Moral Actions Essay - 1682 Words

Moral Actions Honesty and deceit. Compassion and Neglect. Benevolence and malevolence. All these represent the extremes in the spectrum of morality. From the general societal viewpoint, the former represents the attitudes which should be admired, rewarded and emulated, while the latter represents the attitudes which should be abhorred, punished and discouraged. Now philosophers, not being satisfied with leaving things well enough alone, endeavour to discover why this is so. Why do we admire acts of kindness? Why do we loathe acts of malice? It is generally thought that the crux of this question of morality has to do with the magnitude of selfishness accounted for in the acts and thoughts of individuals. If we can think of†¦show more content†¦Surveying every shadow, analyzing every movement. Waiting. Realizing that its cover is blown, the cheetah cuts through the grass like a farmers scythe. The chase begins. Eventually, the cheetah gets the better of one of the gazelles. Perhaps it had a bum leg, perhaps it was weak. One crushing bite to the windpipe ends the chase. What better illustration of life than this Discovery Channel scenario? Nietzsche would have loved the Discovery Channel because it illustrates Nietzsches definition of life as a will to power. The will to power is any organisms natural inclination to overpower, appropriate and exploit others in a way that best benefits the organism. The cheetah is exercising its will to power by chasing, killing and devouring the gazelle. The gazelles will to power is to escape, robbing the cheetah of sustenance. No one would find fault with the cheetah in injuring and killing the gazelle, just as no one would find fault with the gazelle if it happened to contribute to the death of the cheetah by starvation. We ourselves are animals as well, therefore, how can we be blameworthy when we exploit, and overpower other organisms, Nietzsche asks. We are just as entitled to life as any other organism, and being so, we have th e natural right to exercise our will to power. Therefore, any notion we have of treating others as we would want to be treated, is faulty andShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action Is A Moral And Just Purpose1279 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action was originally established by former President John F. Kennedy on March 6, 1961 in his executive order, which included a provision that mandated federally funded projects to take â€Å"affirmative action† to ensure that hiring and employment were free of racial bias (#4). Over the years, colleges and universities began to adopt similar policies in their admissions process (#2). The purpose of affirmative action is to provide an equal ground for women and people of color in the workforceRead MoreDoes Affirmative Action Make Moral Sense?1084 Words   |  5 PagesDoes affirmative action make moral sense? 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It is the way in which we determine what we view as being right and wrong. It explains why a certain action is seen as being wrong, or why we should act in a certain way. It also provides a structure which we can think in a certain reasoned way and evaluate specific moral issue s. Most people take moral theories to be prescriptive, meaning that right or wrong actions are evaluatedRead MoreA Consequentialist Action Is The Moral Worth Of An Act891 Words   |  4 Pages A consequentialist action is a utilitarian theory. The utilitarian theory is a choice between two acts that can maximize utility for the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism is the moral worth of an act. Utilitarian takes the right proportion of utilities to promote happiness and prevent pain. Utilities is the expressed quality of happiness or satisfaction one gets from something (Mossier, 2013). Happiness comes in many levels of preference. HoweverRead MoreMoral Laws Are The Criteria That Determine The Course Of Action1961 Words   |  8 PagesMaryann Olson Phil 342 Third Paper Moral laws are the criteria that determine the course of action one is to take. Kant finds that moral laws are categorical imperatives determined by free beings that must follow the principles of universality, necessitation, and autonomy. Man must use his own reason to determine the action that is obligated by morality in every separate circumstance. Kant’s theory is relatively abstract, but by focusing moral law to be a system of application on an individualRead MoreCultural Relativism And The View That Ethical Systems Or Moral Actions1351 Words   |  6 PagesSection 1 1. Cultural relativism Cultural relativism refers to the view that ethical systems or moral actions that are perceived to vary across cultural diversity are all equal and valid and as such, no one culture is better than the other is. 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