Communications
Morally good person
1. We sometimes say that to be a good person, one must be “true to
oneself.” Do you think this is so? Give examples.
2. Do you believe that a morally good person will, at least in normal
circumstances, also be assured of being a happy person? Why or
why not?
3. If a sadist were to gain enormous pleasure from torturing his or
her victims—in fact, more pleasure than the pain suffered by the
victims themselves—would the sadist’s cruelty be justified?
4. Is there anything you would find worth dying for? What?
(Camus, in his Myth of Sisyphus, said, “A reason for dying is also
a good reason for living.”)
5. Many religious commandments, in sexual and food prohibitions,
tell us to abstain from the material, or bodily, enjoyments of life.
Is it possible to be a religious person and deny yourself none
of the pleasures of life? Or if a religion encourages us to make
money, buy fancy cars, and live well, is it thereby corrupting its
status as a religion?
6. Do we in fact always act selfishly, even in those instances in
which we appear to be “selflessly” helping others?
7. Is it true that the “bottom line” of business is profit and profit
alone? Or, even in business itself, are there other, less tangible goals
that are intrinsic to and just as important as making money?
8. Do you believe that abortion is justifiable, even in cases in which
the life of the mother is not threatened? How do you justify
your answer, and how would you defend it against a person who
disagreed with you?
9. Assuming that we agree on a list of injunctions that we all ought
to obey, which we call morality, why should we be moral?
10. Would it be possible for a person to be perfectly good and yet
cause harm to innocent people? Could a person be wicked even
if he or she never caused any harm at all?
11. Which is more important to you, success or happiness? What if
you are forced to choose between them?
12. We are a nation ruled “by laws, not men.” What does this say
about our view of “men”?
