AVANCENA Questions for the Third Exam

Avancena
Avancena:
1. In the context of end-of-life issues/dilemmas, what do you think does it mean to be “alive” or “fully alive” (as opposed for example to mere existence)?

2. After careful considerations of the various ethical theories/views we discussed, what “personal moral system or code” can you come up with and which you can adopt? Be sure to talk about the values, precepts/ideas, and other elements that should comprise this “personal moral system or code”. Include your conception of freedom and accountability in this given moral system and your view of what it means to be a moral individual.

1.
For a man’s given life is for a fact undergoes two biological circumstances – to live and to die – in the context of end-of-life issues, to be “alive” means to be able to understand the meaning of life, at the same time understand the meaning of death.

Since being alive is a requirement to experience death, to understand death is to believe that one’s existence is not questionable; that a person has not denied the fact the he experienced life the way he ought it to be. Death is something that people cannot escape from, which pushes people to live their lives to the fullest. Every individual are given a chance to experience something out of the ordinary, something people can be credited for, something only people can encounter.

To understand life is to believe that a person had gone through series of life challenges that pushed him/her to reach a certain goal. It is to realize that a person had recognized his/her full potential in life and know how and what to do about it. To be alive is to understand that in a certain period of time, one had known its purpose in life and understand the values incorporated in each day of one’s existence.



2.
With all the ethical views discussed in class, I would consider existentialism and Kantian philosophy as my personal moral code.

I believe that people experiences things which are different from others. There are also differences when it comes to how each person perceive and understand the events that happen in a person’s life. Also, with the view of existentialism that “existence precedes essence,” we give essence to our existence. It is our own decision how we will mold our lives depending on our perceived duties and responsibilities. We must also take into account that in every decision we make, we should consider other people for they are also rational beings who have innate moral worth (Formula of Humanity).

With the concept of freedom and accountability, I believe that people are given freedom but only limited to how we live our lives. We are free to choose our own choices depending on how we interpret the meaning of our lives. Also, in every decision we make, we are responsible for it, since we shape our own existence.
For me, to be a moral individual is to give justice to our own existence, by doing what we believe is moral and at the same time respecting and considering other people’s lives.