The Good Life:Structure of a Definition Essay

Bertrand Russell

Paragraph One

• Having a good life is an end, not a means, so he can’t support his thesis, he states here, with concrete evidence

Explanation of paragraph one:

• Russell identifies how his argument proceeds

Example One:

• Which is the better way to prevent crime? ( We would argue, using concrete evidence, which means better achieves the end.)

Example Two

• Means Ends

• Prison preventing crime

• Education (the end is a given; he assumes we agree on an ends but not necessarily a means)

Example Two:• Is punishment valuable? End

• War is bad punishment is bad

• Fighting is noble punishment is good

• (We can’t argue the means with evidence since the end is not a given since it is an ethical question); this cannot be tested with evidence

Russell’s Argument

• What makes a good life?• Inspired by love and guided by knowledge• (but we can’t scientifically prove this end since it

is an ethical question)• His hope is that as many as possible will agree

Paragraph 2

• We need both love and knowledge

Love and Knowledge

• Historical examples:

• Holy men advise pestilence-filled town to gather and pray infection spread

(love without knowledge)

• The late war (WWI) many deaths

(knowledge without love)

• The end is the same: death

Paragraph 3

• Love is more fundamental than knowledge

• Why? Because people will seek knowledge to benefit those they love

• Example: a doctor is more useful to a patient than a devoted friend

• Therefore, progress in medical knowledge does more for a community than ill-informed philanthropy

Paragraph 4• Defines the poles of love as delight and

benevolence, and defines delight as aesthetic delight

• For inanimate objects (like a landscape) we can only feel delight

Paragraph 5

• Defines benevolence (well-wishing)

• Desire for another person’s welfare

• Opposite pole to delight• Example: sacrificing lives

to help lepers (no aesthetic delight is involved)

Paragraph 6

• Love at its best contains both poles plus understanding (which he defines as knowledge)

• Parental love for child

• Sexual love (when a feeling of security exists)

Importance of knowledge:

• “the person whose affection is satisfactory to us must not merely wish us well but must know in what our happiness consists” (29)

• Therefore, knowledge is vital because the person who gives us affection must know what makes us happy

Paragraph 7

• Delight has its limits

• We shouldn’t try to force delight because we can’t feel delight in everything (eg. Fleas, bugs, lice)

• Otherwise, we distort our view of beauty

Paragraph 8

• Benevolence also has its limits

• Human beings have animal instincts, animal vitality, a sense of competition

• Eg. If two men are interested in the same woman they aren’t going to have completely benevolent feelings towards one another

Paragraph 9

• Emphasizes delight as an ingredient in the best love

• In a human world, we cannot feel delight toward everyone

• Therefore, knowledge is important

Paragraph 10

• He defines knowledge as scientific knowledge and knowledge of facts

• He emphasizes that he is not talking of ethical knowledge: “I do not think there is, strictly speaking, such a thing as ethical knowledge” (29)

Why knowledge?

• We can only decide what sort of conduct is right or wrong by looking at the consequences

• Scientific knowledge (hypothesis, experiment, conclusion) discovers the means to achieve an end

• “All moral rules must be tested by examining whether they tend to realize ends that we desire” (30)

All behaviour springs from desire

• Not what we ought to desire

• (eg. Parents, teachers, policemen)

• Ethical notions influence desire (desire for approval and fear of disapproval)

• Behaviour consequences: achieves social purposes we desire (approval)

OR opposite behaviour (disapproval)

Do you agree that all behaviour springs from desire?

• Agree or disagree: You are in class because you desire to be here

• What are the higher desires that drive you to come to class?

• Do you ever desire things that are not good?

• What are the possible consequences?

Paragraph 11

• Human desire is the only moral standard

• You can’t make people do what they don’t want to (you can alter their desires by reward and punishment)

• Reward and punishment could be arranged (by lawmakers) to derive the maximum of what is desired

Paragraph 12

• What distinguishes ethics from science is not special knowledge but desire

• Certain ends are desired the right conduct achieves it

• The end must be such as large sections of humankind desire it (majority rules!)

Paragraph 13

• Argues that scientific knowledge helps us to help those we love to reach the ends they desire

• If we understand those we love we will know what they desire

• If we have enough knowledge we will know how to help them

• If we love them, we will want to help them

• If everyone does this, we will all lead good lives