Abstract

The question of how life gains its quality has been raised by philosophers throughout history. As early as the fourth century B.C., Socrates declared that there were some things he feared more than death and that it is not life itself but the quality of that life that counts most. For Socrates, facing the death sentence at the Athenian court, it was moral merit that gave “quality” to his life. Other eminent philosophers, including Aristotle, Bentham, More, and Royce have debated whether there are “universal goods” that improve the life of all people and on who should be the judge of such improvements.