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The One Where Phoebe Hate PBS Analysis

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Paper I – Spring ‘16 What has to be true about our actions for them to be right or wrong? Respond with reference to Kant and Bentham In an episode of the popular 90’s TV-series Friends named “The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”, the characters Phoebe and Joey engage in a debate over the existence of self-less acts of kindness. Referencing the philosopher Immanuel Kant’s moral theory, Joey, claims that there is no such thing as a “selfless good deed” (“The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”). Phoebe now sets out to disprove this theory and comes back having allowed a bee to sting her so “he could look cool in front of his friends” (“The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”). Joey then points of that the bee probably died in the act which would then cancel out the good …show more content…

These are words once spoken by the German theologian Martin Luther. By this he meant that everything that is done in faith is morally good while everything that is done with premeditation and complacency is evil, despite positive consequences of the action. The idea of the good being outside of man was something the German philosopher Immanuel Kant found offensive. To Kant it was a decisive factor that the good originated in man himself. Man is in himself the source to ethics. Kant also established his theory of man’s autonomy and self-determination through the notion that man is only ruled by himself. This theory of ethical self-determination was evolved through the categorical imperative, which set the foundation to judge all moral behavior. According to this you must always act so as you are able to wish that the maxim you act upon could be turned in to a universal law. In this way Kant was practically rewriting the golden rule of the biblical expression “do to others as you would have them do to you” (New Annotated Bible, Matthew

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Angela Davis’ book Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture provides her critique on how today’s democracy is continually weakened by structures of oppression, such as slavery, reconstruction, and lynching. By utilizing her own experience and employing views from historical figures like Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Dubois, Davis examines the chain of racism, sexism, and political oppression. She speaks of the hidden moral and ethical issues that bring difference within people’s social situations. In the “Abolition Democracy” chapter, she describes the relationship between the production of law and violation of law demonstrated in the United States.

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Kantians believe that the rightness or wrongness of an action does not depend on the consequences, but on whether they fulfill a duty. They must act in a way that will produce the greatest overall amount of good in the world. In this view there is no obligation to give money to a homeless person, but it is the right thing to do. Kant’s supreme moral principle is the categorical imperative. The categorical imperative is a moral law that is unconditional for all agents because of intrinsic value.

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In Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant does not presume to establish moral laws; he posits the basis for moral law itself. Through this process, Kant introduces the opposing concepts of heteronomy, laws provided externally for the individual, and autonomy, laws established via the application of reason. The implication arises that autonomy under Kant's definition is freedom, and that autonomy is a requisite for moral actions. To fully develop an understanding of this relationship it is crucial to deconstruct and integrate his notions of: will, duty, maxim, and imperative. Humans have the unique ability to perceive natural law, and imagine or will those forces to be different.

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Today I am going to be reviewing what can only be known as one of the most influential sitcoms of all time, "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." This sitcom started in 1994 and ran 10 glorious years, with the final episode airing on May 6, 2004. The show takes place in New York City, following the lives of 6 friends, and how their lives intertwine with one another. I have been watching this great sitcom on Netflix for a few weeks and I am in the middle of season 8. The latest episode that I watched was called, "The One Where Rachel Has A Baby: Part 1." In this episode well it is exactly what they title says.

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“Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ.” Martin Luther was a man who knew that no man could be perfect. Luther dedicated his life to studying and practicing Christianity. Martin Luther believed that no man or church had the authority to judge or save a person from sin and that the duty fell to God, and God alone. Luther’s teachings were staunchly against the concept of indulgences created by the Roman Catholic Church to make money and support the church.

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Kant’s theories believed that human beings have moral values

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In the following essay, I will be assessing Hume’s argument that morality is based on sentiment and giving examples to help illustrate that point of view. Along with Hume’s main argument, I will also discuss possible counter-arguments that could arise based on the beliefs of Immanuel Kant, a philosopher who lived at the same time as Hume, but had very opposing views on morality. David Hume, an 18th century Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist is known best for his bold skeptical approach to a range of philosophical subjects. Being a skeptic, he questioned common knowledge and even argued that there is no true and permanent “self”. He states that it is an illusion created by our unfounded trust in cause and effect.

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I hope to convince the reader that Kant’s Categorical Imperative is the better way to live a morally conscious life and more practical to follow as well. First I will briefly describe both Kant’s and Mill’s principles. Then I will go on to explain the advantages and disadvantages of both. Finally, I hope to provide a counterargument for some of Kant’s Categorical Imperatives downfalls. Kant states the Categorical Imperative as: "Act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will and general natural law."

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Topic:- The Critical Study of Kant’s Doctrine of Right. Introduction: What is Right? A right is the sovereignty to act without the permission of others.

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The distinction between right and wrong has been a matter of discussion for centuries, whether expressed through philosophical essays, social organisation or artistic creation. Deontological ethics is a philosophical theory which dissects acts into right and wrong on the basis of the adherence of an act to a specific rule. One of the many formulations of deontology is Kantianism, a view introduced by Immanuel Kant, which argues that the basis for morality are motives for one’s action rather than the consequences of it and searches a justification for one’s duty to behave in a certain manner. One of the critiques or counter positions of Kant’s ethics is Sartrean existentialism as it denies the possibility of an absolute moral system and focuses on the individual morality rather than social one and bases on one’s commitment to his chosen values. Yet drawing parallels between the two positions is far from impossible, despite Sartre’s strong opposition to Kantian moral theory.

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He says that as long as you are aware of the truth and you know what the good is, it automatically means you will do the good. We all have the capacity to see the truth and the “eidos” of the good but it needs to be developed. Once it is developed that means it is logical that you will automatically do what

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