What would be your blueprint for a just society? Would it simply reflect the needs of your current social position? But what if you drew up the blueprint for a society with no idea what position you might hold in it?
What do you do if your society has unjust laws? Simply put up with them? Start a revolution to smash the state? Philosopher Henry David Thoreau put forward the idea of civil disobedience to change unjust laws.
Suffering is an inescapable part of life – or is it? For Buddha, following the Four Noble Truths could lead you to enlightenment. Only by recognising the causes of suffering and changing our behaviour to follow the Buddha’s path can we avoid suffering.
Do you have a duty to be selfish? Are altruism and self-sacrifice immoral? Does it sound like we’ve been taking ‘crazy’ pills? No. These are the thoughts of Russian/American novelist Ayn Rand.
How can we live a good life? For Aristotle ‘flourishing’ was at the core of a good life and the way to achieve this sense of satisfaction was through living virtuously.
