Angela Dykstra

Good

Ancient philosophy looked to “reason” as definitions for determining moral

ethics. Uncovering a rational explanation for why ancient Greek aristocracy conducted

themselves in the manners in which they did appears to be the trigger mechanism in the

establishment of moral philosophy. Perhaps it is coincidence that beginning with the

Sophists and Socrates and continuing through to recent philosophical study, the word

“good” turns up often in this course text (Moore-Bruder, 2005).

Throughout moral philosophical history, finding, assigning and defining “good” is

central to many ethical philosophic discussions. Plato claimed the ultimate source of all

value is the form Good. Aristotle claimed that Good is an individual’s natural objective

when one aspires to attain happiness. Epicurus believed the highest Good was personal

pleasure obtained only by living in moderation, and St. Augustine wove Good into the

fabric of Christian ethics (Moore-Bruder, 2005).

. While modern philosophers moved beyond good as their central focus, Good

reappears in recent philosophy with renewed vigor and without its former normative

focus. Moore used an analytic approach to ethics when he delved deeply into “…what

Good is” (Moore-Bruder, 2005, p 357, ¶ 2). Ross coined the phrase “prima facie duty”

when one’s moral societal duty is to do Good works in mass which have Good results,

which prompted Rawls social justice theory claiming the common Good should never

require the masses to abandon in-masse individual personal liberties (Moore-Bruder,

2005).

In closing, ethical philosophy traveled the gamut of good and bad behavior,

religious virtues as they relate to God and social, political, and ethical acts that include
animal rights when attempting to define moral character for an individual, group, or

society. What appears to connect traditional and modern ethics is the continued search for

what constitutes a universally accepted ethical Goodness of character (Moore-Bruder,

2005).

References

Moore, B. and Bruder, K. (2005). Philosophy: The Power of Ideas. (Sixth ed.), Part Two.

Columbus, OH: The McGraw-Hill Companies.