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Ethics is an investigation
- poses a question at the start
- looks various possible answers
- concludes with a definite judgement
- yes, like a detective story
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it is an investigation to look for the ultimate goal of human life
- in other words
- doing well in life
- a successful life
- To attain this goal is to achieve happiness
- in other words
- the ultimate goal of human life is to achieve happiness
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What is the ultimate goal in life?
- something toward which we would do well to direct everything else that we do
- something we can rest satisfied in
- something after we require, we require nothing more
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Ethics’s basic question:
- is there such a universal goal for all human beings
- if yes, what is it
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Recall, four (three) basic elements of an investigation (search) (like a detective finding the murderer)
- building criteria that the thing we are looking for should satisfied
- the murderer wore a boots rather than a sandal
- drawing up a field of search
- a list of suspects
- questioning and examining those suspects one by one and find the answer
- applying those criteria from 1.
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four (three) basic elements of the investigation to the ultimate goal of life
- building criteria that the thing we are looking for should satisfied
- most ultimate
- self-sufficient
- most preferable
- drawing up a field of search
- this goal is among activities that we can perform only through our having good traits of character, or the virtues
- activities in accordance with virtue
- questioning and examining those suspects one by one and find the answer
- is it courage ?
- generosity ?
- justice ?
- the answer is intellectual activity is the ultimate goal of human life
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The structure of Ethics in plain words (refer page 21/360)