Tag: Utilitarianism
Chapter 27- Can Science Solve Moral Questions?
In Chapter 27, Chidi has his brain scanned to see if there is a reason why he cannot make decisions. His brain scan is normal. Chidi remarks, “there are actual answers” from the MRI scan. Simone agrees that science is all about getting answers. She then says that philosophers can […]
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Chapter 47 – Two Arguments for Earth’s Destruction
In Chapter 47, the Judge has made her decision. The point system is flawed and the only path forward is to destroy all life on Earth. The audience, presumably, finds the destruction of all life and all human souls in the afterlife, to be a bit of a drastic solution. […]
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Chapter 21 – The Doctrine of Double Effect
In Chapter 21, Janet is in a relationship with Derek – the boyfriend she created to aid in getting over Jason. To prevent Vicky from finding out, Michael wants to kill Derek. When Chidi informs him that it is wrong, Michael suggests that they break Jason and Tahani up. If […]
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Would Veronica Mars go to The Good Place?
Veronica Mars and The Good Place present its audience with competing theories of morality. Because of this, Veronica Mars would not go to The Good Place. We learn in the first episode of The Good Place that morality is about consequences. Each action a person does generates a positive or […]
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Famine, Affluence, and Superheroes
Suppose you are walking by a small pond. You notice near the shore a small child is face down in the water. All you need to do to save the child’s life is flip the child over. Do you have an obligation to do so? Most people would say yes, […]
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Chapter 38 – Are We Responsible for Other People’s Decisions?
Michael explains that while humans think they are making one choice, they are in fact, unwittingly, making dozens of choices they are not aware they are making. This is what results in people being sent to The Bad Place, who, in previous centuries, would not have been sent to The […]
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Chapter 35 – Why Doug Forcett Should Go to The Bad Place
The Good Place is sending contradictory messages about how the afterlife works in this episode. The episode examines the life of Doug Forcett as a model of ethical behavior that would lead to earning a spot in The Good Place. While the episode is intended as a criticism of utilitarianism, […]
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Chapter 12 – The Mindy Problem
Chapter 12 has Eleanor, Janet, and Jason (Jianyu) going to The Medium Place while Michael, Chidi, Tahani, and the Other Eleanor are trying to convince Sean that Eleanor should stay. The Medium Place was created for Mindy St. Claire. Mindy was a bad corporate lawyer in the 1980’s. However, one […]
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Chapter 11 – Not All Good Actions Count
Chapter 11 is focusing on Eleanor trying to earn her way into The Good Place by raising her point total. Sean, the judge of disputes between The Good Place and The Bad Place will soon arrive to decide Eleanor’s fate. While your official number stops at death, Tahani suggests they […]
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Chapter 5 – Moral Motivations Count More than Outcomes
The moral message being made in episode 5 seems to be that one’s motivations matter more than the outcomes for determining if one is a good person or not. This is illustrated through three different focuses in the episode. Episode 5 begins with Eleanor undecided about what yogurt flavor to […]
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