Aquinas considered that by using our reason to reflect on our human nature we could discover our specific end purpose. Aquinas used the ideas of Aristotle and the Stoics as an underpinning for Natural Law saying- human beings have an essential rational nature given by God in order for us to live and flourish. Aristotle said even without knowledge of god, reason can discover the laws that lead to human flourishing. The Stoics said Natural Laws are universal and unchangeable and should be used to judge of particular societies. We use this is help us choose the right moral action is situations.
Utilitarianism is concerned with consequences that maximize benefits and thus decisions are easier to make than an ethical theory based on moral judgments 3 points Question 13 1. The ___________ egoist says she should seek always and only her individual good; the ___________ egoist says that every individual should seek always and only his or her own good. Answer Universal; Individual Psychological; Ethical Individual; Universal Narcissistic; Hedonistic 3 points Question 14 1. Ethical egoism seeks a social order where conflicting self-interests can be brought together in a peaceable and orderly way. Answer True False 3
Environmental Values Rebecca Wallace September 25th, 2014 SCI/362SCI/362 Instructor: Gretchen Messier When it comes to the environment there are values individuals have for the ethical point of view for a better living environment. Individuals form their environmental ethics to have the knownledge of the environmental impact. There are methods used for individuals to understand the involvement of environmental issues for reconsideratio of his or her values of the environmental issues. The ethical systems are used and identify for the eenvironmental impacts of the affects on society. To continue to have a better environment it could use some knownledge of improving the environmental problems with solving them.
All actions are related to an underlying principle. Kantian thought supports the idea that the actions are justified by a set of rules outlined in Kantianism. Utilitarianism is based on the idea of a greater good. Positive and negative consequences are quantified and the most positive consequence for the greatest amount of people is chosen, sometimes at the expense of others. For utilitarian school of thought, an individual strives to do the most good, even at the expense of the minority.
Yet, if we observe that pleasure is good, we should be able to ask is good pleasure. However if an individual gains pleasure through inflicting harm can we conclude that good and pleasure are one and the same thing? In short ethical naturalism is unable to define good, yet continues to claim that ethical language is based on objective truth. Non Cognitive approaches to meta ethics such as emotivism and prescriptivism argue that ethical language is subjective. A. J. Ayer claims that ethical language
So Mill was all about how much quality the pleasure brings. Bentham, however believed that pleasure and happiness was measured in quantity not quality. He measure this using the hedonic calculus Jeremy Bentham created the hedonic calculus to provide and easy and clear way to identify what result would generate the most amount of pleasure and least amount of pain. The hedonic calculus measured the possible consequences of an action. Bentham was an act utilitarian; this is when each action is judged individually.
He also includes its "fecundity" (will more of the same follow?) and its "purity" (its pleasure won't be followed by pain & vice versa). In considering actions that affect numbers of people, we must also account for its EXTENT. John Stuart Mill adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Bentham's philosophy by emphasizing (1) It is not the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism, (2) the calculus is unreasonable -- qualities cannot be quantified (there is a distinction between 'higher' and 'lower' pleasures), and (3) utilitarianism refers to "the Greatest Happiness Principle" -- it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the most amount of people (this is its "extent"). Act and Rule Utilitarianism We can apply the principle of utility to either PARTICULAR ACTIONS or GENERAL RULES.
To what extent is Natural Law the best approach to Decision Making? (10 Marks) Decision making is a process through which the individual ‘seeks a solution’ to a problem or a question. This subject can be subject to many influences such as religion, politics or societal. Natural order is one of these influences that can be present. Natural Moral law is an absolute ethical theory that states that there is natural order to the world we live in.
The University of Notre Dame Australia Ethics – ET 100 “Rational agents have a moral obligation toward the environment” Nelson Wisniewski 20112695 Word count: 1726 While humans undoubtedly constitute part of the environment, it is our intelligence, innovation and rationality that have defined us as the dominant species. These qualities are what enable us to be the only agents that can, and must, protect and conserve the environment as a collective whole. My first argument in justifying my claim is one of an anthropocentric position, that for the sake of our own continued growth and well being we must have an inherent need to care for the environment. I will continue my argument with Aldo Leopold’s environmental ethics, in particular his ‘land ethic’ and ‘land pyramid’. It stands to reason however, that anyone’s position on a matter is subject to challenge or criticism.
One major strength of virtue ethics is that it allows the moral agent to make ethical decisions based on his or her moral well-being, not just based on what is legally right. Therefore this ethical system can be seen to have a greater weight over others as someone who follows it are doing so because they believe it’s right rather than following rules. This then also acknowledges that morality is complex and so rejects simplistic maxims as a basis for moral truths. However, this can also be seen to be one of the weaknesses of virtue ethics. Robert Louden stated that as virtue ethics is focused on the individual, it neither resolves nor attempts to resolve big moral dilemmas.