Two famous Hellenic philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, once asked the question, how do values and ethics come to be? They came to the conclusion that values and ethics are either discovered or developed. Since people are taught values and ethics as they grow, people determine their beliefs as they experience life, and people’s values change over time, it is clear that people develop their values and ethics rather than merely discovering them. What are values and ethics? In essence, values are qualities and principles that people find valuable, and ethics are duties and obligations that are considered right and good. How does one know that values and ethics are developed? When a person is born, they do not have a sense of ethics. People …show more content…
As a person exits childhood, gains higher education, works in different careers, and establishes a family, they grow and decide their own beliefs. Because of the way a person’s life changes as they grow older, their views on the world and their interpretation of what is right and what is wrong will be altered. This will cause their ethics and values to be an agglomeration of what a person has acquired from personal experiences and the influences of others. The development of values and ethics is a process that lasts a lifetime. For instance, a high school-aged girl’s idea of “the perfect man” may include characteristics such as kind, tall, handsome, funny, athletic, and popular. Once she is an adult, her idea of “the perfect man” may include traits such as hardworking, has a stable income, shares common interests, is working towards the same goals in life, and has a nice family. As this girl aged and matured, her values changed, and what she valued in a man changed too. Plato states in his work, The Allegory of the Cave, “You will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world” (Plato 3). Plato calls the shift of the “soul into the intellectual world” a journey. This means that in order for a person to develop their values and ethics, they must complete a lifelong trek towards a final goal of knowing what they believe in and what they value. One does not have a breakthrough moment during their life in which their views on right and wrong are
The irrational concept of the education has been influenced moral principles concerning what is good for a society as well as for an individual; however, the understanding of the intrinsic nature of the education removes the darkness of beliefs, which Plato calls prisoners’ shadows in his writing The Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, a dialogue between Glaucon and Socrates. Although “The Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” was written thousands of years ago, Plato’s depiction of the true education is a wakeup call for our humanity to admit the acquisition of knowledge with circumspection. The truth often relies on a mistaking understanding of sight or shadow according to Plato; the truth regularly relies on prejudice which makes an individual a prisoner, and the discovery of new truth often encounters hostility. A close analysis of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave allows us to view the education as not a way to transfer knowledge, but a way to transform
Ethics are the principles that shape individual lives in modern society. It is a subjective idea that seems to have a standard in society. Ethics and morals are the major factors that guide individuals to make right and wrong choices. Something that is morally right to one person might be the very opposite of what another person would view as right. There are many factors that can trigger a change in an individual’s view of morality.
A just life in a just society would be the happiest possible way to live for Plato. Justice is defined as a balanced and well-integrated specialization of functions both within the scope of society and the individual. The just society classifies its members on the basis of individual differences in intellectual and physical abilities and is therefore warranted. The way to achieve a happy life is only half satisfied with the presence of a just society. Other than living in a just society, the harmony between the parts within an individual's mind or soul is as important. The psyche contains three elements: wisdom, spirit, and appetite. The wisdom in a person, similarly to the role of the rulers in society, ought to be in command of the individual, and working in harmony with the spirit and the appetite, to achieve happiness. This is so because only the mind has the ability to reason and potentially achieve intelligence, which is the form of the Good -- the ultimate source of happiness.
Personal, cultural, and professional values and ethics drive the decision-making process for most individuals and businesses in our society. Ethics reflect our conscience, morality and how we apply these concepts in deciding right from wrong (Covey 66). Ethical awareness is critical for how we conduct our lives and make choices in the workplace; by defining personal and ethical values, individuals and businesses alike can become more productive members of society. a Whether consciously considered or not, every human being has a personal philosophy by which they live and use to interpret the world around them. Their “beliefs, concepts and attitudes” (Philosophy) are a derivative of their upbringing and personal circumstances experienced throughout the course of their lives.
Values are a core set of beliefs and principles by one or many. A number of factors contribute to the development of values. These include membership in a community or culture, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Values determine what is important in decision-making. Ethics involve conduct, the ability to determine right and wrong. All organizations face ethical dilemmas. Organizations develop corporate social responsibility in reaction to the values and expectations of society. Corporate social responsibility initiatives aim to protect public health, safety...
Everyone has their own personal values that the gain throughout their lives. Some of these values are passed down through the different generations of their family. Values can change over time and some people learn more values as they grow up. I personally have gained a range of different values in the past eighteen years of my life. My own values include: respect, honesty, empathy and trust. I gained the value of respect through my parents as I was always told to show respect to others and they would then show me respect back. When I was really young I had to respect other people’s things and their feelings. Through my parents I was brought up to believe that it is always better to be honest and tell the truth about everything. I feel that
To conclude, the message Plato tried to convey in the Allegory of the Cave was that the good is not only what people inherently pursue, but also which guides them to do certain things. Whether one achieves the full understanding of the good is a matter of constant education, which might take much time and, mostly, lead only to the partial success due to the distraction on part of the material realm. Even without fully attaining the realm of Forms, a person who tries until the very moment of death will achieve a healthy soul and enjoy its benefits in the underworld and beyond.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the moral principles and values that govern our behavior as human beings. It is important in the human experience that we are able to grasp the idea of our own ethical code in order to become the most sensible human beings. But in that process, can ethics be taught to us? Or later in a person’s life, can he or she teach ethics the way they learned it? It is a unique and challenging concept because it is difficult to attempt to answer that question objectively because everybody has his or her own sense of morality. And at the same time, another person could have a completely different set of morals. Depending on the state of the person’s life and how they have morally developed vary from one human
In his several dialogues, Plato contends the importance of the four virtues: wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice. In The Republic, he describes a top-down hierarchy that correlates to the aspects of one’s soul. Wisdom, courage, and temperance preside control over the rational, spirited, and appetitive aspects of the soul. It is when one maintains a balance between these aspects of his soul that he attains peace within himself: “...And when he has bound together the three principles within him...he proceeds to act...always thinking and calling that which preserves and cooperates with this harmonious condition (Plato 443c).” Wisdom and knowledge consistently remain at the top of his view of happiness. During the apology, Plato is asked what punishment is best suited for him. He sarcastically answers, “to be fed...(It is) much more suitable than for any one who has won a v...
"A value determines what a person thinks he ought to do, which may or may not be the same as he wants to do, or what is in his interest to, or what in fact he actually does. Values in this sense give rise to general standards and ideal by which we judge our own and others conduct; they also give rise to specific obligations” (CCETSW,
According to Plato’s philosophy in order for human beings to have a healthy “soul,” our view of the world should not be distorted by fears, insecurities, irrational anxieties, or overpowering desires. He also explains that our judgment should not be blinded by greed or self-interest. Having a healthy “soul” means having a clear mind and seeing things for what they actually are; this “soul” is the core of our personality. A person with a healthy ”soul” will live a virtuous life by making ethical choices and controlling his or her desires.
"The Allegory of the Cave" and "The Apology" by Plato explore the methods in which people for themselves, usually through the cultivation of the soul. "The Allegory of the Cave" employs an allegory to highlight the importance of the soul, while "The Apology" focuses on Plato 's beloved mentor, Socrates, and his views on tur value of the soul. Both allegory and dialogue seek to stress the importance of the truth to caring for one 's self. The pursuit of the truth and the care of the self are intricately intertwined; one cannot do without the other. Additionally, both pieces challenge the reader from their complacency and forces them to re-evaluate their lives, calling for lives that better cultivate the soul and take care of the self. From
Still innocent and so naïve, the common human consciousness slowly began to raise itself, giving birth thereat to great men, who will forever remain in the hearts of the “consecrated”. One of those great men was Plato.
In this paper I am going to be discussing my values and morals in life that helps me be successful with knowing what is right and wrong in personally and professionally everyday life. There are many things that go on in the world today and it is extremely important to have values and morals set in place. Also going to be discussing how cultural heritage has shaped my values and what ethical behaviors I see in myself.
Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Nietzsche all had their own ideas for which one could reach happiness in his/her life. All have similarities in there reasoning except Nietzshe, who contradicts the others entirely.