Ethics and its Importance
Ethics is a mechanism for defending, systematizing, and recommending concepts of right and wrong. It is an important part of our life because it is the way by which we make decisions. Because humans require a guideline to make decisions, ethics is the tool used to make those decisions. Without this tool, actions could be haphazard and meaningless. Working toward a common aim would be difficult. Without ethics, we have a tough time achieving success. As such, ethics exists to aid humans in making judgments. According to moral relativism, there is no universally accepted principle; instead, the values are relative to an individual or culture. In other words, morals differ across different groups. Drawing from this notion, not all values are relative. Some moral standards are objective. The moral facts are not dependent on what anyone thinks. For instance, when someone lies even if it is for a good reason, the act is still morally unsound. Other actions like murder are ethically wrong and are not dependent on what someone thinks. However, the objective moral standards are guided by the fact that if the action produces the best consequences, then it is the right thing.
Question 3
According to ethical egoism, an action is morally right if it maximizes one's self. It mainly dwells on elevating self-interests. On the other hand, utilitarianism holds that the best action is the one that produces the best overall happiness. In other words, the right decisions ought to consider other entities apart from the self. Anything else that does not lead to overall happiness is wrong. From the two descriptions, I would choose the utilitarianism model. This is because it is worth to consider the well-being of other sentient entities like humans as well as animals when taking action. It is a better model than the egoism that puts the "self" above all other entities.
Question 4
A potential flaw can be established in the principle of universalizability that implies that for an action to be acceptable, it ought to be applied to other individuals without contradictions. However, in certain situations, it is morally right to break the categorical imperative and necessitate the use of judgment over reason. Kant's system cannot also sufficiently account for the variance in situations and individual preferences. The Kantian Deontology does not regard exceptional circumstances. The categorical imperative is also flawed since it does not acknowledge differences in character and situation.
Question 5
Happiness is the goal and not the end of human life. We live in a world where we desire success, pleasure, fame, love, traveling, God, and wisdom among others. In pursuit of these elements, people attain happiness when they are achieved. However, it is not always the end of human life since the quest for happiness is unquenchable. In other words, there are no limits for joy; hence, the aim of human life is to continue seeking happiness. By referring to happiness as the end of human life, it implies that once it is achieved, one has no reason for existence. Nonetheless, it is not the case.
Short Essay
I would not choose to walk away from Omelas if I were a citizen. Though it is wrong that a child is suffering for other to gain happiness, walking away from the city is not the best solution. Leaving Omelas does not mean one's conscience will be clear. Perhaps, in walking away, they strive to seek justice, or they are ashamed of themselves. Nonetheless, it would not change the fact that someone suffered for their existence. Therefore, I will stay in the city and strive to live a life worth of the child's suffering.
Evidently, in the contemporary world, people suffer for others to exist. In other words, while some individuals are struggling in life, without their existence, then life would be incomplete. As such, it was a justifiable act that a child would suffer to create a utopia for the rest to be happy. As humans, we ought to acknowledge that suffering is a quality of the human state. It is the channel for spiritual and mental growth in our lives. As such, it is an inevitable aspect of society and it aids in creating an equilibrium. Even as humankind strive to live a just life full of joy, it is worth noting that others are suffering to make happiness a reality.
