MrMet
03-03-2009, 12:33 AM
Hey guys, I am trying to write a short paper on several moral systems and the idea of the "good." I was wondering if you guys/ladies could take a look at what I have and provide some insight and criticism?
The question being raised is as follows:
Plato, Aristotle and a functionalist all go out for a beer on a Friday night. Each proclaims “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” What does each philosopher mean and why?
My Response:
To explain why each philosopher, Plato, Aristotle, and a Functionalist, each proclaim that beer is “good,” requires us to take a look at each philosopher separately and examine each philosopher's definition of a “good,” and how each Philosopher's moral system is structured. First starting with Plato, we take a look at what Plato calls his “Theory of Forms.” For Plato reality exists in two layers: the transcendent realm, and the material world. The transcendent realm is made up of nonmaterial, perfect, eternal, and unchangeable forms of everything. The material world is made up of material, imperfect, temporal, and changeable copies of items in the transcendent realm. Everything in the material world is a copy of some transcendent form. Plato says that we learn what is “perfect” or “good” by trying many of the things in question. Refusing to experience or learn is being ignorant. Plato argues that “good” is the highest transcendent form, the vehicle to achieve the good is learning or knowing through the journey of philosophy, and the evil would be ignorance. So Plato, when he proclaims at the bar that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” is saying that he has tried many beers in his time, and this beer has the most qualities that are related to the transcendent/perfect form of beer. Plato would say that the beer is cold, has the right amount of hops, tastes good, quenches his thirst, gets him drunk, and will not provide any negative side effects. If Plato drank that beer, and only that beer and made that statement he would be ignorant.
Aristotle, on the other hand, bases his statement on the moral system called the “Virtue Theory.” The virtue theory states that all creatures seek pleasure and avoid pain. Aristotle argues that humans have the ultimate goal of being happy and this happiness is the good. Secondly, Aristotle says that we must describe the moral virtues themselves. There are three general observations about the nature of moral virtues. Regulating our desires is learned and is the outcome of teaching and practice. Second, desire-regulating virtues are character traits, or habitual dispositions, and shouldn't be seen as either emotions or mental faculties. Third, Aristotle says that moral virtues are desire-regulating character traits that fall at some mean between more extreme character traits. For Aristotle and the virtue theory, the good is happiness, and the vehicle for the good is finding a balance and moderation between the more extreme character traits. Regulating our desires either too much or too little will create problems. Aristotle calls this the doctrine of the mean. So for Aristotle to claim that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” means that the beer must bring him happiness.
Finally, the functionalist bases his statement on the moral system of functionalism. Functionalism basically states that if the task at hand is a success or if it works then its good. In order to achieve this success or good we must do whatever it takes (within limits – such as the law). The evil in a functionalist system would ultimately be failure. So for the functionalist to claim that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” it simply has to satisfy his taste and get him drunk, the function of beer. If the functionalist thinks the beer tastes good and gets drunk from it then the beer was successful.
The question being raised is as follows:
Plato, Aristotle and a functionalist all go out for a beer on a Friday night. Each proclaims “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” What does each philosopher mean and why?
My Response:
To explain why each philosopher, Plato, Aristotle, and a Functionalist, each proclaim that beer is “good,” requires us to take a look at each philosopher separately and examine each philosopher's definition of a “good,” and how each Philosopher's moral system is structured. First starting with Plato, we take a look at what Plato calls his “Theory of Forms.” For Plato reality exists in two layers: the transcendent realm, and the material world. The transcendent realm is made up of nonmaterial, perfect, eternal, and unchangeable forms of everything. The material world is made up of material, imperfect, temporal, and changeable copies of items in the transcendent realm. Everything in the material world is a copy of some transcendent form. Plato says that we learn what is “perfect” or “good” by trying many of the things in question. Refusing to experience or learn is being ignorant. Plato argues that “good” is the highest transcendent form, the vehicle to achieve the good is learning or knowing through the journey of philosophy, and the evil would be ignorance. So Plato, when he proclaims at the bar that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” is saying that he has tried many beers in his time, and this beer has the most qualities that are related to the transcendent/perfect form of beer. Plato would say that the beer is cold, has the right amount of hops, tastes good, quenches his thirst, gets him drunk, and will not provide any negative side effects. If Plato drank that beer, and only that beer and made that statement he would be ignorant.
Aristotle, on the other hand, bases his statement on the moral system called the “Virtue Theory.” The virtue theory states that all creatures seek pleasure and avoid pain. Aristotle argues that humans have the ultimate goal of being happy and this happiness is the good. Secondly, Aristotle says that we must describe the moral virtues themselves. There are three general observations about the nature of moral virtues. Regulating our desires is learned and is the outcome of teaching and practice. Second, desire-regulating virtues are character traits, or habitual dispositions, and shouldn't be seen as either emotions or mental faculties. Third, Aristotle says that moral virtues are desire-regulating character traits that fall at some mean between more extreme character traits. For Aristotle and the virtue theory, the good is happiness, and the vehicle for the good is finding a balance and moderation between the more extreme character traits. Regulating our desires either too much or too little will create problems. Aristotle calls this the doctrine of the mean. So for Aristotle to claim that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” means that the beer must bring him happiness.
Finally, the functionalist bases his statement on the moral system of functionalism. Functionalism basically states that if the task at hand is a success or if it works then its good. In order to achieve this success or good we must do whatever it takes (within limits – such as the law). The evil in a functionalist system would ultimately be failure. So for the functionalist to claim that “THIS BEER IS GOOD!” it simply has to satisfy his taste and get him drunk, the function of beer. If the functionalist thinks the beer tastes good and gets drunk from it then the beer was successful.