Question 1: I believe it is better to be a good person. If a person is a good person, then they will always act with good intentions, but if a person is a not a good person, then when they commit good actions they’re likely doing it for personal gain. The type of person that acts only selfishly is unreliable and I believe their actions are not actually good actions because they are self-serving. I believe the impact of their actions may be good, but the action itself is not. I believe all people should strive to be virtuous and not selfish because it is better for society, which in turn is better for the individual.

Question 2: I do believe the ends can often justify the means. I believe we should all live with the intentions of maximizing utility for all people and this means some people will have to do things and give up things that they don’t want. This may be money or time or a host of other things, but the only way for man kind to truly be at peace is for all of us to take care of everyone. When we think of it in terms of the following: we can kill a perfectly healthy man and harvest his organs to save 5 lives that will die without it, this point of view becomes difficult. I do not believe we can make this man give up his life, nor could we fault him if he did not, but I believe he should do this action for these people. In general philosophy, this point of view is called consequentialism, but this view often falls short in that we are humans and in the moment we make decisions we often do not have the knowledge to know if the ends will actually justify the means.

Question 5: Though I do not believe animals’ pleasure and pain is of the same magnitude as humans, I do not believe it is of no magnitude. Nature often describes that those able to survive survive at the cost of those that are not able to survive. Humans are no exception to this rule. Humans experiment on animals to discover new medications. This is obviously without the animal’s consent, but it is necessary for the survival and progression of the human race. That being said, when we experiment on animals, they should be kept in the most comfortable environment possible. We have the privilege of being able to use these “lesser beings,” so we should treat them with the most respect we can. I believe we should treat everything and everyone we have the privilege of experiencing with the most possible respect. Everything we experience has made us who we are; regardless of the painful or the beneficial impact this experience has had on a life, the experience was a opportunity to not only experience, but build oneself into a better person.