Ethics and Morality Theory

1. Ethics and Morality Theory Part 2 11 September 2006

2. Ethical Dilemma • Apparent conflict between moral imperatives • Does everyone come up with the same answer? • If ethics is based on reason, how can this happen? • Different ethical theories

3. Studying Ethics • Three Approaches • Descriptive ethics: what people believe to be right and wrong • Normative ethics: what people should believe is right and wrong • Philosophical ethics (meta-ethics): looks at the logic behind the decisions • Relationship between normative and philosophical ethics? • Examples where descriptive and normative ethics differ?

4. Theories that we will look at • Ethical relativism • Individual (or subjective) • Cultural • Normative ethical theories • Deontological • Kantianism • Contractualism • Teleological • Utilitarianism • Are there other broad categories that you can think of?

5. Ethical Relativism • Is there anything universally right or wrong? • How is right or wrong decided?

6. Individual Relativism • For • Well-meaning, intelligent people can disagree • Against • Does not provide moral distinction • Not based on reason

7. Cultural Relativism • Consider Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars work • For • Different social contexts • Arrogance to judge • Against • Evolution of practices • Societies do share core values

8. We will not consider relativism any further

9. Normative Ethical Theories • Deontological: based on the sense of duty • Right because of the act • Teleological: based on the result • Right because of the result

10. Deontological Theory • What is it? • Based on our duties and responsibilities • Actions are fundamentally right or wrong • Examples • Contractualism (Hobbes) • Kantianism (Kant) 1588-1679 1724-1804

11. Kantianism: Ethics of Duty • Duty as freely imposing obligation on one’s own self • Duty is internal • We impose duty on ourselves

12. Universalizability • What is fair for one is fair for all • Living by rules • Most of us live by rules much of the time • Imperatives • Hypothetical: conditional commands that are applicable in certain conditions (if …then) • Categorical: unconditional commands that are binding on everyone at all times

13. Maxims • Subjective rules that guide actions • Relevant act description • Sufficient generality • All actions have maxims • Examples of maxims (not necessarily good) • Never lie to your friends • Never act in a way that would make your parents ashamed of you • It’s ok to cheat if you need to

14. Kant’s Categorical Imperatives • Universality: “Always act in such a way that themaxim of your action can be willedas a universal law of humanity.” • Respect: “Always treat humanity, whether in yourself or in other people, as an end in itself and never as a mere means.” • Are these the same? Which do you prefer?

15. Strengths of Kantianism • Rational • Produces universal moral guidelines • Treats all people as moral equals

16. Criticisms • Philosophical • Moral minimalism: requirements are not heartfelt • Moral alienation: alienated from feelings • Practical • Actions may need to be characterized by multiple rules and there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules • Allows no exceptions

17. Contractualism • Social Contract Theory • Morality consists in the set of rules, governing how people are to treat one another, that rational people will agree to accept, for their mutual benefit, on the condition that others follow those rules as well. James Rachel, The Elements of Moral Philosophy

18. Rights and Duties • Duty not to interfere with others rights • Negative and positive rights • Negative right: duty is to not interfere • Positive right: duty is to provide • Absolute and limited rights • Typically, negative rights are absolute and positive are limited

19. Rawls’s Principles of Justice • Each person may claim basic rights and liberties as long as these claims are consistent with everyone else having a claim to the same rights • Social and economic inequalities must • Be associated with positions in society to which everyone has an equal opportunity • Be of the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged 1921-2002

20. Strengths of Contractualism • Framed in terms of rights • Explains acting out of self-interest when there is no common agreement • Provides framework for moral issues dealing with government (civil disobedience)

21. Criticism • Doesn’t address actions that can be characterized multiple ways • Doesn’t address conflicting rights

22. Comparing the Two Theories • Both believe that there are universal moral rules • Basis of those moral rules • Kant: can be universalized • Contract: would benefit the community

23. Teleological Theory • What is it? • Something is good based on its consequences • Doing Good is important • Primary example: Utilitarianism • Jeremy Bentham • John Stuart Mill 1748-1832 1806-1873

24. Utilitarianism • Greatest Happiness Principle • Compute the costs and benefits • Simple calculation: do positives outweigh the negatives? • Two forms • Act – judge the consequence of a specific act • Rule – judge the consequence of the generalized rule

25. Strengths • Focus on happiness • Down to earth • Appeals to many people • Comprehensive

26. Problems of Act that Rule Addresses • Too much work to make a decision on each act • Susceptible to happenstance

27. Criticisms • Ignores our sense of duty • Range of effects that one must consider • Calculus requires that we balance very different aspects • Unjust distribution of good results

28. About the Term Project • Each class member will present a different point of view on a different controversial topic • 8-12 pages • 25% grade • individual • 15-20 minute presentation • 20% grade • Partner • Various checkpoints along the way • All presentations will be reviewed with me

29. Time to Mingle