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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper explores some of the ideas of philosopher W.D. Ross with regard to intrinsic good, pleasure and pain.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVwdross.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
pain is an absolute evil. This paper briefly explores some of Rosss thinking in response to several questions. Discussion The two-world test and the intrinsic value of pain and pleasure:
The "two-world test" is a thought experiment: imagine there are two worlds, one has these characteristics and the other, these. In this model, imagine that both worlds have the same
amount of pleasure, but in one the people are virtuous, and in the other they are vicious (Ross). It seems highly unlikely that we would think of them the same
way; rather, we would approve of the first and disapprove of the second, because the people in the first are virtuous. Thus, we can argue that since the only difference
between the two is the way the people behave, it is the intrinsic value of pleasure that makes the difference between the two. Is it "plainly false" to say that
virtuous action lacks intrinsic value? Ross uses the term "plainly false" to refer to the hedonists argument, or rather, the answer they would have to give if faced with the
above question. Hedonism is the doctrine that says the aim of every action is pleasure, so they would be hard pressed to explain a world in which there is much
pleasure but the people are vicious, unless they derive pleasure from viciousness, which seems to be a different thing entirely. So yes, it is false to say that virtuous action
lacks intrinsic value; in fact, it is one of the four things that Ross defends as having value. How would the hedonist account for the value of virtuous action? If
he wants to retain his hedonistic outlook, he would have to say that people who act virtuously derive pleasure from doing so; in fact, to meet the criteria for hedonism,
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