An exploration on what is good: Philosophy Forums

Philosophy Forums » Ethics » An exploration on what is good » An exploration on what is good

An exploration on what is good
A request

Page: 1 2 3

An exploration on what is good

zio
Aspirant

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 10, 2009

Total Topics: 6
Total Posts: 24

Posted 06/22/09 - 09:01 AM: Subject: An exploration on what is good	#1
I know that this is a common theme, and one probably already discussed in length, but it's clarification is something I seek. Although I am proceeding with my studies they are in accordance to the format in the writings of those I read. So if anyone could assist me in reaching an answer to this question that present itself most pressingly in my mind, before I reach "discussion of good chapter". to me it seems that a good action is one that promotes life in general. What could be considered a pursuit of the good life is a compilation of beliefs and actions, that seek to prolong life as indefinitely as possible. I get mixed up in the manner of concepts. I imagine someone inclined to suicidal tendencies prolonging one's life would not seem desirable, but those tendencies are derived as an alternative. This sucks so might as well be dead kind of thinking. But if it doesn't suck let's prolong the good times. "good times" being a matter of interpretation to each individual. Although I assume that in essence since we all have only so many variables to draw from, that is we're all playing in a similar sandbox, earth. our conclusions will tend to coincide. And good would be where life is nourished not only for the individual but to the earth itself, as our world is a reflection of ourselves?

Crackers
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: May 28, 2009

Total Topics: 5
Total Posts: 519

Posted 06/22/09 - 10:09 AM:	#2
When evaluating the goodness of an act one might first ask the questions of good for whom? and good to whom?, and also question wether goodness exists, atleast partially, externally from human interpretation or wether it is fundamentally dependant on the our interpretations i.e. where does the good originate from?

159753
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Jun 22, 2009

Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 5

Posted 06/22/09 - 03:38 PM:	#3
If you think of good as a made up concept i.e derived from the human mind then to do good would mean to help someone achive that state. If you're looking for universal good i.e an act thats good whenever is done and to whoever then I don't know, the legal system is one giant attempt to answer that very question. Edited by Incision on 06/23/09 - 04:34 PM. Reason: formatting

mway
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 07, 2009

Total Topics: 14
Total Posts: 509

Posted 06/22/09 - 05:02 PM:	#4
Good and Bad are subjective words, and IMO should be removed from the dictionary as they serve an irrational function.
Lame is to Wav, as the Brain is to Reality.

zio
Aspirant

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 10, 2009

Total Topics: 6
Total Posts: 24

Posted 06/22/09 - 07:09 PM:	#5
Crackers: I would say what I consider good would be in accordance to what I perceive as life's propagation of itself, in a survival instinct sort of way. It's natural for life to further life, as to why that is I don't know beyond speculation. So what am saying is that good is towards this objective, regardless of individual interpretation. I base this on my following of human history and in what direction it has taken and what I notice is the consensus as to what a good action entails. Maybe me using the word good carries the connotation of good and evil, which in my opinion are part of a singleness. As to the method by which we have headed in this direction I have limited or no understanding of it's mechanics...so good for yourself which acts as good towards everything around you, but you might say what one individual considers good, might not be good for someone else, but in the overall sense that 159753 says. the overall good/inherent good. Mway: I think I understand what you are saying and I agree with you but how else could we define this notion? I actually think that is what am trying to see. good-towards life, bad-towards not life?

mway
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 07, 2009

Total Topics: 14
Total Posts: 509

Posted 06/22/09 - 07:19 PM:	#6
what makes life good, and not life bad?
Lame is to Wav, as the Brain is to Reality.

zio
Aspirant

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 10, 2009

Total Topics: 6
Total Posts: 24

Posted 06/23/09 - 05:38 AM:	#7
Well if I look at our structure, the natural achievement of our biology is the state we call life. So living is in accordance with the way of things, even if I don't understand why that is. And good concepts preserve our lives. Edited by Incision on 06/23/09 - 04:34 PM. Reason: capitalization

coriolis
Aspirant

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 19, 2009

Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 36

Posted 06/23/09 - 08:46 AM:	#8
zio wrote: to me it seems that a good action is one that promotes life in general. What could be considered a pursuit of the good life is a compilation of beliefs and actions, that seek to prolong life as indefinitely as possible. That may be true some of the time or even most of the time, but its not always true. "good" and "bad" are like "large" and "small" We have a notion of what good is, but it's like asking "what is large?" It's only useful as a comparison. I agree with Crackers: Good depends on your perspective. Buying items at a going-out-of-business sale is good for the customer, but things are not so good for the store that's going out of business. It's the same thing as if I say my paycheck is larger than the next guys paycheck. That still may not be good for either of us.
I have a love affair with Socrates but I only know him in a Platonic way.

Crackers
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: May 28, 2009

Total Topics: 5
Total Posts: 519

Posted 06/23/09 - 02:26 PM:	#9
zio wrote: Crackers: I would say what I consider good would be in accordance to what I perceive as life's propagation of itself, in a survival instinct sort of way. It's natural for life to further life, as to why that is I don't know beyond speculation. It is "natural for life to further life", but is that the highest function of life? -- to propagate itself? -- and is there no difference in terms of good, then, between the life of a human and that of a plant or a mouse? Is that which is good for the human that which affirms the human life or that which affirms life in general? Is our belonging to nature of more importance, of higher value, than our individuality as a species? If not, then perhaps we should aim towards cultivating that which defines man rather than that which defines all living beings. And if we are aiming towards cultivating what defines us, then perhaps I should aim towards cultivating what defines me, and you towards yourself. If a knife's quality is in cutting; a house's in sheltering; a bird's in flying and singing; a predators in stalking; a chameleon's in hiding; then perhaps, too, man has such a distinguishing quality that separates it from other beings, and perhaps we should, too, make this quality our purpose. This begs the question, what does separate man from other beings? Aristotle wrote: If we declare that the function of man is a certain form of life, and define that form of life as the exercise of the soul's faculties and activities in association with rational principle, and say that the function of a good man is to perform these activities well and rightly, and if a function is well performed when it is performed in accordance with its own proper excellence--from these premises it follows, that the Good of man is the active exercise of his soul’s faculties in conformity with excellence or virtue, or if there be several human excellences or virtues, in conformity with the best and most perfect among them. Aristotle argues that our function is to act through reason, as the faculty for reasoning is what defines us as a species. I personally believe that it is man's great faculty for creation which defines us a whole and distinguishes us from other life. Perhaps, then, the highest form of good is creation. Perhaps. Edited by Crackers on 06/23/09 - 02:42 PM

Makarismos
Tenured Poster

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Location: Uk, Midlands

Total Topics: 18
Total Posts: 1206

Posted 06/23/09 - 02:42 PM:	#10
mway wrote: Good and Bad are subjective words, and IMO should be removed from the dictionary as they serve an irrational function. Subjective words would be removed from the dictionary? How about better, worse, right, wrong? Beneficial, harmful? The statement you make here reduces you to a global Skeptic: hardly a practical position. I would go so far as to call your statement Glib and unsupportable.

Page: 1 2 3

Sorry, you don't have permission to post. Log in, or register if you haven't yet.