#1. Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)?
I think it is more important to perform good acts (virtue ethics) than to be a good person. Those who perform good acts generally do so because they want to make a difference. For example, an onlooker might observe a man holding open a door for an elderly woman as she walks through. The onlooker may come to a conclusion the man is nice because he performed a good act. Good acts give people the power to make a difference in the community and environment. By performing good acts, a sense of positivity is shared by everyone involved. The person committing the act feels good about themselves, and the receiver of the action may feel thankful. In some cases, a good person can perform a bad act. Let’s say a good person is late for work and they get into an accident. Instead of stopping, they drive off feeling overwhelmed. The person may be good, but their actions do not reflect it. Many people claim actions speak louder than words. Performing good acts show the goodness of someone. Claiming to be a good person without showing it is difficult to believe. As a result, good acts both help society and the person performing them.
#3. Does the process by which decisions are made matter more than the outcomes of these decisions (procedural justice vs. distributive justice)?
I believe the decision-making process matters more than the outcome (procedural justice). The process is vital in creating a sense of unity among a group of people. Giving people the chance to express their opinions can make them feel as if they made a contribution to the process (democracy). Those who take part in the process might be open to listening to the opinions of others as well. Contrasting opinions can help people to see the benefit of another solution or how they can improve their own idea. Additionally, the decision-making process can be used to brainstorm new ideas. People can bounce ideas off of one another or try to figure out a new way to solve the problem. In some cases, the outcome is more important than the process. If the decision is bad or does not reflect the group’s opinion, then the process does not matter. Somewhere along the line, the process got messed up. Overall, the decision-making process matters more because it allows for brainstorming, debating, and a sense of unity.
#6. Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less (selfishness vs. altruism)?
I believe my life is worth the same as the lives of others. Every human being on the planet is unique in what they bring to our world. My ideas, lifestyle choices and traits are specific to my life. They are not better than the traits and lifestyles choices of another person. What I do with my life is just as important as what my neighbor does with his own. In some situations, my life might be more important than the lives of others (selfishness). My life would hold more importance in comparison to the life of a terrorist or criminal. They have lived their lives in a negative way which has hurt others. They have ruined their chance at making a difference in the world while I still have the freedom to do so. On the other hand, my life is less important than the life of a small child or baby (altruism). When it comes down to it, babies are the only way we can carry on our genes. They need to stay alive long enough to reproduce, and to have a chance at creating a life for themselves. Despite these specific cases, I believe my life is worth the same as others. All humans are equal, so there is no reason why my life is not equal to the life of another person.
Hi Amanda. I really enjoyed reading your post, and I found that your response to Question 6 was very similar to my own. I agree that you cannot deem someone else’s life as more important than you own. We agreed on the idea that a little child is worth somewhat more than ours. I found it interesting how you talked about those who have done something negative with their lives. I had not given that much thought until I read your post. But for the most part, we both agreed that all human life is equal.
You can read what I thought about below.
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/30/module-3-my-ethic-views/
Hey Amanda, my name is Caren Levin. Feel free to check out my blog:
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/29/ethics-discussion-module-3-2/
I found your answer to question 1 really interesting. I talked about in my blog how I believe good people are more important than performing good acts because it all depends on the intentions and reasons for doing something. For instance, what if somebody is doing something just do benefit themselves and not for the good of the people? However, I really liked how you wrote “actions speak louder than words”. This is a phrase that so many people are taught and it is true most of the time. I didn’t answer question 3, but I do agree with you that the process on making a decision is more important than the outcome. Lastly for number 6, we wrote a similar answer dealing with the importance of all lives. I really liked your idea about how babies are important because they pass on our genes, I never thought about children like that before.
Hi Caren! I didn’t really put my thought into the intention of the action! I guess I made the harsh assumption that if the act is good then the intention must be good as well. Thanks for bringing that issue to light for me!