Human conduct: nature, ethics, and social dimensions

Human Conduct

The study of modern day philosophy often involves examining some of the key ideas that humankind has wrestled with for generations. One of these is the overall issue of equality, where a wide variety of philosophers have expressed their views on this subject. Yet, many are still debating this issue based upon new insights that are provided by modern day philosophers. One of the most notable is Louis Pojman, where he said, "The virtuous are rewarded and the vicious punished in proportion to their relative deserts." For some, this provided a good philosophy on life, while others disagreed with these views. To fully understand the underlying meaning of Pojman requires: comparing the ideas presented with our own individual views. This will provide the greatest insights as to how the views of Pojman are relevant in modern day life.

What the Ideas of Pojman are saying to the Individual

When you examine the underlying idea that is presented by Pojman, it is clear that he is talking about merits and deserts. A merit is when a reward or punishment is given out based upon the underlying levels of goodness or evil that someone has. A desert is when the reward or punishment is earned by the individual. This means that those who are good will ultimately be rewarded with good deeds at some point in time. While others, who engage in acts of evil will have that same act occur to them at some point down the road. (Smith, 2008) This is significant, because it shows how the underlying statement is right to a certain extent, yet it can be proven to be wrong. According to proponents, this theory is correct based upon the overall amounts of goodness that you engage in throughout your life. Where, those individuals that engage in selfless acts will have a sense of compassion and caring beyond material rewards. This, they argue is the true benefit of his philosophy in action, as everyone will receive a sense of self satisfaction or lack there of based upon the good / evil deeds we all conduct. (DeRoche, 2009) While, the critics will argue that this philosophy will provide a good overview. Yet, when it comes to specific examples of goodness and evil in relation to the underlying rewards, the philosophy falls short. Where, these people will often point the large disparities between the wealthy and poor. According to the critics, if this theory was accurate then all the hardworking people, who devote their lives to their careers; will have more rewards than someone whose father is a billionaire. (Smith, 2008)

Analysis of Pojman's Ideas

When you analyze the different ideas of Pojman, it is clear that both the proponents and critics make some valid points. Where, the proponents are correct in that, the true reward of goodness or evil will be felt within in the soul, which may not necessarily mean financial rewards. While, at other times the critics are correct when they point out that the theory is to general. The reality is: that the critics are accurate to a certain extent, when it comes to analyzing the ideas of Pojman. According to this group, a common misconception that people will often make about the world is that money can buy you happiness. While, it can buy you certain things and make life easier, it will not instantly make someone happy. Instead, it can often lead to larger problems down the road. An example of this can be seen with Elvis Presley. After his wife divorced him in 1973, he would go through a constant round of: binging on diet pills, overeating and partying all night long. This was despite the fact that he had the title as the "King of Rock and Roll" and was one of the most recognizable personalities in the world. Over the course of time, one could argue that because of his celebrity status and vast wealth that no could tell him to fix his life. Instead, he was surrounded by people who only told him what they thought he wanted to hear. At which point, the lifestyle choices that he made had a dramatic impact upon his health. In this situation, one could argue that critics of Pojman's ideas are wrong, where the life of Elvis was a rags to riches story that went astray. Instead, one could argue that the proponents of the theory would have an accurate interpretation of the situation, based on the fact that the overall levels of goodness within Elvis' soul would change over time. As the money and celebrity status would cause this to disappear, when he became older and more famous. In the beginning, it appeared as if everything was fine for Elvis. However, this change in the soul would work like a cancer that would eat away at his personality, changing him into someone different. Where, he would become involved in the typical fast paced Rock and Roll lifestyle. (Dvorin, n.d.) This is significant, because it shows how the theory provides a general overview of what is occurring, based upon who you are as person.