Module 3: Ethics

1) Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)? I think that performing good acts (action ethics) is more important than being a good person (virtue ethics). If you’re a good person, you may feel empathy for others, have less harsh judgements towards others, or think better about situations, but if you’re not going to do anything about it, then it won’t make a difference. You won’t make a difference. I do believe that actions mean more than words in every way. You can say that you believe something or that you will do something over and over again for someone, but if you never do it, then how does anyone know that you really mean it? You can only truly show people how you feel and what you mean if you perform good acts that reflect how you feel. Performing good acts will be remembered longer than just being a good person. While this may not always be important, I do believe that acts have a greater impact than just virtues.

4) Do ecosystems matter for their own sake, or do they only matter to the extent that they impact humans (ecocentric ethics vs. anthropocentric ethics)? I believe that ecosystems matter for both their own sake and for the impact that they have on humans. If ecosystems are destroyed, everything inside the ecosystem, including the plants and animals, will also be destroyed. Even with a decrease in the amount of food or animals or the slightest change to an ecosystem can cause a total crash. When ecosystems are damaged, humans suffer as well. Ecosystems provide food, shelter, and even recreational activities for humans too. Although humans are impacted by the health of an ecosystem, I think that ecosystems matter for their own sake more. A single ecosystem is home to tons of animals, so of course their impact is larger than only to humans. The extent that they impact humans is definitely important, but not nearly as much as they matter for their own sake. They impact the organisms that live in the ecosystem far more than they impact humans.

6) Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less (selfishness vs. altruism)? I think that my life is worth the same as other people’s lives, although I do think that children have lives more worthy than adults. I don’t think your life is worthy based on who you know or what you know. Your life is not worth more if you have more money or if you’re famous. Children have an entire life ahead of them. Children are full of innocence, so I believe that their lives are worth more than mine. I believe that children practice altruism more frequently than selfishness and more frequently than adults do. They may not always know right from wrong, but they do what makes them happy, in a selfless way. For this reason, I think their lives are worth more than mine. They may not have the money, skills, or education that adults do, but they do what they do for the good of other people, even if they don’t always notice it. Their innocence is something that most people will not have their entire life because of what they know, what they’ve experienced, or what they’ve done. That makes a life more worthy to me.

 

2 thoughts on “Module 3: Ethics

  1. Hi Sarah! I answered the same questions as you and to my surprise, I agree with a lot of what you said! I like how you said that good acts will be remembered in the future, however I also don’t think that good people are always the people to do good acts. Secondly, I absolutely love your answer to #6. I am a future teacher and I think that kids lives are so important. I really really enjoyed how you incorporated that into your post.
    -Caitlyn Ramirez: check out my blog post here!
    http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/02/03/ethics-views-caitlyn-ramirez-module-3/

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