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

I have always lived by the adage, speak softly, but carry a big stick. This was a term often repeated in my home growing up. We were encouraged to always “Walk the walk” and to never “Talk the talk”. That being said, I believe that performing good acts will always be more important than just being a good person. You can be a good person by all traditional sense and meaning, and still leave no indelible impression on those around you or the place you live (perhaps other than being remembered as a nice guy). Talking and wishing for good acts may sound pleasing, but no good will truly be made tangible from hollow words and thin air,  Performing good acts, on the other hand, is a strong outward expressed manifestation of who you are. By all traditional sense, an evil man will not perform good acts, so it is no large stretch of the imagination to say that those who perform good acts, are good people. Good acts make an indelible impression on where you live, who you are and how you are seen. This is why I believe so strongly that performing good acts will always be more important than just being a good person.

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

My answer to this question is, yes. They matter for both sakes. I truly do not believe that you can ascertain their importance by examining only one focus of ethics. Ecosystems and humanity are both so intricately intertwined and symbiotic that you can not affect one without invariably effecting the other. Ecosystems matter for their own sake because we depend so heavily upon them. For their resources, protection and global benefit. Every part of any ecosystem has a significant role that can affect all other parts, as humans, we are part of that system and need to realize the potential effects of manipulating the system. It is also true that as a species, Humans have the ability to manipulate resources and ecosystems in a way that further benefits our species. We often manipulate and destroy ecosystems in the pursuit for resources. We need the resources they offer, but we need to be aware of our place within the system and work within the abilities and tolerances of any given system, minimizing any impact we may make.

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

This question has caused me so much grief and self doubt. Initially I believed my own life held the same amount of worth as anyone else. Biologically, this made sense to me. In the scope of that type of thinking, everything seemed relatively black and white. But, the more I thought about the true worth of my life and those lives that depend on me or are emotionally attached to me, or the places I work to improve, or the people I teach my values to, my value seemed to increase exponentially. This led me on a path to evaluate the worth of others. Does the homeless drug addict have the same worth? Does the death row inmate have the same worth? What impressions or positive benefits could their lives possibly have? In that light, I am know beginning to value my life as having more worth than some. I do god acts, and therefore am a good person. I am important to many people and causes. It makes me ashamed to write that. Although my feelings sway in that direction, I am still reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis, reminding me that we can not truly judge the value of any individual at any given moment but rather only reflect at the end of their time.

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which,if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship…”

Ben