Bad Samaritans, Acts, and Omissions

Conclusion:

Coming to the aid of other’s or the lack thereof can raise many questions of one's moral or binding obligations to assist in any situation.  It doesn’t matter if you’re feeding the homeless or watching a crime take place. Your obligation to either will be judged based on your acts or omissions. This can also show the role played of a good or bad samaritan.

Premises:

1. Acts and omissions in its simplest terms, holds that a person is more blameworthy for acts than omissions even if the consequences are the same. (AOD page 476)

    A. In a case of a person seeing a crime taken place or seeing a person in distress and choose not to do anything are held equally responsible for the same act.  

    B. The omission is considered to be unmoral or the bystander effect where assistance is not offered in any effort to deflect harm or death.

    C. The merits of any human being can be weigh by the good or evil charateritic displayed in ones actions.

2. It may be good legal policy to limit liability for omissions to cases where there is a pre-existing duty of care. (AOD Causations page 480)

    A. the duty of care is only defined by your personal relationship, when violated it can cause a question of morality

    B. The legal obligation of protection between a parent and a child, or patient and the physician is expected. Although legally binding only due to the relationship. The neglect or omission to not protect that person is a punishable by fines or imprisonment.

    C. The lack of protection between two strangers is neither a legal obligation nor a personal responsibility.

3. The first is that justice and benevolence (or the respect and concern, as they are sometimes represented) overlap at their lower edges. (The PND: Continuing Debate page 482)

    A. The respect for law and the obligation to do what’s right is so different from each other it will never meet in the middle.

    B. Positive and negatives duties hold different value.  It’s hard to maintain positive duties as it takes time and effort. Negative duties hold no requirements.  

 

 

Pleasure

Conclusion: Pleasure is not absolutely bad when considering the source or species.


       I. Proper pleasure increases our activity in things we enjoy doing most. (implicit) Book X, Chpt 4. Pg 157; 30

            A. Said activities can then be impeded by pleasures from others. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 5. Pg 160; 5
                 1. A musician's conversation can be interfered by someone in the distance playing a flute as his interest/pleasure lies with the instrument, versus his current conversation. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 5. Pg 160; 5
                 2. One would not live a life with a child's mind set, taking as much pleasure as possible; even if he would never suffer from it; in turn pleasing oneself even if while doing utterly shameful actions. (explcit) Book X Chpt 4. Pg 157; 1174a

   
      II. Why shouldn't pleasure admit any more or less then health; although it is definite? (explicit) Book X Chpt. 3 Pg 155; 25


            A. Good is said to be definite, whereas pleasure is not because it admits to more or less. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 3Pg155; 20

                  1. What may good for one (pleasant in sense, taste, sight, etc) may not be for another. (implicit) Book X Chpt. 3 Pg 156; 20

                  2. Just as wealth is desirable; if one has to betray another, it is not to be considered. Book X Chpt 4 Pg 157; 1173b 25

            B. Those that come from either shameful or fine backgrounds are not considered to seek or have the same pleasures. (explicit) Book X Chpt 4 Pg 157; 30

                  1. A friend will tend to aim at what it is good versus a flatterer who will aim to please and said friend would then be praised; with the flatterer being criticized as they are both assumed to have different aims (one good, the other wrong). (explicit) Book X Chpt. 4 Pg 157; 1174a


    III. Eudoxus thought pleasure to be the good. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 2 Pg 154; 10

            A. He felt that all rational and nonrational animals seeked pleasure and in everything (he says) whats considered choiceworthy is good; then most choiceworthy, surpreme. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 2 Pg 154; 10

                 1. The fact that all animals are drawn to pleasure (in his view), indicates best for all since each finds/seeks it's own good (i.e. nourishment), and what is good for all or ultimately aimed at, is the good. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 2 Pg 154; 10

            B. When added to any other good, pleasure; either just or temperate, increases the good by adding itself or deemed to bemore choiceworthy. (explicit) Book X Chpt. 2 Pg 154; 25

                 1. Evidently then we avoid pleasure as an evil and choose pleasure as a good with one oposing the other. (explicit) Book X Chpt 2 Pg 155; 10