An examination into the ethical acceptability of genetically modified foods in Kenya principled on Aristotelian Ethics
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Ethics is
a branch of
Philosophy which studies free human acts from the point of view of their moral
value
(goodness or badness) in relation with the last end of man( Debeljuh,2006).
Ethics
is able to
ascertain what man‘s final goal is and to determine the type of
behaviour
that will lead him to that final
goal which ultimately should give him happiness.
In th
is paper I would like to examine the
ethical
acceptability of GM foods
in Kenya
using
the Aristotelian
understanding of
e
thics.
For Aristotle
,
e
thics is based
on
achieving the chief good for man which he called
eudaimonia ( ̳happiness‘).
He said that eudaim
onia is something that is ―final and self sufficient and is the
end that our human action tends
toward.
Aristotle discovered that this
happiness if found by man
exercising his rational nature which gives him the capacity to direct himself to the good in ev
ery action.
Looking at the GM foods from this point of
view,
the paper will try to examine if GM foods enhance the
nature of man by taking into consideration his rational nature
as well as promoting the common good of
man.
Anything that goes against his na
ture would be considered morally
unacceptable.
Aristotle
defines
the
common good
as
the perfect goal of the state which requires an admission of the indiv
idual's basic
right in
society. This
basic right means
the right of everyone to the opportunity to fre
ely shape his life by
responsible action, in pursuit of virtue and in accordance with the
natural
moral law.
Description
Conference paper
Ethics is a branch of Philosophy which studies free human acts from the point of view of their moral value (goodness or badness) in relation with the last end of man( Debeljuh,2006). Ethics is able to ascertain what man‘s final goal is and to determine the type of behaviour that will lead him to that final goal which ultimately should give him happiness. In this paper I would like to examine the ethical acceptability of GM foods in Kenya using the Aristotelian understanding of ethics. For Aristotle, ethics is based on achieving the chief good for man which he called eudaimonia (‗happiness‘). He said that eudaimonia is something that is ―final and self sufficient and is the end that our human action tends toward. Aristotle discovered that this happiness if found by man exercising his rational nature which gives him the capacity to direct himself to the good in every action. Looking at the GM foods from this point of view, the paper will try to examine if GM foods enhance the nature of man by taking into consideration his rational nature as well as promoting the common good of man. Anything that goes against his nature would be considered morally unacceptable. Aristotle defines the common good as the perfect goal of the state which requires an admission of the individual's basic right in society. This basic right means the right of everyone to the opportunity to freely shape his life by responsible action, in pursuit of virtue and in accordance with the natural moral law.
Ethics is a branch of Philosophy which studies free human acts from the point of view of their moral value (goodness or badness) in relation with the last end of man( Debeljuh,2006). Ethics is able to ascertain what man‘s final goal is and to determine the type of behaviour that will lead him to that final goal which ultimately should give him happiness. In this paper I would like to examine the ethical acceptability of GM foods in Kenya using the Aristotelian understanding of ethics. For Aristotle, ethics is based on achieving the chief good for man which he called eudaimonia (‗happiness‘). He said that eudaimonia is something that is ―final and self sufficient and is the end that our human action tends toward. Aristotle discovered that this happiness if found by man exercising his rational nature which gives him the capacity to direct himself to the good in every action. Looking at the GM foods from this point of view, the paper will try to examine if GM foods enhance the nature of man by taking into consideration his rational nature as well as promoting the common good of man. Anything that goes against his nature would be considered morally unacceptable. Aristotle defines the common good as the perfect goal of the state which requires an admission of the individual's basic right in society. This basic right means the right of everyone to the opportunity to freely shape his life by responsible action, in pursuit of virtue and in accordance with the natural moral law.
Keywords
Aristotelian Ethics, ethics, genetically modified foods, Kenya, object, intention, circumstances