Making the World a Better Place Philosophy 1001, Dr. Cara Nine
Making the World a Better Place
Philosophy 1001, Dr. Cara Nine
‘Better Place’?
‘Making the world...’?
Making the world a better place
There are two sets of philosophical questions:
1. What is ‘good’ or ‘better’? (That is, what does a ‘better world look like and why?)
2. What kinds of actions are ‘right’? (What are we justified in doing to bring about the good?)
Ideas of the good life
Hedonism
Desire Satisfaction Theory
Objective Goods Theory
Theories of Right Action
Utilitarian
Deontological
Feminist
Virtue Theory
Cases
Protesting Unjust Government
Aiding an impoverished community
Torture
Letter to Menoeceus
By Epicurus (341-270 BC)
Epicurus
‘Hedonism’ in popular culture http://www.hedonism.com/ Hedonism:
Different kinds of desires.
Just to be clear...
“It is not an unbroken succession of drinking-bouts and of merrymaking, not sexual love, not the enjoyment of the fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table...”
For Hedonism:
“For the end of all our actions is to be free from pain and fear”
Intrinsic vs. Instrumental goods
Instrumental good
Intrinsic Good
For Epicurus, Happiness is secured by:
A tranquil emotional state.
Example: We should not fear death
Evidence :
Misery clearly hampers the good life; happiness clearly improves it.
But, is happiness what we want for our loved ones?
I recall a talk by a doctor who described a patient of his (who had perhaps had a prefrontal lobotomy) as ‘perfectly happy all day long picking up leaves.’ This impressed me because I thought, ‘Well, most of us are not happy all day long doing the things we do,’ and realized how strange it would be to think that the very kindest of fathers would arrange such an operation for his (perfectly normal) child. --Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness, p. 65
Desire Theory and Problems with Hedonism
Hedonism
Happiness is the only intrinsically valuable good.
A happy life is a good life.
The
Philosophy 1001, Dr. Cara Nine
‘Better Place’?
‘Making the world...’?
Making the world a better place
There are two sets of philosophical questions:
1. What is ‘good’ or ‘better’? (That is, what does a ‘better world look like and why?)
2. What kinds of actions are ‘right’? (What are we justified in doing to bring about the good?)
Ideas of the good life
Hedonism
Desire Satisfaction Theory
Objective Goods Theory
Theories of Right Action
Utilitarian
Deontological
Feminist
Virtue Theory
Cases
Protesting Unjust Government
Aiding an impoverished community
Torture
Letter to Menoeceus
By Epicurus (341-270 BC)
Epicurus
‘Hedonism’ in popular culture http://www.hedonism.com/ Hedonism:
Different kinds of desires.
Just to be clear...
“It is not an unbroken succession of drinking-bouts and of merrymaking, not sexual love, not the enjoyment of the fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table...”
For Hedonism:
“For the end of all our actions is to be free from pain and fear”
Intrinsic vs. Instrumental goods
Instrumental good
Intrinsic Good
For Epicurus, Happiness is secured by:
A tranquil emotional state.
Example: We should not fear death
Evidence :
Misery clearly hampers the good life; happiness clearly improves it.
But, is happiness what we want for our loved ones?
I recall a talk by a doctor who described a patient of his (who had perhaps had a prefrontal lobotomy) as ‘perfectly happy all day long picking up leaves.’ This impressed me because I thought, ‘Well, most of us are not happy all day long doing the things we do,’ and realized how strange it would be to think that the very kindest of fathers would arrange such an operation for his (perfectly normal) child. --Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness, p. 65
Desire Theory and Problems with Hedonism
Hedonism
Happiness is the only intrinsically valuable good.
A happy life is a good life.
The