Part One - Answer any two (2) of the following questions (50%)
1. Kinds of value • Explain the difference between intrinsic and instrumental goodness, and why this distinction matters for the study of ethics. Give examples to illustrate the kinds of things that may be said to have (a) instrumental value, (b) intrinsic value (c) both.
2. Modern views of happiness • Compare and contrast these three theories of happiness: (1) desirable consciousness theory, (2) preference utilitarian theory, and (2) objective list theory.
3. The relationship between happiness and pleasure • Compare and contrast 2 or more of the following ancient schools of ethics on (1) Buddhism, (2) Epicureanism, (3) Stoicism, (4) Aristotelianism, (5) Jesus & Christianity, (6) Hindu (ahimsa) as articulated by Gandhi.
4. Biological basis for ethics • Whether human beings are naturally ethical or whether ethical rules need to be imposed from above on a fundamentally amoral nature, has been debated through the ages. What evidence, observational and/or theoretical, is there in human biology and anthropology – in human behavior generally – that ethics are natural?
_______________________________________________
Part Two - Answer any two (2) of the following questions (50%)
For A-, be able to refer to thinkers who addressed the question and what their position is.
For A, be able to quote or paraphrase what they said.
1. Does true happiness require that we overcome all struggle, that we remove from life the things that cause us to struggle in order to achieve perfect comfort or is struggle intrinsic and essential to happiness? Aldous Huxley, Gandhi and Camus all argue that struggle is intrinsic to the path towards true happiness. Others argue (Epictetus, Jeremy Bentham) that struggle is not necessary, but that comfort in the key to happiness. What are the key issues here and what do you think is true?
2. Are there different quality levels of pleasure or are all pleasures equal, being relative to the being who experiences them? Jeremy Benthan believes that all pleasures are equal, while J. S. Mill believes that some pleasures are objectively higher (more intrinsically good) than others; who is to decide? According to Mill, an expert who are thorough experience with the pleasures under consideration. What do you think?
3. Is it better to be a satisfied cat or a dissatisfied human being? There is disagreement between utilitarian thinkers on this question. While Jeremy Benthan argues that all pleasures are equal, J. S. Mill argues that some pleasures are higher, others lower. Others believe (William James) that pleasure is relative to the person who desires whatever they desire and there is no objective basis for evaluating pleasure. What is the significance of this question for the study of happiness?
4. Is there some higher spiritual/ethical order in the universe or are human beings the measure of all things? Jesus, Gandhi and other spiritual thinkers believe in an order - God’s Will or Truth or Heaven or Nirvana – which human flourishing depends on acknowledging and living in harmony with. Does such an order exist, or do human desires determine what is truly real and significant (William James)? How does your answer to this question influence the way you life your life?
5. If pleasurable consciousness/experience is what is intrinsically good, does this mean that connection to actual reality does not matter? The classical utilitarians say yes, because happiness is our subjective state of being. Others (Robert Nozick, Aldous Huxley) question this by pointing out that we also desire truth, to be somebody, to accomplish things as opposed to merely having the experience of doing so (reality vs. virtual reality). Why does this issue matter for our understanding of happiness and how we live our lives?
No comments:
Post a Comment