What Guides Ethical Decision Making

When Aristotle first published his work entitled “Nicomachean Ethics”, you can imagine that numerous philosophers, scholars, and ordinary citizens were deeply contemplating his idea of the Highest Good Through the actions of virtue and reason, the act contemplation satisfies Aristotle’s characteristics as the Highest Good Being a self-sufficient, and complete activity, the ability to understand our function as human beings through contemplation achieves the Highest Good

Both Aristotle and Aquinas were prominent philosophers who wrote profound works that discussed the concept of the highest human good and how humans can achieve it. In Aristotle’s, Nicomachean Ethics, the highest human good is a state of constantly seeking knowledge as a way of achieving full capacity as a human. The writings of Aquinas are similar to Aristotle, but, in Treatise on Law, he discusses the type and elements of law. His discourse on law ultimately names the highest human good as being in the perfect community with God. Aquinas’s argument supports obedience to law, preexisting inclinations for the good, and a resolution. Aristotle requires that the person constantly seek knowledge and be at work, which can act as a positive force that drives humans to improve themselves.

Aristotle believed that it was important for an individual to live their life in a way that would nurture their growth and flourishing. Through a virtuous life, an actual person would contribute positively to the common good of all. As a result, the individual helps himself or herself live a successful life. If the common good is successful, all a part of the common good will flourish. Through being conscious about ones actions and living a respectable life, anyone can reach their ultimate goal of happiness, something Aristotle believes keeps everything in

Aristotle believed that everything has a function aiming for the good, and that politics are an important factor for functioning well. He stated in Nicomachean Ethics, one of his manuscript books, that the purpose of living is functioning well and learning moral philosophy. Aristotle studied logic to explain phenomenon’s, and believed that logic is the precondition of knowledge ( Palmer 91). Using this logic, He claimed that every act has a purpose, which is defined as 'good'. Aristotle proves that everything has a function, and that human beings have a function. Hence, if something functioning well is good, living is

In the reading “The Way of Reason” Aristotle tries to define the good that is within mankind. He moves through a variety of exercises that narrow down and simplify the ideas that man is inherently good and that his tendency for it is deliberate and pre-destined. He looks at different activities, then breaks them down and finds the part that leads toward the final happiness. He feels that if man is truly good within his soul that he will be happy. Not necessarily happy as joyful, but, more like content or satisfied.

Aristotle’s argument is a by-product of a similar one proposed by Plato near the beginning of the Republic (R 352d–354b). Here Socrates wanted to persuade his intended audience that a just life is best for it will bring the individual the most happiness. Whereas both arguments seem dependent on a connection between being a decent individual, having a good life, and correlating both of these to rationality, Aristotle’s version of the argument differs in what the best good is.

Aristotle always believed that there was a greater good above all of us that was a key part of humanity. After some time, it finally came to him. Aristotle believed that the greatest good for humans is that of happiness. Aristotle talked about all the key parts of being a human was and thought that being a human meant contemplative activity and “identifying living well and doing well with being happy.” (Aristotle 569). While trying to justify his claim, Aristotle mentioned and talked abut all the other goods out in the world. He talked about how every good seems to not have an end. That in most things we do there is a cycle and it really never ends. For instance you get paid then you go to the grocery store to get food. You get the food because

Utilitarianism is widely regarded as the doctrine that the morally correct course of action consists in the greatest good for the greatest number and maximizes utility. Jeremy Bentham, which was the founder of utilitarianism, explained utility as the “aggregate pleasure after deducting suffering of all involved in any action” (Selfstudyhistory, 2015) and "the greatest happiness for the greatest number" (Selfstudyhistory, 2015)

Defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, utilitarianism is “a doctrine that the useful is the good and that the determining consideration of right conduct should be the usefulness of its consequences; specifically: a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number” (Webster). The idea of utilitarianism is founded from the Principle of Utility which has three simple ideas. The first idea is the belief that our actions should have the best possible outcomes. The second idea is the belief that our actions will bring the most amount of benefit and cause the least amount of harm to people. The last idea is the belief that everyone’s happiness is just as

Utilitarianism is defined by Jeremy Bentham using seven different categories to evaluate the level of pleasure or pain that an action causes, both to an individual and a group as a whole (Bentham, 1907). Using these categories, we can determine if an act should be done or not and the moral value it holds. Overall, Utilitarianism is the idea that acts should be done for the greatest good for the most people. Utilitarianism as a theory has roots all the way back to the ancient Epicureans. Its modern articulation to the late 18th century, with major development to it in the 19th century by several philosophers. However, I am going to argue that Utilitarianism fails as a solid moral theory because when considering the greater good, it fails to recognize the importance of individual lives.

It was Aristotle’s belief that everything, including humans, had a telos or goal in life. The end result or goal was said to be happiness or “eudaimonia”. He explained that eudaimonia was different for each person, and that each had a different idea of what it meant. Further, he said that people must do things in moderation, but at the same time do enough. The theory, of “the golden mean of moderation” was the basis to Aristotle's idea of the human telos and concluded that living a virtuous life must be the same for all

Aristotle believed that a person who has difficulty behaving ethically is morally imperfect. His ideal person practices the "golden mean of moderation." He believed that this moral virtue, of which happiness comes from, is a matter of avoiding extremes in behavior and finding the mean between them. Aristotle conceives happiness not primarily as an exercise of virtue in private or with friends, but as the exercise of virtue in governing an ideal state. Hence, a person who acts for his or her own well must also act for the good of all fellow citizens. Aristotle points out that honor, pleasure, and wealth are the things believed to make people happy. He stated that honor is superficial because it can be taken away at any moment. He said pleasure was enjoyable but that it is more an animal quality than human, and that wealth is merely a means to towards a greater good. He taught moderation, and that these three vices could be pursued but not as an all encompassing goal.

Human desires are unlimited and constantly emerge in us and continually replacing with other desires. Human beings are providentially managed for their own sake and made their own choice. Human wants are seemingly insatiable so man would crave anything that can provide pleasure to itself and this may go on without limit. If this is the case, since human desires are endless, people would lose their abilities to desire eventually and no longer interested in or motivated to do anything. Hence, human beings are in pursuit of the good should be an ultimate end. In most cases, many think honour, pleasure or wealth is the best good because these are the factors that can bring them happiness and so does all other goods. Therefore, Aristotle proposed that the best good is happiness since it ends in itself.

Aristotle enquires the best benefits for human beings. First, he starts by saying that everything in natures has its own function. For example: the hammer’s function is to hammer the nail, or a tree’s function is to grow effectively. Human being is not an exception. The unique function of ours is the ability to reason. As long as we are engaged in these rational activities, they will bring us the good. One may ask what is the good that Aristotle is

First of all, utilitarianism is a theory wherein an action is right if it tends to promote happiness at the end of the day, and that an action is wrong if it tends to produce the opposite of happiness. This theory that was ‘produced’ by Jeremy