Ethics Rep on Earth
According to Webster, Ethics is the branch of philosophy dealing with the rules of right conduct.
In the search for morality or goodness in our actions, we have discussed many theories this semester ranging from CI to Utilitarianism (not necessarily in that order). What we have found is, despite their initial appeal, the theories are also accompanied with some flaws.
Being flawed is not necessarily cause for complete disregard. It should not be surprising that of all the theories that I am most attracted to Hobbes’ theory of “Social Contract”.
According to Hobbes, life in the state of nature (constant state of war) is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. In exchange for peace and protection, mankind transferred their rights to a central agency (governement), which in turn enforces the covenant. From the covenant and creation of government emerges morality.
Morality resides in the fact that our rationality allowed us to accept the trade-off of our rights over protection, and the ultimate happiness of all. In the end we come to enjoy the mutual benefits afforded by the covenant.
The governement serves its purpose for keeping all actors in check. It ensures that we follow the rules. When someone violates the covenant he gets punished according to the rules of the covenant.
Technological advances, commercial export and import of goods, cures for diseases, advancement of arts and letters are some of the benefits associated with the social contract theory.
Tangible benefits, social order, respite from a violent death in a constant state of war are reasons enough to make Hobbes’ social contract theory my preferred theory over CR, DCT, Mill’s Utility; Kant’s CI; and Aristotle’s PS.
Passion: Appetite
“The genus of moral virtue: it is a state of character, not a passion, nor a faculty” (Aristotle 137).
In keeping with aforementioned citation, according to Aristotle, virtue must be one of the three things that are found in the soul (passions, faculties, or states of character) 137.
Appetite, is a passion that has caused a significant amount of grief to a great number of individuals in the world. Appetite is a sensation that is completely outside of our control, that is we feel hunger without a choice.
Aristotle says that despite not having any control over our appetite, the means by which we go about satisfying our hunger are well within our control. The choices for execution give rise to moral virtues.
Taking an aggressive approach in satisfying our appetite can be considered a vice. A vice toward any disposition is immoral. An excess disposition towards food will lead to obesity, which in turn will create health issues, and the ultimate goal of living happily will be unattainable.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the ambivalent disposition toward satisfying one’s appetite or hunger. Being undernourished presents its share of health issues such as anemia, permanent organ damage, and death. Such action is immoral as well, since happiness will be beyond reach.
A balance approach or disposition to satisfying our appetite will lead to a healthy and happy life. One will feel energized, alert, with a robust immune system. The balanced disposition in class was called “the golden mean”, and it is the most desirable disposition and therein lies the virtue.
This process of determining moral virtue is by far the best and most explicit theory of all the previous ones (CI, Social Contract, etc) we have studied in class this semester.
