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

I think this question is one of the hardest questions among all but if I have to answer, I think it is more important to perform good acts rather than to be a good person. We all know that being a good person and performing good acts demonstrates a strong positive correlation. However, how will someone know that you are a good person if you don’t act it out or show it? In my perspective, in order to perform a good act, one needs to hold the characteristics, values and beliefs of what a good person has. A good action occurs from a good person. If we think deeply, there are good people around the world, whose actions aren’t good at all. In our social norm, actions have far more direct impact than rather being who you are. That’s one reason why in our world, we have laws and punishments. Moreover, for example, one of my friend back in high school believed she was a good person. However, her actions did not help her to be viewed as a good person. If one does not reflect who they are, it is hard to view them as who they are. For all these reasons, I believe it is more crucial to perform good acts than to be a good person.

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

Speciesism which is the view that some species are more ethically important that others as explained in the module, is a concept that grabs my full attention. As a animal lover and an owner of a pet, I do believe the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matters. However, I can’t say their feelings matter as much as us, the humans, because of my diet. I was very confused how to answer this question but since I do love eating meats, drinking milk, eating bacon and all, I couldn’t say they matter as much as us, because it does not reflect who I am. However, that does not and will never mean that we are allowed to hurt them except for our survival. The food chain goes around in circle. The predator will eat their food source no matter what happens and that wouldn’t change. With that being said, I disagree that we are allowed to harm animals unless it directly leads to human survival.

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

I think this was the hardest question among all 6 questions because it holds the matter of life. I wouldn’t want to answer this but if I do, I think my own life is worth the same as anyone else, no more or no less. In my religious (Christian) belief, I think we are all created equally to others. No people could be more important than others because of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, intelligence, or other factors. We all are unique human being, holding different perspective and beliefs. No one can judge or decide who are better than anyone else. However even if I do believe we are all important and worthy, we will encounter certain circumstances that will change my mind. For example, if there is a situation to save a serial killer and normal citizen, I would hold the hand of the normal citizen without a doubt. These people who destroy someone else’s lives or act upon a negative thoughts, must be punished for what they have done.