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

I believe that it is more important to be a good person rather than to perform good acts. A good person values things in their life whether it is their family, education etc. They do not hide who they are behind acts of kindness. For example, in our current society we see many athletes perform good acts such as working with charity ventures, starting programs and giving back to their communities. However, history has shown that just because they manage to perform good acts doesn’t mean they are necessarily good people. Ray Rice in particular is a good example of this. He started a charitable fund in his name but behind closed doors, he managed to knock out his girlfriend in an elevator and drag her body out of the setting. He got caught, proving that people can put on an act in public and perform good deeds to uphold their status. Based on this conclusion and the information in this module the concept of virtue ethics, I believe is more important than action ethics. We need to start with “what we should be” rather than “what we should do.”

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

I believe that both non-human animals and humans, experience just as much pleasure and pain as the other. It has been said that non-human animals don’t experience any emotion and that they don’t understand how to react in situations that are appropriate. However, I disagree with this statement. I have a dog named Bailey and though she isn’t the brightest dog out there she is still able to feel and love. My father travels a lot for work, so when he packs his suitcase she will lay by his side and follow him all over the house, knowing that he will be gone soon. When he eventually comes home and she hears that garage door open she has a routine. She will scramble to her bed, grab her bone, run to the front door while shaking her tail and whimpering with her nose placed in between the crack of the door. She may not be human but she feels pleasure and happiness just as a spouse would seeing their significant other when they come into the door.

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

In response to this question I believe that my life is equally valuable to all walks of life, except those who choose to make decisions that are morally wrong, such as criminals. According to John Locke no one is ever born evil or innately good. We are born on a clean slate. Everyone has a choice of whether they want to be a good person or not. Therefore, I would say my life is worth the same as those who make good choices and are genuinely good people. For example, I believe that If someone murders another person, that murderer doesn’t deserve to live. Their life is not as valuable as the people who are good and making something of themselves. It may sound crude but I believe that that’s the truth. In relation to the concept of Distributive Justice, these criminal’s actions lead the consequences of being placed in jail or even the death penalty. People have a choice and if their choice is to perform acts that are morally wrong then I believe in that situation my life is worth more.