Is there any particular object of desire that can subsume all the other human desires? How can one philosophically argue for such an "intrinsically" valued object of desire/ "the absolute Good"?
Aristotle's "excellence" within a "contemplative life" aside, it seems there have been three candidates for the position of the "absolute Good":
Freud's Pleasure
Nietzsche's The Will to Power
Darwin's The Struggle for Existence/ Survival
Philosophically, which one do you think is more defensible? Which one can subsume the other two?
What is needed is a more equal, fair, and just society thar we have at the present so that everyone starts the same. Then we need an addition of "goodheartedness" given the recognition that "some" have given "natural abilities" and others need a hand up.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
Freud's notion of the ultimate good was disappointingly conventional: hausfrau and kids. His pleasure principle was not based on hedonism but the affects of some aspects of life, occasioning thereby living. Pleasure could therefore be thought, but had nothing to do with goodness, which has relevance to Christianity in Christian countries involving certain acts, in other religions tied in with belief, not actions.
Nietzsche for the good of a few, not the majority who accordingly suffered.
Darwin had no special philosophy to perpetuate.
The idea of a common good is encased within rule of law, right to govern or participate in government, with such concepts as utilitarianism suggesting calculations towards group goodness-in which some, a selected number, will suffer. Religious people believe that overarching and overwhelming worship and prayer is good, even though it can result, and often does, in injustice and murder. Worship nevertheless is deemed good. Goodness is the feeling of stability for some, and goodness/ pleasure the feeling of excitement for others.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Philosophy
- Ethics