Ke Qiang Ye
Philosophy 152
Term paper
Danny need help (Moral Dilemma)
Why does evil exist in the world? This was the question Saint Augustine wants to answer
since he was a student. He has many struggles in his life that filled with turmoil and loss. He
lost his mistress, his mother, and his son. He believes in God, but he has to find an answer to
why, if God is all-powerful and also purely good, he still allows suffering to exist. Through his
basic concept, he stated that evil exists because of free will. God allows humans to freely choose
their actions and deeds, and evil will inevitably results from these choice. For example, the
natural evil such as diseases are not related to human action, but only become evil when men and
women put themselves in harm ways. Saint Augustine also emphasizes that we cannot
understand the mind of God, and what appears evil to us many not be evil at all. With the
concept of evil, according to St. Augustine, evil is the absence of good. He says that evil is not a
thing in itself, but rather a negative, just the absence of good. In Augustine's dialogue with
Evodius in the On Free Choice of the Will, he introduces us to the concept of inordinate
desires. To him, these desires are the cause of all wrong-doing. What makes a desire ordinate or
inordinate is the object of that desire. The object of an ordinate desire is something that cannot be
taken from you without your consent. The object of inordinate desires is things that can be taken
from you without your consent. Augustine offers several examples to prove this claim. The
initial analogy that leads Augustine and Evodius to this conclusion came from adultery.
Throughout history, there was another philosopher called John Stuart Mill. In his essay,
Utiliarianism, he provides support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory, and to
respond to misconceptions about it. Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle
that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; it is wrong then it tends to
create the inverse effect on happiness. Mill also defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of
pain. In Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham is regarded as the father of classical utilitarianism. He
argues that what is good for the individual is right for human society and for all sentient
creatures. He noted three points: first, the principle of utility has a universal application which
action should be calculated on the basis of what is good for the world and not what maximizes
the pleasure of particular class. Second, every human being counts and all are equal. Third,
Sentient animals are equally under the same of pain and pleasure. Mill also introduces rule
utilitarianism which is the correctness of a rule in determined by the amount of good it brings
about when followed. Through these two philosophers, their ideas will be applying to Denny
needs help moral dilemma.
In this scenario, the image presented was a social worker named Richard was trying to
help a poor boy named Danny who was abused by his parents. Richard’s job is trying to persuade
the state to accept custody for Danny. Unfortunately, Richard’s supervisor, named Janice, views
this case differently. She emphasizes that Danny is not in imminent danger of physical injury and
state will not accept Danny’s custody as fat as she know. After hearing Janice’s view, Richard
realizes the difficulty of Janice because the state budget was cutback. To Richard, he has another
option which is to communicate over Janice position to her boss because that way he will be able
to help Danny. However, by doing this, Richard will be risking his relationship with Janice
because they were working together under the same job to help children like Danny. If he jumps
over Janice to her boss, he would likely lose his friendship and would affect his future career in
this business with Janice. If Richard going to ignore Danny’s welfare, he will still have good
relationship with Janice, but Danny will continuously receive abusive from his parents. It is
really struggle Richard whether he should challenge Janice’s decision or not.
The first philosopher will be discuss about this dilemma would be Saint Augustine. Saint
Augustine’s view of ethic is main the point view of God. He believe that human being have free
will to decide what they want to do, and by doing so, they will have to accept the consequence.
In applying Saint Augustine’s view toward Danny’s case, Saint Augustine would most likely
explain Richard’s action by applying concept of ordinate and inordinate desire. As mentioned,
the object of an ordinate desire is something that cannot be taken from you without your
consent. The object of inordinate desires is things that can be taken from you without your
consent. Therefore, in this situation if when Richard jump over Janice to her boss to save Danny
from further abuse, his action forms an inordinate desire because he would be able to taken
Danny from his parents without their consent. In result of that, he would probably lose
relationship with Janice. In the other hand, the object of ordinate desire would be when Richard
ignores Danny’s case and accept Janice’s decision because this way Danny’s parents would not
have anything taken away without their consent. In result of that, Danny wills continuously being
abuse by his parents and grown up to be like them to abuse his children. Saint Augustine
explains that our actions are base on our free will because whatever we do, the evil will come
with it.
The second philosopher will be discuss is John Stuart Mill. Mill argues that our actions
should be toward the happiness; it will be wrong with when there is pain. With Mill, Jeremy
Bentham also emphasizes that our action should be calculated on the basis of what is good for
the world and not what maximizes the pleasure of particular class. By that he mean, you should
not be selfish that only concern about your welfare when you know the other choice would have
impact to the society. In looking at Danny’s scenario, Mill and Bentham will most likely
encourage Richard to jump over Janice to her boss in order to promote Danny with a healthy and
better live, and also provide opportunities for Danny to impact society in a positive way. The
reason why to Mill that Richard’s will be wrong if he ignore Danny is because if he ignore
Danny’s welfare, most likely when Danny grow up he would be just like his parents abusing his
children. This scenario would likely to pass on. If Richard can save Danny now from his parents,
he would have better opportunities to function in this society. Through Mill, we would be able to
correct our selfishness.
After researching and analyzing how Saint Augustine and Mill respond to the scenario, I
would most likely to agree with Mill and Bentham’s argument because of the following reasons.
First, Danny is still 15 years old boy. In age of 15, the child still in its growing period and mental
constructive period. It would have very strong impact on child’s behavior because this is usually
the teenage rebellion period when without direction, the fires of youth are wasted at best, while
at worst, they can become a dangerous, destructive force. Second, the relationship between
Janice and Richard is not really important compare to Danny because Janice and Richard are not
in any life-threatening danger. It would just be a relationship where he can find different person
to have the same relationship. If Richard be so selfish that would only care about him, he would
have created a destructive force for the future generation.
In discussion of Danny need help scenario, one controversial issue has been whether
Richard should help Danny or stay with his relationship. On the one hand, Saint Augustine
argues that Richard’s action is base on free will. On the other hand, Mill contends Richard
should help Danny because it is for the good of the society. My own view is hoping Richard
would put his relationship aside and help Danny develop into the right for the society.