Ethical Systems and their Relevance to the Law

Plato thought that which distinguished equity from arbitrary com servicemand or the mere expression of customs and tradition was its deterrent example defensibility. Dewey says that the contribution of Greek thought reflected "the contend to make the transition from customary to reflective conduct" (Boydston, 1989, p. 163).

Aristotle mention that "we need laws . . . to cover the whole of spirit" because "most batch obey necessity rather than inclination, and punishments rather than what is noble" (Aristotle, n.d., p. 1864). He adds that "in general passion seems to yield not to argument but to force" (n.d., p. 1864). He notes that the distinction between man and the animals is that "life is defined in the case of animals by the business leader of perception, that of man by the power of perception or thought," "life seems to be essentially perceiving or thinking" (n.d., p. 1849) and that "intellect is the outdo thing in us" (n.d., p. 1860).

Aristotle analyzes the basis for determining what is rectify or wrong and concludes no action is immoral or immoral by itself but rather because of the state of promontory of the doer of an act: "the incontinent man, knowing that what he does is bad, does it as a result of passion, while the continent man, knowing that his appetites argon bad, does not follow them because of his reason" (n.d., p. 1809). He notes that most mass ar guided by self-interest. He says that "all or most men, while they wish for what is noble, choose what is advantageous" and that

Dewy's moral philosophy is in bingle sense a synthesis of previous schools of thought which he organizes in a particularly modern way to do to modern conditions. For example, he agrees with Hume that there is an "element of truth in the theories which insist that in their root and essence moral judgments argon emotional rather than intellectual" and "sympathy is the animating work of moral judgment" (Boydston, 1989, p. 269 and 270). He, however, goes on to say that "intuitions or nimble feelings of what is good and bad are of psychological rather than moral import. They are indications of formed habits rather than evidence of what should be O.K. or disapproved"

Mill in the cited article sought to practise those and other criticisms.

He says that utilitarianism goes beyond hedonism because "human beings have faculties more than elevated than the animal appetites" and that "some kinds of pleasure are more desirable and more valuable than others" (Warnock, 1974, p. 256). It is not merely the measurement but also the quality of pleasure or comfort which is the end of moral philosophy and that preference should be give "to the manner of existence which employs their higher faculties" (1989, p. 259).

Mill rejects the notion that cheer is an unattainable goal. He says that "most of the great positive evils of the macrocosm are . . . removable" (1989, 266). He sees law as a vehicle for causing social change which can make headway large numbers of people. He says that "laws and social arrangements should place the happiness, or . . . the interest, of every individual, as nearly as possible in harmony with the interest of the whole" (Warnock, 1974, p. 265).

Read superficially, Kant appears to be work for obedience to whatever the law is at any inclined place and time, a philosophy which tends to justify mindless ossification with authoritarian direction from the state. However, that was not Kant's intent. He says that "the law which we are bound to obey must be the pr
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!