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philosophersanonymus-blog · 5 years ago

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I have a question for all philosophers on this page, how would each of you describe 'the good'?

That is a very good question! Each philosopher has included a detailed response below.

Aristotle

When posed with the question of what “the good” is I often like to reflect on my thoughts on ethics as a whole. I personally align most with the practices of teleological ethics which, for those who don't know, is a theory of ethics according to which the rightness of an act is determined by its end, so what really matters is the ending place of an action, not why or how one gets there. I also place high importance on the community, and how doing ‘good’ for the community is essential as it creates a sense of unity which helps us all form and maintain happiness. It is important to differentiate pleasure and happiness when being asked such a question, because there is a stark difference between good in terms of pleasure and good in terms of happiness. The “good” when talking about pleasure is something that is satisfactory for that moment, but really has no long term effects. For example drinking, when you drink wine you only feel happy for a short period of time and after that period of time you don’t feel that happiness anymore, compare that to the long lasting feeling after volunteering and helping people in need. Another example to show the difference of pleasure and happiness would be going to a party when you have to study for a math test. Both of these options will give you happiness but one is limited and the other will last longer. If you choose to go to the party you would only get what I call pleasure, because you only feel happiness for a limited time. If you choose to study for the math test you would get happiness since you know that staying home will benefit you. I do not equate happiness with pleasure as reference to the search of the good. I personally think that we should make decisions that we know will make us happy in the long term. Like the situation described above you would choose going to the party because you knew it would make you happier. But once you get to the party your mind starts to think “should I really be here?” “is the test going to be hard?” that is your conscience speaking. For those who don’t know your conscience is, it is an inner feeling telling you whether you are right or wrong. Another theory of mine is that your conscience makes decisions to benefit your community. I also have the theory that the choices we make must be aimed at some good. For example helping a friend in need when you have a big job interview coming up, while helping your friend may not have gotten you the job, you helped a person in need which brings you true happiness and a sense of community. Which is why our conscience makes those decisions. Whereas the “good” when speaking of long term, life long happiness is totally different, the most important things to keep in mind are moderation and rationality. To do good is to do what is expected of you, we as humans are programmed to do what is right, our conscience tells us what is right and what is wrong, so listen to it. If your gut says that something may be a bad decision, listen to it, it’s probably trying to tell you something. So overall the “good” is based in living and doing well by the community, doing actions that improve the overall well being of the community will improve the well being of the individual. To do good unto others is to do good unto yourself.

Kant

Similarly to Aristotle, I also believe it is imperative to reflect on one's personal beliefs on ethics and morality. One thing I think that Aristotle did miss however is taking the time to really understand and define what morals and ethics really are. Ethics are defined as a discipline that deals with the nature of the good, the nature of the human person, and criteria that we use for making right judgement, and morals are a system of right conduct based on fundamental beliefs and obligations to follow certain codes, norms, customs and habits of behaviour. Knowing the actual definition of morals and ethics is necessary for a true understanding of “the good” and how to apply it within one's own life. What Aristotle did get correct however is the exploration of one's personal ethical and moral principles, I follow strongly to the concept of deontological ethics, which follows the thought that everyone is doing good out of a feeling of duty and obligation. Another strong principal I practice is that the most important aspect of doing good isn't the act itself, but the intent behind it. There is a stark difference between doing good in order to get something out of someone and doing good simply because it is good. For example let's say you are helping a homeless shelter, are you helping to make it look good on your resume or from the goodness of your heart? Like the Catechism states in paragraph 1755 “A morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances together. An evil end corrupts the action, even if the object is good in itself”. That quote states that the action may be good but the evil (wanting to help someone only if it benefits you) is the reason you do it. I personally believe that the reason we make choices is because of our ethics. For example let's say some kid punched you in the face; if you grew up with the ethical belief that it is ok to hit people you will hit them back. But if you were taught that violence is never the solution you will not hit the person back. That is why people who were brought up in rough neighborhoods or have rough upbringings are more likely to fight. They were taught it was acceptable to fight. Compared to kids who grew up very privileged they are less likely to fight because they don't see it as an option. I also theorize that humans do not only act on impulse but out of principles they have. An example of this is choosing not to skip class when your friends are going to. You make a conscious choice based on your principals of school being important. I also think ethics is a matter of your beliefs and your opinions. Ethics is also controlled by autonomy which is free self-direction; responsibility. Like the catechism says he is to govern his conduct by using his freedom and reason, in obedience to the One who has entrusted everything to him.The quote states that you govern yourself with freedom and reason. Meaning we have the freedom to make mistakes and a reason to fix our mistakes, I believe that God lets us achieve this supreme good. Asking what “the good” is is a very vague question which lends itself to many different answers based on the different variations of how the question could be interpreted. My thoughts and interpretations lead me to say that “the good” is kind actions with selfless intentions. Being kind and assisting those in need without the intent or expectation of getting something in return is the only true “good”.

Levinas

The concept of what “the good” is is one I've spent a large amount of time pondering myself in my free time. What really is “good”, how do we see it, and when do we choose to use it or ignore it. My colleagues have made great points about first exploring one's set beliefs before being asked such a question. I place strong emphasis on the face, the face is the reason why we feel obligated to help others, within every desperate or helpless face we see God which calls us to action. When we see fellow human beings in distress we have an unconscious obligation (an act or course of action to which a person is morally bound; a duty or commitment) to help them. For example when you are walking down the street and you see a homeless person asking for money and you feel the need to help them. I believe that people make choices because of the literal face of others. An example of ethics making your decisions is where you decide to help the homeless person sitting on the street. Some people have been taught to not pay attention to the homeless people in the street, they are told not to give them money because they'll just spend it on drugs, or alcohol or that they don't deserve the money. While others have been taught to respect those who are not doing well and to help them by giving them money or food. When we see a homeless person we see the face of God, that is why you are so inclined to help them. It makes it feel like you have an obligation to help the people who are asking for your help (an obligation is what one is bound by duty or contract to do) Like the bible states he shall serve as a mouth for you and you shall severe as god for him from (Exodus 4:16). I also conclude that the face makes us responsible for our human vocation, for example when you see a commercial about the starving kids in Africa. Those kids' faces make us feel like it is our responsibility to help them, very similar to the experience of the beggar. If we all follow the rules of helping others we will all be helped, as you help someone, someone else will help you and so on and so forth. Now, what this really means is that the idea of the “good” really comes down to doing the best to help the community and taking responsibility for the other, whether that be a friend, family or even someone you don't know or don't like. It is especially important to be kind to those you don’t like because true goodness is helping someone in their time of need even if you don't want to.

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