When first presented with the question “Is it possible to make better moral judgments?” at the beginning of the semester my immediate reaction was “Better than what?” I had trouble wrapping my mind around the question because of a tendency to miss the point for all the nuances in the way. It made me question my own value system as well as that of those around me. So now, I ponder what the great Greek philosophers would say to the same question.
First, what Plato would say? Plato is a man of forms. He believes that the boxes already exist all you have to do is remember what’s in them. I think Plato would say; follow the advice of the one expert rather than the ignorant masses. Find the one who knows the most about morality, and as morality in intangible, you must seek elsewhere for its understanding. As knowledge is also intangible, morality must be pursued in the way that knowledge is pursued. You must rid yourself of the ensnarement of physicality. That which your senses perceive cannot be moral. Therefore, you must rid yourself of superfluous material possessions. The truth is a derivative of knowledge, knowledge is a part of the metaphysical realm, and therefore the truth must be metaphysical. Plato believed that life and death is a cycle, which allows things in the metaphysical realm to be known to all humans innately. If morality is a part of the metaphysical realm than morality must be innate. Therefore, in order to find morality one must strive to discover ones innate potential. One must peel away everything that is not necessary in the physical world, all excess possessions, and live a life in preparation of death. In this way, according to Plato’s reasoning, one will find better moral judgments.
Personally, I don’t believe that life is worth living if it is for the purpose of death. Through this line of reasoning, death would be the pursuit of life. In this cycle, I believe, life is wasted; not fully utilized.
Aristotle would probably answer this question somewhat differently. While Plato is a man of forms, Aristotle is a man of purpose. Aristotle believes all things exist to fulfill some purpose, end or goal. To find that end, or telos, one must ask four questions: of what is it (whatever it may be) made, what is it that is made, who or what made it and finally why was it made. Morality is not an easy it to answer these questions for. Aristotle also says that between the activity and its telos are virtues. These virtues are what make it good. Therefore, the question becomes, what are the virtues of the good moral judgment. I believe the answer to that is that which makes the good human being. Aristotle says that the good human being is the one who reaches eudemonia. So then the question becomes, what is eudemonia and how is it achieved? According to Aristotle, eudemonia has two criteria that must be met, a final end and a self-sufficient end. In order to reach eudemonia one must live a virtuous life. Aristotle would say that the two virtues that make a good human being are morality and contemplation. So we are left with, how does one become moral? First, one must resist the urge to become a slave to pleasure, wealth and/or honor. Pleasure is most often associated with food, drink and sex. However, one must have a certain amount of pleasure, wealth and honor to reach eudemonia. Therefore, one must pursue a life of mediums. Temperance is the only way to have both enough and not too much at the same time. So how does one make better moral judgments? One makes better moral judgments by finding pleasure in the second human virtue, intellectual pursuits. Morality is temperance and contemplation is pleasure, according to Aristotle. Morality must become habit, by training one’s self to resist pleasures of the body one can find temperance. When one tends toward one extreme, one should choose the other extreme in order to reach the mean. If one can learn to transfer pleasure from the body to the mind it can be removed from morality without being lost from life altogether.
In some areas I agree with Aristotle, in others I do not. I believe in the golden rule but I believe in it because I was raised to do so. What I have decided on my own is more complex. I believe you should only do those things that you are prepared to suffer the consequences for. I believe you should be as kind and generous as you can afford to be. You should speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and stand up for what is just and true. I believe you should be as honest as possible and always keep your promises. Most importantly, I believe you should be ready to fight for what you believe in and always remember to be respectful. These things help me to make better moral judgments. I think Aristotle and Plato would agree that these guidelines would place me in good favor with the gods, and isn’t that the true test of morality.
In conclusion, I believe it is possible to make better moral judgments, as long as you’re willing to take responsibility for bad ones.