- Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)?
This question takes into consideration virtue ethics and action ethics. The differences between these two ethical categories are what we should be and what we should do. The virtue ethical properties pertain to the thing we care about; whereas the action ethical property describes the actions we take regarding the virtual ethics. An example provided within this weeks reading; is it more important to be someone who care about the environment, or someone who takes action to help the environment. I think that virtue and action ethics are intertwined; in a perfect world people take care about the environment should and usually do take action.
- Do the ends justify the means (ends ethics vs. means ethics)?
The core question with in action ethics is whether the ends justify the means. To determine if the action meets the means is the importance of action itself, or the consequences of the action. In order to make this discuss is to apply justice ethics, which consist of two major principles: one (1) distributive and two (2) procedural. Distributive justice focuses on the consequences of our actions. While procedural ethics focuses on which actions that are opposed to the consequences of the actions.
- Do ecosystems matter for their own sake, or do they only matter to the extent that they impact humans (ecocentric ethics vs. anthropocentric ethics)?
Anthropocentrism and ecocentrism essentially focuses on the view that humans are ultimately important and the ecosystem is ultimately important respectively. These two types of ethics are very important to understand sustainability. In order to fully understand sustainability we must understand the other ethical concepts described in the blog and in this weeks reading, Sustainability will have a different definition depending on an individual ethical viewpoint. My definition on sustainability is for current generation to leave the world in better shape than the way we found it.
Hey Joseph,
While I totally agree that virtue and action ethics are intertwined, do you think one stands out slightly more? It’s a difficult question because it covers so much grey areas, but maybe consider in your own life which ethical approach you have noticed yourself taking more. As far as your third question, do you have any ideas of how we could leave the world in a better shape than it is today? I think it is important to balance both ecocentric approaches and anthropocentric approaches in order to leave the world both better infrastructure, and ecosystems.
Hannah
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/02/03/43422/