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In one of his great paradoxes, Socrates sought whether weakness of will truly existed. His belief on the matter was that people only did wrong when, at the moment, the perceived benefits seemed to outweigh the costs. Socrates believed that in order to develop one’s personal ethics is to be able to correct the distortions that skew one’s analyses of benefit and cost or “the art of measurement.” -
Plato believed in the objectivity of moral values and that they are eternal and applied to all creatures around the world and throughout time. He believed that only by being virtuous can one hope to be happy. -
Aristotle’s philosophy on ethics was centered around action; actions that were conducive to man’s good. He argued that the virtues we held are merely the good habits that we acquire and, in turn, regulates our emotions.
According to Aristotle’s “The Golden Mean Principle,” to be happy is to live a life of moderation. In everything that we do, we must avoid the extremes. -
Thomas Hobbes believed in the selfishness of human beings. He insisted that they are creatures who would do anything to improve their position. Furthermore, Hobbes also believed that human beings should not be trusted to make decisions on their own for he believes that they would act on their evil impulses if left alone. His philosophy of moral positivism insists that chaos will follow when laws are not abided. -
Jeremy Bentham’s ethical theory of utilitarianism centers on the belief that actions are morally right or wrong depending on how the consequences affect those involved. Essentially, an act is considered good when it produces good results and bad when it does not regardless of the motive behind said action.