What is Good?
Good, a word used by all, but most not truly knowing what the true concept of good actually is. What is good? Good, in my own understanding, entails an act or statement that is, not only morally and perceptively correct in the eyes of others, but also in one's own eyes. There is a sense of accomplishment; a sense of achievement felt when something good has been done. This feeling usually does not only pertain to the individual, but also to those around him who might have benefited in one way or another from his/her good deed or statement.
It is important to note that morals only apply to individual action and consequence. Ethics, however, apply to the actions of two or more people. Ethics are meaningless unless applied in a social context. Ethics serve to define the acceptable actions of the individual within the social structure. Ethics are established through the consensus of many people and with the guidance of human experience. Ethics serve the purpose of deciding what is right in society according to your peers, subordinates, and superiors.
With morality, ones behavior is held to an ideal code of conduct. Ethics, however, deals with an imperfect, but attainable set of practices. It is left to the individual to take a decision that is moral, regardless of its ethical standing. Socrates held that 'To know the good is to do the good.' By this, he meant that no man knowingly acts against his own interest. Socrates believed that no man could knowingly do wrong if that person truly knew the right course of action. This idea of good would best be described as unattainable; however, there are instances in everyone's life that feel good.
I have had many personal experiences during my lifetime that have ...
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... morality is more important in making a decision than anything else and it is important for one to understand that he/she should uphold his/her personal standards before anyone else's wants, desires, or beliefs are adhered to. An ethical decision that does not uphold one's personal moral beliefs is not a good decision and shouldn't be made. Something that will bring good into one's life is a decision that is made upholding their personal moral beliefs, whether or not that decision agrees with the ethical stance on the issue. It is the individual's responsibility to make a moral decision regardless of the ethical standing in order to achieve this good. Society wants most of the people to do what is right most of the time, encouraging the people to be moral in their decisions, causing good in our everyday life, even concerning the most minute details of our lives.
Ethics is an important proponent when considering any decision. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is something everyone should know. However, the importance of ethics gets minimized when a decision that seems wrong actually has benefits. In the efforts of improving society, often ethics is violated. Sometimes in order for society to be better off as a whole, there has to be little sacrificing of ethical practices along the way to do so.
Platos’ The Last Day of Socrates gives us a glimpse into the final chapter of Socrates’ life. Socrates placed his own philosophical twist on what makes something “good,” saying to the jury - that has control of his life – that he “has only one thing to consider… whether he is acting justly or unjustly, like a good man or a bad one” (Apology 54b). Later, through his dialogue in Crito, Socrates says that he has followed his own morals and values, so he is
Ethics are the principles that shape individual lives in modern society. It is a subjective idea that seems to have a standard in society. Ethics and morals are the major factors that guide individuals to make right and wrong choices. Something that is morally right to one person might be the very opposite of what another person would view as right. There are many factors that can trigger a change in an individual’s view of morality.
What does the definition of “good” mean to you? For me it means you’ve lived your life being kind, appreciating what you have, being helpful, thoughtful and always trying to see the good in life. Amos Fortune is a great example of someone who lived a good life despite having every reason not to.
Good and evil can be defined in many different ways. I think that to be truly good means that you
Good is defined as what helps the group. For a group to survive, members of that group must contribute
Ethics are moral principles that can be used to help guide peoples decisions. We are all different and therefore our beliefs and opinions differ. There are many ethical theories, and according to Panza and Potthast (n.d.) the following are some that are widely used. Virtue ethics is one theory which states that personality is the most important thing. Living an ethical life, acting right, requires that one develops and demonstrates the quality of courage, compassion, wisdom, and temperance. It also requires that greed, jealousy, and selfishness is avoided. Utilitarianism states that the amount of happiness and suffering created by a person’s actions is what matters the most. As a result, acting rightly includes maximizing the amount of happiness and minimizing the amount of suffering around you. At times you may need to break some of the traditional moral rules to achieve such an outcome. Kantianism is another theory which highlights the principles behind actions rather than an actions results. It states that it requires to be motivated by good principles that treats everyone with respect. If you’re motivated by good principles, you overcome your animal instinct and act ethically. Another ethical theory is the Contract theory, which suggest that ethics should be thought of as terms of agreements between people. It suggests that doing the right thing means obeying agreements set by members rather than those of society. For this theory ethics isn’t necessarily about character, consequences, or principles. The last theory I’m going to mention is Care ethics. Care ethics focuses on ethical attention on relationships before other factors. As a result, acting rightly involves building, strengthening, and maintaining strong relationship...
To act morally means one must think and act in such a way that always considers, supports, and attempts to improve general welfare; furthermore, such thoughts and actions must occur because of moral intentions, not just because one has to. Also, pre-defined rules exist for the common good and these rules help with moral judgment. Such rules would include “no killing”, “no stealing”, and “no lying”. These don’t exist to provide an advantage or cause disadvantage—they exist simply for the good of every individual. To have morality means one must always adhere to these rules no matter the consequences, who is affected, or how it happens, because they only ensure the most good for everyone. However, one’s own standards for morality must also remain considerate of that of others’.
The ideal observer view defines “good” as how we would feel if we were fully rational and combines reason and feeling. We would pick our moral principles by trying to become as informed and impartial as possible, and then seeing what we desire. “X is good” means “We’d desire X if we were fully informed and had impartial concern for everyone. For example, (ADD AN EXAMPLE HERE).
The perception of good and bad is varied, but to be good or bad is very different. Many are misled by the term and so I will now define it. What us people call being good is genuinely triggered by actions or kind gestures. Actions as such serving your country regards killing to survive. Then you have kind gestures such as giving money to the homeless or to a charity. This is a sympathetic gesture so we class it as good.
Ethics are moral principles or values that govern the conduct of an individual or a group.It is not a burden to bear, but a prudent and effective guide which furthers life and success. Ethics are important not only in business but in academics and society as well because it is an essential part of the foundation on which a civilized society is built.
[1] Ethics is defined as “the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviour of a person or a group with respect to what is right or wrong” (Samson and Daft, 2005, p.158)
To do the right thing or to be selfish and survive is a conflict some have to deal with. Morality, in the easiest way put is “doing what YOU believe is the right thing.” For everyone
Ethics is a system of moral principles and a branch of philosophy which defines what is acceptable for both individuals and society. It is a philosophy that covers a whole range of things that have an importance in everyday situations. Ethics are vital in everyones lives, it includes human values, and how to have a good life, our rights and responsibilities, moral decisions what is right and wrong, good and bad. Moral principles affect how people make decisions and lead their lives (BBC, 2013). There are many different beliefs about were ethics come from. These consist of; God and Religion, human conscience, the example of good human beings and a huge desire for the best for people in each unique situation, and political power (BBC, 2013).
...alues, judging other people’s actions, and questioning the righteousness of our own morals. Though depending on our religion or background we may all have different feelings and opinions about what is right and wrong, it is virtually impossible to go throughout one’s life without taking part in some sort of exploration into one’s own morals. Even though many of us may inherit our morals from our families or cultures, it is important that we explore why we believe what we feel is morally right or wrong, morally good or bad. Are the morals we get from our families truly our own? Have we been through enough life experiences to distinguish our own morals from those that have been pushed on us by our culture and society? Through exploring these feelings, we are able to make the best possible decisions for ourselves that will in turn determine the standards of our lives.