Immanuel Wallerstein

However, if it is unclear why fallacies could be considered ethical problems, let us define ethics, and explain how fallacies are ethical problems. Kant defined good as that which is beneficial to the self, that is, an individual; and good as that which is harmful to oneself. Whereas right is that which is helpful to others, and wrong is that which is harmful to others. Morality is a question of what is good, versus what is bad. Ethicality is a question of what is right, versus what is wrong. Of…

Based on the Consequentialist/Teleological theory, “Good is prior to the right.” “Good” refers to the nonmoral outcome, and “right” refers to the action based on morality. This theory prioritizes the outcomes of the actions. According to Darwall, “Consequentialist moral theories all agree that the moral rightness and wrongness of acts are determined by the non-moral goodness of relevant consequences” (23). If the outcome is good, then the action is morality right. If the outcome is not good,…

Midterm #1 1a. Aquinas’ three conditions for a just war are built on the ideas of Aristotle and Augustine. The three conditions are as follows: 1. The first condition claims that “a just war must be declared by proper authority” (Christopher, 50). Aquinas is stating that the second party is allowed to offer redress the issue at hand, it has had the to offer other alternatives. The idea behind this condition is that it makes war the “last resort” (Christopher, 51). This condition also mentions…

1. According to Ericsson, we all lie because we want to avoid confrontation, spare people’s feelings, and to get out of particular situations. To avoid confrontations, sometimes it is necessary to lie, for example, if you were talking about someone behind their back and they hear about it, you are going to deny that you ever talked bad about that person to avoid getting into an alteration. If someone is wearing an ugly outfit that they are real proud of, you are most likely going to lie to them…

In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky invites the reader to explore the results of fully embracing utilitarianism as a moral philosophy. The novel does this through Rodya, a character who adopts utilitarianism and acts in unsettling ways. I will argue Dostoevsky does not challenge the core premises of utilitarianism, but instead asks the reader to think about the consequences of this ideology. Rodya is both nonreligious as well as utilitarian to the extreme. Rodya is (at least in part)…

Personal Ethics Statement: Ethical Foundations Allisa Bell Concordia University - Portland Personal Ethics Statement: Ethical Foundations The key characteristics of an ethical framework describe the code of conduct that an individual utilizes to best interact with others and their community. My own ethical characteristics incudes being honest, fair, compassionate, courageous, patient, and generous. This most aligns with the Virtue Theory developed by Plato and Aristotle that encompasses…

Question one: Morality minimized. The minimum conception of morality, as explained in the first chapter of James Rachels’ The Elements of Moral Philosophy, states the following, “Morality is at the very least, the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason - that is to do what there are the best reasons for doing -- while giving equal weight to the interests of each individual who will be affected by what one does.” To guide one’s conduct by reason is not inherently different from that of cognitive…

The philosophies of Stoicism and Skepticism offer differing ideals that one could almost consider being on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet both believe their way of life leads them to the success and truth humans are after. But which one offers the most logical position? Epictetus presents his thought of Stoicism in The Encheiridion, where he offers advice on how to obtain happiness. David Hume rejects the idea of Stoicism in his essay “The Skeptic”. In the article Hume highlights some of the…

Lev Shestov is an early 20th century Russian philosopher who has made massive contributions to the development of the philosophical aspect of existentialism. Shestov has contributed to existentialism through his fascinating critique of philosophy and his surprising connection between philosophical existentialism and religion. He is also one of the first Russian philosophers to find an audience in Europe. Existentialism is a philosophy, popularized in the 20th century, that analyzes an…

Moral Responsibility In this paper, I will first discuss why the principle of alternate possibilities (PAP) is true by sharing David Copp’s example of PAP and moral responsibility. Then, the argument will be rejected by Frankfurt’s example of a person being neither indifferent nor stampeded by a threat so the person is still morally responsible. Finally, I will show why Frankfurt does not defeat PAP because there are actions that are bigger than the threat being made. To start with, I will…