Virtues of People Essay

Q2. Mill references those who object to utilitarianism on the evidences that it holds humanity to an overly high moral criterion. Why might person do this statement? How does Mill react to it? What is your position: Are the demands of utilitarianism overly demanding? Why or why non? Utilitarianism does non take into history the defects of human nature and by making so. holds them to a criterion that can ne’er be attained by an full society. Peoples grow and develop over clip and environmental influences create their positions of felicity.

In a perfect universe. everyone would be working for the felicity of all. but the universe is non perfect and until we reach a point of pure harmoniousness among all people. it will stay imperfect. Although some have found it in their Black Marias to populate within the guidelines of utilitarianism. the fact that most of the universe is based on a capitalistic free market finally overshadows. the “greater good” outlook. “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a hog satisfied ; better to be a Socrates dissatisfied than a sap satisfied.

” ( Cahn 95 ) This statement shows a complete misinterpretation of the differences in human perceptual experience. Worlds do non see the universe in precisely the same manner and one thought of what is of import can ne’er be made cosmopolitan. Take. for illustration. a immature adult female brought up in an opprobrious place. She has been raped by her male parent most of her life. forced into drugs. and is hapless. As she grows up. she can non read because she ne’er went to school and can non acquire a occupation because she is an illiterate drug nut. She turns to prostitution merely to do money. and contracts AIDS.

Her life has been wholly dissatisfying and she dreams of being released from everything around her. One twenty-four hours a scientist approaches her and tells her he has developed a manner to reassign human consciousness into a bird. He tells her that she will bury everything about being human and can populate her life as that bird. What pick do you believe she would do? Would she take to be a disgruntled homo or a satisfied bird? Misery in life can do people view felicity in many different ways and you can ne’er state what pick you would do in the above illustration until you have lived that life.

This simple fact makes it impossible to understand the greater good. We can merely presume what the greater good is. Many people populating in the same society have a different premise of the greater good. So how bash we find the best pick? One individual should non hold to take attention of the universe ; they should merely hold to take attention of their universe. “The agent should take at maximising his or her ain felicity every bit good as other people’s felicity. ” ( Cahn 108 ) This is a portion of the response to the “No-Rest Objection” ( Cahn 107 ) . and it sounds absolutely sensible.

The job is how to maximise felicity when everyone has a different graduated table of judgement. “The useful would remind us. we can certainly make a batch more for enduring humanity than we now are making – particularly if we join together and move hand in glove. ” ( Cahn 108 ) This statement is once more making back to the perfect universe scenario and shows a deficiency of understanding to that of which worlds are now. Most of the world’s population feels that felicity is attained by holding a successful life. non by how much money they have donated to charity.

The inquiry is what creates a successful life? Since the bulk of the universe is based on some type of fiscal system. and the lone manner to achieve anything lawfully is to purchase it. the greater good must be based on the distribution of money. Money allows a individual to hold a place. raise a household. and pay for necessities and amenitiess. The legal manner to derive money is to supply a service that produces an income. either by having a concern or by working for person else. Because there are merely a limited sum of occupations and money. competition between people is necessary.

This competition for endurance is why people put more value on self-preservation than that of that greater population. Survival of the fittest is what creates a natural balance in our universe and the failure to esteem that could finally be the ruin of our planet. Prop uping up everyone that can non take attention of themselves could finally take to overcrowding and a complete deficiency of resources needed for endurance.

Teleological moralss says that we need to look at the effects of our actions. and I believe that by seeking to do everyone happy. we are finally making a topographic point that will be unhappy for all in the long-run. Utilitarianism is a generous belief system. but I do non believe it looks at the universe in the proper visible radiation and it does non take into history the branchings of assisting the greater good. I besides do non believe that the greater good outlook will of all time be a norm. . Q3. Do you hold to be a virtuous individual to execute a virtuous action? If you do. does this present a job for Aristotle’s history of how virtuousness is acquired?

If you do non. explicate how it is possible for person who lacks a peculiar virtue-courage. for example-to do something brave. Life is non inactive. Peoples grow. learn. and alteration invariably. Every individual is capable of Acts of the Apostless that are virtuous even though they may non hold displayed those behaviours in the yesteryear. A virtuous individual is classified by their uninterrupted actions. but that does non intend they are non capable of making something that is non-virtuous. The indispensable trait of humanity that makes us capable of alteration has caused our species to go dominate.

If we are capable of alteration so we will ever be capable of moving in a manner that would non be classified as normal for our mundane behaviour. “Neither by nature. so. nor contrary to nature make the virtuousnesss arise in usage ; instead we are adapted by nature to have them. and are made perfect by wont. ” ( Cahn 115 ) Aristotle made the comparing of gravitations consequence on a stone to the presence of virtuousness within a human being. ( Cahn 115 ) This comparing makes no sense because a virtuous life style is learned and practiced over clip.

Although some are born with a natural temperament for virtuous behaviour. this does non intend it is an unaccessible trait to all others. To turn out that virtuousness is learned. we can look at a babe. Babies are selfish by nature and over clip become more generous in their behaviour. Although generousness may be easier to learn to some. it is still docile to most if the parents do it right. Many people have grown to be virtuous ; it has been proven clip and clip once more.

The fact that virtuous behaviour can be seen and observed allows worlds to understand the construct without really transporting out a virtuous act. Therefore. a individual may understand what to make to be virtuous but makes a pick to make otherwise. The ability to do a pick is what challenges the idea that a individual can merely be virtuous if they are born with a natural trait. The truth is that all worlds have the natural trait for virtuous behaviour because all to the full capable and mentally stable worlds have the ability to do picks. Although worlds have the natural ability to be virtuous. the confusion comes when we try to state that virtuousness is a changeless.

A individual is classified as virtuous if their life style reflects the changeless determination to follow a virtuous way. but a virtuous life style is different from a virtuous determination. Soldiers are the perfect illustration. In many instances. a soldier may expose fright and a deficiency of bravery when faced with an issue in their civilian life. for illustration running from a battle or non talking up when they see something incorrect. However. when a grenade is thrown into a room full of their fellow soldiers. they would give their ain organic structure without idea.

This is an extra and might be viewed as non suiting the definition of virtuousness. but in order for that soldier to go so caring and devoted to his follow soldiers you would hold to understand that life inside the Army is different from life inside the civilian universe. They are two separate life styles and therefore may take to two different determination devising procedures. Most people reflect a variable combination of virtuous and non-virtuous behaviour during their life. I think it would be difficult to happen a individual on this planet that has ne’er committed a virtuous act during their life-time.

Understanding this makes it clear that all people are capable of virtuous Acts of the Apostless. but they may take non to follow a virtuous way as a changeless. Rules and boundaries in society really make an environment where virtuous Acts of the Apostless may be carried out daily. By jurisprudence. it is all right to imbibe in moderateness but imbibing to the point that a individual becomes a perturbation to their society can do them to be taken to imprison. This is merely one illustration of the jurisprudence coercing a individual to acknowledge that virtuous behaviour has a higher wages than deficiency of control.

“So much. so. is apparent. that the intermediate province is in all things to be praised. but that we must tend sometimes towards the surplus. sometimes towards the lack ; for so shall we most easy hit the mean and what is right. ” ( Cahn 119 ) This statement reflects and proves that no adult male can be wholly virtuous all the clip. This is because unless a adult male knows what is incorrect. so they can non make what is right. It besides proves that every adult male is capable of perpetrating a virtuous act regardless of his life style.

My ideas and beliefs come from a virtue ethical point of position. I believe that there are few people in this universe who. if faced with the right state of affairs. would non do a virtuous pick. The right state of affairs may be different. but our human character will normally reflect through. At some point. even the most evil and gluttonous adult male will do a virtuous pick. Works Cited Cahn. Steven M. Exploring Ethics An Introductory Anthology Second Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Inc. . 2011.