Stevens Vs. Stevens's The Remains Of The Day

What is "good" depends solely on the one judging. For someone to be labeled good they must maintain their judge’s approval in every task, quite difficult I would think. The character Stevens from The Remains of the Day remained a good human being to his employers in every task, so it appeared in the book. I want to explore in this essay if indeed Stevens remained a good human being by use of philosophers Aristotle, Kant, and Royce ethical works.

I personally believe Stevens is a good human being my reasons compile to his honor to his work and the respect given to others. Aristotle would also agree, he argues that every activity has a final cause, the good at which it aims, that since there cannot be an infinite regress of merely extrinsic

Stevens pursued dignity through self-determination; Kant explains that the dignity of a person is grounded in self-determination it is presupposed by morality. Kant is arguing the idea that self-imposed universal law is the true basis of morality. Steven is self-determined to be like his father "the best butler” through Kantian ethicshis choice is dignified thus moral. Kant argued that the existence of morality implies the existence of free will. Kant explains human dignity is related to human agency, the ability of humans to choose their own actions the idea of free will becomes a main focus (Kant). “If you don 't have free will, you can 't be moral, because you can 't be responsible for your actions. Acting with free will, on such views, is just to satisfy the metaphysical requirement on being responsible for one 's action,” (Separate Morality from Free Will). Stevens’ free will stirred him to dignity and greatness that ultimately led to morality. The pursuit of greater good remains dignified and ethical. Stevens remains a good human being under Kantians ethical morals

Stevens begins to regret the way he acted toward Miss Kenton, he wished he had acting in love. The self-reinstating principal refers to learning by reason from a previous chosen cause and changing your interests to increase loyalty amongst all men. Stevens’ regrets guided him to the decision to perfect the art of bantering which didn’t seem as leveled as the losses taken in his life. But, to Stevens it was a way to use loyalty as a self-reinstating principal. The perfecting of bantering would help Stevens improving himself and his relationship with the new home owner Mr. Faraday. Steven is acting ethically in terms of Royce his interests remain in his need to serve others, and he has utmost respect for these interests. Royce describes loyalty as active furtherance of a chosen cause. The chosen cause is linked to personal interests to remain loyal he must respect these interests. Stevens remains loyalty to his virtue thus, Stevens is a good human been under Royce’s ethics of loyalty.

Stevens sustained his professionalism and loyalty to a great virtue, a virtue of a chosen path for greater good. Stevens continued to be a good person to his employer and became a convincing good person based on philosophical rationalities of Aristotle, Kant, and Royce. Struck with the theme of loss, loss of father, loss of lover and loss of Lord Darlington; Stevens used these