The Beginning

1
The Beginning

• aka Noteworthy moral philosophers

2
Zoroaster

• Zoroastrianism Persian 6th or 7th century BCE
• Neverending struggle between forces of good
  evil
• Influenced Christianity

3
Plato

• Socrates was his teacher
• Taught Aristotle
• The good is born of knowledge
• The evil born of lack of knowledge
• Information, contemplation, and intellectual
  training happiness

4
Aristotle

• Teacher of Alexander the Great
• Happiness can be achieved by applying the golden
  mean
• In order to achieve happiness we must
• Always strive for harmonious balance between two
  extremes
• Happiness is not static, but is an activity, a
  way of living that must be worked on

5
Aristotle (continued)

• Without experimentation trial and error,
  through reason alone, one c/n determine what is
  best

6
Epicurus

• Live moderately pleasurably, but without
  pain. (Ataraxia)
• Dynamic pleasures cause pain lust, gluttony,
  fame, drunkenness, marriage accompanied by pain
• Passive pleasures avoids pain suffering
  friendship, eating moderately, exercising
  moderately

7
Immanuel Kant

• Essence of Morality morality is gauged by
  intention, not consequence

8

• An act is moral if separate from its consequences
  (aka deontological approach to ethics)
• Categorical Imperative All should act in a
  righteous manner as if each action was to become
  a universal law

9
John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism

• An action is good if it produces the greatest
  good for the greatest number
• Stresses the effects of actions rather than their
  motives (opposite of Kant)
• Majority rules
• Results-oriented approach to ethics (aka
  teleological approach to ethics)