1. Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)

It is definitely more important to perform good acts than to be a good person for many reasons. If a person is someone who is seen as good, they normally have good thoughts. Their opinions are seen as good in the eyes of those in their society or culture. While having good opinions and views contribute to being a good person, it does not make a person better than one who performs good acts. If someone performs good acts it usually means that also have good view points that go along with the actions. These type of people walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. They are out changing the world instead of just sitting around thinking about how they could change the world. Some people might say that if someone that performs only one good act that it does not automatically makes them a good person. That may be true. The said person could be absolutely awful in all aspects of their life in terms of actions and opinions. Yet, in my eyes, they are still better than the “good person” who sits around and thinks about doing good deeds rather than taking action.

5. Do the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain of humans (speciesism)?

While I love animals, I do not think that their pain or pleasure matters as much as a human’s matters. Animals are so much more to this world than something to look at. They provide balance in the world. They provide companionship to people as pets. While I do not condone animal abuse or purposefully hunting majestic animals for a sport, I do not think that their pleasure or pain matters as much as humans. Humans have a whole different world than animals, obviously. Humans contribute to society in many different ways, where as animals do not. Humans do many different things that support other human and animal life. While animals do support human life, through consumption and using them for companionship, traveling, farming, and many more uses, they have to be killed or put to work in order to do these things. The uses we need animals for is illegal to do to humans in any way shape or form.

6. Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less (selfishness vs. altruism)?

I do believe that my life is worth more or the same as others. In terms of how my life means more than some others, I’m comparing my life to the life of those in prison for committing terrible crimes. I do believe that if someone murders, rapes or abuses another human being or animal, that their life is worth less than my own. Their contribution to society is horrible and it should not even be counted as a contribution. It does not matter what this person did in their life up until the point of the crime, I stand by my beliefs. When I compare myself to other people, I see my life as containing the same worth as theirs. I believe that my life is not worth more nor less than anyone else in society. While some people are influential on a greater scale than me, they do not deserve life anymore than the next person. We all deserve life equally. Even if I do not have a great impact on the entire world, I still can have an impact in my community in the profession I wish to go into.