Thomas Aquinas And John Stuart Mill - 1582 Words

Alexis Hoffman Professor Madison Introduction to Ethics October 15, 2017 TITLE There are four main philosophers that set the basis for different styles of ethics. The four Philosophers that made a huge impact on us all are Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. All four philosophers are very well known for their intelligence and work in the ethics community. Although all of the philosophers have the same goal of defining ethics and how we should behave in terms of the highest good for human beings they all do it in different ways in which they feel is the proper way. Throughout this paper I will be comparing each of the four main Philosophers that we learned about this semester to each other so that you can†¦show more content†¦Virtues are gained through nurture, and backing his thought, he explained that if we are born virtuously then we could not become bad. Yet, there are a number of bad people in the world. Aristotle saw that virtue and duty had a strong connection. This is because duty is an act in accordance with law, wh ich enforces perfections. Since laws keep us in line, and our duty is to follow these laws, virtues come if you commit your duty. It is a cycle that repeats itself in the positive and the negative depending how we act. Because Aristotle was a Christian, he saw God as everlasting, and overall, see’s god as an important figure to live up to. Aristotle laid the framework to what would be the future of ethics. Although what he had reported would be found eventually, his views are what most believed as the golden rule, and future philosophers would just string off his ideas. Immanuel Kant became one of the most iconic, and potentially crucial philosopher since Aristotle himself. Like Aristotle and Aquinas, Kant also believed God exists and that he could have an impact on our lives if we let/wanted him to. But ethics mainly evolved around humans, more than God. Kant believed that ethics were acting out of a sense of duty. A good act could not happen unless the good act came from th e person’s duty. Kant viewed normal things that today we find as good, like happiness, as bad because he saw the total view rather just whatShow MoreRelatedJeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill1712 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Æ' Bentham/ J.S Mill â€Å"According to Jeremy Bentham’s ‘principle of utility,’ actions are right when they increase happiness and diminish misery.† (Bentham, pg. 101) With this, Bentham is described as a â€Å"hedonistic utilitarian,† meaning his theoretical objectives consist of the pursuit of happiness/pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Hedonists also believe in quantifying happiness. 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The philosophers have been involved in numerous disciplines including ethical debates, politics, government, and theRead MoreThe Ethical Theories Of Philosophy Essay2014 Words   |  9 Pagesfields and also like individuals, draw on these principles, but this does not always make moral decisions easy. The principles are not entirely consistent, especially in sorting through dilemmas. The principles may include: The Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill declares that morally right decisions are those that result in ‘happiness for the greatest number. Kant s Duty Defined Morality explains how acts performed out of duty have moral worth. Aristotle s Virtue Ethics dictates that moderation is