Question 1.

I believe that it is more important to do good acts rather than be a good person. Without good acts, then there is no progress being made in the world for the better. There are ‘good’ people out in the world, but would rather remain silent rather than acting. I think that we all like to consider ourselves a good person. But who has felt like a good person as many of us, myself included, have walked passed homeless on the street without donating any money? I know that I have never liked a good person after these encounters in life. But whenever I am able to take the time out of my day, or money from my pocket in this case, I always feel better about myself knowing that I was able to help make a difference in the world no matter how small. This is why action ethics is more important than virtue ethics. By being a good person does not always make a difference in the world, but doing good acts will always make a difference.

Question 4

I believe that ecosystems matter for their own sake and not that they only matter for the sake of humans. I believe that they matter for their own for the fact that they are complex systems that have hierarchies of life within themselves. They do not just support one species of animals, but millions upon millions of different species. Every life matters in an ecosystem. When a plant or animal dies, it is because it is serving a purpose for predators to eat, or for bacteria and other microorganisms. If it was not for these, human life would not be possible at all. I believe that humans always take the anthropocentric view when it comes to this matter. Most mainstream media do not concern themselves with the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, or overfishing only unless it affects the human race, whether it be global warming, food shortages, or droughts. This is why I believe that ecosystems matter for their own sake because they are able to support all types of life that do not include humans.

Question 5

Does the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain as humans? For me, the obvious answer is yes. As much as I would like this to be true across the globe for everyone, this certainly is not the case. There are cases each year where animals in organizations such as circuses and SeaWorld that violate the animal welfare act. The animals in these establishments are often beaten, starved, and confined in small cages so that they may perform their acts on a day to day basis. By seeing pictures of the environment these animals are in, you can not even imagine what kind of life that would be. However, a lot of these practices get swept under the rug across the world for the simple fact that they are “animals” and not humans. I have always been a firm believer in equal treatment of animals. Us humans, given our superior intellect, have a responsibility to help protect all living creatures, whether human or non-human.