Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!nessus From: nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Life as the basis of morality Message-ID: <403@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Jul-83 12:45:49 EDT Article-I.D.: mit-eddie.403 Posted: Wed Jul 6 12:45:49 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Jul-83 03:07:40 EDT References: <5073@cca.UUCP> Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 20 This letter is in response to the previously posted utilitarian article by Charlie Kaufman expressing the opinion that "good" is whatever causes people to become happy. Would you then say that the ultimate "good" thing to do would be to permanently plug everyone in the world into a machine that maximally stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain -- even if many people do not want to be plugged into this machine? I do not agree with Charlie's opinion, but I believe in an ethical system that is somewhat similar. I believe that the "good" thing is whatever causes people's desires to be satisfied. This is almost the same, but not quite, since what people desire is not necessarily what will make them the most happy. Basically this ethical theory is just the golden rule. -- Doug Alan decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!nessus Nessus@MIT-MC