Portfolio Assignment
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed
Back at the Crossroads!
PURPLE: ANSWERED WITH NOTES
GREEN: CHOICE NOW
BLUE: CHOICE IN ASSIGNMENT 1
1. “Greed is good” My personal opinion of what should be done, is most closely described by:
a. It’s not good or bad. It’s just how things are.
b. Absolutely! If it wasn’t for greed we would never achieve anything.
c. I’m not sure. Sometimes I think that it’s good. At other times I think that it’s bad.
d. It depends on how you define “greed”.
e. Absolutely not! Greed is bad. It leads to much pain and suffering.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
1) NOTES:
I still choose my original answer that Greed is bad. Oxford Languages , described greed as the
desire for more than a person needs.
It’s much like the theory we explored of Aristotle. We all strive to leave a legacy behind and
live a eudaimonic life. Or in other words, “a life well lived”. However going through the
discussions of the assignments it is evident that in some cases the desired life is about wealth
and luxury and not about the character we want to be.
We want more land than we can possibly live on, more food in our fridge than we can
possibly consume, more money than we can spend and more respect than some of us should
really deserve.
In all of the ethical theories we have covered it is not acceptable to say that greed is good.
Not according to Kant, utilitarianism, rawls , enviromental ethics and defnitley not for
sustainability. Greed have consequences.
In the discussion of Bob van Dijk and his billions some students, myself included, tried to
defend this large amount of money by saying that it’s a motivator to strive for more.
However I’ve come to realize that we might’ve been defending our own aspirations of wealth
and luxury and make the action seem morally justifiable.
3Px4620201KHP6Xr#000Twc9q
SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed
Back at the Crossroads!
PURPLE: ANSWERED WITH NOTES
GREEN: CHOICE NOW
BLUE: CHOICE IN ASSIGNMENT 1
1. “Greed is good” My personal opinion of what should be done, is most closely described by:
a. It’s not good or bad. It’s just how things are.
b. Absolutely! If it wasn’t for greed we would never achieve anything.
c. I’m not sure. Sometimes I think that it’s good. At other times I think that it’s bad.
d. It depends on how you define “greed”.
e. Absolutely not! Greed is bad. It leads to much pain and suffering.
Choice now: E
Choice in assignment 1: E
1) NOTES:
I still choose my original answer that Greed is bad. Oxford Languages , described greed as the
desire for more than a person needs.
It’s much like the theory we explored of Aristotle. We all strive to leave a legacy behind and
live a eudaimonic life. Or in other words, “a life well lived”. However going through the
discussions of the assignments it is evident that in some cases the desired life is about wealth
and luxury and not about the character we want to be.
We want more land than we can possibly live on, more food in our fridge than we can
possibly consume, more money than we can spend and more respect than some of us should
really deserve.
In all of the ethical theories we have covered it is not acceptable to say that greed is good.
Not according to Kant, utilitarianism, rawls , enviromental ethics and defnitley not for
sustainability. Greed have consequences.
In the discussion of Bob van Dijk and his billions some students, myself included, tried to
defend this large amount of money by saying that it’s a motivator to strive for more.
However I’ve come to realize that we might’ve been defending our own aspirations of wealth
and luxury and make the action seem morally justifiable.
3Px4620201KHP6Xr#000Twc9q
