Good Life Depends on Objective Values

Whether I Agree That A Good Life Depends On Objective Values. The Items That Would Appear On the List of Things That Have Objective Value

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Life according to biology texts is the list of distinctive properties that tell apart living systems from non-living. On the other hand, philosophers argue that life is a complicated fact about the natural world. Besides, Darwin argues that life is the model of variation and evolution through natural selection. However, there is controversy on what is ethics where most people have serious doubts about morality. People, as well as societies, differ on what is right or wrong probably because there is no objective truth in ethics. Others argue that science tells the truth about the world and since it does not talk about what's right or wrong, then nothing can be said to be right or wrong. Therefore, the argument on morality is to some extent complex, but moral philosophy can help in simplifying the matter.

Plato debated vigorously in approval of impartiality of morals such as truth, beauty and good. Objective values are external ideals in a human being, and his or her opinion or conviction does not determine them. Some philosophers hypothesize that all values are comparative to people or groups and such agnostics see the truth and good as concepts that are formed by the agreements of beliefs. Besides, some agnostics contend that the truth of a claim depends on a person's opinion. For instance, in art, people believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and therefore there is no objective standard on good taste. Similarly, morality can be approached as an art where there are no universal standards of good taste and that ought to be the right approach to take on ethics.

Good moral thinking is disciplined thinking, and therefore individuals should resist from the judgment that anything can go in ethics. Going wrong in ethics can yield disastrous results despite that it is difficult to know when one is doing it right in ethics. However, it is easy to know when one is doing wrong or makes mistakes since there are clear cases of people doing morally awful things and ruining their lives. So, people should not be too hasty to side with the saying moral understandings are as good as every other. Moral thinking is based on some probable ethical conventions one of them being friendship is valuable and having friends is an excellent thing (COLFAX 30). Friendship adds value to one's life since you have people you care about and they genuinely care about you.

The second assumption is that everyone is morally fallible since no individual or human being is completely wise on moral matters. Every human being has some wrong ethical interpretations at one point in life. Besides, neither law nor tradition is insusceptible from moral reproach and for that reason the law does not have the ultimate decision on what is right or wrong (Colfax 11). Some customs are considered legal or normal, yet they are morally incorrect at times. Children stand less moral accountability than adults since moral duty assumes a capacity to understand choices and to make decisions knowledgeably. Besides, our decisions ought to guide our behavior. Any mischief caused by an individual is based on the number of responsibilities one has and the fewer they are, the less the blame.

Morality expects so much from us than we can offer and no one is indebted to do the impossible. Moral values unattainable under all circumstances are considered unlawful, and for that reason, morality should venerate our boundaries. Justice is a significant moral good that should be treated relatively since human beings should get what they deserve (Colfax 28). Therefore, any moral theory that handles justice as inappropriate is profoundly questionable. Harming other people is unacceptable in ethics unless there is a good reason or justification for doing so. Besides, people should be treated equally as long as they are similar in all respects or they are equals. So racism and sex should not act as determinants of how one is treated, and if such a case occurs, it is considered to be morally wrong.

Morality insists on setting aside self-interests for the sake of other people since self-centeredness is not the only thing of moral significance. Human beings with a clear understanding of morality ought to live considerate lives making sure not to impact negatively on the lives of people around them. Additionally, might do not make right and using power to get away with things the powerless cannot get is unjustifiable. Escaping punishment is different from whether his or her actions are morally conventional. Therefore, it is evident that a good life depends on objective values.

From the discussion above, it is evident that not everything is up for takes when it comes to ethics since there are faults that are likely to weaken moral reasoning. Moral reasoning encompasses two things, a set of reasons and a supposition that the reasons are destined to support. According to philosophers, the two things combine to form an argument. An argument is any series of thought in which motives or premises as commonly known by philosophers are given in backing up a specific conclusion. However, not all arguments are similarly good since it is easy to make errors on matters related to ethical thinking. Therefore, there is a probability of arriving at the wrong conclusion for instance by validating child exploitation, and at the same time, a right conclusion can be achieved through terrible reasoning (Grayson 17). As a result, such mistakes should be avoided at all costs. Moral thinking ought to have corresponding goals one of them is getting it right and the other being in a point to support our opinions with faultless reasoning. It is necessary to avoid false views and the rationality of moral thinking ought to be demanding and error-free.

Considering the quote by Richard Colfax; "The mind will be great in proportion to the size and figure of the brain: it is equally reasonable to suppose, that the acknowledged meanness of the negroe's intellect, only coincides with the shape of his head; or in other words, that his want of capacity to receive a complicated education renders it improper and impolitic, that he should be allowed the privileges of citizenship in an enlightened country" (Colfax 25). Another one is the subject by William John Grayson; "Slavery is the negro system of labor. He is lazy and improvident. . . . What more can be required of Slavery, in reference to the negro, than has been done? It has made him, from a savage, an orderly and efficient laborer. It supports him in comfort and peace. It restrains his vices. It improves his mind, morals and manners" (Grayson 7), it is evident those false beliefs are plenty even in the fortifications of American chattel slavery.

Besides, Africans are not intrinsically sluggish or flabby for a complex education since their heads are not any different from those of the whites and head shapes are not in any way related to intelligence, and so captivity was anything but calm. The whole series of reasoning turns out doubtful if it starts with false conventions. Hence, good reasoning in ethics ought to evade false beliefs for there to be self-confidence in the conclusions.

Life is one of the things that hold objective value. Life to other life can be used to create more life, and on the other hand, life to individuals has the value of being capable of experiencing new things (Herrmann 34). However, life to the world has no value. Our current lives are better probably because of the individuals who existed before. Similarly, human beings will have a better life in the future compared to our present lives where they will build off of our achievements and disappointments. Value only exists only if it can be rated and without life, there is no value (Danca 109).

From the discussion above, I agree that a good life is based on objective values - the inborn logic that something is objectively wrong or right helps human beings to live good and beautiful lives. Besides, they live a life where even the people around them are happy. Most cultures also recognize that there are things that are morally right or wrong and they respect the objective value of life. Despite the different claims on morals and ethics, to some extent, philosophers also believe that some behaviors are wrong or right.

Works Cited

Colfax, Richard H. Evidence against the Views of the Abolitionists: Consisting of Physical and Moral Proofs of the. Place of publication not identified: Gale Ecco, Sabin American, 2012.

COLFAX, RICHARD H. Evidence against the Views of the Abolitionists: Consisting of Physical and Moral Proofs, of The... Natural Inferiority of the Negroes. S.l.: FORGOTTEN BOOKS, 2015.

Danca, Wilhelm. Truth and Morality: The Role of Truth in Public Life. Washington, D.C: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, 2008.

Grayson, William J. Hireling and Slave. Place of publication not identified: Nabu Press, 2010.

Herrmann, Eberhard. Religion, Reality, and a Good Life: A Philosophical Approach to Religion. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2004.