1.Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)?
I believe it is more important to be a good person than perform good acts. If someone is truly a good person, they will be inclined to perform good acts. This is part of the reason why they are a good person. Even though being a good person and performing good acts come hand in hand most of the time, some people perform good acts for their own personal gain and not because they are a good person. For instance, someone may volunteer at a food bank or donate to them in order to get a tax break. Also, someone who is truly a good person will put more effort in to their good actions while someone who just performs good acts may not do the as well as they can. Most of the time being a good person encompasses performing good acts and that is the main reason why I believe being a good person is more important.
2. Do the ends justify the means (ends ethics vs. means ethics)?
The ends do not justify the means in most cases. Most of the time, this statement has to do with wrong actions that end with a good outcome in which case the ends do not justify the means. For instance, cheating on a test to get a good grade cannot be justified. Even though the end in this case is good for you, you cannot justify cheating to get there. Also lying on a resume in order to get a better job cannot be justified because even though you are getting a better job, you may not be qualified for it or you may be taking it from someone else who deserves it. However, when the ends are morally good and the means are also good, the ends do justify the means.
6. Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less (selfishness vs. altruism)?
I believe that all lives should be treated as the same. Even though we may value our lives and the lives of our family members as more important to us we can not say that they are more important in the whole scheme of things. All human lives are important to society and have been put on this earth for a reason even if it may not seem very good. You should practice altruism and try to help others as much as you can but not to the extent that you are seriously hindering your own well being. Even though I believe that my life is not worth more than others, there are some people that may not deserve to be treated with the same respect such as those who commit crimes for no reason. These people may not be deserving of the same kinds of sacrifices that we make for others but their lives are still valuable and should not just be forgotten.
Hi Peter!
My name is Jacqueline and here’s a link to my blog!
https://wp.me/p3RCAy-bkg
Your blog caught my attention because of your response to the first question. I completely agree with your belief that good people are going to be inclined to preform good acts. Your example of someone volunteering for tax breaks may not do as good of a job as someone who actually wants to volunteer for good was a great example of the differences between someone who preforms good acts and is a good person
Sorry it posted before I was finished!
I also agree with your views that everyone’s lives should be treated equal. I really liked your comment that all human lives are important because they have been put on the Earth for one reason or another.
Hello Peter! I enjoyed reading your post as you brought up some great points despite some being different from my own opinions. For the ends vs. means statement, I completely agree when you say that doing wrong things often don’t lead to “right” outcomes. The part where my opinion differs is in your example of someone cheating on a test. I think that the outcome in this example, despite being beneficial for the student’s grade, would still be considered a “bad” outcome in the end. Even though the student now has a better grade, they are still living with the guilt of cheating, as well as the lack of real knowledge on the material.
Here is a link to my blog post as well: http://sites.psu.edu/futureoffood/2016/02/03/module-3-activity-your-ethics-views/
Hi Peter!
Here’s the link to my blog if you want to check it out.
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/02/03/ethics-views-module-3/
I also wrote about question number 1. I said that it was more important to have action ethics and perform good acts. By performing these acts you can show that you are a great person and possess the right ethics. I understand what you are saying when you mention that some people just perform acts to look better, but people who are morally good always perform good acts. Actions can be very powerful and get others to pitch in.
I did not answer question number 2, but I did do number 6. I agree with you. All lives should be treated as the same and no one should be below or above others.Altruism is important and family is the biggest part of life. People who commit crimes should be punished but they can still turn their lives around and have a positive impact on society.