Moral Saints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moral Saints - Essay Example The role that morality should play in our lives is a topic that garnered attention from many philosophers. Wolf (419-439) is among the scholars who focused on the way human beings apply morals on their life. She states that human beings should not strive to live a saintly life as this was be too good to the extent of denying themselves happiness. She advises that human beings should treat others not as a means but an end. The implication of this is that people should strive to be happy and make other happy by treating them fairly and with respect. For instance, they should do as much good as possible, save lives and avoid killing. This coincides with the idea of Mill that human beings should strive to save lives as failing to do so is tantamount to killing (Bendle 36). On this note, there is a concession that good actions should not be in striving to saints but in treating others in a fair manner for mutual happiness. Human beings should weigh their private or personal projects on the way their consequences on others. Wolf (429) agrees with the idea of Mill that rational moral would guide people in their actions with one another. Mill proposed the principle of utilitarianism in determining the morality of actions in the society (Bendle 40). In his argument, human beings should weigh their actions on the consequences they have on the people whom they affect. In the principle of utilitarianism, the best action is one whose consequences do overall good to the society. This is similar to the idea of Wolf that one should do as much good as is possible, unlike the absolute saints who should strive to do good only. On the other hand, this contradicts the idea proposed by Kantianism on the universality of moral laws that bind each person. Kant proposes that each person must do act according to the moral laws. For instance, if lying is bad it remains bad in