2. Do the ends justify the means (ends ethics vs. means ethics)?

Based on the question “Do the ends justify the means”, I would have to say that the ends do not always justify the means.  I believe that the means are more important than the ends in many cases.  I would even go as far to say that the process of reaching the end is more important than the actual goal or end itself.  For example, when one receives their college degree, it is not the actual degree that matters, but it is the journey that they took to reach that degree.  When someone cuts down a tree, there are several factors that people ignore.  Trees not only capture CO₂ from the air to make oxygen, but they provide homes for various insects and animals as well as food for organisms.  But, once you cut it down, it can only be sued as a wood or paper product once.  There are cases in which the ends are necessary, but in many situations it matters greatly on the path to that end.  In very serious cases, such as life or death, the end definitely does outweigh the means.  But, in most everyday cases, it is the path to the end that matters.  Experience, such as in a job or school, comes from the means of being in school and learning.  While the end goal is what you strive for, getting there, through the friends and knowledge you gain, is just as important.  Burning bridges just to reach your own personal goal is not benefiting yourself.

4. Do ecosystems matter for their own sake, or do they only matter to the extent that they impact humans (ecocentric ethics vs. anthropocentric ethics)?

I believe that ecosystems matter for their own sake, and that humans should do their best to maintain those ecosystems.  This favors the ecocentric way of thinking.  For me, the idea that “Just because you can does not mean you should” stands strong with this question.  While humans possess the ability to dramatically change the ecosystems around them, as seen through places like New York City or even your local town ,that does not always mean that they should.  Many of the animals that lived in those ecosystems originally are now displaced or have died because their homes have been destroyed.  We can carve earth and water like no other force on the planet.  But, sometimes it is too much.  I understand that humans require many materials and natural resources because we as a modern society are always advancing, but this means that our inhabitance with the ecosystems around us should also.  If we as a species were to treat ecosystems as only places of resources, then we would deplete the Earth very quickly until it was irreversible.  There is a balance that must be reached with ecosystems that we as a society have deviated from in past years.  The longer we maintain ecosystems around us at peak levels, the longer we will be able to benefit from them.  Cutting down a forest all at once will make many houses indeed, but then there are no more trees,  Instead, cutting a few down at a time and then planting more will give us trees for many other houses.

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

Based off Question 6, I would say that my life is worth the same as others.  This side more with the altruism side of the question.  As members of the same species as well as a global society, it is difficult to say that anyone is worth more than anyone else.  We all have something unique in ourselves that no one else does.  Whether that be a love for mathematics or the ability to speak multiple languages, everyone is different.  I think that every individual, regardless of situation or past, has potential.  In my eyes, there is always a chance to be great, no matter where you came from or what you have done. The world is based off of small accomplishments that have made big impacts.  The next great physicist or artist can come from anywhere.  It might be me, you, or the person next-door to you.  As a result, I find it impossible to say that I am worth more than someone else, and vice versa.  I would have to say though with the topic of potential, that in most cases, I would prioritize the young over the old or myself.  I feel that the young, not to say that the older do not, have a higher potential than those who have already existed.  When people say that the young is the future, I agree, because the next person to chance the world will most likely be one of the children.