-
According to Socrates, “No one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.” A person will commit moral evil acts if he or she lacks moral knowledge. Sometimes, a person may have knowledge but he or she deliberately commits an evil act to fulfill his or her hidden motive as there are wants that cannot be satisfied. An example can be business establishments that overprice their products to gain a larger profit.
-
Plato questioned the views of most people about goodness, for it is here that they go disastrously wrong in trying to live happy lives. According to him, "Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others." He believed that it is only by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy. An example is when one gives alms to the poor. For every good action that we do, it should be genuine because doing good things to others, will empower their lives and inspire people.
-
Aristotle's "The Golden Mean Principle" states that "To be happy, we have to live a life of moderation". In life, we must avoid doing extremes. However, there are times when a man gets greedy and sometimes takes the opportunity to do an evil act. An example is when eating food, we have to consume food in proportion to the needs of our bodies. If we eat excessively, the food intake would cause problems to our health as eating too much equates to gluttony.
-
Hobbes believes that human beings are selfish creatures who would do anything to improve their position. People would act on their evil impulses if left alone for themselves. Hence, the creation of laws, and the obedience of the stakeholders are essential to create order and maintenance, as moral positivism anticipates the chaotic outcome if laws are not abided by. For example, the government, its purpose is to protect the rights of its people, preserve justice, and enforce the law.
-
Utilitarianism is explained as “Do whatever produces the greatest good for the greatest number.” The theory argues that what makes an act right is its consequences and not the motive of the action. The effects or consequences determine the goodness or badness of an action. Basically, if one decides something, it should be for the greater good of a great number of people. For example, when I buy pizza for my friends, I make sure that the flavor is pleasurable for the group as a whole.