Answering Essay Questions

1- DeBeauvoir describes ‘the adventurer’ and they appear to share some characteristics in common with the free human.

Where does ‘the adventurer’ go wrong in DeBeauvoir’s analysis?

“the adventurer” goes wrong in DeBeauvoir's analysis because it depends and cares only about the conquest. Unlikely, a free man depends and cares about the outcome of his/her actions. “the adventurer” takes usually advantage of his/her freedom at the expense of others and commits themselves to do many tasks to pass the time for the moment instead of the end. Therefore, “the adventurer” lives their lives not for a means of an end and he/she goes wrong by being selfish. Also, when they do not give freedom to others and undermines the freedom of others. As a result, “the adventurer” does not receive freedom and goes wrong, becomes an oppressor.

2- What is "bad faith" and how does De Beauvoir guard against it?

In The Ethics of Ambiguity, De Beauvoir uses the concept of "Bad faith" to describe a phenomenon in which someone is living with a fear that something bad would happen and the temptations of the bad faith that is surrounding him/her. Also, when someone is under pressure from social forces, adopt false values, disclaim their natural freedom and act in- authentically. "Bad faith" is aiming at fleeing our freedom and Beauvoir guard against it by explicitly considering freedom as an aim and accept responsibility for everything that happens whether they be good, bad, or others in our lives.

3- Why does De Beauvoir stress situated freedom in the case of oppressed peoples? What attitude is appropriate when dealing with severely oppressed people and what is De Beauvoir's argument for why this is the appropriate attitude?

De Beauvoir stresses situated freedom in the case of oppressed peoples because she believes that the values are not chosen for the oppressed peoples by putting constraints on their freedom. Also, oppressed peoples cannot imagine themselves as more because they've been thoroughly convinced that what they are made for and it is their role in society. The appropriate way when dealing with severely oppressed people is compassion rather than using judgment which should not be used in this case.

4- For Levinas, what is the problem with most existing manners of thinking identity? How does thinking in terms of autrui avoid these problems?

The problem with most existing manners of thinking identity is that philosophers have a difficult time thinking of difference and they consider the difference as a deficiency but Levinas pushes towards a notion of non-conceptual difference. For Levinas, the problem of current manners of thinking is that they are detached theories. Levinas wants ethics to be rooted in experience and find out through each individual's experience how they learned their ethical behavior rather than theorizing. Therefore, one way to describe things is through the autrui or the "Other". Due to the encounters with Others and thinking in terms of autrui or Other, these problems can be avoided by actually experiencing the other person and recognizing and classifying that the Other is an individual that is separate and completely free to be, then the limitations of our understanding are approached.

5- For De Beauvoir, what is the connection between the attitudes of "seriousness" and "nihilism"? Additionally, what does De Beauvoir maintain is the shortcoming of each attitude?

De Beauvoir accounts for different types of people such as the serious man, the sub-man, and the nihilist as forms of fleeing freedom. In order to flee from freedom, the serious man pursues life and understands their choices in which is lived as if his values are eternal and objective. However, the serious man falls into the belief that this thinking is justified, even when it devalues others, Also, he finds a cause which appeals to their beliefs. De Beauvoir does not see this as freedom because this person is choosing to view his values in a way in which he gives up his freedom to that value, without actions being chosen in freedom which means is lost.

The nihilist fails at the seriousness and denies their freedom in which nothingness is made in denial of freedom rather than the name of freedom, essentially they insight that there are no fully justified values and deny the fact that they can assign meaning to whatever they want. De Beauvoir agrees that the nihilist is accurate about believing that values are not supported by anything and nihilist essentially gives up on values. In the nihilist, it concludes that there are no values and the universe does not provide them with meaning when we analyze the residue of the serious attitude that states "a real value isn't willed into being by humans, it has to exist independently." Which finds any independent values. Beauvoir agrees that the nihilist is accurate about believing that values are not supported by anything and nihilist essentially gives up on values. However, she disagrees in how the nihilist does not utilize their own freedom and he says that Nihilist is confined to a single ideal only to become disappointed with it. It's because of this disappointment they lose faith in all ideals.

The connection between the attitudes of "seriousness" and "nihilism" that both think their beliefs are justified in order to flee from freedom. A serious man is responsible for rejecting his own freedom. On the other hand, the Nihilist is responsible for rejecting the freedom and a disappointed serious man is considering as a Nihilist. They once had something external to value but it failed them.

6- Towards the conclusion of the text, de Beauvoir speaks at length of the Cause. What distinguishes a good or worthy cause from a bad one?

De Beauvoir illustrates that traditional ideas of God and humanity, considering both faith and a Marxist revolution were wrong since they count on objective values which do not derive from choice and freedom. De Beauvoir shows that preventing human from making decisions that might end their lives can be by respecting human freedom and the will of others. De Beauvoir believes there is no determinant end and if any end found should be available to others for revision and continuation which is the opposite of both ideas that assume a determinant end can be reached by sacrificing the present and the individuals that inhabit it. Therefore, worthy causes are the only causes that will not lead to the totalitarian lure, will maintain the dignity of humans and when is when you are honest, have a goal, an aim that matters to you. Also, these causes or projects must consider the finite human beings who actively appropriate the past, understand the present, and work toward a future goal without destroying trust and getting too comfortable with our aims. As a result, we have to continually reconsider and evaluate our projects and the path we chose. “bad faith “and or bad cause is if you decide that your choices are not yours to make and that they don’t matter to you, then they betray your values rather than represent them because of dishonest decisions.

7- Why does Royce hold that we must choose our cause knowingly if we’re able, ignorantly if we must? We can’t we just wait until we have knowledge before choosing a cause?

Royce states that each person has the freedom and will make a decision with no fear of the consequences of his/her decision. Royce is trying to explain that we can choose our cause in the absence of knowledge because without a cause we are lost and not having knowledge is not an excuse for not making a decision. Therefore, choosing to do something is better than not making a decision at all. Also, waiting for the knowledge to choose can make it too late to pursue the cause.

8- Why does Royce hold that an ethical individual must have loyalty to a cause?

Royce states his opponent as “a living instance of... loyalty to the loyal man.” which shows while the opponent claims to be against loyalty, the opponent himself shows loyalty to his cause. Moreover, Royce compares loyalty to a pearl when he says “Let loyalty be your pearl of great price.” (p.157) and I agree with him because no matter what we face in our lives, we should always be loyal to any situation because we are human and we will feel good about ourselves when we stick to our loyalty and mention it whenever we need to. Royce says that an ethical individual must have loyalty to a cause because loyalty is the key of ethical consideration that counts on one’s self, the community/rules, and humanity.

In Royce's words, loyalty is a self-reinstating principle and powerful. Royce says that we need to find a cause and be faithful to it as loyalty to loyalty permits which means that even we might disagree with what another person is loyal to (the cause), but we should agree with the loyalty itself. In addition, Royce says to respect loyalty in all humans and each person needs to show support for others. If someone falls into a bad situation, you should help the person out of it. Therefore, loyalty should be an inherent virtue that comes naturally when it comes to helping friends and family.

9- For DeBeauvoir, how do children acquire their values initially? Upon reaching maturity what happens to their sense of inherited values?

De Beauvoir states that wills and values begin to develop throughout our stages of childhood. Although they are developing throughout our stages of childhood, Children have no ethical background and they do not have enough experience to choose their own individual value or expect the consequences of their actions. Therefore, children initially acquire their values from reflecting values from outside sources such as their parents, their surroundings, and the culture in which they are raised. However, the values for children can begin to shift when they reach adolescence in which people realize that the adults around them have faults and that there are other values besides their own in this world. Also, they ultimately get the choice later in life to exercise their freedom and trying to identify who they are, and what values they would like to live by. De Beauvoir makes the comparison that childhood is the basis for adulthood, yet the adult ultimately decides what their values are going to be over time and they try to find their own place, the values of their parents are no longer the only values around.

10- What sort of objection might De Beauvoir or Royce raise in response to Nietzsche's 'ethics' of power? For these thinkers, what would be a problem with rooting ethics in power?

De Beauvoir shows that preventing humans from making decisions that might end their lives can be by respecting human freedom and the will of others. In The Ethics of Ambiguity, the serious man’s dishonesty issues from his being obliged ceaselessly to renew the denial of this freedom. He decides to live as an infant in an infantile world, but to the child the values are really given. The serious man must mask the movement by which he gives them to himself. This is the opposite of rooting ethics in power because power might end lives.

Royce states his opponent as “a living instance of... loyalty to the loyal man.” which shows while the opponent claims to be against loyalty, the opponent himself shows loyalty to his cause. Moreover, Royce compares loyalty to a pearl when he says “Let loyalty be your pearl of great price.” (p.157) and I agree with him because no matter what we face in our lives, we should always be loyal to any situation because we are human and we will feel good about ourselves when we stick to our loyalty and mention it whenever we need to. Royce says that an ethical individual must have loyalty to a cause because loyalty is the key of ethical consideration that count on one’s self, the community/rules, and humanity.

11- For Royce, how is loyalty a self-reinstating principle?

Royce says that an ethical individual must have loyalty to a cause because loyalty is the key of ethical consideration that counts on one’s self, the community/rules, and humanity. In Royce's words, loyalty is a self-reinstating principle and powerful. Royce says that we need to find a cause and be faithful to it as loyalty to loyalty permits which means that even we might disagree with what another person is loyal to (the cause), but we should agree with the loyalty itself. In addition, Royce says to respect loyalty in all humans and each person needs to show support for others. If someone falls into a bad situation, you should help the person out of it. Therefore, loyalty should be an inherent virtue that comes naturally when it comes to helping friends and family and according to self-reinstating principles, each person should not wait for loyalty to be instilled in them

12- DeBeauvoir identifies the sub-man and the serious man as two possible ways of responding when our values are called into question. Describe each of these responses.

De Beauvoir accounts for different types of people such as the serious man, the sub-man as forms of fleeing freedom and failing to recognize freedom. In order to flee from freedom, the serious man pursues a life in which is lived as if his values are eternal and objective. In addition, the serious man accepts the choice and he makes a decision, but he denies his action’s consequence and there is something that goes wrong with it. De Beauvoir does not see this as freedom because this person is choosing to view his values in a way in which he gives up his freedom to that value, without actions being chosen in freedom which means is lost. The sub-man avoids freedom through boredom, laziness and denying the spontaneity of existence. Also, the sub-man has fears of making decisions because of the consequences and they will not make a decision about issues. Therefore, this makes them vulnerable to people like the serious man since they will behave in whatever way is most profitable or beneficial to them. The most common example of Bad Faith that people fall into by allowing their life to become subordinate to easily attained values they actually deny their freedom, when they either move from one absolute set of values to another or they become the nihilist.

13- For Royce, what happens to the individual when they don’t have a cause to which they are loyal?

Royce says that an ethical individual must have loyalty to a cause and make it the single guiding to ethical principle because loyalty is the key to ethical consideration that count on one’s self, the community/rules, and humanity. Also, loyalty leads to the development of ethical habits for human beings. On the other hand, if the individuals do not have a cause to be loyal then they become prejudice and an unethical cause, they also will not understand life and what they should do in life because they don't have a cause that makes them try to achieve.