Student Life > Debate > This week's debate: What is the definition of a "good person"?
What is the definition of a "good person"?
There's a really good debate started on the message boards about what makes a good person.
It's a question that has perplexed philosophers for a very long time, and one that is very difficult to answer conclusively… guess that's why it's debate of the week.
More about what makes a good person
The debate was kicked off by ZoZo-x who asked the following questions:
- What makes people good?
- What is the definition of a "Good Person?"
ZoZo-x also pointed out that:
- Nobody is perfect.
- Everyone does bad things.
- Everyone does good things.
- So what is the line that separates good and bad people?
- Where is the cut off mark?
Other users made the following points:
- "[A] good person is someone who doesnt [purposely] hurt others. [S]omeone who tries to do good, whether or not they succeed - doesnt matter." (JazzyDramaQueen)
- - CONSIDER: Some of the most famous dictators who killed tens of millions of people may have believed that they were doing what they did for the right reason. Were they good people?
- "[I]t's [following] the Ten Commandments" that makes someone a good person (Urban Queen)
- - CONSIDER: people of different religions may disagree. Only Jewish people, Muslims and Christians believe that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God. Even these religions have other rules about what good people should do (e.g. the teachings of Mohammed for Muslims, Jesus for Christians and a range of prophets and religious figures for Jews). Also, some parts of the Old Testament (where the Ten Commandments come from) call on people to break the Ten Commandments (Exodus 35:2 calls for anyone who works on Saturday/Sunday to be put to death).
- "I think a good person is a person who admits to their mistakes, and treats other people the way they would like to be treated." (O0oFISHY~MERMAIDo0O)
- - CONSIDER: How can we be sure that people want to be treated the same as us?
- "I think Jeremy Bentham got it right, in saying that goodness is "The greatest happiness for the greatest number. People should strive to achieve the most happiness for all people, by doing things like giving to charity, rescuing people from harm, and helping them attain their true potential." (Derridia)
- - CONSIDER: Utilitarianism (which is the name of Bentham's philosophy) is very attractive because it provides a simple rule about the way in which we should act (we should always try to make people happy). The problem is it doesn't say what will make the most happiness - for example, might a war result in the most happiness in some circumstances? Who gets to decide? How do you know that what makes you happy will make someone else happy?
