Module: Ethics

1: Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts?

I personally believe that it is more important to perform good acts than to just be a good person. If you are a good person or say you are, then that doesn’t help at all. Good people are supposed to protect the environment or help people who are not as fortunate as most people. I believe that most people would have more respect for someone who helps a person in need rather than someone who believes that they should help a person. It is better to donate to charity or volunteer at a soup kitchen than to believe that it would be a good idea to do it.  I am not saying that it is not important to be a good person and have good virtues because it really is. It says in the lesson that most of the time by having good virtues directs a person to doing good deeds. Although overall I do believe that doing good deeds is more important than being a good person.

 

2: Do the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain of humans?

I do believe that the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter just as much as humans. Just because the animals do not think like humans do, it doesn’t make them less important. I know for a fact that animals still feel love, pain, hunger, sadness, and because I can tell just by my dog. I can tell that my dog feels hunger because he moves his food bowl when he wants food. I can tell he feels compassion because when I am sick he does not leave my side until I feel better. Because of all this I treat my dog like he is a part of my family. I believe that animals have the same feelings as humans and it is unethical to think or act otherwise. Humans should not kill animals for sport because the animals are just like humans. They just do not think the same.

 

3: Is your own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less?

To me this is the most difficult question on the list. It is hard to decide which to choose because most people believe that they should put themselves first and that you are the most important person in your life. I do believe that I should do whatever makes me happy in life but overall, I do not believe that my life is more important or is worth more than the life of any other person. A person should not be considered to be worth more just because they have more money or is healthier. Every single person is born and eventually dies no matter who you are, what you do, or how much money you have. I believe that a person’s life should have equal value whether you are the President or just a homeless guy on the street. It is obvious that people value their family members more than other people but overall, I believe that all lives have the same worth.

One thought on “Module: Ethics

  1. Hello, my name is Brenton. I fall on the complete opposite side of the fence in regards to the pleasure and pain of non-human animals versus that of humans. The example of your dog seems to largely come from the projection of human characteristics on an animal. I do not believe a dog inherently knows the difference between right and wrong any more than a rat does or that either are comparable to humans in terms of valuating the importance of pleasure and pain. If this was the case, I would be living a very chaste life in regards to my diet. I think if we hold that one animal has the same feelings as humans, we must award this to all animals. Personally, I have a similar relationship with my rabbit. I would also argue that it has many of the same traits as your dog. However, this relationship does not impact my view on animals as a whole.

    Here is a link to my posting: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/02/01/module-3-brenton-mcdonald/

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