Morality In Bertrand Russells The Happy Life - 996 Words

The first virtue, honesty, is essential to a life free of selfish morality. Having an honest motivation for one’s actions is what defines the morality of the action itself. To do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing is what makes it right. If an action is performed by virtue of the fact that it is what is perceived as moral rather than what is personally moral to the individual it becomes a false morality or selfish altruism. Bertrand Russell gives a perfect example of this in his literary work, â€Å"The Happy Life† when he expounds that saving a drowning child for the sake of a direct impulse to help versus a calculated desire to be seen as virtuous denotes two contrasting moral values (Source 1).The person who saves a†¦show more content†¦The same holds true for humans. A man’s legacy is nothing without others to honor it. A man’s legacy is the people that he touches and the impacts that he makes to benefit his fellow man, st upendous or minute. A man is nothing without his legacy. The next virtue, generosity is as important to the happiness and well being of a man’s mind as a hearty meal and exercise are to a man’s body. Without selflessness comes a loss of community and consequently, with a loss of community comes a decline in quality of life. With generosity, however, comes selflessness. The fulfillment that is gained from helping another human being is one of the purest forms of happiness that can be achieved. It is a broad, communal happiness that enriches the hearts of all involved. To live the good life is to be morally upright and to be morally upright is to help those around you simply in debt to the fact they need help, even if it is at some cost to you. Putting generosity on the backburner shows a wanting of concern for the well-being of the community and therefore obstructs happiness and delayed ones chance to taste the â€Å"good life.† from a utilitarian perspective a d ismissal of generosity when generosity is possible can be akin to murder. Peter Singer gives a bright example of this when he equates not donating to a child in need to taking a child’s life for the purpose of trafficking their organs (Source 2). While one has a more sinister, direct, and clear motive with the other beingShow MoreRelatedBertrand Russell Is One of the Greatest Masters of English Prose.832 Words   |  4 PagesBertrand Russell is one of the greatest masters of English Prose. Bertrand Russell is one of the greatest masters of English Prose. He revolutionized not only the subject matter but also the mode of expression. He has in him a happy blend of greatest philosopher and a great writer. He was awarded Nobel Prize for literature in 1950. The subject matter of his essays may be very difficult but his manner of expression is so lucid and simple that even a layman can understand him without any specialRead MoreEssay on Bertrand Russell5284 Words   |  22 PagesBertrand Russell Introduction Bertrand Russell was one of the preeminent thinkers of the 20th century. His work on mathematical logic laid the basis for a good portion of modern mathematics; his political thought was influential both in his time and after; and his philosophical thought is both complicated and highly intelligent. He is considered one of the two or three most important logicians of the 20th century. During his lifetime he was a high profile figure and grew to have a high degreeRead MoreAn Analysis of Marius the Epicurian and the Picture of Dorian Gray2332 Words   |  10 Pagesyoung boy by transforming into a hedonist. Through him, he faces the harsh realities that his physical appearance is fading and he becomes afraid of ageing. He envies the concrete and ever-to-survive masterpiece of Basil and longs for aging on his life without any sign of ageing and decay. Then his wish incredibly turns out to be real. And his sins begin to be appear in the picture. Firstly he causes the death of Sybil Vane whom with he falls in love. But he denies his responsibilities over her death