Defining GOOD is not a very simple thing to a young philosopher like me. It has always been a big debate between the two giants Plato and Aristotle. And I think they did a great job that we have not refuted, challenged but contributed other bricks on their foundation.
Now as for me, I will only give what I call: THE ELEMENTS OF “GOOD” and by these, I will not be defining GOOD but demonstrating it and in the process, its meaning will be implied.
ELEMENTS OF GOOD
- What is “GOOD” must be TRUE
- What is “GOOD” must be LOGICAL
- What is “GOOD” must be BEAUTIFUL
- What is “GOOD” must be FUNCTIONAL
Truth is very important to GOODNESS, there is nothing good if it is not true. In fact even for a lie to be a lie, it is qualified by how distant it is from the truth. The further it is from the truth, the bad or worse it becomes.
What is GOOD must make sense. It must be coherent and corresponding to the laws of thought and reasoning. It is not GOOD if it is not reasonable. Whatever man calls GOOD, the well-thinking of his societies always look into it searching for the sense it makes.
What is GOOD must be BEAUTIFUL. In typical Greek mythology and language evolution, “beautiful” means “wisdom“. And I won’t take that approach before I consider its elementary meaning which is “appearance“. What is GOOD must be appealing to the visual base of humanity. Man perceives 80% through sight. So it is not good if it doesn’t appear good.
What is GOOD must be functioning. It must be effective towards its cause. It must be working. It ceases to be good if it doesn’t work and serve its purpose. Good is what works towards the intended goal. If it isn’t tuned to that then it doesn’t qualify to be GOOD.
Now I have to warn amateur thinkers that “Absolutism” & “Relativism” can only exist outside REALITY. If it is in the realm of REALITY, there can’t be “relativism“. Amateur thinkers will argue relativism about the four elements of GOOD and eventually conclude that what is GOOD is relative. However, this can only be factual outside Reality. Otherwise GOOD is a standard.
Now,
What is to DECIDE?
What is a good decision?
TO DECIDE is to make an informed choice between two or more existing alternatives (depending on the chooser’s exposure to the alternatives). So, someone is not in position to decide until he/she is relatively INFORMED.
WHAT IS A GOOD A DECISION
A good decision is a decision with the adjective “Good” that is to say, it is a decision coherent and corresponding to the four elements of a reality GOOD. A Decision must be:
- True
- Logical
- Beautiful
- Functional
That is what we call: A GOOD DECISION.
Let me pose here and wait for the giants.
I T WHITE
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