1) Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts?

I truly believe it is more important to perform good acts rather than be a good person. Performing a good act can have a greater impact on bettering society as a whole. Everyone can practice virtue ethics and have good values and beliefs, but without taking action with them, that person is not making much of a difference. For example, a person can talk themselves up and explain how kind and respectful they are, but how are those words going to make a difference in someone else’s life? They aren’t. I also believe that performing a good act means that a person must have some good in them already and their actions can have a positive impact on others. In my perspective, seeing others do good acts motivates me to also want to do something good for society. If others feel the same way then we can build a chain of goodness, which could have an enormous impact on society. Being a good person is one thing, but actually taking action is a power leap in making our world a better place.

4) Do ecosystems matter for their own sake, or do they only matter to the extent that they impact humans?

I believe that ecosystems matter for both their own sake and the sake of humans. Humans are constantly interacting with the ecosystem and without the ecosystem we could not function. I believe that the ecosystem is more important because we need it in order to survive. It provides resources for us in order to build houses, makes clothes, and provide us with food. So yes, the ecosystem is hugely beneficial to human life. It is also important for humans to preserve and protect the ecosystem. If we don’t, human lives can be affected due to poor conditions of the ecosystems, such as global warming, pollution, or too much carbon dioxide in the air. These are very serious issues that begin to make people worry. I agree with the reading that we should manage the cutting down of trees and control the killing of animals. I understand that it is necessary to have these things, but only to a certain extent. Both ecocentric ethics and anthropocentric ethics are very important in everyday life, and they go hand in hand in order to make our world go round.

6) Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less?

I believe I see myself as more of an altruistic person. My family and friends are the most important people in my life, and I would do absolutely anything for them whether it be donate an organ or bail them out of jail. I am more afraid of something happening to my family than myself. Helping others is what I’m good at and what I do in my everyday life, but I can also be selfish sometimes too. I think I’m aloud to be selfish and it’s a normal thing for people to be. I’m selfish in the way that I put my dreams and goals before others. There is a certain future I see for myself and there is no way I’m going to get there unless I am selfish and put myself before others. I want to strive to have greatness in my life and in order to do that I cannot have others holding me back. I have a pretty good balance between being an altruistic and selfish person. I would say I see my own life being worth just the same as others, and I am okay with that. As much as I want the best for me, I also want the best for others as well.