Essay On Ethical Theories

In the field of ethics, intrinsic value refers to a property that is philosophical in nature, that an object or individual possesses within itself, for the sake of its well-being. Intrinsic value is fundamentally an unseen characteristic that exists within the fields of an individual’s psychology. Intrinsic properties are mental in nature. On the other hand, instrumental value that is basically the opposite of the intrinsic value refers to the outer and in most cases visible property that reflects the mental and psychological state of a person. For instance, the possession of vast amounts of wealth reflects happiness and satisfaction. This is however a perception that comes as a result of outer appearances. On the contrary, the person could be a very unhappy individual in reality. A good example of intrinsic philosophical value is inner harmony. A person could appear to possessing virtually nothing in the society, but the fact that such a person has no troubles makes him a happy being. This is to say that what really matters when it comes to welfare are the inner values.
Hedonism is the idea that the basic morally acceptable obligation of the human being is to reap utmost pleasure. The principles of ethical hedonism are associated with a philosopher from ancient Greece known by the name Epicurus (342-270 BC). According to Epicurus, pleasure is the yardstick against which every good is assessed. He described pleasure as the standard of estimating the good in every act or object. According to the principles of hedonism there is no other intrinsic good other than pleasure. In one of his pieces of work that are existing is a piece referred to as A Letter to Menoeceus. In his writings, the philosopher argued that our objective is to reduce and avoid the hurts and agonies of life. This included reduction of dreads and mental suffering such as the thoughts of death and diseases. According to hedonism, pleasure is the undisputed intrinsic good. The principles of hedonic ethics claim that motivation is an instrumental good. This is explained by motivational hedonism.
An objective theory of human welfare refers to a set of presumption that has the capacity to make clear the perceptional nature of intrinsic values. Such presumptions should be non-subjective in nature. They should therefore not incline to the prejudices of particular individuals. The major difference between these theories and the desire satisfaction theories is that the welfare satisfaction theories vary depending on the desires of an individual. This means that the welfare satisfaction theories are quite subjective. The welfare satisfaction theory is based on the presumption that welfare is a key concept in the fields of philosophy and ethics. Hedonism is not an objective theory of human welfare. This is because it is based on the presumption that pleasure is the key to the utmost satisfaction. The fact that, that which defines pleasure to one person may not be pleasurable to another makes it subjective.
Religion is a good source of moral guidance. The strongest argument put forward by critics of religion as a source of moral standards is that the origin and roots of religion are ambiguous. The critics argue that the claims of religious principles cannot be substantiated. On the other hand, those that advocate for religion as a source of morals, claim that the guidance of the Supreme Being is unchallenged as the supreme entity is the creator of the universe who knows what is good and that which is bad. In my opinion, religion is a good source of moral guidance since it provides an outline of that which is good and that which is wrong and also tells us of the possible consequences. The claims of religion are outlined in religious books such as the Quean and the Bible.