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The legislation of ethics is not just a modern occurrence, but the feeling that an individual can do so is debatable. Just because an individual keeps the letter of the law, does not necessarily make him or her ethical. Graham (1995) argues that ethical decisions come not from those in authority (of which is the law), but are “independently arrived at principled beliefs that are used creatively in the analysis and resolution of moral dilemmas” (p. 47).…
Modern citizens can look to the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero as the paradigm of civic duty and good conscious. Not only did Cicero garner his offices solely through hard work, as a novus homo, but he also upheld the reputation of the Roman legal system, easily seen by his prosecution of Verres, the corrupt, ex-governor of Sicily. Cicero justifiably prosecuted Verres mainly due to Verres’s guilt and Cicero’s desire for power, thus proving Livy’s claim that the law is blind, for even a very wealthy, well connected man can still be found guilty.…
Aurelius is a stoic that believes that individuals of a polis should live according to nature, and that nature is moral and rational. Though stoics believe that there are no social bonds on society, they do believe that other norms of the polis orient individuals behavior towards nature. Marcus Aurelius, an advocate for stoicism, believed that man should fulfill his duty in life and live according to nature. He believes that actions should follow the right of reason. The right of reason, according to Aurelius, refers to the idea that “following God in an orderly fashion, never uttering a word that is contrary to the truth nor performing an action that is contrary to justice” (Aurelius, 22). This quote shows the importance of justice in politics and society in Ancient Rome. The interpretation of justice is the same regardless of philosophy and ideology. Justice relies on the individual to make the correct choice in any given situation. Alongside justice, Aurelius believes that order is made up by people who are “following right reason and with dedication, steadfastness, and good humous… and if your present action is in accordance with nature, and if all that you say and utter accords with the truthfulness of an earlier and purer age, you will live a happy place” (Aurelius, 23). Though Aurelius believes that there are no social connections amongst people in the polis, an inherent collective meaning can be distinguished if everyone follows the same beliefs of natural, rational law. Aurelius believes that the best community is a community where everyone fulfills their own function, thus creating a society where individuals positively impact the…
The tyrant, who is also the most unjust man, is the least happy, but the aristocrat, the most just man, is the most happy, which shows that it pays to be just. In turn, Socrates comes up with his own definition of justice where, just like the ideal society, the just man has to balance the rational part of his soul, the spirited part of his soul, and the appetitive part of his soul. The problem, though, is that with this definition, the hoi polloi of America is…
Epicurus, ‘Letter to Menoeceus’, in D Cooper (ed.) 1998a, Ethics: the classic readings, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.…
It is prevalent that citizens around the world feel the need to follow their moral compass rather than the laws their state administers. When faced with a certain dilemma that causes any citizen to choose between following his moral conscience or following the rules mandated by the state, he is prone to following the law out of fear of the consequences if he chooses not to comply. However, there are those who prove to be an exception to this assumption, those who rebel against the state due to the moral and ethical considerations man has. Greek philosopher Sophocles conveys this trait of rebellion due to morality in Antigone through the protagonist Antigone and Plato discusses the same trait by referring to Plato, both whom serve as the primary example of wrestling with civil disobedience.…
“No taxation without representation!” This was the cry that came forth from the American rebellion after George Greenville proposed the Stamp Act in England’s House of Commons. George Greenville had a plan to help pay off debt and help pay for soldiers to protect the American frontier. The Stamp Act, Greenville’s plan, was proposed on March 9th 1765 and took effect on March 22nd 1765. The act was to tax printed documents such as ship papers, legal papers, newspapers, licenses, and even playing cards. This act was passed by the British Parliament but wasn’t accepted for long from the Americans. To many it was taken offensively because taxes were originally used for commerce reasons; however, when the Stamp Act came about their money was being used for fundraiser purposes. Was Greenville’s Stamp Act plan a good idea? Although it helped pay off England’s debt and helped pay for England’s protection, it also upset those who were required to pay the extra tax with having no say as to how their money was being used (Colonial Williamsburg).…
The actions of the Stoics should lead to peace as well, therefore they are to keep unpleasant speech, thoughts and behaviors at bay (Arrian 137). Arrian states that as Stoic philosophers act in this manner, they will be subject to persecution because their beliefs and way of life are contrary to the Greek culture of pleasure and indulgence (137). The Stoics are also to see death indifferently and the Greek culture as undesired, as Arrian infers, meanwhile creating a simple, low standard of life, which embraces poverty through rejecting materialism and maintains a proper character (137). In addition, the continuation of life and their character within the Greek culture is also important. Pride is a trait that is shunned in Stoic philosophy, and thus Stoics are to humbly accept any position in society, whether it be due to social constructs such as one’s profession, race, age, or gender, or by Nature’s choice (Arrian 138).…
Within today’s society, ethics has become invisible among individuals. The meaning of “ethics” has become so complex and hard to pin down because of people’s views about ethics have become shaky (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, S.J., & Meyer, 2010). Ethics is not all about religion or the law but it does relate to human being’s moral principles on how they conduct themselves of what is right or wrong within society.…
Two hundred and seventy votes to win the president of the united states. The nation’s most protected person. The electoral college has the power to vote one of two candidates the president. The electoral college has overpowered the popular vote of the people in many cases. The electoral college should not be abolished for the main reason that the people who have the position to cast one of the votes know what's best for our country.…
Aristotle was one of the first and perhaps most influential of all people to shape the ethics of Western civilization from a secular orientation. He believed that every type of animal has a common essence or nature, and that human beings are essentially, or by nature, rational. He viewed rationality as the central and most significant trait distinguishing humankind from other creatures. Further, Aristotle taught that the good person is the one who lives most rationally and whose moral judgments and social conduct are born of contemplation and reason, in contrast to spontaneity and emotionality. Today, when we address a moral dilemma by saying, "Let us use reason; let us use logic; let us think rationally about this," we are being ethical in the Aristotelian, secular tradition.[i]…
The Stoics created the idea of natural law, stating that humans have within them a divine spark which helps them to live accordingly to Gods will. Although we as humans have the choice to obey these laws or not we still understand and use our divine spark which is reasoning to decide whether to obey these natural laws.…
The Prince, one of the first works of modern philosophy, was written in the genre of political doctrine: the Mirror of Princes. This style was reflected in the works of many writers of antiquity, such as Seneca and Isocrates, extending as far back as to the apices of traditional Western culture and civilization in Rome and Greece. As The Prince derives its thought from classical roots of political thought, its originality is questionable.…
In human existence, a question commonly asked is, "Who am I?" This question is the heart of the quest for the Self. This is a quest which may take a lifetime, sometimes longer, to fulfill. One path, of self-discovery, is when people turn to their surroundings in their search. In turning to their surroundings, people are able to see their Selves by the things around them. In observing the surroundings, people may, not only, find their Selves, but establish their Selves. This path, however, is not the only way people search for the Self. Another path is when people turn to something higher than themselves for answers. This path is lined with the hope the answers can be given by the, "something higher." These two paths represent two preceding forces in people's search for the Self.…
Although Aristotle did not use the term ‘natural law’ many medieval philosophers considered him as one of the first exponents of the fundamentals of natural law. Stoic philosophy was the first to introduce the term ‘natural law’ with the Stoics emphasising nature and the moral requirement to accept and conform to what is given in nature. This Greek philosophy spanned several centuries and greatly influenced the Roman philosopher Cicero. Cicero (d. 43BC) was a strong advocate of natural law and spoke of natural law as the innate power of reason to direct action. Catholic natural law theory was formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas over seven centuries ago. He identified one fundamental norm of natural law: do good and avoid evil. Doing good in this context is following reason’s lead to actualise human…