- Is it more important to be a good person or preform good acts?
I think these two concepts, virtue ethics; what we should be, and action ethics; what we should do, go hand in hand. However, I feel that it is more important to preform good acts. The quote, “actions speak louder than words” is in a way supportive of this. Anyone can say they are a good person, but until they actively go out into society and show that they are a good person, being a good person is not important. Therefore the people that do not necessarily come out and say that they are a good person but are constantly volunteering in the community, or helping others every chance they get are known as good people. So in order to be good a person has to do good.
3. Does the process of how decisions are made matter more than the outcomes of these decisions?
Distributive justice is described as the emphasis on the consequences of decisions across a population, while Procedural justice is described as focussing on how these decisions were made. I personally feel that how the decision was made out weighs the distributive justice. If a person or group of people have to make a major decision and while trying to make that decision they consider their options and the consequences of their options before they make it then they are doing their best to make the best decision with as little negative effects as possible. If there is some how an effect that was unforeseen then they should be able to be forgiven. However, if someone makes a decision without consulting others, or considering the effects then they should be held responsible for any negative consequences to come. Again the ideas of distributive and procedural justice go together, but the procedural matters more than the distributive.
6. Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less?
Altruism and selfishness are at the heart of this question. However, I feel that this is a tough question to answer. In reality my life is just as important as every other life on this planet. Different situations bring out different responses. For example, my boss’s granddaughter who is three years old is at the end of her battle with cancer. She is the sweetest and happiest little girl I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and if there was anyway I could switch places with her I would. Not because I want to die, but because she deserves to grow up and live a life just like every other child does. In that case I would consider my life to be less important than hers. I do not think my life has ever been or will ever be more important than someone else’s though. I think everyone is here for a reason and those reasons are equally as important. Therefore, I think I’m more of an altruistic person and believe in selflessness versus selfishness.
Hi Katie! I really like your response to number 6. I think that is such an applicable example to this question and I also think that is important to be altruistic ), but I also think that a little bit of selfishness is important (a link to my post https://wp.me/p3RCAy-bgz). Unlike Bryan, however, I agree with your response to number 1. I think that actions DO speak louder than words, but being a good person at heart is also very important, especially alongside good deeds.
Hi Katie here is a link to my blog post: https://wp.me/p3RCAy-bgd. Although I disagree with your stance on #1, I like how you bring up that actions speak louder than words. I wouldn’t say being a good person is fully described in words, and there is much more to being a good person than saying that you are. Also I thought your response to #6 was interesting and in that scenario you gave about you boss’s daughter I think i would do the same.