data
schools still teach this scientific  Scientific method requires experiments conducted to
model as an absolute truth be reproducible  scientists can reproduce the
experimental data just with the look of the scientific
Scientific fraud becoming more research reports published
prevalent  Checking mechanism allows frauds to be uncovered,
 Scientists are not omnipotent preventing fabricated results to deceive public: e.g:
or omnipresent, some of them Korean Scientist Hwang Woo Suk stem cell research
have imperfect moral fibre fraud
which choose to pervert  Thus verified facts allow for our faith in scientific
science to suit their own vexed knowledge  faith is justifiable and thus not excessive
interests in desire to publish
papers in prestigious journals to We do not blindly believe in scientific knowledge, and we
earn fame and glory  some often can judiciously question the theories put forward
scientists have fabricated  Evident in areas where no proof can be offered such as
experimental data to suit their in astronomy – Big Bang Theory still remains a theory
hypotheses today as there is no concrete tangible proof  most
 2% of scientists, in a survey, people still take this theory with a pinch of salt
acknowledged anonymously  The ease with which old scientific models and theories
that they had unintentionally can be discarded and replaced precisely with new ones
manipulated experimental when there are new findings  show that we do not
results, and the cases of put too much faith in scientific knowledge (Isaac
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scientific fraud are merely the Newton’s law of gravitation vs Einstein’s theory of
tip of the iceberg general relativity)
 Some people unaware of the  We are thus critical of scientific knowledge and not
dark side in the scientific putting too much faith in it
community would have placed
too much faith in science
Conclusion
 It might seem that we are over-reliant on science in explaining the world  such faith is not
misplaced as science is generally reliable
 Also, we maintain healthy scepticism for scientific theories, allowing them to be replaced if
the need arises
Social Impacts & Implications

Effect on Work & Employments
1. Creation of new jobs
a. The advance of science and technology has led to the creation of new jobs in the
pharmaceutical, medical, research and biotechnological fields.
b. Singapore: In 2000, Singapore declared biotechnology as the fourth pillar of its economy.
Due to increased international competition, Singapore has gradually moved its emphasis
from manufacturing technology to the biomedical sciences. In an effort to become an
integrated biotechnology hub, Singapore has pumped in $2.3 billion in investments, grants
and incentives.
c. The government is also trying to create domestic talent. The Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (ASTAR) is offering $286 million in scholarships for students to
pursue Ph.D.'s in biomedical sciences at home and abroad, in exchange for their promise
to work in Singapore for up to eight years.
2. Displacement of jobs
a. Low skilled jobs have become obsolete. Even jobs that require training and skill have been
displaced.
b. For example, shorthand, typewriting, and draughtsmanship have been replaced by word-
processing, voice-recognition and computer-aided design and manufacturing systems.
c. Large companies which used to be structured in a multi-layered hierarchical way in order
to facilitate control and reporting are stripping away layers of middle management. The
company in the IT age adopts a flatter structure, decentralises and gives more autonomy
to its operating units.
3. Telecommuting
a. Science & technology allows an interconnected working arena that spans across
continents. The virtual office connects companies to customers and fellow workers to
each other.
b. However, working from home would mean they will miss out on social interactions
available in the office. Another drawback of working from home is that the lines between
work and home are blurred.
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Effect on Relationships
1. Social Glue
a. With Information Communication Technology (ICT), communication between individuals
within a family, company, or country can be made with ease.
b. The Internet has become a common form of communication capable of disseminating
information across time and space. Where a country has the skills and access to ICT,
society will be able to find, foster and develop relationships through online social
networks
c. Instead of relying on a single community for social support, individuals often actively seek
out a variety of appropriate people and resources across continents for different
situations. This has resulted in the rise of networked individualism where users of modern
technology are less tied to local groups and increasingly part of more geographically
scattered networks.
Social problems and cyber crimes

1. Piracy
a. Music theft can take various forms: individuals who illegally upload or download music
online, online companies who build businesses based on theft and encourage users to
break the law, or criminals manufacturing mass numbers of counterfeit CDs for sale on
street corners, in flea markets or at retail stores. Across the board, this theft has hurt the
music community, with thousands of layoffs, songwriters out of work and new artists
having a harder time getting signed and breaking into the business.
b. One credible analysis by the Institute for Policy Innovation concludes that global music
piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year, 71,060 U.S. jobs lost, a loss of
$2.7 billion in workers' earnings, and a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million
in personal income tax and $131 million in lost corporate income and production taxes.
c. However recently, after years of futile efforts to stop digital pirates from copying its music,
the music business has started to copy the pirates.
2. Private or Public Opinion

a. Online blogs or diaries, similar to online social networks, can be created to provide a
private space for individuals on the public spaces of the Internet. While such blogs may
function as a private diary, the readership is not limited to the author.
b. Under Section 298 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, anyone with deliberate intention of
wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person, causes any matter however
represented to be seen or heard by that person, can be jailed up to three years, or fine,
or both, if convicted.
c. Deputy Commander of Central Police Div HQ, Superintendent Lee Ping Yue, said that the
police take a serious view of irresponsible blog postings in a multi-racial society like
Singapore and 'will expend all efforts in tracking the perpetrators'.
3. Internet Addiction (Social Isolation)

a. Youth internet addiction has become a serious social problem. To curb and alleviate this
problem, the Chinese authorities have called for tighter enforcement of the rules banning
under-18s from internet cafes and for a rating system for games.
b. The potential to be absorbed by the wonders/capabilities of ICT is real and continues to
pervade societies. In extreme cases, individuals who do not exercise discipline or control
when dealing with ICT may become socially isolated from the physical world, from reality.
4. Predators
a. The goal of a predator is to get a child to consent to sexual activities. Predators contact
teens (online and offline) to start a conversation. Just as most teens know These
to say no to
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strange men who approach them on the street, most know to ignore strange men who
approach them online. When teenagers receive solicitations from adults on MySpace,
most report deleting them without question. The media often reference a Crimes Against
Children Report, one in five children receive a sexual solicitation online.
b. Although the media has covered the potential risk extensively, few actual cases have
emerged. While youth are at minimal risk, predators are regularly being lured out by law
enforcement patrolling the site. The fear of predators has regularly been touted as a
reason to restrict youth from both physical and digital publics.
5. Identity Theft
a. Having more than one e-mail address can be useful in the battle against online fraud and
spam. It is also a good way to keep personal and professional lives separate.
b. Identity theft is costing the UK economy over £1.7bn a year, according to figures
"calculated by the Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC) in co-operation
with both public and private sector organisations".
Effect on Identity
1. Multiple Identities
a. Individuals can create a private space within the public space of the Internet. In creating
that private space, they may reveal their personalities and express their opinions without
any qualms (subjective to whether their private space remains private or is open to public
viewing).
b. According to Sally M. Cohen, author of Email, IM, And Social Network Strategists: Help
Teens Manage Multiple IDs While Preserving Privacy, multiple identities allow teens to
create boundaries in online social networks. However, are such boundaries created to
express themselves freely or free themselves from the watchful eyes of parents?
2. The Invisible Cloak

a. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia said “The very purpose of anonymity is to facilitate
wrong by eliminating accountability”
b. Under the cloak of an online identity, which is easily created, edited and deleted,
individuals may feel protected being anonymous. However there is an obvious risk of
misuse of anonymity. To eliminate such a risk, a United Nations agency is quietly drafting
technical standards, proposed by the Chinese government, to define methods of tracing
the original source of Internet communications and potentially curbing the ability of users
to remain anonymous.
Education
1. Accessibility of Information
a. With the help of new media, information is now easily available. The teacher no longer
holds absolute authority over knowledge. Both the teachers and students can take part in
knowledge acquisition and creation.
2. Digital Divide
a. ICTs are expected to improve efficiency and increase access to knowledge and expertise.
Thus it would appear that an inclusive information society will strengthen democracy,
increase social participation, remove barriers to modernization, and empower
populations who might have been left out of the development process. Thus ICT brings us
one step closer to eradicating poverty. These notes are shared on
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b. Where a country has high levels of ICT skills and expertise, society will be better placed to
combat social exclusion and the information divide, as well as to identify opportunities for
economic growth. From the individual standpoint, access to certain forms of ICTs may
increase the choices available to individuals. With increased access to information,
individuals are able to make more informed decisions. This is the very essence of
empowerment.
c. Example: In 1995, more than 2.2 million people in developing countries educated
themselves through on-line courses. At the same time, initiatives, such as the Health
Internetwork, open up communication lines and provide physicians and patients with up-
to-the-minute medical information and access to resources.
d. While some countries and people have benefitted from information communications
technology (ICT), more than 95% of the world still does not have electronic access. This
gap between information-haves and information-have-nots, which exists both between
countries and between communities within countries, is known as the "digital divide" or
"information poverty."
Political Impacts
A Surveillance Society
a. This results in increased power/ authority by the state over its people and it can potentially
create fear and paranoia amongst the masses. We can draw parallels with the panopticon
i. The Panopticon is a type of prison building designed by English philosopher and social
theorist Jeremy Bentham in 1785. The concept of the design is to allow an observer
to observe prisoners without the prisoners being able to tell whether they are being
watched, thereby conveying what one architect has called the "sentiment of an
invisible omniscience."
ii. "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without
example."
b. Parallel with the Novel: 1984 by George Orwell
i. Big Brother is a fictional character in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the
enigmatic dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state taken to its utmost logical
consequence - where the ruling elite ('the Party') wield total power for its own sake
over the inhabitants.
ii. In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the
authorities, mainly by telescreens. The people are constantly reminded of this by the
phrase "Big Brother is watching you", which is the core "truth" of the propaganda
system in this state.
People Power
a. Technology has allowed the lateralization of communication systems, as mentioned in
Thomas L. Friedman’s “The World is Flat.”
b. Governments seem powerless to stop the propagation of ideas: you can ban someone from
the country but you can’t ban them from the internet. People are empowered by the new
media.
c. The rise of Blogosphere
d. Vietnamese dissidents opposed to the one-party rule have been communicating through
Skype and recruiting via test message and voice-over-Internet chat rooms. Exiled
Vietnamese advocacy groups have been sending bulk email messages to accounts with
Vietnamese sounding names. These emails typically decry government corruption and urge
ordinary citizens to rise up and demand multi-party elections. The country is increasingly
wired. Like China, Vietnam uses a firewall to block access to pornography and political
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websites and is talking about censoring blogs – although that is more difficult because most
are posted on foreign-based websites.
e. Wikileaks is a website for whistle-blowers to post allegations of corporate or government
misconduct, while attempting to preserve the anonymity of its contributors. Within one year
of its December 2006 launch, its database had grown to more than 1.2 million documents.
f. Notable leaks:
i. An ex-employee at a Zurich-based bank, Julius Baer posted materials detailing money
laundering and tax evasion at the Julius Baer’s Cayman Islands branch.
ii. A copy of Standard Operating Procedures for Camp Delta – the protocol of the U.S.
Army at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp – dated March 2003 was released on the
Wikileaks website on 7 November 2007. Its release revealed some of the restrictions
placed over detainees at the camp, including the designation of some prisoners as off-
limits to the International Committee of the Red Cross, something that the U.S. military
had in the past repeatedly denied.
Misuse of the Internet

a. Omar Mohammed Bakri – founder of infamous al-Muhajiroun group – fled Britain in 2006
and was barred from returning. In September 2008, he was addressing a meeting of around
100 young Muslims in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, via live webcam link to his home in Lebanon.
Mathematics
Mathematics is a discipline whose utility is seldom questioned in the modern world, given its
ostensible impact on our lifestyles
Intellectually satisfying
 Tap the left brain, which focuses on logical thinking, reasoning and problem solving
 Think actively using numbers, symbols and formulae to express things rather than basic
emotions
 Active harnessing of the human mind to solve mathematical problems: satisfaction
 Challenge, which one has to tackle using his intellect and thinking skills
 E.g. Sudoku, Rubik cube, well-known mathematical ‘conundrums’
 Intellectual growth over the years too
 Mathematics is usually studied through a long period of schooling years: possible to
compare a student’s level of growth at a nascent stage with the more mature phase
 Deepening in thinking skills like deduction and reasoning
Wide range of applications

 Beyond the temporal comparison of abilities or the satisfaction of solving a mathematical
problem
 Transcendence from the paper world of Cartesian planes and random triangles to the actual
application of concepts
 E.g. Golden ratio, considered the ‘formula’ for aesthetic beauty. Used in many forms of art,
from the Egyptian pyramids to paintings like Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa
 Some even try to link the structure of the Petrarchan sonnet, a popular poetic form, to the
golden ratio
 Science: Math dictates the proportionate manner in which the world operates. E.g.
derivation of Newton’s law of motion greatly assisted by his study and founding of calculus
 Softer sciences: econometrics, the study of economics using concrete mathematical figures
in preference to baseless hypothesizing
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But are these mere impractical applications?

 Study of Quantum Physics, the works of La Grange and La place, even Schrodinger, serve to
explain how minute particles of the earth operate and little application
 Astronomy and positioning of planets seem to afford little practical application
 But this serves to broaden our minds, exposing them to events that cannot be fathomed
through life’s experiences while unlocking both gargantuan and Lilliputian alternative
universes that we strive to master
But if we do not do applied math, is math of little practical use?

 Especially true for students who simply cannot understand how the many graphs, equations
and geometrical figures they encounter can possibly help them in their lives
 Most immediate part of life which involves mathematics is in counting money and spending
it, cannot be classified as a ‘study’
 The mathematical applications for the solutions of daily problems are oftentimes not
observed because average person lives and behaves by instincts and approximations
 E.g. running late, David Beckham, Carly Patterson times her fall whilst somersaulting in mid-
air, Michael Jordan
But isn’t every subject of little practical use?

 In-depth knowledge of science not needed
 No need to know about acid and bases to be qualified to use toothpaste
 Intricate knowledge about procreation not a prerequisite to doing the act itself
 Arts disciplines useless too
 Average person has better things to do on a rainy day than attempting to understand the
water cycle
 People usually buy things on a whim rather than leaving it to the ‘rationality’ economists
assume we need in order to calculate the value of what we purchase
 Nobody, if anybody ever, converses in iambic pentameter in real life
 Mark Twain: I never let my schooling get in the way of my education
There is more to life than simply fulfilling the demands that mundane and ‘practical’ life gives us. Life
is more than physical actions and monetary calculations, but more abstractly, a journey towards
discussing and understanding, not just of the self, but of the world around us, natural or human.
Science Fiction
a. Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current
or future science or technology. Science fiction is found in books, art, television, films,
games, theatre, and other media.
b. While science fiction provides criticism of developing and future technology, it also produces
innovation and new technology. Science fiction can be said to fire the technological
imagination.
c. According to Michio Kaku, one of the world’s prominent physicists and co-founder of string
field theory, “many people don’t realize that science fiction has been an inspiration for the
world’s leading scientists.”
Criticism of future technology

a. Gattaca
i. The tale of a repressive nation which genetically-engineers its ruling classes, Gattaca
makes it seem that the logical outcome of genetic tampering is fascism. In reality, history
has shown that fascism can exist in the absence of modern science, and that These
genetic
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engineering is merely a tool that can be put to good or bad uses. And yet the myth of
genetic engineering existing on a slippery slope toward social breakdown is a difficult
one for experimental biologists to overcome
b. Frankenstein
i. Mary Shelley's classic novel of biomedical horror and scientists "playing God," this novel
has probably done more to scare people away from biotech than almost any other
science fiction story. This novel suggests that monstrosity and murder are the only
possible outcome of science aimed at enhancing humans, or reusing human parts to
create new kinds of life.
c. Terminator
i. The field of robotics became popular when people started obsessing over the well-
known and ever-expanding set of Terminator tales about an evil A.I. named Skynet who
destroys humanity with nukes and an army of nasty cyborg soldiers. In Terminator, it
seems inevitable that A.I. will lead to human destruction — except in the few, rare cases
when the cyborgs are forcibly reprogrammed
Inspiration for future technology

a. Look to Windward
i. One of Ian M. Banks novels about a post-human Culture where enhanced humans live
alongside A.I.s in an anarchic, trans-galactic society, Look to Windward explores the way
humans can maintain their basic identities and ethical values no matter how much they
tamper with their genes or modify their morphology. For Banks, synthetic biology is
simply a logical way that humans extend their capabilities, but it does not turn them into
monsters or make them authoritarian overlords.
b. Michaelmas
i. A novel published by Algis Budrys in 1977 described a worldwide web of
telecommunications and computer data, not unlike what we see today.
ii. The novel is remarkable for its prescience, because it appeared less than a decade into
the Internet era, long before its current prominence and ubiquity.
c. Star Wars
i. Most prominent areas of research inspired by the film are ‘hyper-drive’ and robotics
research inspired by Luke Skywalker’s ever reliable R2D2 and C3PO.
Should research into expensive medical treatment be allowed when only a few can
afford them?
Yes No
 Research into diseases will have a trickle-  Widens the rich-poor divide. Penalizes the
down effect from the rich to the poor. Eg. poor who cannot afford it.
Expensive AIDS drugs and their cheaper  It is not utilitarian ie. resources are not
generic counterparts optimally and responsibly used, especially if
 Cost can be reduced by aid grants/ it is taxpayer’s money
subsidies.  Since there are limited funds, such research
 Research into medical treatment is into expensive medical treatment may
imperative regardless of the cost (eg. SARS, reduce funding for research into more
avian flu). This is therefore a public good, common but less lucrative diseases
and research into medical treatment is the  Some expensive medical treatment is not
responsibility of the government. for life-threatening illnesses (eg. Cosmetic
 While the initial start-up cost may be high, surgery), so it undermines the intent and
continued research into medical treatment purpose of medical science ie. to save lives
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is often with the aim of improving the

quality and lowering the costs
 The pharmaceutical industry is a profit-
driven one and choice of research into
expensive medical treatment is treated as a
business decision
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Technology

 Solutions from Science are often ethically suspected, and are responsible for a variety of moral
ramifications. Take for example the heavily debated use of embryonic stem cells and
parthenogenesis (a form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos
occur without fertilisation) that has been hailed as the miracle treatment for a wide range of
afflictions including cancer. While seemingly solving the issue of our fragile existence, there has
been a moral outcry due to the use of human eggs for such treatments. Doctors have been
forced into dilemma as to whether the sanctity of an unborn life should be valued above an
existing one. Thus, now could bear witness to how the amoral nature of Science and its relative
appearance of conscience could pose more problems when solutions are derived without taking
ethics into consideration
 Even in our pursuit to master Science and find resolutions, we are implicated in a host of moral
issues. Science as a business has never been more lucrative, with pharmaceutical giants like
Pfizer vein run more as enterprises rather than research institutions. With such ostentatious
fame and fortune on offer for those capable of finding the next miracle drug; scientists are
enticed by the allure of success to compromise their ethics and integrity. The now infamous
Hwang Woo Suk is one example of how scientists may even doctor their own experimental
results to suit their findings. Such scandals carefully choreographed by researchers reinforce the
fact that Science hardly solves problems without leaving a trial of shattered morals and blatant
dishonesty behind. However, it could be hyperbolic to say that Science is incapable of providing
solutions without decimating our ethical code. Take for example the medicine for common colds
which are simple remedies and solutions to our everyday illnesses. Unfortunately, such solutions
could still have a darker side as well, with the black market for prescription drugs flourishing in
modern society. Indeed, Science and ethics, while deliberately not antithetical, are somewhat
opposing concepts
 The solutions offered by Science are susceptible to human manipulation, often creating a host of
problems and dangers of an undeniable magnitude. It has to be conceded that hackneyed
arguments over the use of cloning to produce a new Hitler, or the rise of robots to cause our
apocalypse are a gross exaggeration that is perhaps laughable. However, upon closer evaluation,
the fear and the insecurities behind these almost childish terrors cannot be simply dismissed.
The abuse of the scientifically provided solutions is a concept manifested on a global level — the
nuclear power once landed as a solution to the world’s dwindling energy supply has taken on a
much more insidious appearance after its destructive potential was revealed decades ago.
Clinically prescribed drugs such as morphine have been used as recreational drugs by pleasure
seekers keen on chemically induced high. Without a doubt, Science, in solving our many
problems, has created even more by providing human beings with the tools necessary to fuel
our greed, aggression, and hedonistic nature. Contrarians may put forth the viable argument
that though Science admittedly perpetuate social destruction, it is but an originally pure concept
that has been trained by the inherent immovability of humans, forced to suit our wants and
desires, Science does not create more problems, it is Man who is at fault. Granted, one must
accept that Science is a progressive concept geared towards the betterment of the society;
however, its ability to be used as a weapon by Man is somewhat akin to providing an axe to a
psychopath to wreck destruction. Human nature is certainly the one at fault, but this by no
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means absolves Science from responsibility.
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Arts

 Anyone who has watched the dark psychological thriller, “Black Swan” will certainly remember
Natalie Portman’s ballerina character’s horrific descent into insanity, as a result of being forced
to adopt a persona in a performance so unlike her originally sweet, gentle personality. Her
terrifying hallucination of droplets of blood appearing on the bathtub and the fearing of the
many twisted self-portraits she had painted and hung on her bedroom wall sent many stomachs
in the audience churning, who yet, were unable to prise their eyes way from the tragedy
unfolding in front of them. This is a prime example of the sheer ability of the arts to disturb, as it
exposes sides and shades of human nature when pushed to its utmost limits, and makes us
wonder if we were too indeed capable of such emotions. Science on the other hand, due to its
dealings with tangible, concrete entities and definite formulas and theories, seems to be of a
more stable, constant nature, and is thus more reassuring to our human minds.
 Arts have the ability to unseat us due to its dealings with controversial issues and opinions
usually silenced in the mainstream media prior to their expression while the Sciences have
bestowed upon us many inventions that have made our lives more comfortable and convenient,
and also because the sciences deal with concrete formulas and ideas widely accepted by the
public until and if they are refuted by a new discovery
 The arts not only disturb but also can provide a salve for emotional turmoil faced by us. Artist
Frida Kahlo painted a portrait of her deceased husband to alleviate her loneliness in living
without him, and writer Sylvia Plath similarly wrote a letter to her husband explaining her
reasons for madness and consequent suicide, reassuring him that “no one would have loved her
better, or made her happier than him.” On a broader scale, art therapy is used widely today as
treatment for people who have been scarred by events in life from bullying, having suffered
natural disasters, or those who are shackled by the chains of depression. Many of us feel
refreshed after listening to the melodious strains of classical music; or even the latest pop songs
today. As such, the arts definitely have the power to reassure, and even heal in many cases.
Conversely, the sciences, when used by humans with the wrong and immoral motivations can
result in not merely immensely disturbing but disastrous consequences. Who can forget the
dropping of the 2 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the World War 2, a severe
misuse of the discovery of nuclear power, which killed millions? Another case we can never
forget is the Tuskegee experiment which ran for 30 years involving the injection of the syphilis
virus into African Americans for a first-hand observation of the effects of the deadly virus. These
events throughout the annals of world history, some of which continue to today, are testaments
to the fact that the arts have the potential to reassure and liberate us while the sciences have
the potential to do otherwise to disturb and destroy, but depending on how they are harnessed
by human beings
 Some of the initial disturbances caused by the arts may be unnecessary to point out glaring
truths ignored by society, or inspire social change, hence translating into the eventual liberation
of the oppressed, and reassurance in the long run. Similarly, what seems to be reassuring in the
sciences may actually hide many flaws which have already begun to disturb us, especially in
terms of our health. Waris Darie, a Somalian girl who suffered the immensely brutal and
humiliating procedures of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) when she was only 12, wrote a book
“Desert Flower” on her suffering, which was later produced into a film. Though the greatly
horrific procedures of FGM might have gone greatly ignored by the Somalian government, the
film’s inevitable disturbance of the general public has sparked many movements against the
procedure. Similarly, technological innovations like the Internet, though seeming to be an initial
provider of convenience, has resulted in its addiction being a widespread ailment today in South
Korea, where 2 million of their citizens were greatly affected.
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Ethics
A branch of philosophy aimed at clarifying the nature of right and wrong, good and bad
 Some thinkers believe that ethics mainly concerns what one’s individual conscience tells one to
do. Others think that ethics primarily concerns deciding what is best for the society at large.
 However, none of these approaches exclude the other Ethical issues do not always involve issues
of life and death such as abortion, euthanasia and stem-cell research. Our everyday life is
infused with issues and dilemmas of a moral nature.
Making moral judgements

Consequentialism / Utilitarianism
 Judgements about whether an action is morally right should be made based on an assessment of
the probable effects or consequences.
 An act is morally right as long as it maximizes the best results for everyone.
 For instance, a doctor has a larger right to live on than a beggar because his survival can
continue to ensure more people’s survival
Deontological Theory
 A moral action is one that is performed out of a sense of duty.
 It is concerned with what a person intends to do, rather than the actual results of what the
person does.
 For instance, if a government denies the fundamental right of free speech to one of its citizens, it
fails to respect the dignity of the person and therefore undermines the idea of equality.
Virtue Theory
 Judgements about what is morally right should be made in terms of promoting good character
or other natural ends.
 The Natural Law theory assumes that there is a universal moral nature common to human
beings and it can be known through reason or common sense, faculties common to every adult,
no matter what society they live in.
Ethics vs Religion
 Many people base their ethical beliefs and behaviour on their religion. They think of ethics as a
series of religious rules and laws that they should adhere by, and something is good or bad
because God commands it or condemns it
 Possible problem – Fanatical believers may use their religious beliefs to carry out acts of horror
and terror  Using religion to guide us in ethical decision-making leaves open the possibility
that immoral acts might not be wrong, if God is perceived as saying they are not
 Some people decide on their own what they think is right or wrong and then look for isolated
sections in scriptures to support their views, despite the scriptures not actually meaning what
these people intend to mean in their extreme actions
Moral Relativism vs Absolutism

 Moral relativism refers to the existence of a wide variety of ethical beliefs and practices.
Differences in ethical beliefs exist between different countries, tribes, classes, and cultures
 For instance, some societies allow polygamy while others make it illegal. Cannibalism is tolerated
in some tribes but not in modern societies.
 History has also demonstrated how time alters moral beliefs. We would be appalled and
horrified by the idea of having public executions as entertainment, but this was not the case to
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medieval Europeans.
 However, absolutists believe that there is a set of universal moral values that everyone should
follow. They believe that there are universal moral rules that are always true
 The danger of ethical absolutism is that one powerful culture can impose its own moral values
on all others, thus monopolizing what is known as the moral “truth”.
Science and Ethics

Science without ethics
 Science is very much a career-driven discipline. Thus, scientists rely very much on their
reputation for ongoing funding and support and such reputations only come when they
publish high-profile scientific papers. This “publish or perish” concept has caused many
scientists to fabricate data.
 If scientists are given free reign, they are as likely as anyone else to cross lines
 E.g. South Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk faked stem cell research. In an interview later,
he claimed that he was “blinded by work and his drive for achievement”.
 E.g. In 1980s, two chemists claimed they had performed controlled nuclear fusion in a test
tube. (energy woes solved?) But they had not performed the tests properly.
 E.g. Simon Shorvon (National Neuroscience Institute Chief) putting Parkinson’s disease
patients through tests without informing them
 E.g. Tuskegee experiment (1932-1972) African American men given syphilis intentionally and
monitored. Penicillin discovered then but not administered
 VS. Science with ethics! Genetically-modified food (very tightly regulated) ‘antifreeze’ gene
in tomatoes. ETHICS: blasphemy against life of divine origin and potential emergence of
strange and new varieties of harmful organisms
Science potent!
 Means to acquiring knowledge should be subject to common ethical codes
 Due to its potency, like the analogy of a child with a gun, science must be balanced with
social responsibility
 Study of science must be balanced with social responsibility
 Science cannot shrink away from the moral implications that are implicit in all forms of
learning
 Esp. because science now increasingly corporate-led, no more obligation to humanity,
scientists self-serving
 Research funding skewed towards those which can bring about financial benefit (armies
sponsor)
Science is hindered by ethics

 Science itself has no conscience
 Inquisitive, creative mind hindered if need to keep thinking about moral issues
 President Bush veto of legislation to fund stem cell research saying that “crossing the line
would needlessly encourage a conflict between science and ethics that can do damage to
both”
Science cannot be ‘undiscovered’ ‘irreversible’

 Scientific improvements are “pandora’s boxes”
 E.g. Albert Einstein said that if he knew his work in nuclear physics would lead to the
invention of the nuclear bomb, he would never have studied physics
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 E.g. Leader of the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer, who had earlier chastised scientists in
his team for opposing the use of the bomb for ethical reasons, was later overwhelmed by
guilt and championed the stopping of development of nuclear weapons later on
 E.g. In an attempt to develop a stronger pesticide, scientists developed sarin gas. It was later
used by Germans during WWII and even by terrorists in the 1995 Tokyo Subway attacks
 Declaration reiterates the notion that science is irreversible
 Environmental problems nowadays due to scientific inventions in the past (industrial
revolution)
 Thomas Watson “I think there’s a world market for about five computers”
Nature of ethics subjective vs. Nature of science objective

 Animals: rights or soul?
 No unified system of ethics
 Diversified views and varying moral stands
 E.g. Embryonic stem cell research: varying models of ‘ensoulment’  rights of foetus (US
embryo older than 14 days)
 Debate alone could put scientific research and all the benefits coming from it, on hold
 Denying patients therapeutic stem cell treatment because of dissent in the religious and
moral arenas is undoubtedly more unethical than the act of embryonic stem cell research
itself.
 E.g. Louis Pasteur shot to fame after testing his vaccine in a boy who had small pox
 E.g. Penicillin, the sacrifice of the ‘rights’ of a few laboratory guinea pigs has led countless
lives to be saved by the invention of this medicine
Conclusion
 Albert Einstein: Science is the study of what is and not what should be. Outside the domains
of science, all forms of value judgment are still required.
 Late Pope John Paul II “Science purifies religion of error and superstition. Religion purifies
science of evil and false absolutes”. This is what we must strive towards. Science must be
guided by ethics, and ethics, similarly, must also be guided by science.
 Risk-conscious scientific research is the best option available
 E.g. GM food may one day help Third World countries produce highly nutritious, hardy and
cheap crops. Nanotechnology may one day help us create our wants from rubbish. Genetic
engineering may one day help us cure genetic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
 E.g. Human enhancement technology can help cure illnesses like cancer but can be abused in
sports as well
 E.g. Clonaid claimed that they had cloned the first human baby, Eve, even though they could
not prove it. They received large amounts of funding from people who were desperate to
have clones despite the suspicions surrounding the validity of this claim.
Do moral standards impede the progress of Science?

 Moral standards = Beliefs and values of the society, Science = Process of explaining and
utilizing what occurs in nature
 Moral standards directly conflict with science and thus impede its progress, but it only
delays it in vain rather than arrest its march permanently
Fundamental differences between Science and Moral standards

 Science is based on objective observation and analysis of Nature and is concerned with
exposing how the Universe behaves and exploiting this in a practical way
 Morals define how man and his Universe ought to behave, and therefore highly subjective,
and it appears as an emotional chain that holds man back from scientific pursuitsThese notes are shared on
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 E.g: Galileo Galilei’s findings about Sun is the centre of the Universe and not the Earth, but
the Roman Catholic Church rejected his findings and locked him up in prison
 E.g: Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution vs Church’s beliefs that living things and
human beings were created in 6 days by God
The fundamental nature of morals cannot be ignored – Morals are relative and ever-changing.
Furthermore, Science will prevail over Morals because Morals are culturally and temporally relative
and Science is global
 What appears to be bad on the Moral code of one community at one time may be
acceptable in later years  Science overcomes moral barriers since they can be removed or
modified because of Scientific discoveries through experimentations and proofs
 Science has thus overcome Morals, and went further to change Moral standards across
space and time
 E.g: It is currently not a crime against the church for proclaims that the centre of the
Universe is not the Earth
 E.g: Hitler used pseudo-Science and Social Darwinism to assert the Aryan race superiority
over all other races to his country, and managed to make the creation of a growing stockpile
of weapons perfectly acceptable to his people
 E.g: United States ponders about stem cell research and cloning while South Korean and
Japanese Scientists have little constraints in this field. Thus Morals impede Science
differently across different countries
When Science is deemed vital to the survival and prosperity of a community, it will progress; When it
is deemed as a threat, it must be resisted.
 E.g: Atomic bomb, 1945 bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki etc
 E.g: Other ethical issues
1. Duty of the doctor

“The first duty of a doctor has always been to preserve life.” Should this principle still be
maintained?
While we cannot deny that the primary duty of a doctor is Preserving life need not be the top
to save lives, in today’s society, it is not practical for a priority if not doing so brings about
doctor to insist on doing so due to divergent personal, more desirable social, moral and
moral and religious views. The range of possible social emotional consequences than
consequences also makes it difficult for a doctor to doing so.
consistently maintain that he wants to preserve life. From a
secular view, the given principle should be maintained Maintaining the principle
because in a world of moral uncertainty and flux, we need a undermines an individual’s right to
clear set of principles to anchor ourselves. We need to hold choose & freedom
on to the principle that there is sanctity to life. There is a
universal legal prohibition against taking another life (moral Yet, it is also the role of a doctor to
absolutism). ”Thou shall not kill” is also a cornerstone of relieve the patient’s pain. What
secular civilized society. happens then if pain relief implies
euthanasia? Can euthanasia be
Not maintaining the principle promotes immorality and seen as an extension of the
creates more problems for society. From a religious present principle of alleviating a
perspective, killing is wrong and the pious should not patient’s pain?
commit this sin.
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From a medical perspective, a doctor has to honour the

Hippocratic oath and restore his patient to health, not kill
him: “I shall give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor
suggest any such counsel”.
2. Euthanasia (Assisted Suicides)

 It refers to the killing of a person to stop him from suffering, typically one who is very ill
 Physician assisted suicide (passive euthanasia) is forbidden in most countries, with a few
restrictions. For instance, euthanasia has been commonplace in the Netherlands for more than
25 years. It can be performed under very tightly controlled conditions. Besides Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland & the state of Oregon have laws permitting euthanasia & assisted suicide.
 Singapore and some American states recognize Advance Medical Directives (AMD). The National
Medical Ethics Committee in Singapore felt that a doctor has a duty to sustain life. But he has no
duty – legal, moral or ethical – to prolong the distress of a dying patient. Hence, there is a need
to allow patients to make advance medical directives to instruct their doctors to withhold or
withdraw life sustaining treatment when they are terminally and incurably ill. The AMD allows
the patient to continue to exercise autonomy when they are unable to express their wish. It is a
formal and legal document which states the patient’s wish to die naturally and with dignity.
 Active euthanasia is tantamount to murder and is forbidden by all countries.
 Reasons for assisted suicides:

o The patient may simply take the convenient way out without exploring other options
o The patient’s kin may deliberately choose euthanasia because they stand to gain
financially or save on medical expenses. Death protects their vested interests.
o Unscrupulous or incompetent medical caretakers may arbitrarily sentence their patients
to an early death, claiming that they are doing their patients & society a favour.
It cannot be permitted because it People do not want to expend exorbitant amounts on a

involves deliberately killing a person, “lost cause”. If there are no known cure, they are just
an act which violates the sanctity of postponing death. People also believe in valuing quality of
life. Patients fulfill a greater good life. They do not believe in living out their days drugged or
when they are pro-life. They gain comatose. Of what use is quantity of life then?
dignity upholding the sanctity of life
and become inspirational role People believe they deserve immediate release from their
models who do not bow to suffering. misery. How would denying them merciful means of
ending their misery benefit them? People want to spare
It creates the potential for the their loved ones the agony of watching them die in pain.
misuse & abuse of euthanasia, Death from a lethal injection is often deemed less
leading to a possibility of an ethical traumatic.
slippery slope.
Euthanasia may be more humane than the torment of
Religiously, life is the gift of God and illnesses. Compassion justifies a case-by-case
thus can only be taken by God. God consideration for their use.
decides life and death. Man has no
right in playing God. People may resort to euthanasia secretly if it is not legally
permitted. Anecdotal evidence shows euthanasia is
It devalues life, making it readily provided secretly. Why not legally control the situation to
disposable. If we shift our values and reduce errors and abuse?
start to regard human life as
dispensable and cheap, then civilized
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moral values are in great danger. For Saving money, time, and effort via euthanasia would
instance, would it lead to involuntary mean that more resources could be channelled to other
euthanasia by the state for the old, needy patients. They may get more medical subsidies or
sick & infirm so as not to drain the receive the much needed organ transplants.
country’s resources?
People believe that it is their right and choice to decide to
die, since it is a fundamental human right to his life, thus a
right to end it at their own accords too. Democracy gives
them the liberty & freedom to act according to their
beliefs. A state that professes to uphold the rights and
freedom of its people has to respect the views of its
citizens.
3. Abortion
A doctor should not perform an abortion Pro-abortionists believe that a woman’s rights
because life begins at conception. Any process supercede those of a foetus, because the foetus
that terminates a pregnancy after a sperm has is a mass of cells and not yet a human being.
fertilized an egg is arguably murder. Therefore, Therefore, it does not have the same rights as a
abortion at any stage kills a human child and human being. Maintaining the principle thus
fails to observe the sanctity of life. violates the woman right to choose.
Note that varied perspectives on when life Advocates of abortion also argue that a woman
begins further complicate the ethical issues has the right to control what happens to her
concerning abortion. Scientists have more solid body. They stress that a woman’s decision to
information on the development of the foetus control her reproduction is a private and
than those in the past. Yet, they still cannot personal issue that does not concern the
come to definite conclusions. Their thinking is government. Maintaining that a doctor’s first
based on a combination of their knowledge, duty is to preserve life would then make it
what they have seen, and what they personally impossible for a woman to choose abortion.
believe in.
Even if abortion is illegal, women will resort to
Adults and young people will become sexually unsafe “back-alley” abortions to end their
promiscuous if they know that there is an easy pregnancies and endanger their own lives,
and legal way to get an abortion should the especially when they become pregnant as a
woman become pregnant. For example, in result of pre-marital sex, rape or incest; tests
1980, over a million teenagers became conducted show that the child suffers from
pregnant and 38% of them had abortions. grave mental or physical defects and they are
not financially and emotionally ready to take on
In order not to violate religious teachings, the this responsibility
principle has to be maintained when
conception takes place or when a pregnancy Making abortion illegal would also result in
reaches a certain stage. When this stage is global population pressures and would
depends on one’s religion. There are different exacerbate problems such as starvation,
views on the morality of abortion and the overcrowding and environmental degradation.
circumstances under which it may or may not An increase of unwanted children born in single
be permitted. or/and impoverished families could result in an
increase in social ills, such as an increase in
crime, an increase in the number of people
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living below the poverty line and the ballooning

of the state welfare rolls.
Varied views: Religion and Abortion

 Roman Catholic Church – Life begins at conception. The foetus is a human being with human
rights. Interference with the human reproductive process is sinful. However, it does not oppose
indirect killing, that is, the coincidental death of the foetus brought by medication or medical
help given to the mother to save her life. Such situations are seen as tragic incidents, not sins.
 Anglicans & Methodists – Life does not begin until the baby has a chance to survive
independently from the mother.
 In Islam, the soul enters the foetus 120 days after conception and abortion is murder if it takes
place after 120 days. It is tolerant of abortion before this time.
 Buddhism prohibits the taking of life. However, it is usually left to the individual to decide what
should be done.
4. Stem Cell Research / In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

IVF involves putting together sperm and egg in a petri dish and allowing fertilisation to take place
outside the woman’s body. The “strong” embryos are implanted in the woman’s uterus while the
“weak” ones are thrown out. Doctors freeze the extra “strong” embryos in case the woman does not
get pregnant on the first try. Since many contend that embryos are living human beings, such a
practice poses moral problems.
The doctor should not dispose or Stem cells have the potential to mitigate or treat diseases
freeze embryos as this violates the and conditions (eg spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis,
sanctity of life. Parkinson’s disease, diabetes) and to generate
replacement tissues for dysfunctioning cells or organs (eg
In order to derive or extract the stem brain, pancreas). There are three widely recognised
cells found within the embryo, the categories of stem cells, one of which is embryonic stem
embryo is destroyed in the removal cells which originate from early human embryos created
process. Some researchers even by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for assisted reproduction or
claim that the best stem cells come fertility treatment.
from fresh embryos as freezing may
affect the usefulness of the embryo. If cures to currently debilitating diseases could be found
Doctors thus cannot be allowed to via embryonic stem cell research, millions of people
experiment with embryonic stem worldwide wide would benefit. Suffering and pain would
cells as the process involves killing of be greatly reduced. Hence, in this aspect, it is not
a human being. necessary to make preserving life the top priority of
doctors.
There are also concerns that
embryonic stem cell research may IVF has enabled couples who are unable to conceive
set an unwelcome precedent, leading naturally to have children who are biologically related to
the way for future moral them. If a couple wants desperately to have a child of
compromises. To prevent this from their own and has pinned all their hopes on IVF and is not
happening, doctors and researchers disturbed by the disposal of unwanted embryos, why
thus should make it their first duty to should a doctor deprive them of the opportunity simply
preserve life. because he has to preserve life? Advocates of IVF would
argue that the happiness and emotional satisfaction of a
couple override the given principle.
Singapore’s Bioethics Advisory Committee’s take on stem cell research These notes are shared on
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 A human embryo has a special status as a potential human being, but it is not of the same status
as a living child or adult. Embryos must be less than 14 days and be originally created for IVF.
 Research is supported only when there is great scientific merit and potential medical benefit
5. Designer Babies
 A living human whose genetic makeup, either partially or completely, has been customised to
contain certain characteristics and not others.
 For $18 000, Institutes can guarantee certain traits of the child.
Acceptable
 Diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Down Syndrome can be identified and eliminated. It is too
possible to theoretically engineer biological defenses to communicable diseases like HIV.
 It is a false fear if it is being well regulated.
 Some people think that it will open up a Pandora’s Box of ‘designer babies’, but in certain cases,
we are no longer talking about ‘designer babies’ but about life versus death.
Examples
 Even though the vast majority of genetic information is found in the nucleus of a cell, small bits
of DNA are found in the mitochondria. Mothers will mitochondrial DNA defects pass them on to
their child 100 percent of the time as opposed to only having a certain probability of giving their
children defects through nuclear DNA.
o Accordingly, a procedure was developed to take the nucleus from a mother’s egg, and
thus the bulk of her DNA, and implant it in the surrogate egg that contains healthy
mitochondria.
o The result is an embryo that contains genes from three different parents. (Ethical issue)
o However, diseases such as diabetes mellitus and deafness can be eradicated.
 Mitochondrial DNA contains just 37 of the estimated 20,000 genes in the human
genome, making concerns about identity a non-issue.
Unacceptable
 Carries grave social and moral concerns.
o Rich-poor divide
o Playing God
 It is completely unknown to us what we are getting into.
o Once you cross the Rubicon, it becomes difficult not to move to the next stage.
6. Animal Experimentation
 Widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of products
 Animal experiments are not used to show that drugs are safe and effective in human beings-
they cannot do that. Instead, they are used to help decide whether a particular drug should be
tested on people.
 The harm that will be done by the experiment is known beforehand, but the benefit is unknown.
(Controversy)
 The harm done by the experiment is caused by an action, while the harm resulting from not
doing it is caused by an omission. This will lead us in saying that:
o It is morally worse for the experimenter to harm the animals by experimenting on them
than it is to (potentially) harm some human beings by not doing an experiment that
might find a cure for their disease.  Which may not be true!
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Acceptable
 Suffering is minimised in all experiments
 Human benefits are gained which could not be obtained using other methods
 Banning animal experiments would mean the end to testing new drugs or using human subjects
for all safety tests
 Restricting experimentation to unreliable alternatives would hinder progress.
*If animal experiments can produce great benefits for humanity then it is morally acceptable to
harm a few animals.
Examples
 Cardiff University sewed kittens’ eyes shut as means to find a cure for lazy eyes and crossed
eyes.
o Lazy eye affects two to four percent of all children and leads to extremely poor vision, or
even clinical blindness in one eye. To date, no treatment is available to restore normal
vision in an amblyopic eye after the age of around eight years old.
o There are no alternative methods for this study and the research cannot be replaced
with CT scans or computer models.
o The research was done under anesthetic without causing undue distress or discomfort
o Cats had to be used for this study because they have frontally-positioned eyes and are
therefore prone to develop severe amblyopia similar to humans under similar
circumstances
Unacceptable
 Causes suffering to animals
 Benefits to human beings are not proven
 Any benefits to human beings that animal testing does provide could be produced in other ways
 If the level of suffering and the number of animals involved are both so high then the benefits to
humanity does not provide moral justification.
To reduce the impact of research on animals,

 Improve experimental techniques and data analysis
 Sharing information with other researchers
 Use less invasive techniques
 Experiment on cell cultures instead of whole animals
 Use computer models
 Use epidemiological studies
Examples
 In addition to being unethical, animal testing is fundamentally flawed because it studies the
wrong species. Approximately 90 per cent of medicines that pass tests on animals fail in people,
either because they are not safe or do not work and this is an enormous waste of money, animal
lives, scientific resources and hope.
 Since campaigning during the 1990s, a ban on selling newly animal-tested cosmetics was
introduced in Europe in 2013 and companies will not be able to market a product with
ingredients which have been animal tested in Europe, even if it sells the same product in other
global markets.
7. Donor eggs
 In a survey published in 2007 in the journal Fertility and Sterility, it is found that the national
average compensation for donors was $4217. These notes are shared on
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 Samantha Carolan, 23, donated eggs to an infertile couple, stating that she would never have
done it if not for the money $7000 that she used to pay off some student loans. She was paid
another $8000 for a second egg extraction and is planning a third before taking a break.
 The issue is whether money can cloud someone’s judgement and how much the person is
informed about the medical procedure and the risks involved.
 The risks of donation have not been thoroughly studied and 5 deaths have been reported in
Britain.
 The drugs used can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which can cause life-threatening
complications, blood clots and kidney failure. The egg extraction surgical procedure can result in
bleeding or inadvertent puncture of an organ.
8. Ethics spur Science to advance

 A breakthrough in 2007, when Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University succeeded in
reprogramming adult skin cells back to their embryonic state simply by dousing them in a
concoction of four genetic factors and some growth media.
 The technique for generating embryonic-like stem cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells, or
iPS cells) bypassed the need for transferring the cells into eggs, as Wilmut had done, and also
averted the ethical issues attached to extracting stem cells from embryos. Plus, the iPS cells had
the advantage that patients could generate their own stem cells and potentially grow new cells
they might need to treat or avert diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s or heart problems.
9. Cloning
Opens up choices to people previously Questionable efficiency
denied them, in which reproductive cloning  Success rate of animal reproductive cloning has
gives infertile couples and homosexual been consistently low at 3% success rate
couples etc a chance to have biological  It took 276 tries to create Dolly
children
Questionable effectiveness
Opens up solutions to human problems:  High frequency of developmental abnormalities
 Therapeutic human cloning has a great and mutations
potential for major breakthrough in  Dolly had early arthiritis and died
medicine, can be applied to  Chances of human clone born abnormal is 30%
degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s compared to natural born baby’s chances of
 Reproductive cloning can be an ideal only 3%
way to mass produce elite farm
animals Curbing potential effects on nature
 Reproductive cloning can save  Unknown strains of weaknesses and flaws may
endangered species or even revive be introduced into the gene pool of the species
extinct ones  can make species even weaker and more
vulnerable to disease than before
Frees up resources for the society:
 Successful therapeutic cloning will Challenging the value of life
lower overall healthcare costs,  Wrong to kill an embryo for research as it is a
prolongs vitality of the aged and thus form of human life
frees up more individuals to work and  Religious leaders argue that life is too precious
contribute to society to recreate indiscriminately, as it will cheapen
the value of life and cause us to view clones as
commodities or lesser beings than ‘normal’
beings
Challenging society’s status quo

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 Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World paints a

horrific world where commercial cloning leads
to the production of a whole caste of slave
clones who are grown just to serve the master
caste
Playing God
 Violates human dignity and Man has basically
not reached the kind of wisdom and experience
to play God and handle such a powerful
technology capable of changing our status quo
and human race completely
10. Genetic Engineering

 Any form of alteration and recombination of genetic materials through technological means
Opening up choices to people who Questionable efficiency and effectiveness

had none  Genes have very complex relationships we do not fully
 Children who inherit diseases understand yet
from their parents can engineer  Sometimes genes with negative effects survive because
their life out of systems of the positive benefits they bring, e.g: gene for sickle
 More consumer choice through cell anaemia brings immunity from malaria
GM food: Pets that do not  Mixing animal and human DNAs create dangerous
cause allergies, new biofabric cross-species diseases (Mad-cow diseases and HIV
plasters, and food that are which have jumped from animals to humans before;
nutritious yet cheap (high yield) creation of new poisonous toxins; bacteria can grow a
new antibiotic resistance in our bodies)
Offers solutions to human
problems Curb potential effects on nature
 Diseases: Doctor out generic  Uncurbed GE can remove diversity from gene pool as
diseases like Parkinson’s and more species are engineered to be the same 
Alzheimer’s homogenous society
 Hunger and malnutrition: GM  May trigger off unpredictable changes in the ecosystem
can improve quality and  more herbicide resistant plants actually produced
quantity of food, making it more herbicide resistant weeds
more nutritional and disease
resistant (GM rice Golden Rice Curb abuses
rich in vitamin A)  GM food dominated by handful of TNCs like Monsanto
 Environment: Enviropigs that put profit over health
created to pass out faeces with  Governments use GE to create stronger biological and
lower phosphate levels; chemical weapons
Envirofish that glow in the  By allowing parents to GE a child, we allow a child to
presence of pollutants, acting live through a forced kind of life his parents desired him
as a detection system; GE to live
plants that can be a viable  Animal rights: experimentation on animals
source of fuel  Sports: GE to cheat through drugs for an enhancement
in performance
Frees up resources for society
Changing human identity
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 LDCs freed from problems of  How far can humans go with splicing themselves with
food thus can develop animals before they cease to be human any longer?
economically
Changing society’s status quo
 Genetic discrimination: IVF and GE only used by the rich
 widening gap
 Eugenics: A creation of a master race
 Should physical disability, mental sickness be all
considered as undesirable traits to be doctored out of
our society? Are they not worthy to be kept in our
society? Should such diseases be considered as human
defects, thus non-human?
Playing God
 GE is unnatural and unnecessary
 Religious prohibitions reflect the divine knowledge of
physical and spiritual tasks we take from crossing living
biological materials from another kind
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Ethics

 The movement to shift society’s focus from sheer unfettered scientific progress is largely caused by
instances of ‘bad Science’, where the rights of human beings, and sometimes animals, are disregarded in
the hopes of accelerating the progress of Science. Lab mice come to mind, where mice are bred and
terminated after use for the sole purpose of testing the effects of drugs. A more grisly example is the
Tuskegee experiment from 1932 to 1972 in which a number of African American men were given syphilis
intentionally, and monitored to observe the effects of the disease on human beings. This experiment, or
atrocity as some might call it, provoked a heartfelt formal apology by the then President Bill Clinton in
1997, as he denounced it has immoral and unethical, especially where the discovery of Penicillin was
made during the course of the experiment and it was not administered to the participants. There we see
an irony: if Scientists were unable to experiment on guinea pigs, even the discovery of penicillin would be
largely delayed, at the cost of the thousands of human lives. It is obvious that ethics may impede Science
at a terrible cost.
 It is not always possible to know the ethical implications of a scientific discovery at the point of discovery.
Einstein famously claimed that if he had known his work would lead to the invention of atomic bombs, he
would never have studied Physics. This illustrated the retrospective nature of ethics: it is safe for us to say,
now, that the utter decimation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was caused by the atomic bomb, and that was
the result of Einstein’s work in Physics. However, it would have been impossible for Einstein to map the
sheer cost in human lives of such as discovery, the sheer diversity of possible events leads us to
conclusions. Scientific research is a double-edged sword; and it is both the ethics of scientific research
processes and the ethics of the implementations of that research, that should be called into discussion.
The scientist should not be punished for the faults of the policymaker who makes the final decision on
how to use the discovery! We do not know if some scientific research yields much or little in humanity’s
quest for progress, but we do know one thing — this process must be made, despite each advancement
being a potential Pandora’s Box, for we cannot un-discover something once a discovery is made, the
process must and will continue.
 Genetic screening and in-vitro fertilisation used to have a moral purpose and that is to screen for any
defects in artificially fertilised embryos. Couples who have difficulties conceiving and have resorted to IVF
have the right to know if the fertilised embryo has any genetic defects. In this case, the moral code of
ethics is not breached and geneticists have fulfilled their moral obligation of ensuring the healthy growth
of the artificially fertilised embryo. However, genetic screening has been abused and the idea of eugenics
or playing God has stirred up many controversies. Embryos which are conceived naturally are now being
screened as well as for their risks of carrying genetic defects. Designer babies are then being produced
These notes are and
shared on
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parents succumb to the societal stereotypes of intelligence and physical beauty when selecting their
embryos. This is an affront to many physically or mentally handicapped people as it indicates that genetic
defects should be bred out and this leads to the possible creation of a ‘human master race’, Hence, the
moral purpose of Science, in this case, has been lost or become blurred when other factors come into play
and inventions are extended from their original purpose which was intended to be of a moral significance.
 Do moral standards impede the progress of Science? In a nutshell, the answer is unequivocally, a
resounding ‘Yes’. In theory, of course, this is vastly untrue, as Science should and must adhere to the
relevant and reasonable moral and ethical standards in order to progress; for what is progress if it occurs
at the cost of devolution into immorality and depravity.
 Since as early as in the middle ages, the Church, the most tangible bastion of morals back then, has sought
to quell scientific research and discoveries it has deemed heresy. When Galileo Galilei attempted to use
his telescope to prove that Earth revolves around the Sun, the Church rejected his findings and declared
that the Earth is the centre of the Universe. A similar situation was obsessed when Charles Darwin
proposed his Theory of Evolution which generated an immediate outcry from those who believed that
Man and all beings were created in six days by God. Thus, it is true that, at least initially, every new
scientific finding potentially faces resistance from the moral voice of the society.
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Technology
Artificial Intelligence – Technological Singularity
 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can
engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. The ability to create intelligent machines
has intrigued humans since ancient times and today with the advent of the computer and 50 years
of research into AI programming techniques, the dream of smart machines is becoming a reality.
Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech, beat the
best human chessplayer, and countless other feats never before possible.
 The pace of technological innovation is accelerating so quickly that it's possible to perform this
test in reverse. Google an imaginary idea from science fiction and you'll almost certainly find
scientists researching the possibility. Warp drive? The Multiverse? A space elevator to the stars?
 Walter's law – "Any idea described in sci-fi will on a long enough timescale be made real by
science."
 The most radical prediction of science fiction is the technological singularity
 Author and mathematician Vernor Vinge put it in his 1993 essay The Coming Technological
Singularity, "Within 30 years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman
intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended."
 Moore's law – that computing power doubles every 18 months – means that the curve of the
graph grows exponentially steeper until it "spikes" upward. That spike is the singularity.
 Ray Kurzweil has been preaching future utopia for decades and in The Singularity Is Near (2005)
made concrete predications about the arrival of machine intelligence, predictions he adapted in
his recent interview with the Guardian to claim that machines would outsmart men by 2029.
 In this sense at least we are already living in the singularity, and have been living in it since early
humans first wielded tools and made fire. The question is not whether the singularity will arrive –
it seems certain technological progress will continue – but whether we can continue to nurture
human value in the face of inhuman forces. If the imagined visions of science fiction continue to
conform to Walter's law, we need to keep human life front and centre in the equation.
Does the modern world place too much reliance on technology?

Yes No
At the individual level, there is increased Reliance on technology is desirable to allow
reliance on technology. E.g. more than 4 out of individuals to keep up with the demands in the
5 Singaporeans own a mobile phone. modern world, by providing various day-to-day
Individuals also rely heavily on computers for conveniences that save time and energy.
education, work, and entertainment purposes. Technology can also be communication tools
With their level of reliance on technology, time that connect people from various parts of the
spent on communication may be reduced, and world.
interpersonal relationships between various
persons in society may suffer.
On the organisational level, Many parts of the world are still labour-
§ Industrial: Use of machinery controlled by a intensive, (e.g. children and teenagers work in
central processing unit. sweatshops in developing/ undeveloped parts
§ Commercial: Use of computer programmes of the world).
(database, word processing, etc), video With globalisation, countries/ organisations
conferencing, fax machines, etc. around the world are inter-connected, hence
The reliance on technology productivity tools is the need to rely even more on technology, to
too much. At times, work procedures are made improve work processes as well as enhance
more complicated rather than simplified, as relations. These notes are shared on
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more information/ data has to be processed

due to the assumption that technology brings
convenience.
Information technology: Anyone can create a As long as one is able to evaluate the
website on the Internet. Not all the information information received, it is desirable in this
sources are trustworthy and people are liable modern digital age that one has easy access to
to be misled as a result of heavy reliance. E- a vast array of knowledge available on the
learning may also render schools and teachers world wide web, in order to stay competitive.
obsolete. Besides, many parts of the world do not even
have access to books, let alone IT.
Advanced medical technology (e.g. indefinitely Life is precious so there should be no limits
prolonging the lives of comatose patients) and placed on how much we rely on medical
genetic engineering (e.g. cloning, genetically technology in order to preserve life. Besides
modified foods). As these may be perceived as complicated surgical procedures, many
going against the law of nature, reliance on individuals are dependent upon medical
such technology may be seen as too much and technology to stay alive or function outside
undesirable. medical settings. E.g. kidney dialysis machines.
Moreover, there are forms of complementary
medicines that are not technology-based, e.g.
traditional Chinese medicine, aromatherapy,
etc.
Technology is defined as “the application of knowledge to extend human capabilities by equipment

or a technique for performing a particular activity”. Technology has become very important part of
our lives. It has improved the way we live, making our lives more easy and comfortable. It provides
us with many benefits and more efficient organisation to carry out things. Our lives are so controlled
by technology in many aspects that we have unknowingly over-reliance on them. However, has our
reliance on technology gone too far? Or is technology merely a tool for social development?
We have started to depend on technology even when we are exercising. It is called the sporting
technology. We are constantly introducing technology into the various activities we engage in, as we
depend on it to enhance our enjoyment when doing the activities. For example, recently in sport,
people have started to make use of sensor devices which keep track of the progress during exercise,
so as to allow them to gauge how much they have achieved (e.g. How much calories they have lost)
out of each exercising session. When all these technology are put in place, we seem to have
forgotten that sports came up initially as a healthy idea where one does it out of passion. We
exercise to keep ourselves healthy. However, we have come to a point that we need technology to
build up our passion. This shows that we are over reliant on technology.
Another evidence to show that the modern world place too much reliance on technology is when we
find it almost impossible to cut down out energy consumption. A few heated debates which arose
from some organisations which aim to fight Global Warming, such as Kyoto Protocol, was provoked
by countries feeling that carbon emission and energy quota set for each country is unfair and
unreasonable. Developed and developing countries need energy to fuel their factories and
machines. People need energy for their domestic uses. For example, instead of washing clothes with
our hands, we have depended on washing machine to do our job. Hence, the main reason why our
energy consumption will accelerate is because almost everything in the world is governed by
technology and electricity usage. People are so depended on technology that it will be an uphill task
to persuade people to reduce their energy consumption. Many scientific evidences have been shown
that our earth is facing an environmental crisis, but people are still reluctant to break free from their
familiar lifestyles, and continue to use technology in an excessive ways they are used to. In
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International Energy Outlook 2010, it has shown that despite the recession in 2008, it has had a
profound impact on world energy demand in the near term. Total world marketed energy
consumption contracted by 1.2 percent in 2008 and by an estimated 2.2 percent in 2009, as
manufacturing and consumer demand for goods and services declined. However after the recession,
the energy consumption has gradually increased, based on the chart data of world marketed energy
consumption. These only shows that it is unlikely people will break free from the grasp of technology
as we need it so badly, till we are over reliant on it.
However, it is an undeniable fact that technology is essential in our life. It is important to rely on
them but not dependent. The reliance of technology helps us to progress economically and socially.
For developing nations, it serves as a vehicle of progress in terms of standard of living. This could be
through the sales of technology to increase income or using technology to improve the lives of
people. This is possible through several ways, for example, technological tools like social networking
sites which can help connect potential business partners and allow for political mobilization.
Furthermore, Technology has improved our live by providing easy interaction and increase
convenience in daily life. For example, instead of writing a letter to someone, we can send e-mails
which is just a click away. These not only save time, it is environmental. People use technology for
convenience and efficiency that does not necessary equate to over-reliance.
Our ability to think and feel does not depend on technology. We do possess some degree of
ownership of our own lives and being. Modern world did not allow technology to take over our mind
and souls. Human emotions and interpersonal relationships are still highly valued and this is
something we cannot depend on technology for. Hence, technology is unable to tell us what to do or
feel. At least, we cannot rely on them for this.
Therefore, there is a heavy reliance on technology and it is easily observed in most aspect of our
lives. The fact that technology plays as essential role in our lives can be seen from our daily activities.
However, we need to realise that over reliance could prove detrimental to our well-being and
futures if technology is not carefully utilised. So, to some extent, we are over reliant on technology.
Has modern technology made people lose sense of their priorities?

Modern technology has revolutionised the way we do many things in our lives. It can even affect our
values and our sense of priorities. There are reasons to believe that technology allows us to make
our priorities clear, and helps us keep to them. However, when we become too reliant on
technology, we may end up focusing on doing more and more without considering the need to have
high quality work. We may even end of mis-allocating resources to get more technology instead of
using resources for other more pressing needs. As such, I think that technology is, by and large, not
used in ways that help us preserve our sense of priorities.
To begin with, one of the arguments for the use of technology is that it makes our work efficient and
helps us become more productive, since earning a living and keeping our jobs (for most people) is a
priority that we need to have just to survive in this economically-competitive modern world. True
enough, there are so many kinds of technology that do just this, such as fax machines, computers,
industrial technology especially of mass production and transport. Having used these technologies,
we then raise our expectations because we hold on to the attitudes that we should do more because
we can, or that we should do more to prevent competitors from outperforming us. So, to our
mistaken delight, our inboxes remain full and our to-do list is increasingly left unchecked. This is
what it looks like when technology compels us to make work our main priority.
However, all that efficiency which we consider necessary for survival has taken its toll on some of
our other priorities. One of these is health. Health is a long-term priority. Since the wear-and-tear of
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the human body is inevitable, we must prioritise aging well. Our use of technology to push ourselves
at work accelerates this wear-and-tear by causing stress, fatigue and other physical ailments. Some
may argue that we can use technology to gain health (think sophisticated gym equipment). They
argue that this will help set things right and give some balance in our lives. But in modern societies,
work has become such a significant part of our lives that it usurps the time we have for other
necessary things like exercise or, simply, rest. Moreover, in the long-run, the deterioration of good
health also results in the drop in the quality of our work because we lose concentration or because
we are made to rush through so many tasks. Hence, when it comes to priorities, we have actually
become losers on two counts.
Another argument in support of the view that technology does not lead to a loss of our sense of
priorities is that technology has engendered the creation of all sorts of devices and systems that
actually help us put our lives in order. Many people and groups or companies use accounting
software such as ‘Mind Your Own Business’ (MYOB) to organise their financial records. This
facilitates in their making decisions about what expenses to prioritise in the future. Calendars and
organisers now come in the form of smartphone applications, so we can keep track of our lives while
on-the-go, and put, as Stephen Covey says, ‘first things first’. Even the knowledge that the internet
exposes us to helps us make all sorts of decisions from how to plan our travel itinerary to what
exercise routines to focus on for better results.
But the problems of enjoying the luxury of technology are that we become over-reliant and we end
up promoting consumerism. These can adversely affect our sense of priorities too. Over-reliance on
technology distracts us in a number of ways.
Firstly, we can get addicted to entertainment like computer games. One of the culprits of poor
performance in school today is the addiction to computer games. Compulsive gamers lose track of
time and lose focus in doing their other duties at work or school due to many sleepless nights spent
online to get to the next level of their game. In a bizarre and extreme incident, a South Korean
couple became so addicted to computer games that they neglected to feed their new born child
causing her death. Secondly, apart from mis-allocating time, we could end up spending unnecessarily
on gadgets and their peripherals, and future software updates, instead of apportioning that money
on other things such as savings for a rainy day or for further education. Young people could be prone
to wasting on technological devices especially if their needs are sufficiently met by their parents or
the state.
The state, too, could be guilty losing its priorities if it makes investments in technology without
investing in its people as well. Without building the capacity of its people, the technology would
then have to be continuously operated and supported by foreign expertise, so the economic gains of
applying technology do not trickle down to the local community. States obsessed with building
military might could also spend more on technology instead of on public goods like education,
healthcare or transport, leading to a poorer quality of life for the masses.
Despite all the criticisms made against technology, I concede that the quality of personal
relationships – which is a priority for naturally-communal Man – can be built upon using technology.
Our iPhones and Blackberrys, all souped up with video-call applications like Skype and FaceTime, will
help us connect with loved ones who are oceans away. Admittedly, the nature of interaction is
different. Video or tele-conversations cannot go on for hours, and text or email messages are shorter
still. While we can interpret all this as a loss of personal touch, the fact that we take that step to
consciously use technology to reach out to family and friends wherever they may be, is a clear
enough sign that we have not relegated these relationships to the back of our list of priorities .
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Having said all this, it is important to reiterate that technology is still a tool that we can control to
achieve our aims. If we remain clear of what our priorities are, then we will be more deliberate and
calculated in our use of technology. Unfortunately for now, this is not the prevalent situation
because, more often than not, we find that technology is driving us instead. The challenge for us is
how to manage this situation so that we can get the best out of technology and not resort to totally
logging out, unplugging and disconnecting to save our sense of priorities.
Does technology divide or unite your country?

My country, Singapore, is one of the most wired states in the world. Many people, young and old,
have a mobile phone and many households have one computer – at least. Like many developed
societies, Singapore can be described as rather gadget-crazy judging by the winding queues at the
launch of new tech-toys and devices. One of the many questions that arises from observing such a
trend is this: With all this technology, are the people better off as a society, or have they become
worse off and more divided? I think divisions in society as a whole have become more pronounced,
even though there a few emerging trends that give hope for unity.
Technology divides because more information on the internet will offer varied opinions, and people
begin to take sides. Technology can even be used to incite hate among the communities or interest
groups.
 In Singapore, there have been occasional outbursts online against people of other races,
religions and nationalities. One recent case involved a scholar from China who called
Singaporeans ‘dogs’ in his online rant. Such irresponsible behaviour naturally invited tit-for-
tat mud-slinging from local netizens, and clearly does not help in building ties between
immigrants and locals.
 In some of these cases, the authorities have had to step in. In September 2005, the Sedition
Act was first used in Singapore on individuals when three men, including a teenager, were
charged for making seditious and inflammatory racist comments on the Internet
Technology has helped spread anti-government feelings which may not be good for the country as a
whole.
 In Singapore, alternative political opinions thrive online because the local media is only
nominally privatised, but is in fact tied to the government in many ways. This means that
more often than not, the opinions of the ruling party and views that do not jeopardise the
status quo get more airtime and space in the newspapers.
 However, with a more educated, and well-travelled population, there is a growing thirst for
critically constructive views, and an increasing disdain for pro-government group think. This
is why websites such as The Online Citizen or those belonging to opposition parties, as well
as blogs like Diary of a Singaporean Mind and Yawning Bread have enjoyed a surge in
readership in recent years.
 Furthermore, the foreign press is sometimes prone to write about Singapore or its
government in a less flattering light especially in the light of Singapore’s abysmal ranking for
press freedom in the world.
 The mainstream state-controlled media lose some of its influence. All the above creates
more tensions within society, especially since the government also has it fair share of
supporters with their online writing that they feel will add balance to any debate
 Moreover, when the state tries to manage these tensions with more restrictions, there
is backlash
 The division that stemmed from greater access to internet technology and social networks
even contributed to a dip in support for the government during the 2011 elections.
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 In 2013, when welfare group Transitioning.org successfully promoted a peaceful

demonstration against the government’s Population White Paper via the internet, it turned
out to be the largest such protest
However, despite specific kinds of conflicts that have arisen, the pursuit of technology is itself
unifying.
 On the whole, the people of Singapore are knowledge-driven, and tech-ready rather than
technophobic. Using technology has become part of our daily lives, thus, in this sense, the
common experience has a subtle unifying effect that can perhaps best be seen when
Singaporeans spend time abroad and make comparisons between what they have, especially
in terms of technological advancements, and what other countries do not have
In addition, the use of the internet and social networks are not just a harbinger for hostility.
 One nascent trend is crowd-sourcing whereby social networking sites are used to bring
strangers together for positive causes.
 Cook a Pot of Curry Day is an example of such a positive effort whereby people from various
walks of life heeded a Facebook call to cook a popular local dish, Indian curry, to signify
togetherness against racism.
 In addition, crowd-sourcing has helped spread kindness to the less fortunate when self-
initiated charity drives are conducted online, and members of the public respond with
generous donations of cash and kind, thereby showing the extent of good faith that people
have for one another.
In conclusion, technology has the potential to unite any society. However, mine is a nation in
transition and one that is still learning to cope with the tensions created by technology. Some people
may choose to use technology to create rifts between them and others, but this can be counteracted
by more civic-minded and brave individuals who speak up against prejudice or other forms of
animosity using the very tools that spread hate. This is the way that my society can evolve to
become more mature and unified despite the friction that technology can engender.
Man is technologically advanced, but morally backward.

The past century has witnessed unprecedented discoveries and inventions that have transformed
society. Air travel, space travel, genetic science, nanotechnology and the internet, among others,
have made Man a technological giant. Sceptics of technology point out that despite astounding
progress, Man is uncivilized, without a moral compass. There is, unfortunately, significant proof to
support this criticism. However, there is also sufficient evidence that denounce this as an
overgeneralisation that does not apply to all of mankind. Therefore, being technologically
advanced does not always mean that Man is morally backward.
Technologically advanced but morally backward Technologically advanced, but not morally
backward
1. Tech is used for self-preservation  widen 1. Tech is used to help the disadvantaged –
the gulf between the haves and the have- poor, weak etc.
nots 2. Tech is used to save the planet
2. Tech is used for self-gratification  3. Tech is used to unite and build
hedonism, materialism, consumerism understanding among people: facilitate
3. Tech is used even when it threatens the peace-making; Of course, there will be
sanctity of life: Euthanasia, abortion hatemongers, but with education, people
4. Tech is used to commit crimes and acts of can be more responsible
aggression: hacking, piracy, online These notes are shared on
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intimidation, voyeurism, 4. Tech promotes democracy, openness 

biological/chemical/nuclear warfare more discourse, debate to improve the
country or society; provides more checks
and balances for the government to curb
corruption, abuse of power
Man is a tech giant, but he does show that he can degenerate to be a moral pygmy. However,
Man is making effort to find his sense of civility and humanity. Thus, all hope is not yet lost.
To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your
country?
Technology has a great impact on both privacy and security in my country, Singapore. Privacy is the
right of an individual to be secure from unauthorised disclosure of information about oneself that is
contained in documents. Security is the state of being free from dangers and the precautions against
theft, espionage or other dangers. In Singapore, technology is an essential part of people’s lives. Be
it to work, play or travel, technology is an integral part of them all. Therefore, technology will
definitely affect one’s privacy and security in one way or another.
One of the ways in which technology has had an impact on security in my country is that it has made
crime solving faster and more efficient. Technology has invented new methods of investigations and
procedures that helped to solve crime cases at a much higher efficiency and also to prevent crimes
from happening. Such technology includes the DNA database, computer forensics, and many more.
The DNA database used by law enforcement agencies to identify crime suspects helps to deter
people from repeating crimes as anyone who has committed crimes will have their DNA stored in
the police’s database and this makes it easier to trace a repeat offender. Computer forensics has
also made crime solving become more efficient and faster. This has enabled authorities to crack
cases faster as well as stop them from occurring. An example is the stopping of the alleged plot by
six foreign nationals to attack the Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey. This shows how efficient
computer forensics is in dealing with crimes. In Singapore, we have such technology as well.
Therefore, when people know that the chance of getting caught is very high, they are naturally
deterred from committing a crime. This leads to lesser crimes and according to statistics, Singapore’s
crime rate is less than 1% which means less than 1% of the people in Singapore are in danger of
being a victim of crime. Therefore, this shows that the security in my country is enhanced due to
technology as it has deterred potential criminals and made crime solving more efficient and faster.
Technology has improved the security in my country as technology such as the Biometric
Identification System is used when people travel in and out of Singapore. The introduction of the
biometric passports means that passports are unique to each individual person as everyone’s
thumbprint is different. Since no two persons have the same thumbprint, a person cannot use
another’s passport to travel. This security system restricts the space for terrorists’ movements by
tightening passport controls and border surveillance. This ensures the safety of the citizens in
Singapore as terrorists cannot enter or leave the country without being detected. This is because
with passports being unique to each individual, the authorities can trace and check whether the
person entering the country poses any threat and take the necessary actions. Therefore, before the
terrorists even enter the city, they would be arrested and no harm will be done to the citizens.
Hence the safety of the people is not jeopardised and the security in the country is enhanced.
However, Biometric Identification System also has its drawbacks. Since a large amount of
information such as personal particulars of all the people in the country are stored in a single smart
card, any leakage in the transmission of information from one source to another or a successful hack
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into the system will cause an enormous amount of private information to be disclosed. However,
given Singapore’s security systems, the chance of such mishandling of information is very low and
hackers will not be drawn to hack into Singapore’s system as it is very difficult to penetrate through
the firewalls that the government has put in place. Therefore, since the information of all the
Singaporeans is safe, the privacy of the people remains. Also, since their personal particulars will not
be disclosed, potential criminals who want to harm the people will not be able to carry out their
crime as they lack the information to use for their plans. Therefore, the security and privacy of the
people are not jeopardised by the Biometric Identification System. In fact, the security in the country
is enhanced because people are free from danger.
Privacy and security is increasingly being passed over for sharing on Facebook as people are more
interested in social interactions and are less concerned about the dangers of losing their privacy.
People are lured into Facebook with the promise of fun free service and do not realise that they are
paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook has changed the way it works so
that much of your personal profile information including where you work, what music you like, and
where you went to school, now are made public by default. This allows potential criminals who want
to harm a person to obtain valuable information to use against him or her. This jeopardises the
safety of the person and causes the person’s security to be compromised. Some information is even
shared with companies that are special partners of Facebook, like Yelp, Pandora and Microsoft. This
is because the creators of Facebook are also profit-driven. Therefore, they give the information of
their users to such companies in return for money. This leads to a loss in privacy as the right of an
individual to be secure from unauthorised disclosure of personal information that is contained in
documents is taken away. Therefore, technology has also had a negative impact on both security
and privacy in my country.
In conclusion, because technology is used in our everyday lives and is an integral part of our society,
it has unambiguously affected us in one way or another. It is a two-edge sword which can be used to
enhance or jeopardise the privacy and security in my country. Either way, the impact of technology
on the privacy and security in Singapore is undeniably significant.
To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people?
With their amazing ingenuity, human beings have for centuries conceived, invented and designed
machine after machine to make their lives easier and satisfy their desires. Machines act as
multipliers of human ability that allow people to accomplish more in life. It is ironic, however, that in
creating machines that are ever more useful, Man has made himself ever less useful. Machines have
made human beings redundant in many lines of work, and even where humans are still needed in
the production of goods and delivery of services, their levels of skill have largely declined. It may be
true that more advanced technology has created a need for new, high-tech skills which have
replaced many of the old skills. However, it is this writer’s contention that the new skills pale in
comparison with the old skills in terms of the level of intricacy and finesse. Hence I believe that
technology has had a negative impact on the skill levels of people to a large extent.
Our professional skills are a major casualty of automation. Across a wide swathe of industries, the
role of human beings has been minimised as machines take over a myriad of functions. In
manufacturing, processes from the slicing of potatoes to the soldering of computer chips have been
automated. In the aviation sector, today’s pilots rarely fly their aircraft manually, but rather through
a highly sophisticated ‘fly-by-wire’ system which uses an electronic interface; flight control
computers determine how to control the actuators to provide the desired response. Commands
from the computers are even input without the pilot’s knowledge. With autopilot systems, pilots are
often actively involved only in the takeoff and landing phases of flight. While a pilot’s skill is called
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upon in a crisis situation or when the avionics fail, these are only exceptional situations – the level of
skill required of the pilot is considerably lower than before.
In the area of sports, our skills have also largely declined as a result of technological advancement.
The proliferation of new and ever more advanced forms of indoor entertainment has enticed us to
carry out more and more of our recreational activities in the comfort of our homes. In the past,
children typically went outdoors to have a good time. They played football and other sports and
swam in rivers. While sports are still popular with the youth, many have become addicted to
electronic games played on their tablet computers and video game consoles like the PlayStation. On
average, they spend significantly less time than before playing sports. English football manager Harry
Redknapp has bemoaned the ‘PlayStation culture’ which is making it increasingly difficult to find
promising young English footballers.
To be sure, playing video games takes skill too. However, these skills have little value or substance in
the real world. Being able to move your fingers dexterously is far less useful in real life than the
ability to move your whole body dexterously, as the latter gives you a feeling of physical confidence
which can then translate into greater overall confidence and self-esteem as a person. Furthermore,
the latter can save your life in a dangerous situation.
Perhaps the most deleterious deterioration in human skills is in the area of interpersonal skills.
Information technology (IT) as well as mobile communications technology has no doubt enhanced
the speed and efficiency of communication by leaps and bounds. However, the obsession with speed
and efficiency in communication has made people very reluctant to spend time to express
themselves thoughtfully, articulately and beautifully in language. The art of communication – a time-
honoured skill – has been sacrificed on the altar of speed and efficiency. Where once people would
spend hours lovingly writing a letter to their friends and loved ones sharing their deepest thoughts
and feelings, today they spend five seconds posting a picture or brief comment on the other
person’s Facebook page, and do not even bother to type their words in full. They use “n” for “and”
and “LOL” for “laugh out loud”, and emoji become a convenient substitute for a thoughtfully crafted
expression of one’s feelings. Seeking to move at the blinding speed of computers, people today also
lack the patience and the attention span to listen carefully to what others say and to ponder it. Of
course, listening well is just as central to good communication as speaking or writing well. There is a
tendency today to rush to judgement, as evidenced by the flood of visceral, frequently hare-brained
comments on the online social network Twitter. Many people have experienced a severe
degradation of their communication skills.
Interpersonal skills, however, go well beyond communication skills. Two other precious capabilities
sacrificed on the altar of technology are empathy and social skills. I consider empathy to be a skill,
not just a quality, because it can be improved with practice. When one spends countless hours
engaging in battles in a virtual fantasy world or staring at pictures on Instagram rather than engaging
in the more holistic verbal and nonverbal communication face-to-face with others, it becomes more
difficult to put oneself in a real person’s shoes. Psychological research has shown that young people
who spend a lot of time playing online games have lower levels of empathy than their peers.
Some may argue that people have more than replaced their old skills with very sophisticated IT skills.
Indeed, it is easy to form this impression when one sees the female executive in her chic office outfit
sliding her fingers on her smartphone or tablet and running application after application. However,
the truth is that the gadgets of today are extremely user-friendly, almost idiot-proof. The skill levels
needed to operate today’s computers cannot hold a candle to the finesse that our ancestors in the
days of yore needed to carry out such intricate tasks as stitching a garment by hand, hunting with a
bow and arrow, and performing surgery without advanced tools.
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All said, I believe that technology has had a negative impact on the skill levels of people to a large
extent. The gains in skill are woefully unable to compensate for what has been lost. While the
progress of technology is inexorable, we should be watchful that it does not bring about the
regression of the human species. A little reflection is in order: we should once in a while take a step
back from automation and practise our good, old-fashioned skills so that we retain our wonderful
human keenness and competitiveness. One can buy a manual car instead of an automatic one;
perform mental calculations rather than use a calculator; and write a long, heartfelt letter to our
dear friend instead of a ten-word tweet. The machines may be impressive, but let’s not forget who
designed them.
Technology has failed to simplify our lives. To what extent is this true?
 Technology has simplified our lives in some aspects, but it has also brought about
unprecedented complexities to other aspects
Communication and transport technology has made connecting and commuting infinitely more
convenient and effortless
 Skype, Facetime, SMS, allowing conversing face-to-face with distant family members and
friends
 Aeronautical technology, biometric passports, thumbprint recognition technology
Creation of unprecedented moral and ethical dilemmas in which technology has complicated our
lives
 Albert Einstein: “It has become appalling obvious that science has exceeded our humanity.”
 Today’s context of rapid technological advancement has given man the power of choice and
power to play God
 With great power comes great responsibility – responsibility has been stretched and
challenged repeatedly by biotechnology  ethical dilemma presented by the conflict
between pro-life and pro-choice camps in which pro-life proponents will point out the
sanctity of human life and the threat of the slippery slope of euthanasia
 Ambiguity of the definition of life, the arbitrary qualifiers that different countries use to
determine the eligibility of a euthanasia candidate in deciding if a patient is allowed to die,
the cloning of humans, the early detection of foetal abnormalities, organ transplants and its
illegal method of survival  all are examples of a complicated moral dilemmas created by
technology as it impose the power of these choices onto our lives
Technology, when used in an attempt to simplify our lives by solving a problem, can trigger a host of
new problems which can further complicate our lives
 Nuclear technology as an alternative clean energy source  world’s most dangerous
weapon – a threat in nuclear warfare between countries (Iraq stockpiling nuclear
armaments)
 Human creativity pervert technology and invent a plethora of military weapons that pose
threats to our security
 Genetically Modified food meant to be the simplest solution to solving food shortage and
world hunger  introduce a host of complicating factors: e.g: Monsanto, in which patent
rights for certain GM products clashed with farmers’ practices of sharing crops
 “Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.” – George Bernard Shaw
Information Age has indeed made information more accessible, but we fail to remember that such is
built on the Internet which is built upon technology  overloading of information
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 We are bombarded with all sorts of messages through a variety of new media  threaten to
overcomplicate our lives by filling our consciousness with an overload of information (too
much information complicates)
 E.g: Choosing where to eat now involves a research process to websites like
hungrygowhere.com and pursuing food reviews for a long period of time before coming to a
decision
“Technology has made our lives busier, not better.”

 Improvements in technology led to increase in efficiency and productivity
 Communication and transportation increased efficiency
An increase in efficiency has allowed us to do the same amount of work in a shorter period of time,
thus we will find ourselves doing more work than we can accomplish  Busier
 Leondardo Da Vinci: “Iron rusts with disuse, stagnant water loses its purity even so does
inaction sap the vigour of the mind.”
 Indeed, the nature of Man is as such: If technology enables me to do more work in the same
amount of time, I should fill them up with more meaningful things like more work
 E.g: Improvements in household appliances’ technology led to multitasking
 E.g: Medical technology advancement leading to doctors being busier (not an excuse of
having not enough time for saving someone’s life). Medical advancement has reached a level
that doctors can treat many illnesses at short amounts of time, thus they bear a larger
responsibility because the lack of technology to save one’s life is no longer a valid reason
Technology has flaws too; they can send us into frenzy when glitches and problems occur
 We find ourselves busy repairing devices half the time and breaking down together with the
machines when we cannot get them to work
 Over-reliance on technology might not make our lives better but instead, only busier
Technology has enriched our lives and benefitted Man to a large extent, with increased efficiency in
communications and transportation. However, these improvements have failed in their purpose if
we end up busier than before, causing us to lack time for leisure or other purposes;
Consider the view that modern technology is the only answer to world hunger.
Introduction
 While it cannot be denied that modern technology offers what is by far the most reliable
solution to world hunger, we cannot ignore the fact that these same solutions offered by
modern technology are easily and often stifled by fundamental political and social flaws
present in the way countries and organisations manage world hunger issues
Genetically Modified food crops ushered in the world’s most effective solution to world hunger
 Disease and weather resistant food crops allowed poor subsistence farmers to enjoy
relatively stable and abundant harvests when previously these crops were being destroyed
by plagues, insects, and harsh weather conditions
 Some GM food are even enriched with essential vitamins like B3 to give proper nutrition to
people, especially the kids with undernourishment in Africa
 Technologies also include novel drainage and sprinkling systems which mechanise the way
farmers manage their food crops, allowing them to expand their crop yields to alleviate and
eradicate world hunger
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Unfortunately, this is not always the case: private enterprises involved in introducing and spreading
the use of farming technologies had their own profit maximising motives that corrupted the whole
process
 Monsanto, one of the world’s most valuable agricultural and biotechnology firms, owned
patents for their GM seeds and engineered crops to be infertile such that it became
necessary for farmers to continually purchase batches of seeds and pay high prices for each
harvest
 NY Times article in 2005 highlighted a trend of increased farmer suicides in India closely
linked with these patented expensive GM seeds
 Clearly demonstrates the evils of profit maximisation and the issue of world hunger cannot
be resolved simply by technology designed to increase food supply
Politicians and officials often succumb to corruption

 40% of the food aid to impoverished regions where hunger is most prevalent is siphoned off
in some way by various officials who manage various overly bureaucratic processes
 Possibility of corruption sabotaging such goodwill efforts, and it is these barriers that
separate the ‘giver’ and the ‘needy’ that unfortunately thwart the promise of technology
and exacerbate world hunger
 E.g: North Korea, reclusive military country with world’s malnourished population with
resistance to foreign aid on various trade embargoes imposed on it
 If such unfortunate results persist, modern technology alone will not be able to help solve
world hunger
It is important to realise that the isolated use of technology provides merely symptomatic and
simplistic solutions to the lack of sufficient food stocks in the world, thus it is key that fundamental
flaws in the aid and technology distribution system to be corrected
 International organisations like World Trade Organisation – step in more to provide checks
and ensure most of the aid donated safely reaches its beneficiaries
 Social entrepreneurship firms – set up training programmes to educate members in
impoverished communities on sustainable ways to harness modern technology to improve
harvests
 E.g: Backpack Farm, social enterprise that sells small-scale Kenyan farmers backpacks of
agricultural supplies and equipment and conducts training sessions
Other solutions to solve present-day problems are also important to complement modern
technologies
 Increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change that ruined crops and
dramatically reduced the available global food stock
 Increasing world’s population can reach unprecedented numbers which escalate the
demand for food
 Complexity in managing population growth due to disparity in fertility rates between
developed and developing countries, whereby African communities believed that children
were blessings from God and the use of contraceptives was akin to murder  lack of
effective management of population policies
 Introducing and improving modern technology can at best only increase crop production,
nut there is no guarantee that food crop yields can catch up with the rapid pace of
population growth in impoverished regions
Conclusion
 Advances in modern technology allowed for greater yields and better ways to grow high
quality and nutritious crops  but the promise of technology as the only answerThese
is limited
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by how its isolated use merely provides symptomatic solutions that are unable to tackle the
multi-faceted and complex reasons for the persistence of the problem
 Technology needs to be complemented by support on political and social fronts, such that
damage inflicted by climate change and overpopulation problems can be mitigated by
increased food production, swift transportation of aid supplies to the needy regions, and
careful management of population policies.
Nuclear Technology
 Pilot of Enola Gay “My God, what have we done?”
 Advent and pursuit of nuclear technology  key defining feature of the 20th century
 Possession of nuclear energy facilities and nuclear weapons  aspired to dominance
 Concerns over nuclear research and its applications have multiplied in recent decades
For 1: applications to the energy industry

 As oil and gas prices soar due to depleting stocks, war scares and a falling US dollar
 Pursuit of alternative sources of cheap energy
 Renewable energy sources remain largely unproven and unviable due to prohibitive costs 
nuclear power immensely effective in alleviating the energy woes of the developed world
 More efficient and expedient methods of producing enriched uranium desirable
 Medical applications: treatment of cancers
Against 1 / For 2: Waste disposal

 Although in much less danger of running out than oil
 Uranium not a renewable resource
 More nuclear waste piles up from spent uranium fuel rods: harmful and lethal consequences
of nuclear waste disposal (remains radioactive and dangerous for long periods of time)
 “de-enriching” uranium fuel rods?
Against 2: Highly dangerous

 Potentially devastating impacts on human populations and the surrounding areas
 Increasing population figures have compounded the challenges to the pursuit of nuclear
technology
 Disastrous reactor failures at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island: physical and environmental
damage (pictures of deformed Russian children and cracking Geiger counters in Scandinavia
and central Europe: necessary evil?)
For 3: Dangers largely unfounded  nuclear technology remains one of the most highly regulated
fields of research
 E.g. Stats from US Department of Energy and Nuclear Physics (1 in 15 proposals for nuclear
research approved VS. 1 in 10 for genetic engineering, another field widely known to have
strict regulations)
 Even in mega-institutes such as CERN, where nuclear research are highly funded and
encouraged, close watch on experiments, ensuring proper protocol followed
 Number of safety nets imposed: minimal concerns over safety
Against 3:
 Eclipsed by recent breakthroughs in the energy industry: utilization of new renewable
energy sources (safe, clean, limitless sources of wind, water, solar power) OR improvements
to existing technology (Germany’s decision to take all nuclear reactors offline by 2025 and
replace them with a new type of highly-efficient, reduced-pollution coal-fired plant
Theseshows
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that ultimately the safety of population centres must take precedence even in the pursuit of
reducing pollution)
For 4:
 Effectiveness of energy sources: nuclear energy 80%, wind and micro-algae production only
provide energy at efficiency levels of 20% and 40% respectively
 Marry the concepts of environmental conservation and continued economic development
Against 4: Nuclear weaponisation is severely detrimental to global stability and highly undesirable
given ethical concerns and political risks involved
 Cold War: tens of thousands of nuclear warheads instilled worldwide fear for four decades
 End of Cold War in 1989: sign of hope for humanity BUT also brought about notion that any
further pursuit of nuclear technology was an attempt to ruin newly-founded state of global
stability
 E.g. Pyongyang’s 2007 nuclear test & Tehran’s insistence on pursuing ‘peaceful’ nuclear
research  embargoes, threats of war, UN sanctions, political isolation
 Nuclear weaponisation now seen as bordering on a belligerent action against the rest of the
world
Right Technology used for the Wrong Reasons

 General Omar Bradley, Commander of the US forces, once ominously declared, “Ours is a
world of nuclear giants and ethical infants”. (double-edged sword)
Wrong reason 1: Cursory examination of topic … indubitably draw one’s attention … race between
countries to boost military right
 Cognizant of the need to maintain a powerful arsenal of weapons to deter potential
aggressors
 Threaten other countries w=or serve as form of deterrence against potential aggressors
 Build stronger tanks, faster aircraft, more precise missiles
 E.g. Atomic bomb
 Today many countries retain thousands of warheads to sustain the concept of mutually
assured destruction
Wrong reason 2: Private economic gain

 Motivation that is parochial and self-centred
 E.g. Pharmaceuticals industry. Drug companies race to find new and better cures, just so
that they can be the first to apply for the patent, and reap the full benefits of monopolizing a
drug line which is licensed exclusively to them
 Grossly overpriced drugs… poor find it hard to gain access to cure their ailments
 Concomitantly, practice of pursuing research just to secure a patent and reap the corollary
economic benefits has extended to the biotechnology sector has extended to biotech sector,
where research institutes have been patenting cell-lines and even parts of the human
genome
Wrong reason 3: Fraught with ethical considerations

 E.g. Gene therapy, whilst opening door to possibly curing many debilitating diseases caused
by genetic defects, is still an ethical minefield as it involves changing one’s DNA … abuse for
eugenics
 E.g. GM food boost yield but ‘play God’ and temper with life itself
Correct reason 1: Altruistic reasons These notes are shared on
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 Large bulk attained for benefiting humanity as a whole

 Tech comes in response to human problems or to overcome human limitations
 E.g. Wright brothers, empower mankind with the ability to fly: aeroplane
 E.g. Mr Hoover, vacuum cleaner
 E.g. smallpox vaccine
 E.g. Internet, started as a military project, saw its greatest growth when programmers saw
its potential in connecting people around the world and contributed to its development
(BUT used as a means of spreading pornographic content as well as terrorism-related
ideology)
Correct reason 2: Aid humanity

 During outbreak of bird flu, research labs banded together and posted resources to develop
a cure
 Tamiflu instantly available to every country to enable them to stave off the pestilence
 Surge in green tech
Technology and Arts

 As early as 1932, art critic Walter Benjamin voiced concerns that technological advancement
encroached upon the artistic endeavour
 The impact of technological advancement has spared very few aspects of modern life and
the arts are no exception
 Technological wonders like the printing press, the computer and its attendant digital graphic
software and musical equipment such as synthesizers
 Allows art to expand and stay relevant
Technology does not help

 The ability of … to strike our fancy lies more squarely in its composition and the message(s)
relayed, than simply its form. Unsustainable without substance.
 Synthesisers: ‘electronica’ genre of music emerged but it is often derided for its synthetic
unemotional quality
Technology submits the arts to crude commercialism at the hands of advertisers

 Reduces the value of a piece to the lowest common denominator as people purchase such
reproductions to hang in their rooms purely for aesthetic pleasure and disregard the value of
the arts as a means for expressing a mood or idea
Art needs to be unique

 Walter Benjamin argued that what gave art its “mystical aura”, its most sacred and revered
quality, was its singularity – desecration of art
 Technology and art are not always complementary, two are antagonistic to some degree
 Mass reproduction of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” has desensitized modern audiences to
much of the raw, unbridled power of the original
 To see angry reds and oranges glaring at you every day as you take the train to work may
consign Munch’s masterpiece to the blur of the mundane and the routine
 Desensitisation is harmful insofar as it encourages careless and cursory treatment of artwork
in general – few of us can claim to have looked upon a work of art and immersed ourselves
completely in a wholly beautiful and transcendental experience
 Originality tends to be compromised as everyone uses similar software. Without education,
not innovative, simply learn from manual
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Copyright issues
 Proliferation of file-sharing services such as Kazaa, Limewire and Torrent searcher
 More avenues are open for copyright breach, and this removes incentive for artists to
continue the creative effort
 If sales revenue from the sale of CDs plummet because the public opts for the cheaper
alternative of free downloads, then the artist is deprived of both the will and the resources
to make a new album
 Malaysian artists, for example, frequently allege this as the reason why domestic music
industry cannot take off
 BUT… in response to growing concerns of copyright breach, a matrix of intellectual property
law has arisen to preserve artists’ incentive to create, in tandem with the recording industry
of America’s crackdown of illegal file-sharing services
Preservation of classics
 Restoration and reconstruction of damaged prints from the Italian Renaissance, currently
exhibited in America’s National Gallery of Art. Impossible without the precise tools and
substances that technological advances have given us
 Development of colour fixatives has been a godsend for colour-pencil artists. Absence of
such fixatives, pencil pigment flakes off easily diminishing the vibrancy of even the most
meticulously coloured masterpieces within months
Birth of some new forms of art

 Digital art: Adobe Photoshop
 Provide fertile ground for artistic inspiration: the Bauhaus movement and the doctrine of
new internationalism in twentieth-century architecture argued for a consideration of houses
as functional “living machines” and drew inspiration from the construction of multi-storey
flats, carparks and state buildings
 Marcel Duchamp’s masterpiece – the urinal, which embodied a rejection of the aesthetic
process – would have been impossible…
 From a Marxist perspective, developments in the technological “base” led to the artistic
“superstructure” growing even richer and more interesting
Communication revolution and accessibility of ‘e-texts’ have benefited the literary tradition
 Allowed writers access to other writers’ works and ideas with a click of the mouse
 Allows meeting of many minds and the literary movement is surely richer with such dense
interaction
 Post-structuralist Julie Kristeva maintains that all literary texts are “tissues of past citation”,
allowing authors access to other works is absolutely essential
Technology has influenced Art’s content

 We already know that computer technology has enabled the diversification of art forms, but
in terms of actually permeating the concerns of artists, technology has also played a key role
 Exemplified in the proliferation of art dealing with the issue of scientific progress and
whether this bodes well or ill for the future of mankind
Technology has helped paralysed or otherwise physically disenfranchised artists to regain the ability
to express themselves creatively. Artists who survive road accidents lose certain motor functions and
are unable to produce art in traditional forms of sculpture or painting
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To what extent has technology revolutionized the arts?

 Art is a human endeavour that dates back to before the very first civilisations
 In the modern world, artists have much more diverse array of tools to craft and distribute
their works, thanks to the development of numerous technologies
 Technology is indeed revolutionised the arts, in terms of its form, the subject matter, its
function, and its distribution
 However, the underlying spirit of creation behind the artistic craft remains a constant quality
that transcends art of different ages and forms
Technology has revolutionised the arts by giving rise to entirely new forms and genres of artistic
creation
 Computing technology has enabled creation of new genres of digital art, digital music, and
also redefined the animation movies industry
 Shape genres like digital art by enabling graphic designers to generate detailed realistic
graphics and animation sequences: e.g – ‘Mickey Mouse’, ‘Finding Nemo’ which make use of
full range of modern digital imaging technology and animation software
 Earliest cinematographic technologies formed the foundation for the creation of the entire
movie industry today
 New music forms: Techno, Disco, and digitally generated music; technology redefines the
boundaries of musical expression by enabling artists to use new techniques like over-
dubbing in their recordings to create a richer and more layered musical piece
Technology also revolutionised the arts in terms of its subject matter by giving artists a much wider
range of material to base their works on, and such is revolutionary because the subject matter was
previously unheard of
 Artists have continuously taken new technologies as the subject matter for their works,
resulting in the expression of new and at times revolutionary ideals associated with the
development of new technologies
 Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ which explores the rapid development of
space technology
 Entire genre of Science Fiction is a manifestation of the revolutionary influence of
technology
 Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, explored modern DNA technology; Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave
New World’ explored dystopian consequences of rapid modern technological advancement
Technology has revolutionised the arts in the greater ease of distribution/proliferation of artistic
products, the democratisation of arts, and thus the wider appreciation of the arts by the masses
 Gutenberg’s printing press enabled mass distribution of the arts whole giving birth to the
concept of popular fiction stories, enabling many writers like Charles Dickens to write novels
to be distributed to the masses
 The Internet plays a similar role in the modern society with a much broader impact –
provides means for artists to distribute their works and express themselves at virtually no
cost, allowing proliferation of their expressions to a worldwide scale
 E.g: online platforms like deviantART.com, online library journals like the Quarterly Literary
Review Singapore, and Wattpad, which provides platform for aspiring writers to be heard
 YouTube allows filmmakers like WongFu Productions and Freddie Wong (Video Game High
School) to produce and showcase their short-movies and online series, allows aspiring
musicians and singers to express their talents such as Megan Nicole
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However, even with how technology has revolutionised the arts, the arts at their core are still about
the emotional and intellectual investment of an artist into his creation which convey universal ideals
that appeal to us humans
 The emotional ideas they convey about the human condition still remain largely unchanged
 Toy Story may be produced using cutting edge animation technology, but ultimately a story
about friendship and childhood; performance of a Shakespearean play might be very
different from time to time but still, the universal themes like love and power conveyed do
not change
Technology may have changed the way art is produce, and inevitably some artists use technology to
take shortcuts in artistic creation
 Auto-tune used in musicians
 Some might argue that this cheapens arts, but it could simply be seen as a way in which
technology has redefined the process of artistic creation and it largely does not detract from
our enjoyment and appreciation of the art piece
Conclusion:
 Myriad of changes brought are truly revolutionary, however, despite the evolution of new
forms of art and new processes of artistic creation and expression, our response to the arts
remains largely constant
 We appreciate the arts because they are a reflection of our human emotions, our concerns,
and also the intellectual and the emotional investment of the artists
 Through different time periods, artists continue to touch on the same universal themes and
we continue to appreciate them. It is the characteristics of the most enduring pieces that
transcend the changes time and technology can ever bring.
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Religion
 A human phenomenon that defies easy definition because it is so varied
 2 groups of religious beliefs: Atheists who are unsure or confident that there is no God, and the
rest who believes in some kind of a spiritual and metaphysical world (polytheists, pantheists, and
monotheists)
 Rise of quasi-religions and pseudo-religions that are unorthodox and off-shoot groups that are
not religious but appear to be for their own vested agendas
o Hate groups like Al Quaeda (Islam) and Neo-Nazis (Christian), doomsday cults like Aum
Shinrikyo (Buddhist), and UFO cults like Solar Temple Cult
Religion: Misunderstood
1. Tainted by politics and fundamentalism, religions have caused conflicts and wars
o US President George Bush uses Christian rhetoric to galvanise support for his policies like
invasion of Iraq and the banning of stem-cell research while Osama Bin Laden uses
Islamic rhetoric to gain support against America
2. Through manipulation by corrupt and selfish men, religion was used to justify and support
injustice and social abuses
o Hinduism beliefs about karmic fate provide justifications for the caste system
o Nazi party used Christian theology to support their theories of genetic superiority
3. Through corruption and greed, religious groups have lied, manipulated, and mistreated their
followers whereby most believers were ignorant and irrational in their actions
o Catholic Church of the Middle Ages persecuted those who contradicted their philosophy
like Copernicus and Galilei Galileo who insisted that Earth revolves around the Sun
o Solar Temple Cult made 74 followers torch themselves to death so they could travel to
the planet Sirius (mass suicides)
o High ranking Buddhist monks in Thailand have been criticised for secretly visiting
prostitutes, acquiring luxury goods, and owning expensive properties
4. The influence of post-modern beliefs about how Truth is subjective, religion has become just
another personal choice, and a matter of personal taste
Religion divides more than it unites?

Intro:
 “God might not be dead, but God sure leaves a lot of people dead.” This was one social
science professor’s response to Nietzsche’s famous proclamation that ‘God is dead’
 Face value … more peaceful without religion
 Perhaps Crusades might not have happened. Perhaps six million Jews might not have been
gassed to death by Hitler. Perhaps the Israel-Palestinian conflict would have been resolved in
1967 – or better, need not be carved out of Palestine and arterially instituted as a state
Religion leads to genocide against one another

 By its very nature, religion can make people disagree
 Quintessence of religion is faith in something that can neither be seen nor proven, cannot be
debunked as well
 Religion is very diverse: some feel that religion is a social construct “opium of the masses”,
some feel that there is only “one true religion”: Islam, Christianity, while others feel that
there will be a “Great Awakening” in the sense that all religions are working towards and
adapting to the final truth
 Often no plausible way for people of different religions to see eye-to-eye
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 When one’s religious beliefs constitute the meaning of one’s life, and is a tremendous
source of strength, coupled with the natural tendency for members of a particular faith to
identify with one another, a stray attack on one member is easily interpreted as a challenge
to all who share that faith
 E.g. Danish newspaper publish cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in unflattering light,
shockwaves of disgust and resentment against Western Civilisation reverberated through
Muslim communities
 In absence of common sense, a Hobbesian nightmare of ‘war of all against all’ does not seem
far away. E.g. Holocaust and Crusades exemplify how desensitizing feelings of hatred can
hypnotise individuals and blind them to common sense
Engenders the nation/state conflict

 Nation: group of people who identify with one another, for instance, members of a
particular religion
 State: political entity that seeks to represent the people of one country
 State often includes multiple nations, exacerbated by religion
 Duty of state often hijacked by the selfish interests of a nation within it
 Tyranny of the majority where minority religious group is excluded from society and
marginalized
 E.g. Muslim minorities in Europe have little political power, interests seldom represented,
tend to live in inner-city ghettos, receive unequal share of socioeconomic opportunities
 E.g. Sectarian violence hampering the rebuilding of Iraq as Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish
denominations in Iraq (diff interpretation of Islam), never seem to be able to forge a political
consensus
Misinterpretation of religion which divides

 No reasonable reading of Christian Bible  condone senseless killings sanctioned during the
Crusades
 No reasonable reading of the Q’uran  commit ‘Jihad’
 That the Taliban and Al-Qaeda wield religion as a blood-stained sword is no foreign face to
us. The convenient use of Islam as an excuse to free them from ‘the opposition of the West’,
a justification for the mass-murders, brutal killings and savage beheadings is but a warped
and sick distortion of holy text. While Islam itself means peace, terrorists have used its
teachings in an un-prescribed and unprecedented manner – they have most assuredly used
religion to sow the seeds of hatred and ostensibly, conflict.
 Scapegoat for conflicts of the world
Religion is often politicized

 E.g. Iran’s president together with many politicians in the Middle East engage in vicious
Israel-bashing arguably not for the sake of representing their people but rather to distract
voters from domestic problems and incompetence of governance by uniting them against
the mirage of a common enemy. Same goes for Olmert and his gang of merciless Israeli
hardliners
Oft-referenced Samuel Huntington’s prediction of a world defined by a clash between the Judeo-
Christian West and the Islamic world will not happen
 Globalisation and modern progress, “unity in diversity”
 Cultures become less homogenous and more of a melting-pot, differences in religion looks
to be cast aside
 German govt. Muslim: German first, Muslim second 70%
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 Religion does not define people to a full stop but rather serves to supplement existing
cultures and national identities
Common morality
 Most believers across the globe belong to one of a few major religions
 1.3 billion Muslims, roughly a billion each of Christians and Catholics, hundreds of millions of
Hindus and Buddhists, a significant number of people who belong to offshoots of these last
two
 Share a common credo, a common way of doing things, a common set of customs associated
with their religions
 Arguably one people in mind, if not in body
 Religion does, therefore, provide a linking force between peoples of the world, perhaps
giving the world a greater cohesion and identity
 While sometimes divide like on issues of homosexuality
 Plethora of religions have an amazingly similar set of moral values (Golden Rule)
 Universal values like no harm, encouraging love and kindness …
 Even secularized and codified these values as a formal constitution
 Religion is basis for law, basis for which individuals may feel morally compelled to uphold the
law, and by extension, their own religion
 Also unite nations against a common injustice
 E.g. Whites in US realize discrimination against blacks was an insult to their own faith. Today,
religion, transcending race, still holds them together
 E.g. The saffron revolution, in which Burmese monks protested against their tyrannical
government, gained extra moral force thanks to religion
 Religious leaders often become voices for justice and morality
 E.g. Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa fight against apartheid and later crime
 E.g. the Dalai Lama preaches understanding, recipient of Nobel Peace Prize
Religion creates bonds within societies

 Multi-religious societies as well
 Inter-faith dialogues and exchanges
 Inter-Religion Organisation established in Singapore, leaders of various religious
communities come together to promote understanding
 Mirrored on global stage, where we saw the Vatican host a conference of the world’s
religious leaders in 2007
 Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim: Singapore is one country in which relation between Muslim community
and the rest of society did not worsen after 911 (Muslim extremists’ terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Centre in New York City) in no small part due to the excellent inter-faith
dialogue that we have instituted
 Religion is not the sole focus of most people’s beliefs. In addition to subscribing to a religion,
most people will also be part of other societal groups, such as… Champion democracy and
human rights… inalienable powers of their monarch or state. These beliefs are intrinsically
linked to religious ones in that religion does help shape their moral guidelines. Agnostic,
these divides remain. Differences always exist and religious group them together into easily
recognizable general groups. In recent AWARE saga, much debate centred on issue of
homosexuality, in which objectors to its acceptance largely belonged to the Christian
religion. Presence of inter-faith dialogue… bring viewpoints together in a conciliatory
manner
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Conclusion: Religion intrinsically unites society in tolerance and in morality. But when misinterpreted
or hijacked for political interests … Given religion is so intrinsic to human life and human calculus of
meaning and value, religion is here to say. Religion can be both the light of the world and a scourge
of this planet
E.g. High-ranked Buddhist monks caught visiting prostitutes

E.g. Doomsday Cults: Solar Temple Cults inspired 74 people to burn themselves to death so that they
could travel to the planet Siruis. 40 Heaven Gate followers poisoned themselves so that they could
take the UFO to heaven before the gates of heaven closed
E.g. President George Bush uses Christian rhetoric to garner support for his policies so does Osama
Bin Laden
E.g. In 1600s, Christian Church grew so powerful that people started paying money to church to buy
their way to heaven
E.g. Some Christian fundamentalists believe that technology is disrespectful to God and thus refuse
to get any treatment for their illnesses
Religion and Politics

 The idea of religion and the state being closely linked goes back to ancient, unenlightened
times
 Recent surge in enthusiasm for various religious fundamentalisms
 Should religion play a part in politics
 Very fundamentals of religion and politics are so far removed from one another that the
combination of the two can only lead to corruption of the grand ideals embodied in them
 History has seen a move towards political secularism
Religion acts as a “moral compass”

 Desire to rectify the evils that liberalism has brought about
 Secular state is deemed decadent and morally loose
 Religious state would be governed by a strict moral code
 Modern theocracies, such as Iran, see the state as an actor of divine religious will, teaching
the people how to behave morally, and if need be, ensuring that they do so through the
force of law
 Modern world of excess and decadence, religious state seen as the only force left that can
ensure that people remember discipline, self-control and spiritual purity
With the ‘divine will’ of God behind them, religious states can justify almost any kind of extremist
behaviour
 Claiming it part of a religious mission to cleanse the world of the excesses of the liberal
world
 Self-righteous ‘crusade’ attitude: rise of state-sponsored terrorism
 “Jihad” war against the non-Islamic world based on divine command
 In Lebanon, Hezbollah, which means “Party of God” is not only a state recognized
organization but also a terrorist organization that has launched multiple attacks on Israel as
a response to the ‘anomaly’ that is the Jewish state
 Religion: based on faith: easy justification. Dissenters labeled as non-believers and enemies
of the ‘will of God’
Religion acting as a perfect defense for states engaging in all sort of extremist behaviour has led to
many international conflicts and made many such conflicts harder to resolve
 Religion gives the state the right, even the encouragement, to stand so firm that all
compromise seems impossible These notes are shared on
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 E.g. Arab-Israeli conflict: purely secular conflict: resolution through the two-state solution.
Yet, with the insertion of religion into the mix, Israel now sees the land it occupies as its Holy
Land and hence absolutely fundamental to its existence. No longer willing to compromise
with the Palestinians for the religious justification for holding the territories is far too strong
 Ability of religion to polarize politics and encourage inter-state rivalry is not new: harkens
back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries or perhaps even earlier
 Irrational political rivalry between England and Spain is a complex one, but fundamental
divide springs from the fact that Spain was a Catholic nation and England a Protestant one
(exacerbated political rivalry)
 Conflict between India and Pakistan because Pakistan, a Muslim nation, lays claim to the
majority Muslim Kashmir
 In land of politics, where diplomacy and compromise are essential in order to survive
alongside other states, religion only leads to irrational rivalries and drawn out conflicts
 International stage: no room for such polarize and unchangeable views
Domestically too religious states have proven to be a hazard to the very people it seeks to protect
 Self-righteous attitude of the religious state gives it the right to ignore anything that is
incongruous with the religious teachings it follows
 Right to dole out punishments that often deny the individual all forms of human rights
 Right to free speech completely ignored, speaking out against the state may lead to death
often by inhumane methods such as public stoning
 Since law is the ‘word of God’ no room for compromise
 Breaking law is akin to defying word of God
 State can clamp down on all dissent in order to retain political power
 E.g. Middle Ages; roman Catholic Church could claim to focus only on religion, ignoring the
general state of dissolution in the country
 Religion: based so much on faith and so little on logic that it can be used by the state to
instantly silence all dissent, even if dissenting voices are raising perfectly valid points that
could lead to the betterment of the nation
Fundamental incongruity of religion and politics

 Vastly different entities with different functions
 Overlap can only corrupt the purity of both
 Social contract between those who govern and those who are governed only stands if the
rulers are accountable to the people, which, in the case of religious states, they are not
 Discouraged from listening to the corrupt, selfish voice of the people
Conclusion:
 Separation of state and religion will not solve all the problems
 Communists in Soviet Union and the Nazis in Hitler’s Germany were fundamentally opposed
to the very concept of religion
 Combination, while a grand ideal on the surface, presents too many problems
Science and Religion

 “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” – Albert Einstein
 It is difficult to separate science and religion as both apparently have deep meaning for us: A
general misunderstanding to polarise both due to the different roles they seem to play
 It is illogical to turn the complex nature of Science vs Religion debate into a simple Either/Or
choice, they do not exist separately but together they solve the jigsaw puzzle of the world
mysteries and questions
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Similarities of Science and Religion

 Both Science and Religion pursue the Truth: the knowledge about Life and the Universe
o Classical religions show an appreciation of the natural world, were unafraid of scientific
explorations and technological progress
o Early Islamic intellectuals were the first to discover algebra and the telescope
o Christians were the ones who funded the first universities like Oxford and Cambridge as
they believe that the study of Law, Medicine, and Theology was key to societal progress
o Christian, Muslim, and Jewish scientists have drawn parallels between the inflationary
theory and the Big Bang theory to explain the creation of the Universe
o Quantum Mechanics: Einstein’s theory of Relativity suggested that everything in the
Universe is uncertain, though he himself was shocked by his own words that “God does
not play dice” with our Universe
o Big Bang Theory: agreeing with monotheists’ idea that creation was from one singular
point of origin (singularity) appearing out of nothingness
 Many early Scientists held strong religious beliefs and strove to reconcile Science and Religion
o About 40% of Scientists in the United States expressed belief in the supernatural
presence of a God or gods
o Isaac Newton credited God with the design of gravity: “This most beautiful system of the
Sun, Planets, and Comets, could only proceed from the counsel and the dominion of an
intelligent and powerful being”
o Mendel, one of the earliest founding fathers of genetics and the theory of evolution, was
a priest
Conflicts between Science and Religion

 Science is clearly most in conflict with “crackpot religions” based on mere superstition or pure
nonsense
o Science can be used to quickly disprove the harmful misconceptions of the Flat Earth
Society and the Solar Temple Cult
 Clear conflict in religion and science’s different methods in ascertaining the truth
o Scientific method: objective approach to measure, calculate, and describe world
o Religious method: subjective and denying logic as the most accurate or the only way to
discover truth
 Science tells us what we are and why we are this way. It questions observable and verifiable
phenomena. It pursues knowledge for the sake of understanding how the Universe works,
but it is essentially amoral (not concerned with moral judgements or ethical decision-
making)
 Religion tells us who we are and what we should do while attempting to answer the “why”
questions of value and morals
o In answering why Evil exists, Science may present gene therapy as a way to literally
doctor out violence from our system, while Christians may present the forgiveness
and the love of God and the work of the Holy Spirit as a transforming power
Limitations of Science  Pros of Religion

1. Man’s intellectual capacity to understand the world
o Science’s basic assumption is that Man’s senses and logical rationale are trustworthy
while religions are usually more uncertain about how accurate Man’s perceptions are
o Buddhists believed that most of us are unenlightened, and the Bible stats that all
Christians should “walk by faith and not by sight”
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o Lacking in omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence, we simply cannot hope to

control the impact of even our most benign scientific solutions
o 1940s when antibiotics were first commercially available, penicillin was hailed as the
wonder drug. But in the 1980s, it was found out that the emergence of drug-resistant
bacteria is directly caused by the incorrect and excessive use of antibiotics
2. Man’s moral corruptibility and wilfulness
o Scientific solutions that ought to simplify life often end up complicating things because
of our human nature. Every human being face the tempting choice of being deliberately
ignorant, selfish, or complacent
i. 2004 SEA Tsunami: High death rates due to inefficient communication between
all agencies and a lack of governmental funding in local detection systems and
research
o Religion can be a stimulant of self-denial, self-sacrifice, and social change
o Only religion can have the ability to conquer the human heart  religions remind us that
we must do what needs to be done whether or not it is beneficial to ourselves, teaching
us to do what is morally right because they are for the good
o Mainstream religions champion love and peace over hate and conflict
i. Confucius “All men are brothers”, Jesus “Love thy neighbour”, and Buddhism
reaches compassion for the suffering
o Religions force us to look outside of ourselves and teaches us to see in a perspective that
goes beyond nations, politics, institutions and human desires
i. A mixture of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim beliefs inspired Gandhi to fight for
India’s liberation from the British in non-violent manners
ii. Christianity brought about the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the modern
system of Charity, the abolishment of slavery, and the civil rights movement 
further inspired Mother Theresa to battle the caste system and lead a life
devoted to serving the poor and the unwanted people in India
3. The fundamentally unjust status quo
o As long as the application of science is hindered by ineffective legislation, science’s
impacts will be limited.
o End-users with criminal intent and vested interests will always use science irresponsibly
o The problem about solving world’s problems is not with the lack of technological and
scientific breakthroughs, but more of the lack of political will and fair distribution
i. Big pharmaceutical corporations hold drug patents, monopolising the
development of drugs such that cheaper alternatives cannot be made
o Religion gives us something to believe in. It provides us with hope and resilience to carry
on fighting and survive  giving us a certainty that there is a reason and meaning in life
o The fact that religion has survived all efforts to destroy it through the ages of time shows
us that it must have something of great worth to us all
i. Communism had 80 years to squash religious beliefs out of the people, and
Chinese Christians were made to kneel on glass during China’s Cultural
Revolution
ii. Though many Jews lost their faith during the tragic Holocaust, the suffering and
horror also led to many Jews to strengthen in their faith more than ever. Today,
the Jewish faith still survives while the Nazi Party is long gone.
Science and Religion to coexist

 “Science can purify religion from error and superstition, Religion can purify science from idolatry
and false absolutes.” – Pope John Paul II
 Assuming that we are looking only at the orthodox and unprejudiced science and religion, they
then can definitely coexist and must work together These notes are shared on
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 Science gives Religion a concrete methodology to confirm truths, while Religion provides
guidance and wisdom in the way Science is applied and used
 Faith, thus, must also be an intelligent trust
 If Science and Religion both have honest pursuit of Truth and the welfare of humanity as their
ultimate goal, then there should be not be any inherent conflict between the two.
The more science advances, the more religion will decline. To what extent do you
agree?
Agree Disagree
 The onward march of scientific inquiry and  Religion’s system of ethics offers guidance
scepticism is causing the widespread out of the morass of today’s conflicted and
weakening of religious belief as the strife-torn world.
decades roll by and responsible for paving  Science and religion are not in direct
the way forward for the secularisation (the conflict with each other: science is an
activity of changing something, art or empirical method to understand the world
education or society or morality etc. so it is while religion is a belief system built on
no longer under the control or influence of morals and values.
religion) of society today.  The advancement of science does not
 In providing rational explanations for negate religion and in fact, serves to
natural phenomena, scientific knowledge provide ‘evidence’ that God exists.
eroded popular belief in superstition, magic  The pursuit of science destroys morality
and ultimately, religion. and trivialises human life, hence religion
 The expansion of scientific knowledge and play a prominent role so as to guide its
thought also broke religion’s vaunted and corresponding developments and the
once impenetrable hold over political actions of scientists.
power, enabling a democratic revolution  Instead of seeing science as a distinct set of
that gave people more political choice. beliefs from religion, one could see science
 Religion’s history of tyranny, violence and as yet another evidence of God’s work.
hypocrisy has made it easier for science to
push religion into a decline. Examples:
 There are multiple religions. Each with 1. In the last few years, an increasing number
differing of opinions on creation and of overt advocates of religion have gained
redemption and beliefs and practices, while political power and begun an open conflict
science has been able to provide, via its with secular and atheistic leaders and
unified body of knowledge, a more states, and the beginning of the 21st
coherent picture of the world. century has seen a jump in religious
intensity and vitality from the 20th century.
Examples: 2. Prominent American scientist Stephen Jay
1. For much of the 20th century, religion was Gould posits the view of the ‘Non-
banished from politics as a sign of overlapping magisterial (NOMA)’, where
ignorance and fanaticism as modernising science and religion occupy two separate
political leaders of developing nation states realms of human experience.
like Turkey, India and Egypt saw scientific 3. The Dead Sea scrolls and the many other
progress as the key to their economic and records of God have been possible because
national well-being. science made discovering them possible:
2. Much of Continental Europe today still carbon dating, developments in
frowns on any religious manoeuvring in archaeological techniques and scientific
politics and fights ferocious battles to keep inquiry etc.
public life and policy secular. 4. Morality guided by religion allows societies
to grapple with new ability of science such
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as regulation of euthanasia, abortion,

surrogacy, organ transplants and dangerous
surgery like the ones undertaken to
separate conjoined twins.
Science encourages doubt; religion quells it. (KSBULL 2008, p14)

 Karl Marx: “Religion is the opiate of the masses”
 Religion is based on the intangible substance of faith and belief, and has a numbing narcotic
effect on Scientific progress
 However, it is myopic to claim that only Science seeks to promote questioning of
uncertainties, thus leading to discoveries, while religion only seeks to stifle all such attempts
 I believe that both Science and Religion encourage the probing of possibilities, and both try
to quell that very doubt by trying to provide answers at times to a large extent
Countless examples in which religion has indeed tried to stop scientists from pursuing deeper
understanding of the world
 E.g: Galileo vs Roman Catholic Church on centre of the Universe
Today, morals and ethics stemming from religious beliefs still continue to stifle scientific progress
 E.g: Banning of controversial issues like cloning and stem-cell research in many countries.
 While Science opens up such new realms of exciting opportunities, moral standards seem to
be the stumbling block
 However, it needs to serve as a check-and-balance to ensure that the frenetic pace of
science does not go out of hand, for what is scientific achievement if it eventually leads to
the disregard of the sanctity of the very life it tries to improve?
However, there are many instances where both science and religion do not claim to have all the
answers and encourage deeper analysis and questioning of uncertainties as a result
 Science acknowledges that man’s ability to comprehend the world through empirical
methods is limited, and even the religions admit that they will never have all the answers as
the ways of their Gods are way higher than theirs
 E.g: Big Bang Theory basically explained that all forms of creation came from absolutely
nothing but this defied the basic laws of physics, and different religions on the other hand
have varying explanations on how the world came to be. Hindus believed world originated
from unique mass while Christians believed the omniscient and omnipotent God created the
world
 The mysteries of life continue to be enigmas  both science and religion have their own
limitations and many questions unanswered  because of such limitations that they both
have to continue to encourage questioning of uncertainties and doubts about the Universe
Efficiency and cold scientific explanations seemed to have stripped people of wonder and awe and
the self-doubts we have even at times numb us as sentient beings
 Steven Weinberg, famous physicist: “The more the world seems comprehensive, the more it
seems pointless”
 The intangible substances of faith and belief in things greater than ourselves are often
dismissed as irrelevant discussion topics in today’s modern and fast-paced world
 Peter Atkins, famous scientist, proclaimed those who believed in God are probably mad
 Thus it does seem that Science is the one that quells doubt, not Religion
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Late John Paul II said “Science can cure religion from error and superstition; religion can cure Science
from idolatry and false absolutes”. Indeed, they both have a symbiotic relationship since both
encourage doubt and try to answer the unexplainable and even hinder doubt at times. However,
both are highly respected as equally important roles in shaping the world we live in today. As long as
Science and Religion do not override each other’s roles or diminish each other’s importance, the
benefits of the symbiotic relationship between them will thus be maximised for the progress of our
society.
Religion is becoming irrelevant in today’s secular society.

 People now no longer can rely on religious faith as a source of empowerment and sanction
for their words and actions due to the immense technological, political, and socio-economic
changes over the past century alone
 Today is the age of man, when human beings have reached their full potential to control
their environment and their lives
 As such, the belief in a higher supreme being is becoming obsolete and even to the extent of
being irrelevant
 However, religion’s place in the human psyche and social consciousness is one that is hard to
replace and thus essential to how we function in many ways
The progress of mankind challenges religion due to large developments in Science and technology
 Science has given man the powers of life and death – cloning and gene technology and the
developments of weapons of mass destruction
 Science has also shaped the way people think – discoveries of the atom and theory of
evolution  caused people to feel that the deep-rooted suspicion of life is now ‘unscientific’
and is a mythical mumbo-jumbo of religion
 If man can take the place of God in creating life and death, if there is a proof that God did
not in fact create the world and neither he is capable of miracles which now all can be
explained by Science  Man no longer needs a God to follow spiritually
Greater economic and political changes which transformed the world into secularity
 Historian Eric Hobsbawm, “20th century is an age of capitalism and thus the spread of
capitalist ideals”  reinforced the idea that people have the ability to determine what they
consume and the ability to gain wealth at our own merits
 Spread of liberal democracy since the age of Enlightenment to present day  today’s belief
that we can change the course of our lives
 Man thus is now empowered by socio-political changes, and it is against the belief that our
fate is determined by a higher power which will inevitably fade
However, we cannot discount the great influence that religion wields over our lives
 Religion is like reactionary force that people use the fundamental beliefs from religious
teachings to oppose liberal ideas such as in many countries where abortion and
homosexuality issues are opposed
Religion and progress cannot co-exist. Do you agree?

 The First Caliphate, commonly associated with the Golden Age of Islam, had many social and
scientific developments propelled by religious fervour.
 Trigonometry was developed by theologian mathematicians to aid adherents in orienting
themselves towards Mecca for prayer
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 In spite of the fact that religion had brought about progress in ancient civilisations, religion
has become increasingly associated with backwardness and the uneducated today
 Indeed, many have come to the conclusion that religion is a hindrance to progress.
 However, religion is largely not an impediment to progress even in areas of scientific
investigation and social respect and tolerance.
Religious blind and fanatic faith strangles the spirit of curiosity that is critical to scientific discovery
 Deeper inquiry is terminated when in conflict with religion, and religious adherents have a
reverential awe which breeds apathy towards a more complex understanding of the natural
environment and they are convinced that God’s creation is beyond their grasp
 E.g: Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, in which he is often backed up by many
protestant church leaders who hinder further education in Biology by discouraging them
from learning Evolutionary Theory
However, there is evidence that religious faith has been able to strengthen curiosity among
adherents.
 Awe and reverence towards creation has been a driving force towards knowledge rather
than stagnation
 E.g: Einstein who referred this as a mutual ‘cosmic religious feeling’ and considered this a
catalyst for his own discoveries
 Professor Francis Collins heads the Human Genome Project and being a firm advocate
against Young-Earth Creationists
 Growing trends in this area indicate that while religious sentiment has hurt scientific
curiosity for many, it has the potential to ignite it in others as well
Intolerance is an obstacle to social development
Key Arguments from KSBULL on Science and Religion

 In today’s society, while the separation of the Church and the State has resulted in a significant
diminishing of religions hindering Scientific discovery, morals and ethics stemming from religious
beliefs still continue to affect the scientific and political sphere. The banning of controversial
issues like cloning and stem-cell research in many countries is just a testimony to that. Yet it is
important that moral standards do serve as a check-and-balance system to ensure the frantic
pace of Science does not go out of the very life that it tries to improve in the first place
 In this highly modernised era we live in, many people have reached a sort of consensus that
when it comes to Science and religion — that while Science had advanced tremendously it has
not overtaken religion. The two are not mutually exclusive, and the reason is that religion
provides some form of explanation to all other things Science has failed to explain. Science has
given us many answers to the ‘what’ questions we as, like what particular phenomenon is and
how it has possibly occurred. These answers are objective and are supported by empirical
evidence, and such actually quell our doubts we might have. Yet at the same time, because there
is only so much we can derive from empirical evidence, it leaves much room for speculation as
well. Religion, on the other hand, answers beyond the ‘what’ and provides us with answers to
the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions, in which ‘why’ not in terms of mechanism or reactions taking
place but what the larger true reasons lie behind these occurrences and phenomena or why
such is allowed to occur in such a manner. More importantly, religion provides the moral
guidelines as well, thus in this way quelling doubt as to how we should behave as moral and
ethical human beings. Yet ironically, it is precisely because of religion attempting to address so
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much doubt without any object basis that it has provoked a large extent of scepticism as a
result.
 Also, due to its subjective nature, there is much doubt over how religious texts should be
interpreted. The fact that religion has not successful ‘quelled’ our doubts, we only have to look
at religious extremism, or the numerous disagreements between hundreds of religious sub-
groups, ranging from fanatical evangelists to staunch atheists, as examples. Ironically, because
Science takes a less radical view of things and is more open to question, it has been more
effective in quelling our doubts. In contrast, because religion ventures into more complex
occurrences of our Universe and strives to quell doubt beyond what can be explained by
Science, it also becomes more subjective and more contentious in nature, which can trigger a
backlash of scepticism.
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Crime and Punishment

Pushing factors for crime
1. Criminal intent and crime is inherent in man’s nature
a. Through ignorance or self-serviency of citizens, crime will persist
b. Crimes like murder and rape occur because of the choices made by the more criminally-minded
bodies in the society
c. Other crimes like prostitution, trafficking of illegal goods, and privacy are committed frequently
because they are supported by perpetual demand from the rest of the society  We are the
cause of these endless crimes
2. Nation’s government contributes to as more criminal culture through irresponsible policies

a. Failure of social institutions: Lack of moral instruction
i. Fast paced and pluralistic society  Institutions of education and family have been
weakening and thus failing to cultivate moral values in the young
ii. Growing juvenile delinquency and a rise in adult crime rates subsequently
b. Failure of public policies and economy

i. When state fails to support employment, affordable healthcare, quality education, and
public welfare policies to support the needy  crime rate rise
ii. Poor and chaotic states create breeding grounds for growth of crime
iii. State without sufficient funds cannot support penal code, thus leading to a poor police
force to clamp down on crimes
c. Rise in white collar crimes: Materialism, corruption, and consumerism cultures

i. 2004 Singapore: Chia Teck Leng managed to cheat 4 banks collectively of about
$117.1million and squandering $62million in international casinos
d. Politically unstable climate and a threatened and oppressed society: Abrasive policies
i. Middle Eastern countries in crisis and many more people turn into extremist behaviors
and terrorism due to an extremely politicized climate
3. Globalization that aids the growth of transnational crime

a. Advanced telecommunication and transport technologies allow criminal networks across borders
 International criminal organizations that operate like a TNC
i. Japanese Yakuza, Hong Kong Triads, South American drug cartels
b. These TNC-like crime organizations operate corporate level crimes (such as bank fraud,
corruption, environmental crimes) while carrying out both legal and illegal activities
c. Criminal organizations work together in clusters and their work undermine the integrity of a
nation’s economy  vicious cycle of poverty and thus more crimes
Why punish crimes?

1. As a deterrent for future wrongdoings
a. The punishment demonstrates the unfortunate consequences that will follow any decision to
break the law, thus people will choose not to break the law in the future to avoid further
punishment
b. Acts as a general warning to the potential wrongdoers
i. BUT: If a person is fully oriented towards committing a crime, there is little one can do to
deter him and his inherent criminal intent
2. As a form of retribution and retaliation

a. We punish so as to assuage our emotional desire for revenge and also to satisfy our rational
desires for justice and fair retaliation
i. BUT: One’s emotional desire for revenge might not be fully fulfilled through their
punishment
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ii. It is also difficult to judge and measure justice or fairness
3. As a way of deprivation of power to prevent further re-offence

a. Punishment deprives someone of their individual ability to repeat their offences by removing
their right to freedom, mobility, and even their own life itself
i. BUT: Ethical issues on our power and the government’s power to remove one’s human
rights
b. Punishment aims to then protect the rest of the society from the offender
i. BUT: There are other alternative waves of improving protection other than punishment
itself
4. As a form of reinforcement of societal values and human rights

a. Punishment demonstrates and reaffirms the values and behaviors that are wrong in the society,
thus reinforcing the right values and morals to the people  reestablishing order in our society
i. BUT: Does the government have any right to dictate our moral values?
5. As a path to reform and restoration in the criminals

a. Punishment coerces the offender into changing his lifestyle and beliefs  allowing him to repent
after the punishment process
How are punishments carried out?

1. Conservative approach of “Zero Tolerance” that focuses on immediate and harsh sentences on both petty
and serious crimes, a few warnings are given and fines are significant
 Mandatory life imprisonment for murder in Britain, “Three strikes you are out” policy in California
where 3rd convictions will be mandatory life imprisonments, and death sentences in Singapore and
Malaysia for drug trafficking
 “XXX is immoral, thus both the distributors and users should be prosecuted.”
Sexual behaviors:
a. All countries ban sexual acts of gross indecency like child sex and extreme Sadomasochism
(S&M);
b. Singapore: Having sex with girls under 16 considered rape with punishment up to 5 years
imprisonment and fine of $10000; Homosexuality is illegal
c. Holocaust denial and Nazism are illegal in 10 European countries (including Germany, France,
and Belgium) + Israel
Alcohol possession and consumption:

d. Banned in Islamic countries and parts of India
e. Banned in early 20th century in USA and Canada during the Prohibition (a movement widely
slammed for causing alcoholism to worsen as black0markets for bootlegged alcohol grew)
f. Tobacco possession and consumption illegal in Bhutan but legal in many others
Drug use:
g. Death penalties for drug dealing an long prison sentences for drug use in Indonesia,
Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand
 “XXX is legal, but it must be discouraged. Distributors and activities that support it are prohibited.
Users may or may not be punished.”
Prostitution:
a. Sweden: Prostitutes are not prosecuted, but their clients are
b. UK, Germany, and Singapore: Prostitution is legal; but activities like street-walking and
pimping are illegal. In Singapore, licensed brothels operate in designated areas
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c. In Singapore, while it is legal to view pornography, it is illegal to own it
2. Liberal approach of “Restorative Justice” which focuses on rehabilitation and restoration of the criminal to
the society, thus aiming to get to the root cause behind crimes. A more controversial and liberal extension
of this is to reexamine the social norms and actually legalize previous offences if they are found to be part
of the norm of the society.
 Singapore 2005: 3 bloggers who wrote anti-Muslim remarks online were charged under the Sedition
Act. For the teenager, the judge assigned him a Muslim probation officer to counsel him and gave him
180h of community service for Muslim-Malay welfare homes
 “XXX should be legal but still regulated”

a. Chewing gum possession and consumption is legal but sales and distribution is illegal in Singapore
b. Netherlands: While possession, trafficking, and importation/exportation of drugs are forbidden, it
is not an offense to use drugs.
i. Dutch coffee shops that sell cannabis are tolerated but heavily controlled business
establishments where individuals buy a personal dose of soft drugs in the form of drinks
or pastries.
ii. As long as they do not advertise on the drugs or become a nuisance, 500g of drugs in
stock is fine. Also, they are designated to specific locations and cannot be near to school
zones
iii. The rationale behind coffee shops is to keep citizens away from the harmful drugs scene
and bringing them to a safe social and regulated environment
iv. Netherland has no significant increase in drug use after the implementation of this law,
and there is lower drug abuse stats compared with USA and other European countries
with stricter drug use laws
v. Less social stigmatization made it easier for drug addicts to seek help instead of being
discriminated for their problems with addiction
Capital punishment: Controversies and ethical issues

 Death penalty virtually abolished in all of Western Europe, Australia, Canada and most of Latin
America
 America, Asia, Africa, and Middle East still retain death penalty for certain crimes and impose it with
varying frequency
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
For Against
It is a logical and fair extension of the Possibility of a miscarriage of justice which is irreversible after
state’s right over life of its citizens death sentence
- It is fair as long as it is carried out - The justice system must be almost impeccable as any error
- States already claim an absolute in judgment will be irreversible for such harsh form of
right to put its subjects to death in punishment (B)
some form or another, thus the - The justice system is however flawed due to human error
death penalty is just a logical o In the past 20 years, 100 Americans sentenced to
extension of that initial idea. Police death were found innocent and released after
forces all arm weapons, accepting spending 10 years in prison
the fact that some of the citizens - We cannot handle this kind of error with detrimental
will be killed in times of effects, we cannot play God.
disobedience Discrimination exists in the justice system, especially these
groups of people with the most miscarriages of justice:
- The poor because they do not have resources to hire
proper lawyers to defend
- Ethnic minorities (Blacks vs Whites) (B)
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It incapacitates the worst criminals yet is still a Death penalty is more of a symbolic solution and not
relatively humane form of retribution a real solution
- Capital punishment is appropriate and - Death penalty exists as it gives the society a
necessary to remove the worst criminals such form of psychological comfort, acting as a
as those serial killers like Ted Bundy (A) who are symbol for politicians that they are tough on
psychologically proven to be beyond reform crimes, thus boosting public confidence of the
- Criminals are also made to suffer in proportion state
to the offence, thus the life has been paid for a - It brings little long term comfort to some of the
life in the fairest way possible victims, as many families take long to have a
- Criminals in this modern society get to die in a complete closure of the death of their family
more humane manner than his victims he has member instead of just a ‘revenge’
killed - Criminals are human beings too, and great
physical pain will also be felt during sentences.
Many criminals are also misguided, especially
juvenile delinquents
It is less of a tax burden than its only alternative It is an offence against human rights for the state to
through life imprisonment be allowed to murder
- The state has limited resources and long term - If killing is immoral for individuals, it must also
imprisonment will be too expensive be immoral for states as well, 2 wrong does not
- Keeping a prisoner for 50yrs in USA will cost make one right
4million, more than twice than death penalty - “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”: All
people have the right to be exempt from cruel
and unusual punishment
More effective form of deterrence Removal of any rehabilitation chance of the criminal
- Rehabilitation does not work, more than 2/3 of into the society
all criminals released from prison are arrested - Rehabilitation and reintegration are long-term
within 3 years solutions that deal with the root causes of why
- Death penalty is the only possible deterrence people turns to crime as well as finding a way to
for those criminals who are already serving a make people contribute back to the society
life sentence again
- Countries like Singapore with strict death - Crime can be reduced by changing one’s beliefs
sentences generally has far less serious crimes, and habits through counselling and community
though not conclusive work
- Singaporeans know for a certainty that they will - Criminal behavior has complex psychological
die if convicted for murder or drug trafficking, and social causes. There are instances where we
thus having an overall strong deterrence against cannot say all individuals have equal ability to
those crimes subconsciously be fully responsible for their crimes
- In Britain, after the death penalty was abolished o An offender may have a split
in 1969, murder rate doubled personality, a sexually abused may
grow up to become sexual abusers
- Existing programmes include the Yellow Ribbon
Project which hope to advocate to the public to
give ex-offenders a second chance, and the
Eighteen Chefs which give ex-convicts a working
opportunity as a chef after their release.
Examples
(A) Ted Bundy: Serial killer
a. “I don’t feel guilty for anything. I feel sorry for people who feel guilt.”
b. “I just liked to kill, I wanted to kill.”
c. An American serial killer, kidnapper, rapist, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous
young women and girls during the 1970s. After more than a decade of denials, he confessed shortly
before his execution to 30 homicides committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978;
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d. He sometimes revisited his secondary crime scenes for hours at a time, grooming and performing
sexual acts with the decomposing corpses until putrefaction and destruction by wild animals made
further interaction impossible. He decapitated at least 12 of his victims, and kept some of the severed
heads in his apartment for a period of time as mementos. On a few occasions he simply broke into
dwellings at night and bludgeoned his victims as they slept.
(B) Miscarriage in punishments and Justice

a. Rubin Carter, a boxer who was wrongly convicted for murder partly because of his ethnicity. After a
long time, the case was reopened and it was found that he was wrongly convicted, and thus he was
rightfully released. His death recently marked as a symbolic moment for present generation to learn
from the mistakes of the criminal punishment system last time
b. Although there was no evidence linking Darryl to the alleged rape he was being convicted of, a
supposedly racist jury went ahead and convicted him anyway. He served 19 years starting in 1984
but thanks to DNA testing, he was cleared of the rape and is now fighting back by helping others in
his position
c. For murdering and dismembering his wife, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was executed in 1910. In 2007,
with the help of genetic evidence, it was found that the dead body was initially said to be of his
wife’s was actually of a man’s. Even with this development, the authorities still will not hear the case
to overturn his conviction.
d. In 1956, capital punishment was abolished in Britain after Timothy Evans who was awarded the
death penalty for killing his wife turned out to be innocent. A serial killer confessed to the crime ten
years later.
(C) Cruel punishment methods

a. Dennis Maguire was executed by the state of Ohio on Thursday with an untried and untested
combination of two medical drugs appeared to gasp and snort in a procedure that took an unusually
long 25 minutes to kill him.
b. Lethal injection is used for capital punishment by more than 30 American states, of which use the
same combination of three drugs: sodium thiopental (a barbiturate to induce anesthesia),
pancuronium bromide (a muscle relaxant that paralyzes all the muscles of the body) and potassium
chloride (a salt that speeds the heart until it stops).
c. Future biotechnology could be used to trick a prisoner's mind into thinking they have served a 1,000
year sentence, thus the prison sentence of serious criminals could be made worse by extending their
lives.
Other key points and conclusion/evaluation

 Such laws are controversial as people cannot all agree on what exactly is a humane way to treat a criminal
and whether a criminal deserves to be treated humanely in the first place
 Crime and punishment debates cannot be resolved with empirical evidence because nobody can quantify
and weigh out the worth of human lives, sufferings, and feelings.
Religious perspectives on death penalties and crimes

 The heart of debate on crime and punishment lies in to be human or humane, and crime is an inevitable
aspect of human society
o Monotheism: Judaism approves death penalty but Catholic Church holds that it is not necessary if
it can be replaced by incarceration. Final justice and vengeance is however meant for God to
execute not human beings, a belief by some religions
o Atheism: Buddhism despises death penalty despite it is accepted as a mean of deterrence, but
they advocate restoration of criminal in the belief that human beings are ‘pure’ and ‘can be
changed’.
 Dalai Lama: “I believe human beings are not violent by nature… I believe that the basic
nature of every sentient being is pure, that the deeper nature of mind is something
pure. Human beings become violent because of negative thoughts which arise as a result
of their environment and circumstances.”
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o Not all religions agree with each other in their concepts of who exactly are counted as evil and
how they are to be punished, but all of them similarly offer their final answers in terms of Justice
in another time and space
 Christianity: God is the final Judge where every single soul stands on Judgment Day
where all their crimes are presented from the Book of Life. Evil people will be banished
from Life in Heaven to an Eternal Hell
 Buddhism offers the comfort of retributive karma where bad people are forced to relive
life as a lower form of creature in the next life
 Taoism offers seven different levels of Hell, each torturous punishment worse than the
next for different sins one has committed
State crimes
 We must also realize that the awful reality that many crimes actually will go unpunished, as the world is
grossly unfair in many ways and there are inherent structural issues in the current socio-political status
quo that is far harder to control
o State itself is sometimes the largest criminal as such crimes are the most difficult to be detected
and curbed
 Rich state-officials might practice corruption and even encourage organized crimes,
civilians are unaware of these crimes and they can be helpless to do anything against the
powerful
 War crimes, state terrors, genocides, tortures, etc
White-collar crimes
 Sometimes the powerful are untouchable with dominant White-collar crimes often going undetected
o Blue-collar crimes involving vandalism and shoplifting often are obvious and attract more police
attention
o White-collar crimes can intermingle legitimate and criminal behavior and be less obvious as they
tend to be more technical in nature (manipulation of accountancy).
o In the corporate world, the identification of a victim is less obvious and the issue of reporting is
complicated by a culture of commercial confidentiality to protect shareholder values
o Criminal penalties tend to be more related to the degree of physical force or violence involved
than on the monetary loss
 Rich vs poor in the criminal world:
o White-collar criminals have enough affluence and influence to allow them to hire the best
lawyers. They have the best connections among the political elites, the judiciary and the law
enforcement agencies, ensuring favourable treatment on an individual basis, and enabling
favourable laws to be drafted to ensure that such crimes are not enforced too strictly
o Virtually no police effort goes into fighting white-collar crimes
 The differences in the level of public interest, case complexity, and a lack of white-collar related literature
have a significant effect on the way white-collar criminals are sentenced, punished, and perceived by the
public
 Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, 55, was convicted on counts of fraud, insider trading, and other crimes
related to the collapse of Enron. He sold almost $60 million of his stake in the company with inside
information of Enron's impending bankruptcy, according to the prosecution.
Victims and forgiveness

 Even the criminals that we successfully punish may never be punished ‘enough’ in the eyes of their
victims
 “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.”
 In an excerpt from the book which became the popular movie “Dead Man Walking” by Sister Helen
Prejean, a Catholic nun who counseled prisoners sentenced to death:
o “Two young men kidnapped a teenage girl and raped her brutally, stabbed her in the heart,
and left her to die even as she begged for her life. 3 days later, they attacked a young couple.
This time they stabbed the boyfriend in the spine, leaving him to die as well while they
kidnapped his girlfriend for 2 days. The boyfriend survived but was paralysed. The girlfriend
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was raped and brutalized repeatedly but also survived because she was released out of
sympathy. Later, the men were caught. One got life imprisonment while the other was
sentenced to death my electric chair. At the end of the story, we seem to have 4 families
who suffered loss: one to murder, two to paralysis and trauma, and the last to execution.”
o On one hand, murder Robert Willie has committed crimes, but on the other, he is also a
human being whose family will be hurt through his death sentence.
o The girl who lived on, Debbie Morris, shocked the world by choosing to forgive her rapist and
potential murder. She admitted to feeling safer when he died but declared despite the
difficulty of letting go, it was only fair to forgive him.
o “As I came to know and feel God’s forgiveness, it was suddenly easy to forgive myself,” she
said. “And what a new and incredible sense of freedom I felt!” Debbie remembers, “but I
knew I had to forgive him — not for his sake, but for mine.” Today, Debbie Morris is married
and the mother of two young children.
 The answer to this difficult circumstance is in the freedom that many have found in choosing the
more difficult path of forgiveness of debts in the here and now, and hope of a ‘once and for all time’
Judgment Day in the near future.
Punishment for crime exacts retribution, compensates the victims, and rehabilitates the offender.
To what extent to do you agree with this?
Intro
 Almost all societies today and in the recent past have adopted some form of punishment for those who
commit crimes and engage in activities deemed unlawful.
 From societies in China which exacted harsh punishments such as death for adulterers, by drowning or
decapitation, to modern societies where fines are sometimes paid as penalties, punishment and
enforcing a penal code seem to be the way governments deal with crimes and illegal activities.
Retribution  But this makes the advocate of retribution

 “Good triumphs over evil", thus the idea of almost as bad as the person who committed the
retribution seems to be an attractive crime
justification of punishment  However, the desire to inflict unhappiness in
 But beyond that the only other effect of the form of punishment on the offender makes
punishment for retribution seems to be the us equal to the offender, for we are, as we try
vindictive pleasure of seeing someone to ‘exact justice', degrading ourselves to the
punished. level of the offender as we inflict unhappiness
 The noble notion of letting someone "get what and anguish on the offender, who has now
he deserves" for committing something deemed become a victim of some sons at our mercy.
as wrong is, as mentioned, noble, but the  Thus, retribution should not be the sole
question that undoubtedly arises is, 'so what?' purpose of punishment
Compensation  However, there is no compensation for the

 Punishment’s main justification being that it victim, that is, the murdered person does not
provides some sort of emotional comfort to the gain anything from the punishment of the
victim. offender, and even if it is capital punishment,
 Perhaps acceptable to see families and loved because the murdered person will not,
ones of victims as victims to some extent, technically, come to life again.
because often the trauma extends beyond the  Therefore, sometimes punishment may not
victim to the people around as well. compensate for the losses of victims, because
 Punishment to a murderer acts as a closure for as at is often said, "what is done cannot be
families of murder victims, and as a form of undone”.
emotional comfort for victims
Only justification for compensation is that if there is some form of hope generated from this punishment
through the rehabilitation of the offender
Rehabilitation These notes are shared on
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 Punishments serve to correct the actions of the offenders, such as confining drug addicts and
rehabilitating them so that they avoid taking drugs in the future.
 This, however, is under the assumption that punishment, in whichever form, serves as a way of
changing the habits, thinking and behaviour of the offender, as punishment as an end in itself is
certainly unacceptable, especially for the case of capital punishment.
Against capital punishment

 ‘Hatred begets hatred'
 Capital punishment, for example, does not seem to serve any purpose – the offender is not given a
chance to change, the victim gains nothing except the morbid satisfaction of seeing somebody hurt,
and there is what economists call a “zero sum gain”.
 The only other way of justifying capital punishment is the idea of punishment in the short run serving as
a deterrent for potential offenders in the long run. In that way, punishment is thus not an end in itself,
and it serves a far more sensible purpose of stopping the source of all this debate – crime – in the long
run.
Capital punishment as a form of deterrence

 Though there are far better deterrents to crime than the exacting of punishment, but perhaps the
Chinese saying of “killing one to warn a hundred” serves as a far more effective deterrent.
 The use of death penalty as a punishment for smuggling minute amounts of Class A drugs, for example,
is a good enough “barrier to entry” for many.
Conclusion
 Using retribution to justify punishment seems insensible and intrinsically wrong, and compensation for
victims seems like a highly far-fetched idea.
 However, punishment as means to different ends – deterrence and rehabilitation – seems like a pretty
sound reason which explains why it is used till today.
How far can an individual be held responsible for crimes against humanity?
Responsible Not responsible

 To be fair, we cannot single out anyone,  Responsibilities are shared between like-minded
regardless he is the leader or the following, to be individuals with collective criminal intent, and the
fully blamed because he is primarily motivated to group effort needed to commit such crimes
serve the society and the system which is a part means that individuals cannot shoulder the
of. blame alone
----- -----
 For the leader of a nation tasked to ensure the  Teamwork is essential for success even in the
survival of his people, he is the one responsible to dark world of heinous crimes so individuals
make the decision at the top. cannot claim sole responsibility for any crime
 E.g: Emperor Hirohito and the senior military committed against humanity
command responsible for the atrocities  E.g: 1994 Rwanda genocide in which the Rwanda
committed in the name of their ‘Greater East Asia then prime minister Jean Kambanda revealed
Co-Prosperity Sphere’ during WW2; that the mass murder was an open topic for
 E.g: The human experimentation of Josef debate during cabinet meetings showing the
Mengele in the Nazi concentration camps to collective effort
ensure the purity of the Aryan race  these  E.g: Khmer Rouge regime’s coercion and deceit
individuals fully believed in a national policy of a created a culture of paranoia where people
better future for their peoples and worked confessed anything to save themselves  there is
towards fulfilment of the vision little doubt the individuals should bear
 Even the ordinary man in his capacity as a responsibilities for their atrocities, but before
subordinate must follow orders no matter how anything else, there is the intricate planning
distasteful they might be for the good of his between mutually malicious leaders to
nation  disputing orders can get the soldiers manipulate citizens’ actions These notes are shared on
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punished and can affect the entire unit  the -----

ultimate value of the training unit is placed on  The Media is a powerful tool that sways emotions
discipline, obedience, and trust in the system in people, and it is the leadership that controls
----- the media and actively shapes public discourse,
 However, to hold these individuals less the singular opinion that is repeated can naturally
responsible due to their pleas of innocence or justify an evil cause amongst the masses
ignorance is to assume that they have no sense of  In such cases, the individuals’ decisions to act are
right or wrong, a fact difficult for one to believe manipulated by the media, and their misinformed
as many of them are adults with sound minds and views cannot be of their own fault as a result of
reasoning the wide and manipulative leadership which
 Many heroes in times of adversities were triggers such decisions
ordinary individuals who displayed extraordinary  E.g: Nazi radio broadcasts proclaimed honour of
courage and bravery that pitted them against the victory, and commissioned feature films that
prevailing sentiments and the reprehensive inspired nationalism in WW2, including Viet
behaviours of the majority Harlan’s 1940 production Hew Suss being an
 “He who does not prevent a crime when he can, overly anti-Semitic film screened to prepare the
encourages it.” – Seneca SS commandos for their dark and evil missions
 E.g: Oskar Schindler, a famous hero famed in the  E.g: 1989 film, The Battle of Kosovo, was replete
movie “The Schindler’s List”, an ethnic German with images of Muslims portrayed as invaders in
who saved 1200 Jews working in his factories Yugoslavia
during the Third Reich (Holocaust) -----
 E.g: Paul Rusesabagina, manager of the Hotel des  Corporations and governments which allowed the
Mille Collines in Kigali, saved 1200 Tutisis and trade flows of logistics and weaponries are
moderate Hutus caught in the 1994 Rwanda responsible in influencing individuals’ behaviours
genocide because the responsibility of using such tools
 These men could have closed an eye to the cannot only fall upon the individual
happenings around them, but their sense of  E.g: In 1993, the Rwanda government has
humanity prompted them to act even at the imported machetes from China to provide one for
substantial risks upon them every 3 males, and the availability of these
 It is thus unimaginable to forgive those who weaponries undoubtedly contributed to the
willingly made a choice to betray their conscience subsequent violence that ensued nationwide
to such an appalling extent  thus they are -----
responsible  Even the evil leaders have companions assisting
----- them to achieve their dark wishes of havoc on
 Accounting for individuals who have committed mankind, including Hitler’s propaganda minister
crimes against humanity is crucial to the healing Joseph Goebbels and Supreme Leader of the
of international bad blood and safeguarding our Prussian Gestapo Hermann Goering, Empress
collective future  perpetrators must be Dowager CiXi and her eunuch Li Lianying, and Kim
undertaken as this would restore the in the Jong-il and his brother-in-law Jang Song-taek
world’s eyes the integrity and dignity of the -----
nation as criminals face their moral obligations Concluding words
 This is why despite being a long time ago, charges  It is not a matter of perspective, regardless of the
are still being brought for crimes of humanity. perpetrators’ profiles, it cannot be denied that
 E.g: Former SS officials traced for crimes other people, the individuals, can be roped into
committed during the Holocaust; trials of former the grand plan for great chaos upon humanity
Khmer Rouge leaders during Cambodia’s  Furthermore, any cruel criminal would require
enforced agrarian communism era; status of the the help of necessary teamwork to ensure the
Armenian genocide despite a century ago is still success of an extensive plans as much as possible,
being debated between the descendants of the especially when such crimes are acted upon
persecuted and the current Turkish government humanity on a large scale
 Indeed, no modern society can progress without  As such, there is thus no single individual who can
facing up to its past, including the past crimes be fully blamed for the atrocities performed on a
committed large scale
-----
Concluding words
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 The world needs to prevent the escalation of any

on-going conflicts and pre-empt humanitarian
disasters from happening in the first place.
Roadblocks such as finding common ground
among member states in TNC bodies can be
easily overcome if vested interests and
overblown egos were put aside for the greater
good
 While we rightfully lay the blame onto individuals
directly responsible, we should still remember
that the greatest sin likes in those who stood by
and did nothing, and this a choice that is worthy
of our condemnation.
Too much attention is given to criminals, not enough to their victims.

Amidst the chaos and rapidly changing world, crimes committed seem to be increasing at a steady rate.
Advanced technology has somewhat aided criminals and they have become increasingly bolder. In a bid to
rehabilitate criminals and help them “get back” into the world, some societies often give too much of their
attention to criminals. Such societies thus end up spending and investing large amounts of money into helping
them. However this warrants the speculation of the need for such attention to criminals, after all they were
the ones who committed the crime. Furthermore their victims, assumed not to need rehabilitation, are not
given such treatment and are simply left to resign to living with the traumatic experience etched in their
minds. Therefore, although some may argue that today victims are attended to, I feel it is not sufficient and
still to a large extent it is true that too much attention is given to helping, educating and even defending
criminals today.
With the increasing need to uphold justice, criminals are indeed given too much attention. In the past, heinous
crimes were committed and the criminal was immediately given the death sentence. However in this modern
day and with societies that adhere to the notion of parties being “innocent until proven guilty” have allowed
even the most heinous crime cases to have a fair hearing in court. The time of the judge, the money to gather
the jury and that given to employ the lawyers are all spent to settle such criminal cases. For example, one of
Singapore’s leading criminal lawyers, Subhas Anandan has represented many accused, from murder and
kidnapping to drug trafficking and white collar crimes. Subhas is one example that proves too much attention
is given to criminals. This man and many around the world make a living from defending accused criminals. The
fact that there are such people who are paid to help criminals shows too much attention is given to them.
Contrary to my view, there are some who argue that in the developed world, victims do get their fair share of
attention from society. In an increasingly caring world, emphasis on raising public awareness for victims does
take place on a relatively large scale. For example, each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
has helped lead communities throughout countries in their observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights
Week (NCVRW). A host of commemorative activities are held each year to promote victims' rights and to
honour crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. Even in the age of the Internet, online surveys
and forums for victim advocates are active. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) acts as America’s
primary source of information on criminal victimization. The survey enables the estimation of the likelihood of
victimization by crimes such as sexual assaults and robberies for the population as a whole as well as for
segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial and other groups. Such
groups and many more to help victims are in existence and these increase public awareness or victims and give
them the attention they need.
However, this argument has its loopholes. Firstly only recently has public awareness of criminal victims
increased. Plus, these help-groups are pushed by society and the people and not by governments who with the
largest influence still fail to place emphasis on helping victims. Furthermore, the idea of raising awareness does
seem to help victims but it is only on the surface. In actual fact, raising awareness cannot and does not provide
concrete aid to psychologically help and rehabilitate them. Unless governments take more efforts to subsidize
victims or protect them heavily, the attention given to them will continue to be relatively less than that given
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to criminals.
Also, others argue that unlike criminals who have lost all credibility, victims do not need as much attention
since they are still fully capable to “return” to the world on their own. As is always the case for criminals,
society often shuns and looks upon them condescendingly while victims on the other hand have won the
majority’s favour and are pitied. It thus becomes much easier for the victim after the assault to be employed,
earn a decent keep and in that sense, return to living a normal life. The perpetrator on the other hand, no
matter how sorry, is rarely given another chance by society. Therefore, a lot more attention is needed to help
such criminals return to being self-sufficient and thus the expenditure on rehabilitation centres and on
educating criminals becomes justified. For example, the Rehabilitation and Reentry Programs Division in Texas
helps offenders by educating and treating them to reduce the potential for further deviant behaviour and to
identify and change the behavioural patterns of their offense. Such programs under the umbrella of sexual
crimes include the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) which is an eighteen-month intensive therapeutic
treatment to move the participant toward a more pro-social lifestyle. Other programs like the “Yellow Ribbon”
also help criminals re-earn their credibility in society’s eye and help them be accepted. Such attention for
criminals is thus necessary.
However, this is based on the assumption that victims have not been traumatized by the crime committed
unto them. In fact in reality, victims subjected to crimes do go through a traumatic experience as well and in
worst case scenarios are psychologically hurt and are unable to do much to help themselves either. Rendered
useless and without any attention, these victims are left to their own devices and may possibly turn into
criminals themselves. For example, earlier this year, the horror case of Josef Fritzl was made known to the
public. Fritzl had fathered seven children by his daughter Elisabeth after imprisoning her in a dungeon beneath
his home for 24 years. He pleaded guilty to rape, incest, false imprisonment and coercion. It was known that
he had suffered a traumatic childhood himself and was frequently abused by his unmarried mother. In court
he explicitly blamed his childhood for making him commit the crimes he had. Though Fritzl may be just one
case in many other abused children, there have been increasing links with victims who have not received help
becoming perpetrators of crimes. This proves that indeed not enough attention is given to victims who in fact
do need help as well.
Thus on the whole, based on the current situation, indeed it is true to a large extent that with the efforts taken
to increase awareness for criminals and the large expenditure to facilitate their integration back into society,
too much attention is given to them. Furthermore, victims are assumed to be able to help themselves and thus
in no need of attention and are left to their own devices when they are the ones that the crime has been done
to.
"Criminals deserve a second chance too.”

Those offenders should be allowed a 'second chance' to reintegrate themselves into society, to attempt to
make amends that at least nullify and negate their wrongdoings and contribute toward betterment of society -
such may be the consensus shared by the more humanitarian among us. However, this statement does not
merely argue for the permission or allowance of a second chance; it purports that criminals 'deserve' that
second chance, that they have a rightful and legitimate claim on an embracing society, or, in courts of justice, a
parallel claim on less severe punishments. ln addressing this question, we have to first examine the grounds
that a criminal may have in demanding that renewed passport into society, then assess the likelihood of this
'second chance' being perverted or abused. Of course, how convincing an argument it is will depend upon the
severity of the convicted crime, which necessarily influences the appropriate severity of its consequences.
Supporters of the "Yellow Ribbon" project in Singapore to ask for empathy and sympathy. "We all make
mistakes" is likely to be the catchphrase of the campaign, which urges us to empathise and reach out our
hands in open, undiluted warmth to our fellow citizens. However, the fanciful Facade of the cheerful ribbons
may in reality mask a truth that is less simple, less forthcoming, and more amorphous. The above statement
rests on a tacit assumption that the rest of us in society, that is, the non-criminal, law-abiding (or law-evading)
portion of society are awarded second chances in the secular world, be it the workplace, school or sports-
However, stories of executives who have made a mistake in the corporate sector and lost their jobs as well as a
second chance for future employment, that same area are not uncommon, and thus that tacit assumption that
all have second chances and, therefore "all" should include criminals, is technically flawed.
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As mentioned earlier, the severity of punitive measu.es depends upon the severity of the offended crime. It is
true that all humans are fallible, and slip into moments of folly that upon later reflection look “like acts of
madness, when the initial impulses have faded away", as writer George Eliot notes .Seventy percent in
Singapore are carried out by teenagers - those below the age of eighteen and probably still in school. lt is
unfortunate then, that young lives are blighted so early in life, and understandable that they should be
awarded a second chance for reconciliation and reintegration into society.
The next question is the likelihood of the offender abusing his 'second chance' and inflicting further harm on
society. This would be tantamount to the judicial system releasing a criminal and giving him freedom to
commit more crimes by blindly releasing him again to society. In the United States, eight out of ten persons
sentenced to death are recurrent offenders. Thus, if the offender tends to be recalcitrant and unrepentant,
allowing the second chance would be highly detrimental to society. In short, if criminals are likely to abuse that
second chance, they do not deserve that second chance.
There are several reasons as to why ha.sh measures are imperative when dealing with severe 'law-flouters'.
Firstly, a system that is soft on punishment and generous with leniency may be considered as limp, ineffective,
even corrupt. A Chinese proverb along the lines of 'kill one to warn a hundred' still rings true today. It is
important that a law system acts sufficiently as a deterrent against future crimes, toward potential law-
breakers. If 'second chances' are awarded easily as though all criminals unquestioningly deserve it, the judicial
system would lose its potency. An appropriately harsh system is thus necessary as a bulwark against
recalcitrant offenders.
Another argument is that of justice. If a murdered victim does not have that second chance in life, on what
grounds should a murderer, be given a second chance to find acceptance in society, even to life itself?
Consequences have to be meted out in accordance to the severity of the crime, as mentioned earlier, and thus
if the seriousness of the crime demands it, the offender has to be justly stopped with an appropriately punitive
measure, and not be allowed a second chance.
Thirdly, as John Stuart Mill states, society has a right to self-defence. A crime is an infliction of harm on our
societal body, and thus we, on the whole, and not the excluded offenders have the right to self-defence and
the right to demand suitably harsh measures to prevent yet another attack from a recalcitrant offender. It
follows naturally that the second chance should not be given to safeguard ourselves from potential harm. The
onus of the law system is to identify the sheep from the goats - the repentant from the unrepentant in order
to decide who deserves the second chance. Obviously this is subjective and not easily accomplished, thus the
complexity of this issue.
There is often a gap, however, between the generosity of the court and the generosity of society. The Yellow
Ribbon Project aims to close this gap through education campaigns precisely because it identifies this problem.
Even if criminal receive the second chance they deserve, in courts of law society may still harbour remnants of
distrust toward an ex-offender, thus isolating him in a 'second prison from which there is no easy release.
There is a necessity, I feel, for the alignment of societal and judicial notions of minor crimes and just
punishment, before criminals are allowed to fully enjoy or approve the generosity of the court in giving a
lighter sentence, or a second chance. This alignment, like the whole gamut of other issues, is similarly
ambiguous, and can be created by the continued efforts of governmental and non-governmental
organisations, such as the aforementioned 'Yellow Ribbon' society. An exact line may perhaps, never be
drawn, but we still need to work towards it, so that those criminals who deserve a second chance really
receive that second chance, full and unalterable; while those criminals who forfeit their second chance
through grossly unpardonable acts, face their consequential punishment.
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The Environment
I) Reasons for environmental conservation / Why should we save the environment?
1. Solving environmental problems alleviates global poverty
a. Pollutions and deforestation affect the overall well-being and the standard of living of the poor
b. Vicious cycle of poverty and lack of clean water  further deterioration in health and productivity 
loss of income
2. Everything is interconnected and balanced out in Nature, and Man’s daily survival depends on
environmental well-being
3. Everything in nature takes a long time to renew (millions of years to repair things we destroy in a few
centuries)
4. Only one Earth: only known planet habitable in our galaxy, lack of advanced technologies to travel
astronomically yet
5. Ethical reason: all life is considered sacred, thus need to be protected as part of a moral responsibility
6. Aesthetics: The environment provide citizens with an aesthetically pleasant place to live in
7. Preserving the environment for future generations to live in
II) Water crisis

1. Problem:
a. Only 1% of Earth’s water is drinkable
b. 50% of the world lack proper sanitation, and 780 million people lack clean water
c. 3.4 million people die each year due to water-related borne diseases
d. Rising demand for water – urbanisation, overpopulation
e. Remaining water grossly wasted and mismanaged due to lack of awareness
i. Rampantly polluted: oil spills, etc
ii. Causes water to be a carrier of disease and deaths
iii. Lack of social awareness: Poor agricultural techniques that leak toxins and pesticides into streams;
irresponsible corporations disposing industrial wastes into seas without treatment
2. Implications:
a. Higher food prices; Hunger and thirst
b. Political instability and low rates of economic growth
c. Water war
i. Some political observers agree that water may become an instigator of wars in the future
1. 1990s Somalian civil war – entire water systems filled with rocks and poisoned as a military
tactic  Cholera and many other waterborne diseases killed thousands
2. After the Six-Day-War ended in 1967 between Israel and Palestinians, a war that arguably
sparked the water disputes between the 2 parties, followed by subsequent heated arguments
had split the River Jordan to both parties, with 80% of the fresh water to Israel
III) Global warming

1. Building up of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution led to the increase of global temperatures
dangerously
2. Rise up by nearly 6C by the end of 21st century if no actions done, according to UN
3. Climate changes in the form of strong and violent storms, and severe droughts
Causes
Although it is generally agreed on by most major international organisations and governments that
anthropogenic factors do cause global warming, the extent of them being the cause of global warming is much
argued over, only to be worsened by the varying agendas of different parties involved.
Natural These notes are shared on
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Palaeoclimatic studies have pointed to the variations of global average surface and sea temperatures over the
history of Earth. These variations in temperatures are indicators of patterns of climate changes, which are
represented by alternating glacial and interglacial periods (at least in the recent million years).
These variations in solar heat received by the Earth are mainly caused by two main factors:
1. The Earth’s relative position to the Sun

a. Precession: Orientation of Earth’s rotational axis relative to the sun
b. Obliquity: Tilt of Earth’s rotational axis
c. Eccentricity: Shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun
2. Temperature of Sun
Anthropogenic
The fifth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states with 95 percent confidence that
humans are the main cause of the current global warming. A large part of this is contributed by our large
emissions of greenhouse gases.
Below are several of the main contributors of global warming:
● Industrial Revolution is regarded as the spark to the steep increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases
due to mechanisation.
● Production of synthetic compounds can have adverse effects on the environment. An example is
chlorofluorocarbon depleting the ozone layer.
● Our main energy resource is from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gases in the
process.
● Changes in land use also can increase the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases. E.g.
Deforestation/crop cultivation
However, we should look deeper into why these contributors are still existent despite extensive scientific
evidence pointing toward global warming and its devastating impacts.
● Capitalism: An economic system in which trade, industry, and the means of production are largely or
entirely privately owned and operated for profit
● Bystander Effect: A social psychological phenomenon that individuals do not offer any means of help
to a victim when other people are present. Can be applied to an extent to such world problems, like
global warming, with multiple parties involved. This is especially so when certain countries and
organisations seem to be taking the lead, resulting in others preferring to diffuse their responsibilities.
● The IPCC: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the world’s leading authority on climate
change. However, there has been much criticism surrounding it. Some of it are covered below:
○ No formal process or criteria for selecting authors; Governmental officials appoint and send
scientists from their countries, even though they may not be the best amongst those who
volunteered due to political considerations.
○ Favouring of the alarmist approach rather than being scientific
○ Usage of non-peer-reviewed journal articles as sources.
● Media: Media coverage is misrepresenting the scientific evidence available that points toward global
warming.
○ 97% of climate scientists are convinced of global warming with human being a significant
cause of it
○ Yet, most of the media is reflecting the skeptical viewpoints (72%)
○ This results in the public perception being swayed by the media, with 74% of them believing
that humans have no significant part in causing global warming (poll done by BBC)
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Problems (current situation)
Feedback Cycles: A disturbance in the system tend to result in a series of effects taking place, which can either
cause the disturbance to be mitigated, inclining back to its initial state before the disturbance (negative
feedback) or cause the the disturbance to be aggravated, propagating the effects of the disturbance (positive
feedback).
These feedback cycles are very important because they add many other factors and variables (many of which
we do not even understand yet), to the mathematical models used to predict climate changes. As the
magnitude of the feedback cannot be confirmed, it is even harder to produce accurate projections.
The following are some examples of feedback cycles:
● Negative Feedback: When the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, due to the Le
Chatelier's Principle, there will be a greater dissolution of carbon dioxide in the oceans, in order to
reduce the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations.
● Positive Feedback:
○ Albedo: Increase in global temperatures will cause more glaciers to melt. The loss of
reflective (white) surface of the glacier will lead to more absorption of solar radiation,
leading to higher temperatures.
○ Solubility in oceans: Colder water can dissolve more carbon dioxide than warmer water.
Hence, as the global temperature increases, carbon dioxide will be released by the oceans,
which is a significant storage of carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.
Environmental
Biosphere
● Loss of biodiversity: Some organisms are unable to adapt fast enough to the rapid climate change,
resulting in steep decline in their population numbers, especially if they are incapable of migrating
(like plants). This may even lead to extinction.
○ Coral reefs are dying at a global scale in large part due to global warming. Even the
(probably) most well taken cared coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef, was reported in 2009 to
be facing catastrophic damage.
○ Some coral reefs are expected to be extinct by 2020.
● Migration of animals: In response to the changing climates, certain animals which cannot adapt are
forced to migrate to find more favourable habitats.
○ In the Ecological Impacts of Climate Change (2008) report, it was stated that species in the
Northern Hemisphere are almost uniformly moving northward and up in elevation in search
of cooler temperatures.
Hydrosphere
● Ocean Acidification: Due to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, by Le Chatelier's
Principle, more will be dissociated into the oceans, resulting in acidification.
○ This contributes to the changes in the marine environment, damaging the ecosystems to a
large extent, inclusive of bleaching of coral reefs.
● Rising Sea Levels: With increasing global temperatures, thermal expansion of the water, and the
melting of polar ice caps and glaciers will result in an increase in sea levels. In fact, the increase in sea
level will not only continue to rise, but accelerate.
○ Global sea levels are currently rising at an average rate of 1.8 mm per year since 1961, and
the rate about doubled to 3.1 mm per year since 1993. These notes are shared on
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● Floods and Droughts: Climate change leads to extreme weather events. It can cause unusually high
precipitation, resulting in floods. On the flip side of things, droughts are becoming longer and harsher.
○ The World Wide Fund site states that major floods that used to happen only once in 100
years now are take place every 10 or 20 years.
○ The unparalelled drought in the Amazon in 2005 caused massive grief for the population who
depend on fisheries.
○ The Western United States continued their multi-year drought in 2005.
○ Massive droughts in southern and western Africa have been linked to climate change.
Political Scene surrounding Environment issues

● Montreal Protocol: international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances (Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs),
and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)) that are responsible for ozone depletion.
○ First international treaty to address a global environmental regulatory challenge
○ Hailed as an example of exceptional international co-operation, which may be partially due
to lay people and public opinion being more convinced about the possible eminent risks than
other issues.
○ First entered into force in 1989; many amendments made in future revisions
● The Montreal Protocol is the first of its kind (addressing a global environmental regulatory
challenge) in addition to its exceptional success.
● Kyoto Protocol: international treaty that aims to contain emissions of the main anthropogenic
greenhouse gases
○ The protocol recognises that developed countries were responsible for global warming as
they have contributed the most to the anthropogenic build-up of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere (around 77% of emissions between 1750 and 2004),
■ Carbon dioxide emissions per person in developing countries (2.9 tonnes in 2010)
are, on average, lower than emissions per person in developed countries (10.4
tonnes in 2010).
○ Hence, involved developed countries have binding targets while targets for developing
countries committed under the treaty to reduce some of their emissions on a voluntary
basis.
■ US signed but did not ratify the protocol, because saying it would harm the
economy and is flawed by the lack of restrictions on emissions by China and India.
■ Canada withdrew in 2011 due to economic reasons.
● The Kyoto Protocol recognises the developed countries as the main contributors to
anthropogenic greenhouse gases. The US’s stand on it also reflects a mindset that prioritises the
economy over the environment, which is shared by many other countries. Canada was also forced to
withdraw due to economic reasons.
● Environmental Modification Convention: international treaty prohibiting the military or other hostile
use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects.
○ Includes cloud seeding, and use of herbicides (like Agent Orange) to a certain extent
○ This is largely in view of speculation of future uses of nanotechnology to produce artificial
weather although they do not exist now.
○ The environmental modification convention reflects the potential of environmental
modification techniques in warfare (to the extent of the need to prohibit it. This is portrayed
only to an extent in the US’s use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
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IV) Diminishing biodiversity

1. Reasons:
a. Cradles of civilisation: provide wood, medicine, rest, and recreation
b. Forests are part of an extremely complex network of interactions between ground, air, and water in
which they help to balance the delicate ecosystem – maintain water quality and reduce carbon
dioxide in atmosphere
c. Forests are habitats for animals and plants
i. More than half of world’s species found in tropical rainforests
ii. Much is still unknown about the full extent of potential medical solutions within our biodiversity:
we are chopping down forests faster instead of preserving and exploring them
iii. Rate of extinction rose to 100-1000 times since humanity, with more than 11000 species
threatened
iv. We will be left with a biologically poorer and homogenous world
2. Problems:
a. Much of our original forests is permanently lost, with more than 70 countries which have cut down
their forests
b. Main causes: over-farming, irresponsible logging, infrastructure development and deforestation
c. Severe air pollution and hazes with pollutants like CO2 and SO2 which can create acid rains
V) Endangered animals
1. Reasons:
a. Bengal tigers, giant pandas, marine turtles
b. Illegal wildlife trade: animals sold as pets or killed for their valuable body parts to create medicines,
musical instruments, and leather goods
c. Climate change
d. Toxic chemicals and pollutions: synthetic chemicals like PVC entered ecosystem and altered the
immune systems of animals, tackling their food chains  Humans will inevitably feel the same
effects at the top of the food chain
e. Poor agricultural methods: Slash-and-burn farming and other practices destroy forest habitats
indiscriminately and overfishing threatens marine biodiversity
i. Today’s fishnets big enough to encircle the Millennium Dome with 100miles of fishing lines and
1000s of hooks  such methods do not distinguish between wanted and unwanted species,
leading to unnecessary deaths of many endangered species
2. Animal rights?
a. Animals are not human beings, they do not g. Animals are fellow sentient beings
have the same understanding of rights and that are created with life and senses,
responsibilities, thus not justifiable for us to thus they deserve to be treated justly
accord them to have the same rights as us (all life is considered sacred to all
b. Impractical for human beings to stop eating or religions)
using animals, as we need to survive and h. In a civilised society, even the
animals seem to have given to us for that weakest members deserve legal
reason protection thus animals are under
our care and responsibility
c. However, practically speaking, zoos are our best
solution now to allow animals to be protected i. Some wild animals have been so
and preserved due to the shrinking animal domesticated in zoos that that they
habitats due to increasing urbanisation can no longer survive in the wild 
d. Zoos can protect animals from illegal hungers animals in long captivity also take on
and potentially lethal diseases bizarre behaviours like the
e. Zoos can also help educate about animal rights endangered pandas who have lost all
and lifestyles: Steve Irwin, popular host of desire to mate These notes are shared on
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“Crocodile Hunter” is a passionate animal rights j. Animals kept in the zoos lack
activist who runs a public zoo in Australia to freedom they deserve as part of their
educate people about native animals animal rights
f. Many modern zoos are designed with a concept
that mimic the natural living conditions of
animals as closely as possible: Singapore Zoo
and Night Safari
VI) Energy crisis

1. Problem: Running out of fossil fuels  non-renewable
2. Hydroelectric power: 1/5 of all electricity generated (Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia 90% of all electricity);
a. However limited by the necessity of suitable natural sites
3. Solar power: Harnessing solar energy difficult though sunlight contains thousand more energy than
current human use
a. Max efficiency of up to 20% currently only, and also very expensive to buy
b. Largest in the Southern California’s Mojave Desert that covers 1000 acres
4. Wind power:
a. Environmentalists argue that their existence at country-sides can lead to pollution problems,
including noise pollutions and also killing birds that fly near to the moving turbines
b. Moving the wind farms to offshore will be very expensive to maintain either
5. Nuclear power:
a. Hard to maintain and can trigger a lot of ethical concerns, despite arguments that modern reactors
are safe and efficient enough, thus need to use them to replace current fossil fuels and oils
6. Growth in renewable sources in terms of electricity generation remains slow, and it requires major global
efforts for them to have a meaningful impact
VII) The Environment: Problems and Solutions

 How: We can save the environment by conservation and preservation, with our acts of prioritising the
environment over our human activities
P: Economic globalisation and overpopulation raise demands and strain Earth’s limited resources
S: Limit population growth, consumerism, and wastage
- Difficult goal: maximising economic opportunities and jobs growing for the increasing population of
people while trying to minimise the depletion of resources that is needed for this economic growth
- The wealthy grows to become extremely materialistic and wasteful
- Buy-and-throw-away culture is more prevalent than a culture of recycling and reusing because it is
more convenient
P: Pollution and over-demand for resources are inescapable outcomes of economic growth
S: Research, fund, and promote sustainable development and share the knowledge
- Concept of sustainable development popularised at the 1992 UN Earth Summit – a process that
“meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs”
- It ensures Man’s future survival and well-being
- For our sustainability, human activity should only use nature’s resources at a rate at which they can
replenished naturally
- Post WW2 economic boom in which developed western nations exploit environment heavily, and
this pattern is being currently repeated in emerging nations like China and India. We cannot deny
their will to grow economically too, so such emerging nations were to take on ecologically sound
policies, richer nations must help
- There are already existing technology and processes that can help significantly  all we need is the
willingness to develop, implement, and SHARE it through education and foreign aids These notes are shared on
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o Solar: Public and private investment has enabled solar panels to be installed in office
buildings in Switzerland and Germany and wind turbines all over Europe
o Wind: Analysts calculated that electrical needs of USA can be met by harvesting wind of
Dakota and Texas alone; China and many LDCs are also setting up many joint ventures
with wind-power companies to install wind turbines
o Fuel cells: Combination of H and O to produce electricity
o Water: Farmers can cut their water consumption by 25% with current technologies such
as drip-irrigation or micro-irrigation that allows small amount of water to be directly
applied to plant roots
P: Global commons are cheap

S: Put a value and a price tag to the global commons
- The more widely and freely available the resource, the more we take them for granted and waste
them extravagantly  but with overpopulation and economic activities, we can take it from
abundance to scarcity in a couple of decades
- Water
o Traditionally thought to be an open access resource in which it is used freely  used and
misused without concern for its intrinsic cost  as it becomes increasingly scarce, it goes
mainly to those with the political power or economic capital to use it and control its sources
o It is grossly underpriced  it needs to be priced like any other resources, but priced in a cheap
and accessible manner for everyone to use
o Water resource moved towards the privatisation of its services for the rich and the
marginalisation of that for the poor  needs to be placed within the local control of
communities  only then it will be fully conserved and sustained with it being equally and
fairly available for both the rich and the poor
P: Underdeveloped civil societies mean nobody cares to voice out the problem of environmental crisis
S: Promote democracy and support growth of civil society and civic responsibility
P: Nations prioritise economic efficiency over ecological need

S: Give poor nations an incentive to focus on ecological need
P: Lack of political will and proper governance in the international community

S: Enforce idea of shared problems and shared solutions
Conclusion:
- A large part of the environmental problems can be alleviated as long as we are willing to
o Absorb the added costs of going green
o Abandon old beliefs and ways of doing things
 DCs need to give up its wasteful and materialistic lifestyle
 LDCs need to give up holding on to its harmful traditions
o Share wealth and education to help the poor and the impoverished
o Abandon political agendas
 DCs should prioritise saving environment over pleasing industrial leaders
 LDCs cooperate instead of viewing all DC nation treaties with suspicion
- Ultimately, the heart of the problem has never been about a lack of solutions, but always been a lack of
political will and initiative
- No complex problem can be solved with simple and 1 dimensional measures
o Good management practices to encourage natural resource conservation
o Good science and technology to design such practices
o Good institutions of governance to help internalise them as community decision-making
processes
Possible costs incurred in saving the environment; and rebuttals

1. Economic: Slower economic growth
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a. However, in today’s context: Firms can be more likely to get grants from organisations if they show
that they are more energy-efficient in their production process
2. Social: Repercussions of unemployment
a. However, health problems surfacing from pollution will make people more aware of the need for
environment preservation, their health problems will be more important than low income
3. Political: Politicians who have vested interests might lose vote
a. However, citizens might be more willing to vote for politicians who advocate conservation
because this shows that they care for the future generations as well (a political strategy)
The balance: sustainable development

 Extent to which nations should be concerned about conservation is dependent on
o Maturity, social responsibility and sense of civic-mindedness of people (might be influenced by
culture)
o Population density
o Amount of resources the country has
o Probably why Japan is considered to be the cleanest city despite it being a developed country
 In fact, the world is more concerned with going green than before
o Minimise damage on the environment while carrying out economic activities
 YOG, Terminal 3, energy-efficient vehicles
o More efficient use of resources like land
 Building upwards (HDB) and underground (MRT, shopping malls)
o Engineering more environmental-friendly products and tapping into alternative energy sources
VIII) Technology and the environment

 Many technological products use a large amount of energy from natural resources / pollute the
environment
 Ecological imbalances were a result of the industrial revolution, which could be said to be the beginning of
the non-ending technological advancement
o Began altering our climate and environment during industrial revolution by changing agricultural and
industrial practices
o Pre-industrial revolution, human activities released very few gases into the atmosphere
o Post-industrial revolution: population growth increases consumption  increased burning of fossil
fuel, water pollution
 BUT technology also allows people to tap into alternative energy sources
 It is man’s usage of technology that we should be concerned with, and not technology per se
o Inventions like the car may be harmful, but it will only be lethal to the environment if we excessively
use it. Purpose of the car was probably to provide convenience to those having to travel long distances,
but some people choose to drive to a supermarket 5 minutes down the road.
o People should be more discerning (civic-mindedness, social responsibility)
1. How responsible is Mankind in protecting the environment?
Mankind is responsible in protecting the environment to a large extent. Granted, there have been efforts on
the part of individuals, non-governmental organisations, governments and international organisations towards
protecting the environment. However, these efforts to change the environmental situation have been
cosmetic at best. This shortcoming is a result of some who remain adamant and apathetic to take up the
responsibility of protecting the environment. As long as people recognise their roles and are responsible in
protecting the environment, those efforts would remain concerted and maintained in the long run.
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Arguments Alternative views
There are governments who recognise the impact of Despite adopting an alternative source of energy,
traditional sources of energy and are turning to i.e. nuclear energy, some governments are
cleaner and greener alternatives such as nuclear undermining other solutions to climate change by
energy. In 2008, Italy announced that within five diverting urgently needed resources away from the
years it planned to resume building nuclear energy true renewable and energy-efficient solutions that
plants out of a growing concern over the warming governments who are serious about climate change
effects of carbon emissions from fossil fuels. need to invest in.
Big businesses are also more receptive to the call to Some companies stray away from their
look after the environment. Increasingly, there are responsibilities to the environment as they falsely
companies who exercise corporate social believe that developing sustainably would reduce
responsibility (CSR) as they are reinvesting in their their profits.
workforce, communities and the environment. One
such company is Starbucks who is committed to
supporting programmes that facilitate farmers’
access to carbon markets, allowing them to
generate additional income while helping to prevent
deforestation.
Established outside of political parties, As dedicated as NGOs are in protecting the

(nongovernmental organisations) NGOs voluntarily environment, a small minority are more radical in
are responsible for advocating public’s concerns and their approach. Adherents of radical
pressurising governments to do a better job. environmentalism and ecological anarchism are
Conservation International has worked with the involved in direct action campaigns to protect the
Cambodian government to create a one-million acre environment. Some campaigns have employed
protected area and sponsored scientific research of controversial tactics including sabotage, blockades
coral reefs off Indonesia. and arson.
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2. Do the rich and privileged hold a greater responsibility to tackle environmental problems?
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, protecting the environment would be a concern of the rich and
privileged because of their emphasis on the quality of life. Given this concern and their ability to afford the
skills, technology and costs of protecting the environment, the rich and privileged are often placed with
greater responsibility to protect the environment. Apart from the aforementioned reasons, their influential
position in the world renders them even more responsible. Therefore, with their economic advantage and
political clout, the rich and privileged do hold a greater responsibility to tackle the environmental problems.
It is the affluent and developed nations that are Other developing nations are fast becoming the major
often to blame for the problems plaguing the contributors to environmental problems.
environment. It is the way the rich lives, and in
particular the excesses of the very rich, that is Increasingly, developing countries are catching up
doing most of the real damage. The Worldwatch rapidly to the detriment of the environment, health,
Institute in its annual report, State of the World and happiness. For years, the streets of China's major
2004, addressed the devastating toll on the cities were characterized by a virtual sea of people on
Earth's water supplies, natural resources, and bicycles, and 25 years ago there were barely any
ecosystems exacted by a plethora of disposable private cars in China. By 2000, 5 million cars moved
cameras, plastic garbage bags, and other cheaply people and goods; the number is expected to reach 24
made goods with built in product-obsolescence, million by the end of next year.
and cheaply made manufactured goods that lead
to a "throw away" mentality.
Rich nations have the financial resources and the Poor countries also have an important responsibility
political clout in their own countries and in the towards the world.
international arena.
Many environmental problems respect no national
borders; environmental problems in one country can
easily cross physical borders and affect not only the
country of origin.
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3. Will economic development always be carried out at the expense of the environment?
Since the 1980s, there has been a growing body of evidence to suggest that industrialisation is having an effect
on the climate of the planet. Till today, industrialisation with its countless new machines and technologies
continue to exacerbate the exploitation of the environment. If this were to go on, economic development
would always eclipse protection of the environment. However the picture is not as bleak as it seems.
Increasingly today there is a growing awareness and effort on the part of governments to develop sustainably.
As long as governments are moving away from traditional methods of development and are developing
sustainably, economic development would not always be carried out at the expense of the environment.
Developed countries are unwilling to slow down However, while economic development has brought
economic growth for the environment.Rich about environmental degradation, it need not
countries led by Russia, Australia and the EU have always be at the detriment of the environment.
been accused of trying to cheat their way out of Many business corporations have succeeded and yet
reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by creating have committed to the environmental cause.
"dishonest" forestry accounting loopholes.
Developed and in particular developing countries

are still dependent on polluting energy sources like
fossil fuels for its economic growth.
Although ecotourism is intended for small groups, Eco-tourism channels resources away from other
even a modest increase in population, however projects that could contribute more sustainable and
temporary, puts extra pressure on the local realistic solutions to pressing environmental
environment and necessitates the development of problems. Pacuare Eco Lodge, located near
additional infrastructure and amenities. The Turrialba, in the heart of Costa Rica's rainforest
construction of water treatment plants, sanitation claims that they have attempted to stick to the
facilities, and lodges come with the exploitation of highest standards of sustainable construction. No
non-renewable energy sources and the utilization of trees were cut during the building of the property
already limited local resources. The conversion of and the local Indian community was involved during
natural land to such tourist infrastructure is the construction. The staff has also been drawn
implicated in deforestation and habitat from the local community. Electricity is not used and
deterioration of butterflies in Mexico and squirrel all fuel requirements are fulfilled using solar panels
monkeys in Costa Rica. and a water-run generator.
Some countries adopt a wrong attitude, believing With the awareness that environmental problems
that the earth is resilient – it has always and will are global problems, more countries and
always be able to cope with our callous international organizations like UNEP would see the
actions. Therefore, there is no urgency and effort to need help people in developing countries to find
change and develop sustainably. alternative work without having to rely on
traditional activities that endanger the earth.
4. Is nuclear power the best way to meet the ever-increasing energy needs of Mother Earth?
Nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have not swayed some countries from relying on nuclear
energy to meet their energy needs. Despite the incidence of nuclear accidents, this gradual dependance on
nuclear energy is dues to it being a more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional sources such as
coal and fossil fuel. However, given the risks involved with nuclear energy, it does not make for the best way to
meet the increasing energy needs of Mankind. Apart from nuclear energy, there are other equally or more
environmentally friendly alternatives that are able to meet this increasing energy needs.
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Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear energy is clean. Nuclear energy is economical only under a very
Unlike coal, natural gas, and petroleum, it does not restricted analysis - by the time you have factored
release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the in the costs of construction, insurance, waste
process of generating electricity. At a time when disposal and decommissioning, you need huge
there is growing concern about the link between subsidies.
carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases on the
one hand and the warming of our planet on the
other, this advantage of nuclear power has begun to
loom larger.
Nuclear waste can be safely stored away. The best There is no secure, risk-free way to store nuclear
long-term solution for the disposal of the UK's waste. The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear
nuclear waste should be to bury it deep in the accident of catastrophic proportions that occurred
ground, The Committee on Radioactive Waste on 26 April 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Management (CoRWM), an advisory group has Plant in Ukraine. It is considered the worst nuclear
said. The final disposal facility, or facilities, would be power plant accident in history and is the only level
located several hundred metres underground. The 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
waste would be encased in tough materials and
would use the surrounding rock as a barrier to
prevent radioactive leakage into the environment.
Nuclear accidents are a result of human error, which Nuclear power expansion increases the risk of an
can be avoided. accident.
International organisations are preventing countries Expanding nuclear power internationally would
from obtaining nuclear weapons. hugely increase the risks from terrorism and
nuclear weapons proliferation.
While nuclear power reactors are expensive to build, Nuclear energy is an expensive diversion from the
they are relatively cheap to operate. task of developing and deploying renewable energy
and energy efficiency required for a low carbon
future.
5. “We have not been good guardians of the Earth.” How far do you agree with this statement?
(AV) There are governments who recognise the impact of traditional sources of energy and are turning to
cleaner and greener alternatives such as nuclear energy. In 2008, Italy announced that within five years it
planned to resume building nuclear energy plants out of a growing concern over the warming effects of carbon
emissions from fossil fuels. Naysayers suggest (note that the AV is clearly signposted as the AV and not your
view) that some governments are undermining other solutions to climate change by diverting urgently needed
resources away from the true renewable and energy-efficient solutions that governments who are serious
about climate change need to invest in.
(Main view and rebuttal) Nevertheless, we should note that the world is in a state of flux as increasingly, not
only are the policy makers reflecting greater awareness and concern for the environment but so are the
MNCs (AV is countered). Today, big businesses are also more receptive to the call to look after the
environment. Increasingly, there are companies who exercise corporate social responsibility (CSR) as they are
reinvesting in their workforce, communities and the environment. One such company is Starbucks who is
committed to supporting programmes that facilitate farmers’ access to carbon markets, allowing them to
generate additional income while helping to prevent deforestation. These notes are shared on
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Or
(Main view and rebuttal) Nevertheless, we should note that the world is in a state of flux as increasingly,
the policy makers are reflecting greater awareness and concern for the environment by relying on renewable
and energy-efficient solutions (AV is countered). Today, governments are pushing for the passage of a
renewable energy law to regulate and ensure the development of alternative sources of energy. Singapore’s
green building movement is an example of how a combination of legislation and government incentive helped
to spur the green building industry. In Scotland, £585,000 from the European Social Fund is providing training
courses that are to be delivered through Skills Development Scotland, which will enable employers, with fewer
than 250 staff to boost the skills of employees in low-carbon technologies. These developments reflect that we
are increasingly being protective of the environment.
We have been good guardians… We have not been good guardians…
-There are various earth summits to discuss ways to -We have not balanced our need for wealth with
look after the earth – eg. The Kyoto Protocol that calls our exploitation of the resources. We have
for the ban on the use of substances, that harms the regarded the resources as if they are
environment like CFC, to reduce green house gas infinite. There is no vision to see that enough is
emissions.(possible counter point that students may left for future generations – there is over-hunting,
bring up as evaluation: Some countries are not over fishing, overuse or exploitation of our fossil
cooperative if it is against their economic interest to do fuel, water etc.
so.)
-We pollute our land, seas and sky. We dump
-There are environmentalists and various movements indiscriminately (waste from domestic and
like the Green Peace Movement that act as watchdogs industrial/ agricultural activities) on our lands and
for the preservation of the environment. (A counter- seas, rivers, ponds making them ‘dead’.
point that may be raised: many such movements lack
credibility as they have other agenda besides -We have taken away the habitat of our fellow
protecting the environment - motivated possibly by creatures that share the earth thus contributing to
politics.) their endangered or extinct status.
-Scientists are working to repair the damage done -We pollute the sky with emissions from industries
earlier like repairing the ozone layer or working with and vehicles. We even pollute the air with
energy that is pollution free. airwaves from handphones etc. making it unsafe
for all creatures.
-Industries are also more receptive to the call to look
after the environment as they exploit resources. Some -We have caused havoc with the climate like global
even pump money back into research to help the warming by releasing green house gases and
environment. bringing about the Green house effect and global
warming. El Nino, long droughts and winter cold
-There is also global effort to encourage people to spells to name a few.
recycle, reuse and to conserve.
-Wrong attitude that the earth is resilient – it has
always and will always be able to cope with our
callous actions. Therefore, there is no urgency and
effort to change and help to manage the earth
better.
Possible conclusion: Students can touch on the fact that economic gains will always eclipse environmental
issues; poorer countries eager to get rich or those with no other alternatives will continue to cut down trees to
sell or for land to build industries or poach rhino horns. There is more awareness but we are still apathetic and
our activities are still exerting tremendous pressure on the environment.
6. ‘The Earth is doomed. There is nothing man can do about it.’ Comment.
Man’s actions environmental problems impending demise of Earth

Man’s solutions fails to solve problems Earth still doomed
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This question could be dealt with as containing a single- or multi-part absolute proposition. Students could
challenge ‘doomed’ and ‘nothing’. A balanced approach is needed.
Earth doomed
Students ought to look at how recent events seem to justify this pessimistic claim. While they need to concede
that Earth would face its demise eventually because of the fast deteriorating environment problems,
armageddon is not impending. They need to look at the status quo in a reasonable manner. Balance is
necessary.
Such is the transboundary nature of environmental problems that while students can argue that some
developing countries are in worse/terrible states, other nations are in not really better off in the foreseeable
future. Earth as a whole suffers the consequences.
Credit is given to essays that rank the problems in terms of severity and justify the evaluation.
Nothing can be done

Students ought to look at how failed measures seem to justify this pessimistic claim. They need to
acknowledge damage that is irreversible or will continue to hasten Earth towards its doom despite remedial
action. However, they ought to argue for the specific measures that can repair/slow down the devastation
caused by each problem. Balance is crucial to prevent downplaying the severity of the problems.
Such is the transboundary nature of environmental problems that students can argue for affluent developed
countries to help solve other countries’ problems. Otherwise, Earth as a whole suffers the consequences.
Credit is given to essays that evaluate the effectiveness of the measures in tackling each environmental
problem and the obstacles that obstruct their implementation.
Credit should be given to essays that present specific and varied examples. However, examples do not
substitute for reasoning.
Problem Measures Effective?
Deforestation, · Regulations to control illegal logging · Regulations could be in place, but

habitat loss due to enforcement is hampered by corruption
development or difficulty in monitoring such activities
(e.g.Indonesia)
& impact on
biodiversity
Pollution – · Penalties for industries discharging · Some people prefer or can only afford
Air/Land/Water toxic fumes/water cheaper fuel which however is less
environment friendly
· Vehicles checked to make sure
emissions meet acceptable standards · Governments unwilling to enforce
stricter controls due to pressure from
· Introduction of cleaner fuels industry lobby groups (e.g. USA not
ratifying Kyoto Protocol)
Depletion of · Switch to renewable · Not cost-effective in some cases or

resources. (e.g. resources/alternative sources of feasible in others (e.g. opportunity costs
fossil fuels) energy. (e.g.: hydropower, wind energy, of building Three Gorges Dam in China)
solar energy)
Global warming & · Reduce the excess production of · See above notes on pollution.
its related greenhouse gases
problems (e.g.
erratic climate; · Impose quota but allow countries to
rising sea levels) sell their unused units to those who
need more
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7. “Environmental degradation is inevitable.” To what extent is this true?
Keyword:
Inevitable: impossible to avoid or to prevent from happening
General Remarks:
 This is NOT a Geography essay. We will NOT be impressed by the mere regurgitation of what you still
remember of your O or A levels exam preparations.
 This is NOT a “Problem-Solution” essay, i.e. “What’s wrong with the environment and how can we
solve it?”.
 This IS a “Cause-Effect” essay, i.e. “What are the causes of environmental degradation (effect), and
are these causes so fundamental that they cannot be removed (inevitable)?”
Discussion of the premise:
 Leading causes of pollution – industrialisation, population growth

 Explain how these cause the earth’s pollution
 Need to show that if industrialisation / population growth is inevitable, then pollution is
inevitable, i.e. assuming that there are no technological advances which would reduce
pollution
Balance:
· Why pollution may not be inevitable, e.g. technological advances, rising awareness of people about pollution,
international agreements to reduce emissions
· Need to give concrete examples of where and when pollution has been inevitable. Vague descriptions of
‘America’s air pollution’ or ‘deforestation of the forests’ will not do.
Good Essays
1. Showed a good awareness of the key words. A discussion of the notion of “inevitable” is mandatory. The
focus cannot solely rest on a discussion of the various environmental problems.
2. Answers that were well structured and organised and consistently reiterated the key words of the question.
Each paragraph clearly defined around a single problem that shows how it makes environmental degradation
inevitable.
3. Answers that had a good range of well elaborated examples that were not vague (i.e. some/most countries
or more/less developed nations).
4. Able to argue competently that the notion of environmental degradation is actually largely inevitable
because the direction most nations are taking and the nature of human practices.
Problematic Essays
1. Essays that merely focused on listing environmental problems and going into great depths of explaining the
processes of environmental degradation.
2. No discussion or reflection of the notion “inevitable.”
3. Essays that lacked concrete examples. Use of generalised or hypothetical examples was generally seen as
not having a good grasp of the topic.
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4. Instances in essays that discussed why environmental degradation may not be inevitable were also
problematic. You should not be highlighting proposals/ measures that indicate how environmental
degradation CAN BE slowed down or made less inevitable BUT rather WHAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN DONE to
address the problem.
5. Tone of the essay: There were many instances of “talking scripts” that highlights an inability to handle
writing in a formal academic register. This is important as it also reflects on your command and sophistication
of language. Remember: Do NOT talk to the marker-reader!
6. Occasional instances of blatant contradictions. Your stand is toppled by the rest of your essay which argues
the opposite.
7. Planning is essential: Evidence of abrupt endings.
8. Paragraph development must be clear. Each paragraph often deals with different things thus confusing
markers and the point that you aiming to get across. Using a clear topic sentence would be quintessential in
this respect but was however, most lacking.
8. Preserving the environment is more important than economic development. Do you agree?
Disagree: Both are equally important – students have to show that mankind can’t do without either, and
valuing any one over the other will bring equally disadvantageous results
Point Reason Example
Preserving the environment is more important
Environment: How much society can sustain China - According to China’s deputy
Disregarding economic growth actually bears a environmental minister, due to air and
environmental co-relation to environmental water pollution, China is losing 8-15% of
preservation affects preservation and prudence in the GDP. 70-80% of cancer cases are
economic growth use of resources. Environmental environmentally-related – loss of
degradation can result in high costs productivity of the workforce.
to economic growth.
Environment: Levels of If the current levels of pollution are According to Nick Brooks (Tyndall Center
pollution are high; left unchecked, the planet may not for Climate Change Research, East Anglia):
resources will be be able to sustain life in a few "By the end of this century it is likely that
irreplaceable if depletion generations’ time. Economic greenhouse gases will have doubled and
rates are not lowered development and affluence would the average global temperature will have
be valueless then. The loss of clean risen by at least 2C°... In the worst case
air and water and the depletion of scenario it could completely alter the
resources such as fuel and food, climate in many regions of the world. This
together with drastic climate could lead to global food insecurity and
changes will make survival very the widespread collapse of existing social
difficult, if not impossible. systems, causing mass migration and
conflict over resources as some parts of
the world become much less habitable.”
Preservation of historical If sites and buildings of historical Singapore: the nation’s first and oldest
sites: Loss of culture and significance are sacrificed for the condominium, Beverly Mai, will be
history sake of new developments, part of demolished as the land which it stands on
the history and heritage of the is worth much more than the building
place will be lost, and such loss is itself.
irreversible. The people will
gradually lose their sense of
history, identity and belonging as
their city looks more and more like These notes are shared on
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any other city which is bent on

development and modernizing.
Demolishing old buildings Preserving old buildings can create In Norway, historical rehabilitation of old
may eventually cost more employment and increase buildings creates 16.5% more jobs new
society more than local household income more than construction; every direct job in the
embarking on a new the building of new developments. cultural heritage sector creates 26.7
development The employment created can be of indirect jobs, compared to the auto
longer term benefits as related industry’s ratio of 6.3:1.
industries such as heritage tourism
can flourish. In Virginia, USA: heritage tourists spend
2.5 times more and stay longer than other
visitors.
(Info from European Cultural Heritage

Forum 2005)
Economic development is more important
Economic development is The huge numbers of people living According to the UN Human
essential to ensure the below the poverty line is in itself a Development Report 2005: “In the midst
survival of the millions social disaster and action should be of an increasingly prosperous global
living in poverty in taken to enable them to get out of economy, 10.7 million children every
developing countries poverty as soon as possible. Solutions year do not live to see their fifth
to poverty such as education, fair birthday, and more than 1 billion people
trade and social stability depends on survive in abject poverty on less than $1
economic development. a day.” These people should be helped
and allowing them to have a share of the
world’s economic development pie is
the most evident way.
The cost of compliance It costs more for developing Reluctance of developing countries to
with environmental countries, than it does for developed ratify the Kyoto Protocol and they
preservation regulations countries to comply with the perceive it as unfair that obstacles are
is high for developing regulations, placing them at a being put in their way towards economic
countries competitive disadvantage. development through industrialization.
9. ‘There is nothing optimistic about the future of our environment.’ Do you agree?
Parameters of discussion :
-Students need to challenge the word “nothing” and show that there is at least one optimistic thing about the
future of the environment
- Students need to explain the steps being taken to improve the environment
Possible stands / theses:
There should be optimism about the future because: There should be pessimism about the
1. Science and technology has enabled us to come up with future because :
measures to protect the environment and ways of 1. Natural resources are being depleted
alternative sources – tap on solar, geothermal or quickly - within the next 100 years,
hydroelectric sources, new options being developed by analysts predict that our reserves of oil
the automobile industry, such as the so-called hybrid will deplete, rate of replenishment
cannot keep up with the speed at which
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cars, which combine an internal combustion engine and they are destroyed - every day, several
an electric motor football field size plots of rainforest are
2. Governmental efforts to protect the environment – chopped down to make paper
in China, millions of trees are planted each year in a bid 2. Frequency of earthquakes, floods,
to help save the environment typhoons and hurricanes have
3. People are made aware of the problems the significantly increased since the dawn of
environment is facing and are encouraged to conserve the 20th century (Major earthquakes,
and recycle for example, occurred merely once
4. Nature has a way of presenting solutions to humankind every century before the 20th century.
– for instance, as global warming melts the ice caps in Now earthquakes that measure more
the Arctic Ocean, several countries are planning on than 8 on the Richter scale happen
tapping into theArctic for rich reserves of energy every year) problem is not likely to be
sources resolved in the future since
5. Ingenuity of humankind to conserve the environment – seismologists and other experts are still
eg. City of Copsa Mica was terribly polluted in the 1980s pitifully clueless to the prevention of
but the area has successfully been cleared of pollution such disasters
in recent years 3. Some countries are more concerned
New avenues are being explored and positive initiatives with economic progress than
to protect the environment are taking place – for environmental well-being. For example,
example, ways have been developed to use parts of the reason behind the USA’s pull-out of
trees that once went up in smoke in beehive burners. Kyoto Protocol was perhaps one
Bark and sawdust, for instance, once considered useless motivated by economic gain.
for building purposes, are used in new composite wood
products
10. Mankind is a cancer upon the Earth. Do you agree?
Important definitions to note/address before attempting the question:
Cancer: A self-replicating condition with uncontrolled growth that feeds off its host without giving anything
back.
Mankind as cancer presupposes that Man is living off and exploiting his environment without any attempt to
preserve it or renew it.
Points to note:
The question requires one to analyse the relationship between Man and his environment (Earth).
Students should be able to breakdown if and how each party benefits from that relationship.
The question presupposes that Mankind is not living “in harmony” with his surroundings and as a result, has
caused an imbalance that damages the environment (or his host) and ultimately himself; just as a person who
is terminally ill will eventually succumb, depriving the cancerous organism of a host.
Agree: Against
 Industrialism-period between 1900s-present day, move from  Apparent exaggerations of
agriculture to manufacturing, coal as a fuel, pollution-the environmental problems – our
proliferation of cities, change in lifestyle, increased energy actions have not resulted in an
requirements, the evolution of transport( the combustion ailing Earth.
engine), global warming  Man has addressed some of the
 Students should not merely list or describe the various problems he has inflicted – eg.
environmental problems that Man causes, but must show These notes are shared on
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how these processes are not symbiotic in nature. Eg, in the technology has reduced the
taking of fossil fuels, how does mankind renew his impact of industrialism/pollution.
environment? The increase of carbon dioxide in the  Mankind has learnt/is learning to
atmosphere (leading to a greenhouse effect), does mankind control population – our growth is
do anything to reverse the process? Can the earth catch up/ not uncontrolled.
do anything to address the imbalance?
 Students could compare this with other organisms that
inhabit the same space. Animals (and plants!) are part of
natural cycle that leaves little to waste. Everything is
used/recycled/goes back into the earth and benefits the
environment around them. Can we say the same for
mankind?
11. Can we rely on science and technology to solve our environmental problems?
Can rely on science and technology Cannot rely on science and technology
 Science and technology have led to the creation  Science and technology is the main culprit of
of new inventions which are cleaner and more environmental problems; Man should be
efficient. E.g. hydrogen powered cars, thankful if science and technology stops adding
alternative energy sources, coal that burns more on to the problem, never mind solving it.
efficiently such that less residue/emissions are  The pace of environmental problems has
produced. always moved faster than the solutions that
 We can rely on science and technology as long scientific and technological advances can offer.
as we get other kinds of support. E.g. support And this situation is unlikely to change.
from concerned individuals, groups,  Scientific & technological advances are too
communities. NGOs worldwide work for the expensive. It has not been cost efficient or it is
cause of saving the Earth. too expensive for companies and (developing)
 We can rely on efficient technology as long as countries which do not have the financial
there is increasing awareness about ability to dedicate to the environmental cause.
conservation towards achieving sustainable Bread and butter issues are still very real for
development. Many countries now recognize people in various parts of the world.
the need to treat the environment as shared  Solving the problem requires long term effort
heritage and hence are willing to work towards from all parties and at all levels. E.g.
conservation on a global scale. governments/ grassroots participation/
 Science and technology is more reliable than consumers/ schools.
other possible solutions to environmental  It is hard to arrive at an agenda for
problems. Although environmental treaties conservation as different nations face different
which were signed and ratified, they have not environmental problems and have different
been abided. E.g. America has not kept to its approaches. The developments in science and
part of bargain with regard to the terms of the technology have not resolved these
Kyoto Protocol. differences.
12. Environment disasters – who is to blame?
Environmental disasters – a phrase which commonly conjures up images of the devastating effects of the
wrath of Mother Nature upon human lies. However, upon further close scrutiny, one would realize that so
much more is at stake than a few thousand lives lost. The existence of everything around us is in jeopardy
because of environmental disasters. Especially when the diversity and quality of life, with drastic climate
changes, rising water levels, and the many varieties of living organisms are wiped off the face of the earth,
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much more hits can the planet Earth take from us? While the large majority of the human population is to
blame for wasting resources in the daily course of our lies, the main culprit would be the ruthless industrialists
who put profit-making on the top of their priorities, regardless of its sacrifices, and mainly world leaders
(governments) who have the power and means to stop them.
Drastic climate changes and temperature fluctuations are one of the side effects from the excessive release of
greenhouse gas emissions. Thirty years ago (1970s), the earth experienced a cooling effect due to the
introduction of aerosols into the market. Now, with refrigerators, chlorofluorocarbon emissions are breaking
down the ozone layer. Consumers as well as irresponsible manufacturers are definitely to blame for this
climate crisis. Despite knowing that aerosols and CFCs are degrading the environment, educated consumers
are still fuelling the market for such products.
Another environmental disaster is a result of what the market consumers have created – the extinction and
endangerment of animals. While poachers and private businesses clamour to meet the demands of
consumers, they have caused various species of tigers and foxes to be reduced to being endangered species.
While polar bears are not yet under that, they might soon join them. With polar caps melting due to the rise in
temperature, there have been many reports of polar bears and other mammals drowning from exhaustion
when they could not find land to rest on. Instead of rising to protest against green house gas emissions, there
are people who actually believe these are coincidences which should be ignored. While environmentalists and
politicians like Al Gore are petitioning to save the planet, there are many who mock them through forums and
the Internet.
Well-intentioned organizations are partially to blame for their incompetence and inefficiency as well. Despite
having regular meetings such as the APEC World Summit, they are consistently forming vague conclusions like
“will take a step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions”. While many private organizations are
petitioning, and funding these environmental conservation campaigns, these international environment
conservation groups have yet to make any significant impact.
Another environmental disaster that happens frequently is oil spillage. Petrol companies as well as the military
are to blame. In 1991, the Gulf War oil spills were the worst in history with an estimated 1.5 million tonnes of
crude oil dumped into the sea. The environmental implications were disastrous as many forms of sea life
perished and its lingering after-effects can still be observed a decade later. The toxic vapours killed marine life
while the oil poisoned the birds when it was ingested by accident. The worst part of all was that the oil spillage
was intentional. The countries along the coast dumped tonnes of crude oil into their waters in an attempt to
deter US marine ships from entering their habours. The oil slick was 4 inches thick for miles, and the wildlife
there has never recovered since. This shows that politics have a part to play in environmental degradation.
The flight to becoming the most affluent between countries has also led to countries refusal to acknowledge
that environment disasters are a pressing concern. With a mixture of political and economic reasons, the
United States of America refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Despite international talks of sustainable
economic growth, many countries are not willing to slow down or compromise their production to invest in
environmental conservation schemes.
As Al Gore mentioned in his movie – “An Inconvenient Truth” – if Earth’s resources are depleted or destroyed,
life would not be sustainable, let alone material wealth. If a few percent of economic growth must be
sacrificed to preserve the only planet we lie on, then so be it. It is such a pity that there are so many parties
which do not realize that. If future environmental disasters are to be presented, it would take a lot more than
the efforts of a few campaign organizations. The cooperation of world leaders would be needed.
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13. Is it possible to protect the environment when many countries require increasing amounts of energy to
progress?
In today’s world, where world population, industrial production and economic growth are surging at breakneck
pace, energy consumption is expanding and mankind’s insatiable desire for energy, arable land and natural
resources are both depleting natural resources and damaging the environment. I believe that economic
progress today necessitates mankind’s utilisation of the Earth’s resources and damage of the environment.
However, I believe that it is possible to both enjoy economic progress and protect the environment at the
same time, especially with advances in alternative energy technology and a greater involvement of the public,
government and public firms in the protection of the environment.
There is, largely, a false dichotomy between economic progress and protecting the environment. This is
because, among other reasons, of the availability of alternative sources of energy – not that of crude oil or coal
– which can power industries and drive economic progress while protecting or doing only minimal damage to
the environment. Such technology includes nuclear energy, which use does not emit carbon and where by-
products can be stored underground without damage to the environment. Other forms of alternative energy
also include that of wind and solar energy, where although some might seem prohibitive and capable of
providing only small amounts of energy, may actually allow entire towns to be powered if harnessed and
distributed efficiently. This is the case of Saint Daid’s, a town in Southern Wales, which successfully leveraged
on such technology to reduce its household carbon footprint to almost zero – a testament to how technology
can allow an economy to function and progress while protecting the environment at the same time. However,
despite the efficacy of such technology, I conceded that alternative energy sources are no panacea for today’s
trade-off between progress and the environment as yet and this is why the world still consumes 85 million
barrels of dirty-burning crude oil today. This is because alternative energy sources are still, in general, not as
cheap as drilling for oil and hence are not widely adopted. However, I believe that in the near future, with
today’s pace in the advancement of alternative energy technology and in order to circumvent the predicted
disaster of oil running out by 2050, alternative energy will become cheaper and widely used to the point that it
drives economic progress while protecting the environment at the same time – a very possible eventual
outcome.
Another reason why I believe that protecting the environment and economic progress is possible and become
ever less mutually exclusive is the increase in environmental awareness and desire to protect the environment,
whether for altruistic reasons or for self-interest. Today, 30 percent of paper and plastic waste in the United
States of America (USA), as stated by the U.S. Environmental Agency, is recycled. This is despite the fact that
recycling is often a low profit margin business that requires government subsidies to operate. A 30 percent
recycling rate is an achievement that shows how a government can push for both progress and environmental
protection at the same time with enough political will. Also, air travel, the bloodlines of the world economic
machine, is beginning to become cleaner with the foray of firms such as France’s Climat Mundi, which
encourages air travelers and gives them a medium to compensate for the carbon they had caused to be
emitted during their flights. This is done by paying an extra but small sum over the air ticket’s price, which then
goes to fund tree-planting events and to replace the dirty-burning wood stoves of poor Sub-Saharan Africans
with cleaner electric or petroleum stoves. Of course, dissenters would say that such schemes only apply to
altruistic people and governments which are few and far between. However, I believe that such choices are
increasingly becoming ones that are made based on self-interest as people are feeling the negative effects of
environmental damage. For instance, in October 2008, well after the Olympic and Paralympic Games
concluded, Beijing re-imposed car quotas because it was in its interest to reduce pollution levels to protect
people’s health and to attract tourists and investors. Thus, I believe that self-interest and altruism are, more
than ever, leading to “green” decisions being made which protect the environment while not or insignificantly
inhibiting economic progress.
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The final reason why I believe progress and environmental protection may go hand-in-hand is that of the
system of Capitalism and the desire of businesses to maximize profits. The increase in environmental
consciousness and the desire of consumers to purchase “green” products and cleaner cars have led to a
paradigm shift in markets where companies are now incentivized to produce green products or to sponsor
green movements. Companies such as Toyota and Honda have taken advantage of such a change in drivers’
preferences by creating smaller, cleaner cars and hydroelectric cards, leading them to “progress” and turn
profits while protecting the environment at the same time, unlike Ford and General Motors, which gas-
guzzling cars have led them into business losses in the order of billions of U.S. dollars in 2008. Appearing green
is also a trend for companies which are in the service sector. Wall Street research firm Standard and Poors has
concluded in 2008 that “green” corporate citizenship adds profits to a company’s balance sheet. This could
explain why highly respected Wall Street firms Goldman Sachs and the Bank of America have been sponsoring
environmental reform projects in China, ensuring that they do not provide loans to illegal loggers and
promoting themselves as “green banks”. Thus, it is seen that capitalism and businesses’ inherent desire for
profits can and is increasingly leading to firms both progressing and protecting the environment at the same
time. The environmentally sustainable growth of businesses could quite possibly be the wave of the near
future.
I believe that it is possible to protect the environment while striving for economic progress, notwithstanding
the latter requiring increasingly more energy to accomplish. This, though, is contingent on the fact that the
development of alternative energy sources and the increase in environmental consciousness among people,
governments and businesses are sustained at the current pace. To do this, I would suggest that more weight
be placed on the advice given by the United Nations (UN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) to include the developing nations in Annex I of the Kyoto Protocol and for more countries to adopt the
European Climate Exchange’s system of pollution permit trading. With that, the possibility of economic
progress and environmental protection will be increasingly close to being realized.
14. ‘Conquest without conscience.’ To what extent would you agree with this assessment of our relationship
to the environment?
Humans are the “masters” of the Earth today. Clearly, it is not due to our physical prowess that gave us such a
title. It is our intellect, innovation and creativity that have allowed the human race to rise in power against all
the other animal species that are more physically advanced compared to us. It is through innovation that has
allowed us to win the conquest against the animal species, bending them over to our will and subjecting these
animals to whatever we please. Since cavemen conquered the animal species, humans have become bolder.
Even in today’s modern world, conquests are made, in the form of the uncountable inventions appearing daily,
to improve the quality of life. However, the negative effects of the numerous ‘battles’ we have held to become
more technologically advanced over the centuries is showing in the home we reside in, Mother Earth. These
‘battles’, regrettably, are still fought daily, and we show almost no effort to stop. In my opinion, I feel that
‘Conquest without conscience’ is an accurate description of the humans’ relationship to the environment.
Numerous acts by humans clearly justify my view.
First, there is the act of pollution. Many of the daily tasks that we do in our everyday life involve polluting the
environment. These tasks take up a majority of our lives and are often done without a second thought to spare
for the environment. China, a country that has up to 1.3 billion people is one of the largest contributors to
pollution. It is not only due to the large number of people living in the country that causes the pollution to be
high. One of the main reasons that I have singled China out is due to their burning of coal to generate electrical
power for the masses. The usage of coal is highly polluting and the main reason on why China uses it is due to
the cost effectiveness of coal. The more expensive but cleaner alternative of fossil fuels, however, is adopted
in many countries around the world. The usage of coal to generate electrical power for so many people is
significant to the global emission levels of carbon monoxide gas. This selfish act of rating cost effectiveness
over the harm caused to the environment shows how the humans are involved with the notion of a conquest
for advancement without conscience. Mother Earth is then made to inhale so much more of these toxic gases
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at the expense of coal being cheaper than fossil fuels. Pollution is the result our never-ending need for cheaper
energy to power our never-ending consumption of resources.
Second, deforestation too, leads to air pollution. Deforestation is deemed as necessary for many countries as it
is the only way for more land to be developed for industrial purposes and for housing. As a result, large areas
of woodland are cleared on a regular basis to ensure that there is more space for development to occur. In
many countries, there is a more eco-friendly approach in uprooting the trees such that another tree is planted
in another region. However, in the case of Indonesia, the deforestation technique is to burn the forest by large
areas such that large areas of land can be cleared at once. The usage of this slash-and-burn technique to clear
the land, more notably by poor farmers, causes mass pollution for the country of Indonesia. The haze
generated by the fire is then blown by the wind over to South East Asian countries, causing an inconvenience
to the locals living there and affecting the air quality in these countries. Such acts by the Indonesians further
support the claim on how conquests by the humans are made without conscience. The Indonesians, in the
conquest to clear more land, not only contributes to the pollution, but also seriously inconveniencing the
locals in the Southeast Asian countries. Hence, their selfish methods of clearing land for development
illustrates the little conscience they have in the conquest for land for development purposes.
Even in the world of medicine, the statement is relevant. In medicine, new drugs are formulated daily in order
to battle against the many sicknesses and illnesses that cause harm to humans. However, due to the
reluctance of humans in trying out the drug for fear of adverse side effects, the scientists turn to animals. In
laboratories that deal with medicine, rats are bred, for the sole purpose of testing the drug on them. These
rats are first injected with the virus, then with the drug and kept under observation. It is only when the rat is
close to death that is it put to sleep. These animals form part of our environment, and yet are subjected to
pain and misery due to our conquest against diseases. Little thought is spared for how the animal may be
feeling during the process of being injected with the virus. Hence, in the conquest against illness and diseases,
the humans are too, without conscience and do not mind doing the species that share the planet with us,
harm.
However, as our daily activities contribute increasingly to harming the environment, we too, have been trying
to make up for our wrong doings and lessening the impact of our rash conquests. First, countries are working
together on a global scale to scale down the effects of their global emissions on a regular basis. In 2009, a
summit was held at Copenhagen and it was attended by almost every country in the world to discuss issues
regarding global emissions and what can be done by each and every country to scale down their carbon
emissions. At the summit, many countries, notably China, had each made an effort to reduce the impact of our
conquests on the environment. Such acts by the leaders of the countries of the world then demonstrates that
although pollution is not going to stop any time soon, the negative effects of pollution to the environment
have been recognised and something is being done about it. Even in the upcoming world expo that is going to
be held in Shanghai this year, exhibits of the countries are to have a ‘green’ theme to them, raising awareness
on the need to cut down pollution. Hence, there is a conscience present for the environmental damage caused
and things are being done about it.
Also, other than global efforts, even automobile companies are starting to play their part in showing their
regret in harming the Earth. More environmentally friendly cars are emerging as automobile companies try to
cut down global emissions due to their cars. These new cars, many of them hybrid cars, can run on the
conventional fuel for convenience sake and too, can run on the bio-diesel that is quoted to be
environmentally-friendly. Such acts by the giants in the automobile industry will demonstrate how the harm
caused to the environment is noted and that the owners of the automobile industry recognise that part of the
fault is theirs and something is being done about it. There is then a conscience present in these car-makers
such that they are willing to do something for the harm they have caused in their conquest.
All in all, great amount of harm is being dealt to the environment in our conquest for a more advanced and
easier life. However, this harm is being compensated for by a few environmentally-mind individuals that
actively care for the environment. These are the people, sadly to say, the minority that possess a conscience
for the various conquests made
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15. Should environment be saved at all costs?
 Several events have brought the issue of environmental conservation to the forefront
 Documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore brought the issue to the masses
 UN commissioned a study on climate change that concluded, rather worryingly, that climate change is
affecting the environment more than the wildest of projections from barely a few years ago and is set to
accelerate in the foreseeable future
 BUT with current economic crisis, voters no longer consider global warming a priority. 42% of Germans
now worry about climate change, down from 62% in 2006. Australia, 53 percent still consider it a pressing
issue, compared to 75% in 2007. Americans rank climate change dead last of 21 problems that concern
them most, according to a January Pew poll.
 2010, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, blasted climate change as a “sideshow” to global
economic issues, canceled the meeting of environment ministers that has preceded the G8 or G20 summit
for every year but one since 1994.
 Merkel slashed green-development aid, Obama cooled on his plan to cap emissions
Economic Costs
 Slower economic growth due to the need to phase out environmentally unfriendly but economically-
useful tools employed by the economy such as coal-powered power plants
 Added costs needed to increase the energy efficiency of machines and tools
 Need to treat harmful economic by-products
 Profits decrease, economic growth suffers, job losses as they become less competitive.
 Leads to social costs (crime rates, SOL, breakdown of family unit, increasing poverty)
Political cost:
 Main factor why economic preservation not widespread today
 1 In today’s mostly capitalistic world, politicians often ride into their office on a ticket sponsored by large
corporations with vested interests
 Profit-seeking firms often hope that politicians they sponsor will implement policies that allow them to
make more profits
 Bid to conserve environment by increasing operating costs certainly will not go down well with corporate
sponsors
 “You do not bite the hand that feeds you”, ruin political career
 E.g. US presidents have well-publicised links with large firms, hence hesitation in implementing policies to
save environment
 2 Green policies can be popular when they mean subsidizing renewable fuels but can quickly hit a wall
when they force lifestyle change, such as less driving
 Politicians aim to remain in office for as long as possible
 3 Preoccupied with other matters such as foreign policy. Leave such matter neglected will risk letting the
state degenerate into chaos
Is the environment really saved?

 Germany’s solar subsidies, perhaps the most wasteful green scheme on earth, produce a mere 0.25
percent of the country’s energy and cost consumers as much as $125 billion.
 November’s “climategate” affair over irregularities in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body whose findings are the basis of all climate policy. Though
a review panel has since cleared the researchers of most allegations, the lingering controversy could
further undermine the IPCC’s longstanding push for massive carbon emission reduction targets as the only
viable option to deal with global warming
Conclusion: Sir Winston Churchill “The era of procrastination is drawing to a close and in its place is a period of
consequences” … act now but ensure overall positive results
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Singapore Issues
Attitudes
Racial and religious acceptance
 2012 NTU study of 2100 citizens found that Singaporeans are now more likely to be open-
minded compared to 2007
 Probability of Chinese Singaporean or Christian accepting people of other races or religions as
teachers, neighbours, bosses, and political leaders rose from 40% to 70%
 2013 Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and OnePeople.sg study of 4131 citizens found that 60% of
the Singaporeans agreed that the country’s free from both racial and religious tensions
 However, only 2 in10 Chinese had a Malay or Indian friend, but nearly 2/3 of the minorities had
at least 1 close Chinese friend
 2012: Nanyang Polytechnic student Shimun Lai wrote on her FB and Twitter accounts that
Indians are like dogs and should have their own form of transport or in separate MRT cabins
 2012: Former NTUC staff member Amy Cheong made headlines for posting a racist comment on
Facebook on Malay weddings
 Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system ensures that political particles field multiracial
teams of candidates, ensuring minority representation and preventing candidates from making
potentially racially divisive appeals
 Straits Times senior writer Clarissa Oon writes of the prevalence of ignorance as Singaporeans do
not try to understand the cultural reasons behind racial differences, but rather tend to disregard
diversity
Civic mindedness and general society

 2012 survey of 2000 Singaporeans conducted by consultancy firms found out that ‘kiasu’,
competitive’, and ‘self-centred’ were the top 3 adjectives which Singaporeans perceived to be
associated with their society, with other top values being materialism and elitism
 2011 Gallup survey of 150000 worldwide found Singapore to be the most unhappy and
emotionless country in the world
Freedom
Artistic censorship
 Scripts of all plays have to go through the Media Development Authority (MDA) in advance, and
it has the right to ban any it views as contrary to the public interest
 2010: National Arts Council cut annual grant given to the local theatre company Wild Rice
because its productions promoted alternative lifestyles, and they were critical to the
government’s policies and satirised political leaders
Internet freedom
 New online media licensing scheme in 2013 which require News websites to post a $50000
performance bond and take down any objectionable content within 24h when ordered to
 On 6 June 2013: more than 130 Singapore-based websites took part in a 24h black out in protest
for the government’s licensing scheme for news websites
 Documentary film maker Lynn Lee: “The new regulations undermine our credibility as a
developed nation. We are not unthinking sheep who have to be told what to be read
Laws
Draconian and strict laws
 Samantha Lo sentenced to 240h of community service for sticking post-it messages onto traffic
signal buttons, such as “Press to Stop Time”, and suspicion of painting messages on roads “My
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Grandfather Road” —> Her arrest sparked 14000 people to sign an online petition calling for
leniency in laws the way she is treated
 Janice Koh: “It is almost impossible to talk about developing a culturally vibrant, creative, or
loveable city, without some tolerance for those slightly messy activities that sometimes
challenge the rules. For Singapore, it would be useful to make a distinction between this kind of
art and outright graffiti or vandalism that seeks to deliberately destroy public property for its
own sake.”
Population White Paper

 Maintaining a strong Singapore core
o Marriage and Parenthood Package
 Enables couples to get housing more easily and faster
 Support delivery charges
 Defray child-raising costs
 Enhance work-life balance measures
 Encourage fathers to play bigger role in paternity
o Regulating number of new citizens
 New citizens: taking in 15000-25000 new citizens every year
 New PRs reduced from 79000 to 30000 each year  
 Creating good opportunities for Singaporeans
o Upgrading of Singaporean workforce to PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives, and
Technicians) jobs
 By 2030, PMET jobs rise nearly 50% to 1.35M —> allow non-PMET Singaporeans to
upgrade and ensure they are treated fairly based on contribution (meritocracy)
 Open up more educational pathways to expand Continual Education and Training
o Complementary workforce of Singaporeans and foreigners
o Enable Singaporeans to enjoy good social services at moderate cost with QOL  
 Creating a high QOL environment
o Expansion of rail network by 100km to total length of 280km by 2021
o More public housings, hospitals, and care facilities
o National Research Foundation allocated 135M for R&D
Singapore population stats

 Population growth: 5.8-6M by 2020, 6.5-6.9M by 2030
 Low fertility: Low at 1.21 in 2011 —> current birth rates will cause population to shrink from
2025 onwards without any immigration
 Ageing population:
o By 2030, citizens aged 65 above will triple to be over 900000 baby boomers, more than 1/4 of
current citizen population will retire
o Life expectancy highest at 82 in 2010 from 66 in 1970
o Today: 5.9 working citizen for every citizen over 65 of age
o 2030: 2.1 working citizen instead
General Elections 2015: PAP’s landslide victory

 PAP won 83/89 seats and received 69.9% of votes  A gain of nearly 10%
since 2011 GE
 Possible reasons for PAP’s swing include:
o Mood of Singapore’s SG50 celebrations
o Passing of Singapore’s founding PM Lee Kuan Yew
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o Strong efforts by government to address people’s concerns over

immigration, housing, transport, healthcare costs, etc
o Silver Vote: Pioneer Generation Package, Medishield Life, Silver Support
Scheme
o Fear of a Freak Election: Many want a constructive, credible, and
responsible opposition in the Parliament but also wanted PAP to
continue to form the ruling government
o Improvement of PAP’s electoral strategy
o Questioning and doubtful credibility of the Workers’ Party in the
mismanagement of the Aljuinied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council
and its related integrity issues
o PM Lee’s personal popularity, boosted by active engagement with
people on social media
o Winds of uncertainty in the external environment with economic and
political problems besetting both regional neighbours and international
powers
National Day Rally Speech 2015
Housing
 Income ceiling of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats (new subsidized HDB flats) and
executive condominiums (HDB condos) raised from $10000 to $12000 and
$12000 to $14000 respectively  Meaning more Singaporeans at higher end of
households can buy these subsidized housings
 Proximity Housing Grant  Parents and married children who want to live near
each other will obtain more help
Family
 Increase of Baby Bonus scheme money and also extended to every child instead
of just the first 4 babies
 Fathers will receive more paternity leave; increased from 1 to 2 weeks
Education
 Singapore’s 5th University: Singapore Institute of Technology will run courses at
satellite campuses in the 5 polytechnics
 Government will work with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) to
strengthen the teaching of secular subjects like Maths and Sciences in
madrasahs, or Islamic religious schools
Labour
 Re-employment age raised from 65 to 67 from 2017 onwards
Singapore Budget 2015

 SkillsFuture Credit – Singaporeans 25 years old and above will receive this credit
of $500 from 2016 onwards, with further top-ups by Govt at regular intervals
o “We must become a meritocracy of skills, not a hierarchy of grades
earned early in life.” as said by Mr Tharman
 Silver Support Scheme – Bottom 20% of Singaporeans aged >65 will receive
supplement of $300-$750 every quarter of year. Citizens living in smaller flats
will receive more.
 Support for Innovation and Internationalisation These notes are shared on
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o Increased support for SMEs

o Double Tax Deduction to be extended to cover salaries incurred for
Singaporeans posted overseas
o International Growth Scheme
 Income ceiling for CPF contributions increased from $5000 to $6000  Benefit
at least 544000 CPF members
 Increased CPF contributions from employee and employer (both 1%)
 Extra CPF interest
 Waive exam fees for Singaporean students from 2015 onwards
Record of more than 28000 couples married in 2014, 8.2% increment since 2013; TFR
increased from 1.19 to 1.25 in 2014 too
 Improved ease of obtaining a public housing flat as well as the falling price
of housing encouraged more couples to get hitched.
 The government has aggressively ramped up the building of new public
housing flats and raised subsidies in the last four years.
Opening of Fusionpolis Two in One-North

 $450 million spent
 “Smart Nation” vision in the KBE for even greater economic growth towards
SG100
 The network of ASTAR’s research institutes and other public and private research
bodies at Fusionpolis, as well as the robust biomedical science expertise built up
at Biopolis are emblematic of our government’s commitment to transform
Singapore into a Knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy with strong
public and private sectors cooperation to create impactful economic and societal
outcomes for Singapore
Corruption of religion
 Nepotism (family favoritism) when City Harvest Church Pastor Hong Kee was
charged as he used church funds to fund his wife’s music career, embezzling $37
million in funds. This caused religion to be viewed in an extremely bad light,
questioning the integrity of such religious institutions which were supposedly
built on the concept of purity and divine charity.
Competition in Singapore
In today’s meritocratic workplace, there is an increase in emphasis on productivity Workplace
and efficiency as global economies engage in keen competition and when
contemporary work practices reward output and performance. Meritocracy
advocates fierce competition which pushes people to achieve the best they can,
regardless of their social class, race, or family background.
o For example, in Singapore, the Performance Based Evaluation System and
the Peformance Bonus Scheme are institutionalized to encourage employees
to realise their potential. Due to the lack of clear indicators of what ‘good’
performance is, they face tense competition at the workplace.
o While it is undeniable that a meritocratic system has been indispensable in
the rapid rise of Singapore in developing into today’s prosperous city-state,
we must also tackle the inequalities that the system fails to address. It must
understand that the concept of merit evolves with time and we should strike
a right balance of competition and use transparent yardsticks to evaluate the These notes are shared on
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performance of workers so as to reduce inequalities and unhealthy

competition if carried out too far
Competition drives the search for competitive advantage, thus producing fresh
innovative ideas and actions. It is through such innovation then our fields of
engineering, technology, and public policy then can improve. Singapore government
drives such an innovation agenda to enable companies to remain competitive and
thus not only survive but continue to prosper in this competitive globalized world.
o For example, Singapore was identified as by the Boston Consultancy Group
as the country with the most encouraging government policies to innovation
in 2009.
o Hyflux is a Singapore company that aims to develop the most cost effective
and versatile membrane systems that can be used in a wide variety of
environmental applications. In order to keep ahead of its competitors, Hyflux
keeps its knowledge base up-to-date by tapping on ongoing membrane
developments through connections and collaborations with internationally
recognized research experts, reputable universities, and renowned research
institutes worldwide.
Competition in the business arena can lead to business leaders pursuing merger and Growth
acquisitions (M&A) without sufficient planning or disproportionate amount of strategy
money for the transaction
Mergers are a mechanism used by businesses to restructure in order to compete

and prosper. Companies take a lot of risk in adopting M&A as a strategy to remain
their competitive edge as they can have a downside if conflicts rise between the 2
firms when they merge.
 SIA sold 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic to Delta Airlines in 2012 but Della paid
$360 million, only a fraction of what SIA paid for the stake in 2000. The
merger failed because of the difficulty to merge due to different corporate
culture and the alliance was not carefully worked out before sealing the
deal
M&A can lead to healthy expansion of the business firms with increase in efficiency
and opportunity to move resources to optimal use if successfully, thus leading to
long-term benefits. The preparation for a transaction requires a full analysis of the
business, assets, and human resources of the target
 Successful mergers include the Keppel Bank and Tatlee Bank: Keppel TatLee
Bank was a Singapore-based financial services organization formed through
the merger in 1998, which allowed the new entity to be competitive in the
banking sector, achieving a record 390% improvement in net profits.
The spirit of competition in the workplace has its roots in the education system, Education
largely due to the Asian education landscape. Asian schools have produced world-
leading test scores, national exams are a long-established method to identify
leaders for the community.
 The pressure to outperform competitors exists at every level of the
education system, prompting feelings of jealously, distrust, and animosity
among students
 In 2013, PM announced his intention to revamp the education system to
become more open, holistic, and less competitive as he acknowledges These notes are shared on
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concerns from Singaporeans that the PSLE has become too excessively
competitive and cause huge stress to young students
However, competition ignites motivation to boost productivity and performance.

The end goal in prestigious universities or a better life can give individuals a self-
validation to a more comfortable life. Furthermore, there are also recent changes in
the education system.
 MOE has made conscious effort to shift emphasis away from just grades
alone but also more holistic development of students. In pursuit of the
vision of “Every school is a good school, MOE has abolished secondary
school banding (no more ranking of Secondary schools), and also started
programmes like the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) to focus on
developing capacities of students in leadership via a mentorship attachment
from an adult leader
Competition to gain recognition for scientific work, research misconduct can occur, Science
resulting in severe damages to researchers’ careers, institutional costs, and cause
societal distrust in channeling focus on science and development, therefore
affecting the direction of policymaking by the government.
 Dr Melendez, former NUS professor published papers on the Nature
journals on Immunology was retracted due to irregularities identified in the
paper. The papers claimed to have made breakthroughs that would lead to
better treatments of generalized blood infections.
However, the author seems to be poorly informed regarding the prevalence of

scientific fraud as in reality, scientific fraud is relatively uncommon and happens in
less than 10% of the scientific papers published. The author’s scaremongering
tactics are intended to mislead the audience into believing that such is rampant.
In sports competitions, people only remember the results and it is very important Sports
for a sportsman to come off as being a winner. Coaches in Singapore have been
accused of pushing their young too hard or risk the termination of their
employment contracts.
 The Singaporean table-tennis squad has also been heavily criticized for their
foreign talent policy, with many perceiving such to serve the purpose of “to
win at all costs”
In the past, the Singapore Sports Council developed strategies at winning medals,
however, it has been rebranded in 2014 as “Sport Singapore” and aims to develop a
more inclusive identity to empower people to live through sport with initiatives like
“ActiveSG” to encourage all Singaporeans to sign up for sports activities and use
facilities at various ActiveSG Sports Centres islandwide.
Furthermore, the emphasis has been shifted from its original strong emphasis on
competitive sport to the new emphasis of developing healthy and resilient people
with positive attitudes.
 Dunman High School student was lauded by MOE Heng Swee Keat in 2014
for exemplifying the value of honesty when he informed the umpire that the
shuttlecock was touched by him before it went out of the court. This caused
him to lose the match but earned him the Sportsmanship Award These notes are shared on
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Stats and examples:

 24th happiest country
 14% of poorest Singaporeans have achieved upward social mobility
 13th highest quality of life
 2nd most competitive economy
 1st easiest country to do business with
1) National identity
A sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and
language
Exists: Does not exist:
 Museums and Heritage centres (total 51,  Racial riots
with 11 being history and 9 being cultural) o Little India riot on 8 December 2013
o National Museum of Singapore (1849) o 33 year old Indian construction worker
focused its collection to nation building was killed by a private bus driver
and the history of Singapore o About 300 migrant labourers from Tamil
o Learn from our ancestor’s mistakes Nadu and Bangladesh were involved in
(Racial riots in 1964 and 1969) and do the riot which lasted for around two
not commit them hours.
o 2013: 1.2 million visits o Counter: The racial riot was not caused
o Counter: However, some museums with entirely because of racial differences. It
more historical values are not popular was rather caused by injustice felt due
and visited by many. For example, to death of a fellow worker.
Reflections at Bukit Chandu saw only
44,000 visitors in 2013 and Memories at Furthermore, since independence of Singapore,
Old Ford Factory saw only 40,000 there was only another one racial riot, the
visitors in the same year. These 2 Racial Riot 1969.
museums are the ones that display post
World War 2 situations, yet it is not Continuous xenophobia and racism
frequently visited.  A count on 24 April found that there were
more than 160 housing adverts on the
 SG50 spirit – Our golden Jubilee website PropertyGuru that clearly stated
o Activities like Youth Celebrate! which that the landlord did not wish to rent to
saw 2,500 performers Indians and/or mainland Chinese.
It is much easier to step forward in progress due to the shared mindset of residents. Without a
shared identity, the united power of the population will be weakened.
 E.g. Tibetans share very different cultural beliefs and traditions with the other Chinese
nationals, thus do not wish to be incorporated into People’s Republic of China with many
protests till today
  Difficult for PRC to progress in stability
The government of Singapore has been trying to solve racial differences and increase interaction
between people of different race, for instance via the Orange Ribbon Celebrations (ORC, since
2008)
 By OnePeople.sg: Orange ribbon is a symbol of understanding, respect and trust, and
portrays shared values of respect and understanding in our community
 Orange Ribbon Run in 2013: “Race against Racism”
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2) Education system
 Compulsory Education Act –  Competitive
criminal offence if parents fail to o Average of 1 test every week in Secondary level and
enrol their children in school Pre-University level
o Parents become competitive between classmates
 Ranked 4th in the world in “Top and friends, giving children stress to work harder
20 education system poll” o Counter: Ministry of Education has stopped
 Programme for International announcing the top results and students of major
Student Assessment (PISA), examinations like PSLE since 2012
2012: 2nd in Math, 3rd in Science,  Mental stress
3rd in Reading Literacy Skills o 9.4h a week on average on homework (15years
 QS World University Ranking: old); Global average: 5h
12th (NUS) and 13th (NTU) o Lysher Loh (10) committed suicide after faring
poorly in her exams, told her domestic helper that
 School dropout rate: 1.6% (low) she did not want to reincarnate as a human being
to do more homework
 About 20% of Govt expenditure  Elitism and discrimination of people with poorer
goes into education academic results
o Extra year of schooling increases earnings by 13.7%
(2007 study by MOM)
3) Housing issues
 9 out of 10 Singaporeans own a home
 Multi-Generation Priority Scheme, Married Child Priority Scheme, Third Child Priority Scheme,
Tenants Priority Scheme, Parenthood Priority Scheme, Senior Priority Scheme
 Citizens get priority over Permanent Residents
 HDB affordability: S$ 200,000 to above S$300,000 (for 4-room flat)
 Privately developed condominium type housing > S$1,000,000
6) Defence / Security
 3.3% Govt expenditure for 2015
 Center for Strategic and International Studies: active troops ranked 62 out of 166 countries
 Crime Index for 2015 (120 countries): Singapore 2nd safest after South Korea
7) Government
 International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2010 - ranked 1st
Cost of living
 Ranked 10th out of 213 in the world and 2nd out of 19 in Asia for highest cost of living
Singapore Essays – Key arguments
How far has globalisation influenced the lives of people in your country?
Aided by our low trade barriers, high media penetration, advanced technology and well-travelled
citizens, Singapore will continue to be susceptible to the global agents of change, and thus will be
subject to the influence of globalisation in many generations to come.
1. The openness of Singapore economy invariably allows globalisation to influence its level of
economic activity
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a. Singapore has had every intention of riding this globalising wave, with crescendo
being the monumental signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the USA and India
2. While the economic aspect of globalisation has certainly served to elevate the standard of
living of every Singaporean, it has also made us vulnerable to its market shifts
a. Income gap between the rich and poor has invariably widened despite increasing
average income of SGian
b. The pulling out of the Hewlett-Packard resulted in a massive retrenchment of many
Singaporeans
3. Globalisation has also enabled us to forge stronger relations with other countries so as to
ensure that Singapore continues to maintain a strong economic and political stability in
today’s globalised world
a. Singapore has been an active member of the United Nations and ASEAN
b. Our PM frequently visits the dignitaries of other countries like USA and Brunei to
formulate and cement cooperation and partnerships
4. As a result of cultural globalisation, triggered by the inundation of foreign influence via
widespread mass media and import of foreign cultures via porous borders, Singapore has
witnessed a significant shift from its Asian traditions
a. The prevalence of American culture, such as ubiquitous McDonald’s outlets, influx of
American TV shows, etc point at Singapore society’s nonchalance and indifference
towards Americanisation
b. Our efforts to build our own cultural identity can be easily overshadowed by today’s
well-marketed foreign cultures and can detrimentally erode our own rootedness to
our homeland
5. It is an increasing trend that more alternate views from minority groups are better
propagated in Singapore today, even allowing them to have a stronger demand for
legitimacy in Singapore
a. Propagation of liberal foreign cultures influence them to adopt sometimes radical
and less conservative attitudes; Church of Scientology
6. We must recognise the fact that these globalising trends are inevitable, and globalisation has
in many ways improved our lives vastly, elevating us from our impoverished state to the
flourishing economy and stable political climate we enjoy today
To what extent are the young favoured at the expense of the elderly in Singapore?
1. As Singaporean society has evolved and become more educated, the Chinese dialects are
gradually being discarded
a. With the Speech Mandarin Campaigns, the young in Singapore are better equipped
to engage the Chinese economy, but it has also inadvertently reduced their ability to
engage the elderly
b. Many of our elderly crave human interaction, but unfortunately, there is a decay in
the number of people who understand and speak their common dialects
2. The young are the future who lie potential, energy and growth. We will rely on them when
we are old, just as how the old will rely on us now. Thus it is sensible and logical to invest
more in the young through education and training them with better skills for the future
3. However, the government has also been providing more grey services in view of our ageing
population, ensuring that the elderly in our society are given sufficient care, attention, and a
good standard of living
a. Pioneer Generation Package was specially created and heavily invested in 2015 to
commemorate the contributions our pioneers have done for our country as part of
the SG50 all-year-round celebrations
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b. Increase of healthcare support and subsidies are given to the elderly with schemes
such as MediShield
Was life for the young people in Singapore better in the past than it is today?
The young in our society are given many opportunities to achieve our goals and optimising our
fullest potential due to the encouraging environment of a system of meritocracy, high technological
penetration, stable political climate, and an expanding economy in today’s globalised world
1. Singapore’s Ministry of Education has been enhanced immensely over the decades to ensure
that all students can be stretched to maximise our fullest potential and provide a multitude
of opportunities to explore our interests as well as to broaden our horizons
2. Advanced technology and internet penetration in Singapore has enhanced our living
standards
3. Living in a prosperous nation, most Singapore youth find it easy to attain the material needs
desired
4. Our stable political climate and low crime rates reduced our need to worry about our
security and safety, allowing us to have more time for reflection and thinking
5. However, more young people are increasingly immersed in the culture of materialism and
vanity due to the explosion of popular culture as a result of foreign culture penetration
a. The degradation of values has led to the downfall of traditional family structures and
morals, generating more youth with superficial expressions of individualism and
identity
6. Most young do not understand the realistic point of view towards life and how difficult times
were for our forefathers, with many living comfortably and merely reaping the rewards of
the hard work of the previous generations
How far is your country prepared for future crises?

In today’s increasingly globalised and intertwined world, Singapore’s small geographical size and lack
of natural resources makes Singapore extremely vulnerable to the volatile global crises. In order to
survive and continue to prosper economically, we need to be constantly well prepared.
1. Increasing connectedness of the world has made our national borders porous, allowing
diseases to spread with ease due to convenient international migrations
a. SARS in 2003 and outbreak of Bird Flu
b. 3-pronged containment strategy was carried out to counteract SARS: “Detect,
Isolate, and Contain” which helped Singapore to pull through and even earned
commendation and praise from the WHO on our effective healthcare system
c. Fever scans were installed at immigration checkpoints to facilitate the detection +
frequent temperature checks in schools and government bodies
d. However, with increasing number of international threats of massive outbreak of
contagious and incurable diseases and virus like the recent EBOLA, it is important
that Singapore continues to remain vigilant and health-conscious so as to not let
such diseases turn into a crisis for us
2. The rising instability in the world due to terrorism and self-radicalisation threatens to
destabilise our country with a sense of fear and distrust
a. However, in order to face up to the crisis, Singapore has implemented heightened
security measures on flights in and out of the country and around its borders.
b. Videos warning citizens of terrorist attacks and what to do during these situations
are also actively played in the MRT stations
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c. However, the recent manipulation of the new media platforms by ISIS has led to the
radicalisation of 2 misled young individuals in Singapore. The proliferation of these
unconventional and dangerous ideas online can be difficult to contain in today’s
globalised world. Thankfully, the online activities of these 2 individuals were tracked
by governmental agencies before they dealt any harm on civilians or make their
move to join the jihadist caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
d. To ensure that our internal security remains robust and shielded from external
influence via terrorist propaganda or radical views that aim to threaten our social
fabric, it is important that citizens are constantly inculcated with the correct mind-
set. Strong cooperation between the government and citizens has to be
strengthened in face of today’s volatile security crisis, especially when spill-over
effects from neighbouring world regions can soon impact our livelihood
3. With our global exponential increase in industrialisation, urbanisation, and population rates,
it is becoming an inevitable reality soon that our overconsumption will one day outstrip the
limited natural resources Earth has, gradually precipitating into a large scale environmental
crisis.
a. Environmental challenges must be properly handled by the Singapore government,
especially when these issues can potentially be intertwined and closely related to
political conflicts between nations over basic natural resources in the near future
b. Clean water supply has always been one of Singapore’s greatest concerns, but now
it is more achievable with our green technologies and strong population awareness
in conserving our environment. With NEWater, water recycled from sewage and
waste water can be treated to become potable. More desalination plants were also
built to allow us to maximise the use of seawater for water uses, reducing our
dependence on neighbouring countries for these fundamental resources which have
become increasingly precious
4. The onslaught of globalisation also means that countries are increasingly interdependent, to
the extent that one economic crisis in one country can easily affect another, thus causing
today’s global economic landscape to be even more volatile than ever before.
a. Singapore was one of the Asian countries to be least affected by the 1997 Asian
Financial Crisis due to our strong financial reserves and flexible economy capable of
adapting to changes, diversities, and uncertainties.
b. Furthermore, our economy is developed and robust whereby the government
develops strategies and implement policies to enable us to remain highly
competitive, avoiding being overtaken by our neighbours. For example, we have
ventured into the gambling industry shown by the building of the Integrated Resorts
as well as the continual investment into the R&D sector via ASTAR and other
institutions in One-North to allow Singapore to remain competitive in the
Knowledge-based Economy
5. While Singapore has survived thus far, and undertaken robust measures to avert future
crises, what lies ahead of us still remain highly unpredictable. The world is constantly
changing and how prepared Singapore is for future crises lies in the world’s conditions
6. Singapore is less prepared against the plethora of social implications onslaught of

globalisation brought
a. Rising tensions have been observed between citizens and foreign labour in our
country, and it is important for foreigners to be better integrated into our society as
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best as possible so as to prevent social unrest that can easily devastate our country’s
stability
b. Singapore’s ageing population is yet another problem that threatens to escalate
into a national crisis if it is not nipped in the bud
i. Our prioritisation of our economy has inevitably led to a low marriage and
birth rate in our society, thus led to the rise in ageing population which can
potentially affect our economy adversely in future, creating a financial
burden for both the government and the working class
7. In face of today’s rapidly changing world with high uncertainties, Singapore can only be
vigilant. But a government with foresight and commitment in the citizens will enable us to
ride out any storm.
To what extent do young people in your society take an interest in politics?
1. It’s not so much the lack of interest in politics that is the big problem but a worrisome lack of
sophisticated political thinking as well as an absence of useful political activity that might be
the issue
a. Too many young singaporeans take the simplistic and combative approach of “Us
against Them” rather than one that is centred on consensus building and finding
practical solutions beyond just coffeeshop theorising and online moralising
2. The political acumen of Singaporean youth is limited by the shear lack of life experience
bourne from too much of a good life.
a. The youths in 1960s who turned into our founding fathers were more politically
oriented simply because the Singapore back then was one that had fresh memories
of being subjected to the humiliation of colonisation by the British and torture and
starvation under Japanese occupation.
b. The post-1965 generation has only known a prospering, well-managed, and
comfortable Singapore that did not require them to fight or stand for anything
grander than themselves
3. Our political acumen may have been dulled by a culture long entrenched with the values of
materialism and meritocracy
4. It is unfair and irresponsible for youth to simply blame the state for killing their interests in
politics for people should stand up for the choices that they make. However, one country’s
tightly controlled political environment has caused some to withhold themselves from
political activity
a. Climate of fear and tendency towards self-censorship has partly been informed by
PAP due to the harsh measures against political figures who defame them
How far can the needs of minorities be met in modern Singapore?
Intrinsic to what people refer to as ‘multicultural societies’ is the presence of minorities – enclaves of
varying sizes, defined by physiological, ethnic, religious or social differences. Since its inception,
Singapore has always been a heterogeneous society, represented primarily by the trio of races –
Chinese, Malay and Indians – a migrant population moved from abroad amidst her meteoric rise
from a fishing village to a global trade hub.
1. Racial minorities: Despite only constituting approximately 13% (Chinese 74%, Indians 9%),
Malays as a minority enjoy assorted freedoms and privileges.
a. Malay remains as the national language
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b. 152nd article of the constitution: Effectively imbues the government with the
responsibility to protect and ensure the survival of the indigenous Malay community
c. Policy for Malay education: guaranteed free education, special bursaries and
scholarships
d. However, Malays are somewhat underrepresented in politics
2. Religious minorities: Some religions are secure while others exist in a somewhat precarious
state
a.
Do the arts really play a significant part in Singaporean society?

1. With the arrival of the KBE and the emergence of the indomitable manufacturing Goliaths
like China and India, the Arts has inevitably found more of a place even in practically-minded
Singapore
a. The creative industries and the arts have been spotlighted as an area of new
economic possibility and opportunity
2. As long as the state perceives that the Arts will not only contribute to economic growth
directly but also indirectly catalase growth elsewhere, the Arts will keep being made
relevant to Singapore society
a. Making Singapore culturally attractive as other global cities is seen one of the
solutions to the issue of brain drain and another way of stimulating growth in
various economic sectors
b. Reimaging via Marina Bay Sands
c.  More companies have set up regional headquarters or hubs in Singapore in the
past decade, providing many job opportunities for Singapore
3. Moreover, the local mindsets towards the Arts have changed in our evolution from a 3rd
world to a 1st world economy in terms of purchasing power per capita and market
sophistication
a. As Singaporeans become more upwardly mobile and educated, we are more
exposed to diverse cultures and ideas, thus we have seen a decrease in prejudice
against the Arts as something only the wealthy elite can appreciate
b. Documentary Singapore Gaga: acclaimed local pianist Margaret Leng-Tan jokes
about how her performance of John Cage’s infamous avant-garde piece of 4’33’’ was
received with great derision when she first performed it in Singapore more than a
decade ago. When she performed it again years later, Singaporeans were more
appreciative of the subtext and meaning of the piece
4. As Singapore becomes more politically liberal, the Arts has grown in importance as a
vehicle for political expression and a platform for minority voices.
a. Forum theatre which was once banned for being too politically provocative has re-
emerged over the years; the Necessary Stage’s forum theatre piece “Mixed
Blessings” encouraged the audience to participate and create their own ending to
the staged controversial relationship between an Indian and Chinese
b. Local poets Alfian Sa’at and Cyril Teo have used their poems to give voice to the
tribulations of homosexuals, migrant workers, and minority races.
c. Local plays, like 251, The Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ, and
Animal Farm, have developed a more overt politically provocative tone
d. Music in Singapore may be mainstream, but some artistes like BoredPhucks and
X’Ho do try to push the political boundaries with their own brand of anti-
establishment lyrics
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What is the importance of religion in Singapore today?

1. By statistics, a vast majority of Singaporeans subscribe to a religious faith (2010: Buddhist
34%, Muslims 14%, Taoist 11%, Christian 11%, Catholic 7%, Hindu 5%, others 0.7%, and none
16%)
a. However, the mere declaration of one’s religious beliefs doesn’t really prove the
importance of religion
2. However, that religious ceremonies are celebrated and revered further reinforces the idea
that religion is practised actively and is thus seen to be important
a. Hungry Ghost Festival is an important annual event for Taoists
b. Muslim men go to the mosque for weekly Friday prayers while many Christians go to
the church on Sundays
3. Indeed, in a fast-paced world, religion provides a sense of meaning and coherence in
people’s lives, which is arguably even more important in Singapore today
a. Our pursuit for material wealth never really brings a sense of fulfilment
b. Religion helps to answer questions we may have about the reason for our
assistance, helping us make sense of our lives, something material gains can never
quite achieve
4. Religious affirmations made through religious institutions also provide a community of
support for people, thus serving as an extension of religions’ ability to provide meaning to
our lives (functioning as a social support networks)
5. One cannot overemphasise the importance in Singapore today; acknowledgement must be
given to the fact that Singapore still remains a secular state. Thus religion coexists with the
secular state, and in times of conflicts, secular values override religious ones.
a. A few female students went to school with their headscarves but were told to
remove them as the school is a secular school. Eventually, the firm resolution was
that because these educational institutions were secular, religious emblems were
not allowed to interfere with school rules.
b.  thus even if religion is important at the individual personal level, but at the
societal level, decisions made were in fact secular in nature and override religious
ones
c. Furthermore, when the state initially pushed for the building of the 2 casinos
(Integrated Resorts), despite leaders from all major 4 religious groups were greatly
opposing it, they ultimately had to defer to secular interests.
d.  Nevertheless, the state and religious groups in Singapore still are peacefully
working together with the state to create programmes to manage the perceived
spiritual and moral fall-out from gambling addiction
Appreciation of the Arts

1. School of the Arts (SOTA)
2. Annual Singapore Light festival at the Marina Bay, where over 3km of the bay is decorated
with project submissions of student artists among primary, secondary and tertiary schools.
→ Promotes collaboration as many art pieces are a combined effort by students from
different schools.
3. Singapore Art Fair – annual event exclusive Art fair that will gather galleries and artists from
the Middle East, North Africa and South & Southeast Asia → reinforces Singapore’s role to
be a cultural hub ( trend in shifting priorities in Singapore, aim to be a financial/economic
hub, tourist hub, cultural hub)
4. As part of SG50 Jubilee weekend, various museums around Singapore, heritage galleries and
visitor centres are open for free for public visits. Eg. Arts and Science museum, National
Museum, Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre. In addition, cultural and heritage
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activities are carried out at Gardens by the bay as well as Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Gardens by the Bay will create a floral depiction of Singapore’s story and an SG50 edition of
the Garden Rhapsody music and light show. Singapore Botanic Gardens will host a “people’s
variety show”, which features all the cultural performances by different races.
5. 38 museums and heritage centres in Singapore - E.g. historical art from Southeast Asia
region and international exhibitions for contemporary art such as Andy Warhol: 15 minutes
Eternal in 2012 and Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb in 2013. These capture Singapore’s rich
history despite being a young country.
6. The preservation of key historical places like Fort Canning and the Peranakan Museum show
how Singapore seeks to preserve our history, as an important part of our culture and joint
identity.
Bukit Brown Conservation vs Urban Redevelopment

 233ha, largest Chinese cemetery outside of China and now closed
 In 1970s, the cemetery faced threat of being cleared for redevelopment but was eventually
granted reprieve
 However, in 2012, it was announced that 3746 out of 100000 graves will make way for a new
4-lane road cutting through the cemetery, with the road planned to be completed by 2017
 Conservation groups like SOS Bukit Brown and All Things Bukit Brown have come together to
fight to preserve the cemetery, and was even included in the 2014 World Monuments Watch
list
 Some Singaporeans even proposed that it could be the 2nd UNESCO World Heritage site
 The government still remains resolute that such urban redevelopments are necessary as
planning for the long term in the land-scarce Singapore requires us to make difficult trade-off
decisions. With our current high population density, to accommodate any further growth, the
government has to make the trade-off to allow our further progress
 However, some felt that conservation and progress should not be opposing ideas. For
Singapore to progress and develop, we need physical reminders of our history which have
more value than our history books in teaching Singaporeans about our past.
Singapore Botanic Gardens – UNESCO World Heritage Site

 156-year old; valued for having 2 outstanding universal qualities – role in the rubber trade
which transformed the region in 1900s and its unique tropical colonial gardens landscape
 It was said that it is rare for such a small country like Singapore to have an inscribed World
Heritage Site. It is worthy of celebrations for the diversity and heritage that has made
Singapore and a place like the Botanic Gardens possible
Arts combined with technology or structures with functions and design

1. Terminal 3 Changi Airport boasts an artistic natural daylight function in its roof design where
roof structures mimics the nature of a sunflower which angles its reflective panels to follow
the sun motion, which allows for soft ambiance lighting while keeping the tropical heat out,
vastly reducing electricity and environmental costs due to less lighting and air conditioning
required.
2. T3: 3 storey vertical garden – “green wall” alongside with 4 cascading waterfalls offers an
artistic treat for users in the departure hall
3. Mural art in MRT stations islandwide depict events or historical people, displayed along walls
or pillars, revealing a new perspective of Singapore in our everyday transit areas.
4. HDB flats are experimentally being used as art areas, with paintings being done by artists on
pillars of the void decks, depicting historical areas in Singapore. This creates a more vibrant
living environment for Singaporeans.
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Language
1. Language in Singapore is a big part of our culture, with our unique mix of dialects and slang
words that we so affectionately term as “Singlish”, a language with its own unique set of
grammatical constraints that is now known all around the world as a delightfully simple and
concise language.
a. However, in April 2000, the government launched the “Speak Good English
movement”, in a bid to teach Singaporeans to speak proper English, which is
understandable around the world instead of Singlish, to maintain a competitive edge
globally in communicating with other countries.
2. Bilingualism is a large part of Singapore’s culture, with children being required to learn at
least two language, English and their mother tongue in school. Third language courses are
also available for students should they be interested, allowing students to have the
necessary ability to converse internationally.
Food
1. Food is undeniably a big part of our culture, forming our culinary heritage and connecting us
as a topic we all love to talk and taste.
a. The prevalence of hawker centres holds a large part of our culture, where people
practice “chope-ing” in reserving seats with tissue papers, the smell of food
pervading one’s clothes and the air, and the variety of cuisines, Singapore and
otherwise, in the many stalls in each hawker centre, proving to be a unique aspect of
Singapore’s culture.
Sports
Foreigners controversy in sports
1. There are arguments that our sportsmen and women who achieve medals in games
internationally include foreigners who became residents, making it questionable as to
whether Singapore really did win those medals with our own merit.
a. Examples of such people include Feng TianWei, Singaporean paddler in Table Tennis.
b. The foreign talents sports scheme is extremely controversial as talents in sports are
scouted from other countries, making it harder for local talents to compete for the
country as their position becomes overshadowed by foreign talents.
Pride through sports as a national bond

1. Sports can instill a sense of national belonging and identity, bringing people together
a. In the SEA games of 2015, when the sound system broke down, Singaporeans in the
spectator stands rose and loudly sang the national anthem for the Singaporean gold
medallist, a serene and proud moment displaying our sense of belonging and pride
for our country.
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Present and escalating levels of economic globalisation has amplified exploitative

 Technology agglomerates like Google, Facebook and Uber have extended

As a result of political globalisation, there is an increasing acceptance of progressive values that

It becomes increasingly necessary for countries to cooperate in monitoring the movements of

4. Rapid scientific and technological innovation

Technological innovation can be directed towards finding solutions to Environment

Modernity, globalisation, and the heightened expectations of an increased Transport;

Technological innovations have induced scientists and the public to normalise

Advances in technology have been capitalised by various profit-driven industries

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5. Influence of mass media (and new media)

Regrettably, the initial gains to human happiness provided by new media’s

The proliferation of new media empowers masses to undertake political revolutions,

Globalisation of media and increased connectivity of deepening networks and

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6. Security challenges, political extremism and terrorism

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Increasing collaboration between governments in the international community to work on

8. Expansion of religious practices and beliefs

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10. Income disparity

11. Social disruptions (dysfunctional families)

12. Health problems (includes obesity, hunger, epidemics)

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13. Economic crises (financial crises and meltdowns)

14. Human rights

Society’s ongoing emphasis on human rights necessitates caution by governments in the

15. Role of state

c. Security – Internal and external threats

e. Moral and ethical direction/compass

f. Encouraging civic and public participation

g. Provision of basic needs and public amenities

h. Human rights issues

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However, wars waged without thorough thinking of the long-term conseque3nces

16. My society/country – Singapore

Educational institutions helped to inculcate values and practices of environmental sustainability as

d. Multi-racial and multi-cultural

e. High cost of living

g. Highly educated population

h. High connectivity and accessibility

Does tragedy always unite a nation?

o Meanwhile, Sunni-dominated opposition (against the government) has attracted

India rape problem

USA’s gun violence and mass shooting

9/11 and Boston marathon shooting

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Can we ever be prepared for crises?

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Globalisation depends on the following for increase of positivity trends:

2. Cooperation and collaboration

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Globalisation and Culture

A. Influence of US corporations on local mores

C. Reaffirmation of Local Culture

D. Cultural Impacts of Globalisation

The Canadian Magazine Dispute

Globalisation vs Asian Values

Western Values and Islam

Globalisation and Technology