MARK JAY D. VIRAY IETHICS

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Memory Aid - Write three (3) phrases or sentences that define or distinguish Natural Law from other
ethical frameworks.

- Natural Law is the idea that human rights, values, and obligations are ingrained in human nature
- The application of Natural Law doesn't require political structure and legislature
- Natural law is timeless and universal since it is based on human nature rather than culture or
customs.

Application Exercise:  watch the movie, “Rurouni Kenshin” in Netflix (or any other movie streaming
sites).  Then, try to compare and contrast the ethical principles of Aristotle, Mill, Kant and Aquinas
after watching the movie. 

The epitome of the perfect good guy is Kenshin Himura. He is decent. Gentle. Fair. Forgiving. His
major objective is to defeat evil and the wicked so that the righteous might live in freedom and
harmony. Kenshin's viewpoint obviously doesn't really fit into a particular philosophical school of
thought, like many personal views do. One can counter that Kenshin's philosophy closely resembles that
of the utilitarian school.

Jeremy Bentham established utilitarianism, but John Stuart Mill developed the idea before it fully
gained popularity. Maximizing happiness is the philosophy's central objective. According to these rules,
the action that will bring about the maximum happiness, or potential happiness, is always the proper
action. The idea that happiness's quality should also be considered was offered by John Stuart Mill.

As seen in the movie, during the war, Kenshin underwent a lot. He witnessed a lot of bloodsheds.
He witnessed a great deal of suffering. He saw numerous innocent people perish. However, Kenshin
shows that at his core, he is a utilitarian. He entered the struggle in the first place because, even before
the war, he was willing to give his life in order for the helpless and defenseless to live. In order to
increase the happiness of the populace, he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness.

It's simple to support Kenshin's viewpoint. How could increasing happiness ever be a bad thing, after
all? Sadly, everything has a downside, and utilitarianism is no different. The old and sick lose their value
since the activities that result in the most enjoyment and the most potential happiness are always the
right ones. Any form of utilitarianism holds that the young and healthy will always be given preference
over the aged and sick since they are more likely to die and have a lower possibility for quality
happiness. But such a mentality seems acceptable for someone like Kenshin to adopt in a series that
chronicles the overthrow of a terrible old system and the advent of a more promising future.