Thanks, Kenth Hubert Badiang Francisco! This question is as old as philosophy itself, with the ancient Greeks being especially interested in it. For some, a good life is one in which we have some positive subjective state—like when we experience the fulfillment of some desire or other. For others, it is one in which we […]
What does it mean to live a good life? Read More
Thank you, Sajad Ali, for this interesting question. Aristotle famously believed that virtue is a mean between two extremes—for example, courage is a mean between recklessness and cowardice. Does this work for the desire for knowledge, too? In particular, can there be an excess of such a desire? There is no name for the virtue
Can the desire for knowledge be considered greedy? Read More
Thank you, TG Dee, for this perennial question. To understand why this seems to be the case, we have to understand what it is to be good or to be evil. It seems to me that to be good involves acting, desiring, feeling, in accordance with certain standards. For multiple reasons it is not easy
Why is evil consistent and the good is faltering? Read More
Thank you George Foster for this great question! In order to give you the best answer, it would be wise to turn to people who knew a thing or two about having a good time with their buddies: the ancient Greeks. There is probably no better reference in matters of friendship than Aristotle, who distinguished
Is quid pro quo a good basis for friendship? Read More
Thank you, Agar Mayor Gai-Makoon, for this crucial question. The word “honesty” designates a virtue, or a settled and stable disposition to think, feel, and choose appropriately in some sphere of human experience. The particular sphere of experience in which honesty can be located seems to be that of truth-telling. There are three principal types
What does it take to be honest? Read More
Thank you, Hannah Hughes, for such a thoughtful question. As I explore the question, I will assume that by ‘wealthy’, you mean something like having much more money than would be necessary to live without a constant worry about one’s financial situation. I think that there are two moral perspectives to take into account here:
Is it bad to aspire to be wealthy? Read More
Thank you, EM IL, for this intriguing question. The first thing we must ask is, what is innocence? We can answer this question by thinking about the attributes possessed by paradigmatically innocent creatures, such as puppies or newborn babies. It seems to me that when we call such creatures innocent, we are primarily remarking upon
Thank you, Gnanak Gerhardson Munnangi, for a great question! Although it may seem a bit distrusting to consider the motives of someone seeking your friendship, doing so may reveal a lot about yourself. When I saw this question, I was tempted to say that in a friendship I would like caring and understanding, as well
What are your expectations from a person who wants to be your friend? Read More
Thank you, Jong Camallere, for this very interesting question. Courage is a central element of many lists of virtues and it is certainly not difficult to understand why: people willing to take a stand for what they think is right serve as great role models. The adventures of great warriors also make for more exciting
Is courage the most important virtue? Read More
Thank you, Darlan Campos, for an interesting question! Beauty is usually deemed to be a superficial virtue in light of the fact that it is rarely everlasting and only gives rise to but an instance of aesthetic pleasure. The experience of beauty is incredibly short and seems to have no long-lasting effect. Natural beauty always
