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“No one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.”
The “Father of Western Philosophy”; a major contributor to the ancient period of Western Philosophy, Socrates lived his days in Athens, Greece. Even though he did not sternly assert that he knows virtue, he believed that it can be known. Moreover, he believed that those who knows it will certainly act virtuously; however, if somebody does the opposite, then that person is either ignorant or views virtue differently. -
“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”
Born in Athens, Plato was one of the most dazzling personas of his time. He was recognized as one of the greatest figures of ancient Western philosophy. His virtue and human fulfillment philosophy is situated on how people try to live a good life. He believed that a good life is a habituation to a healthy emotional reaction between reason, spirit, and appetite, rather than just relying to a certain degree of knowledge. -
“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals separated from law and justice he is the worst.”
Aristotle is recognized as one of the greatest. To him, being good must be linked to humans being able to lead themselves through reasoning. As a result, humans are distinguished from other species by possessing a rational soul. Furthermore, he believed that living well isn't simply a particular state, rather it entails lifetime activities that materialize the values of the rational part of the soul. -
"It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law."
Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher, is well renowned for his political viewpoints. Hobbes claims that human beings living in peaceful cooperation without the existence of the government is exceedingly unlikely. Many people, he believes, are willing to use violence for selfish gain if there are no regulatory bodies in existence. The reason behind this is that it is in our instinct to attack first if we perceive someone as a dangerous threat. -
“Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove.”
Born in London, Jeremy Bentham is an English philosopher. His philosophy centered on the premise that pleasure and pain are the major motivators for humans. He believes it is appropriate to provide happiness for the largest number of people because others' interests are intimately linked to their own. With that, Bentham emphasizes that if something is morally wrong, it does not maximize the greatest.