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469 BCE
Athenian Philosopher
Socrates believed that evil is caused by ignorance. He argued that one does not do evil acts knowing that it is evil. These evil-doers believe that doing the evil act has goodness in them whether it is only for themselves. Thus, stating that no one commit evil deeds voluntarily. -
428 BCE
Philosopher of Western Civilization
Plato believed that ethics and virtues is universal and objective for all creatures. This challenges the belief that subjectively doing good things in order to improve an individual's life is wrong and that contradicts with what ethics and virtues stand for. -
384 BCE
The First Teacher
Aristotle believed that, in contrast with the mentioned philosophers, virtues fall in the middle of extreme characteristics. Whether it is universally good or subjectively good, one must live a life in moderation with virtues allowing this moderate way of living. -
One of the Founders of Modern Political Philosophy
Hobbes believed that human acts are neither good nor bad. The only measure for acts must be constitutional laws that protect the right of the people that they cover. With this, there is no measurement of human act if it is good or bad as the only fact that matters is whether it violates the governing law or not. This belief refutes the notion of universal, moderated, and subjective good as mentioned in the timeline. -
Founder of Modern Utilitarianism
Though the first systematic account of utilitarianism was developed by Jeremy Bentham, the core insight motivating the theory occurred much earlier. Utilitarianism basically refutes both propositions that there is a universal and objective good as well as subjective and personal good. Virtues must be measured not by its effect on an individual but by the greatest number of beneficiaries the action affects.
