Transcript life

Basic Concepts in Ethical Discourse
Prof. Joseph A. Selling
some preliminary difficulties in ethical discourse
dominant behavioural model
what is one obliged / forbidden to do / omit ?
equation of ethics with crisis management
ambiguous use of language
where to begin ?
how does the ethical person function ?
Conscience and Moral Development
Six phases of moral development according to:
Lawrence Kohlberg
Carol Gilligan
Pre-conventional
1→2
1 .. 2
Conventional
3→4
3 .. 4
Post-conventional
5→6
5 ..
6
Lawrence Kohlberg
Punishment & Reward
Carol Gilligan
Caring for self …
… is seen as selfish
Institutional relativism
Good boy, nice girl
Caring for others …
…illogical disbalance
Law & Order
Social Contract
Dissipating tension …
… interdependence
Universal Principles
Ethics of
JUSTICE
CARE
Conscience
JUSTICE
CARE
Emphasis on “Social Location”
Care
Family
Emphasis on the
Subjective –
“experience”
Peers
Compassion
Justice
Society
The Moral
Person
Emphasis on the
Objective –
“acceptance”
Beliefs
Principles
Emphasis on the active project: “commitment”
Ethics of care
Ethics of Justice
Emotion, motivation, intention Intellect, behavioral, normative
Historical Consciousness
Teleology
Fundamental norms
Proportionate thinking
Values – ambivalence
Visionary ethics
growth
change
particular
Classicist, traditional
Deontology
Concrete Material norms
Natural Law
Goods – ambiguity
Juridical ethics
eternal
unchanging
universal
the complexity of the moral event
circumstances
activity
motivation
intention
behaviour
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
why
what
when
where
what aids
with whom
what effects
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
but who am I ? what are my
life circumstances ?
culture, language, religion, geography, historical
period, family, friends, education, occupation,
responsibilities, hobbies . . .
life-
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
inspire
persuade
how might I get someone
to (not) do something ?
threaten
coerce
injure, kill
life-
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
clergyman
inspire
psychotherapist
persuade
judge
threaten
police agent
coerce
soldier
injure, kill
…but who am I ?
life-
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
clergyman
inspire
psychotherapist
persuade
judge
threaten
police agent
coerce
soldier
injure, kill
‘abiding’ tendencies are usually referred to as
virtues
need a new slide on fundamental option
and/or basic orientation
What are the virtues?
How many are there?
What should we name them?
Are they related?
Do they come in any order?
Do they fall into any categories?
fortitude / commitment / courage / bravery / determination / earnestness
wisdom
beneficence / kindness / compassion / sensitivity / gentleness
modesty
loyalty / fidelity / faithfulness / reliability / trustworthiness
sacrifice
religion / reverence / observance / piety / prayerfulness
chastity
justice / fairness / righteousness / impartiality / equity
resilience / fortitude / perseverance / endurance
courtesy / politeness / tact(fullness) / cordiality
acceptance / tolerance / openness
conscientiousness / thoroughness
prudence / caution / discretion
community / solidarity / sociality
honesty / truthfulness / veracity
cooperativeness / helpfulness
mercifulness / forgiveness
civility / civic dedication
faith
hope
self-care
responsibility
integrity / harmony
obedience
punctuality
wonder
charity / love / benevolence / magnanimity
diligence / dutifulness / industriousness
timeliness
trustingness
respect
frugality
flexibility
sincerity
patience
hospitality
simplicity
reasonableness orderliness
self-knowledge detachment
self-confidence cleanliness
generosity / liberality
attentiveness
humility / meekness
discernment / foresight
equilibrium / tranquility
honor / self-respect
environmentalism
friendliness / friendship
dependability / reliability
gratitude / thankfulness
self-discipline / restraint
temperance / moderation / sobriety
fortitude
wisdom
kindness
chastity
modesty
respect
religion
sacrifice
frugality
justice
timeliness
flexibility
faithfulness
faith
perseverance
hope
courtesy
charity
self-care
diligence
responsibility
tolerance
integrity
conscientiousness
generosity
prudence
solidarity
truthfulness
helpfulness
mercifulness
civility
punctuality
wonder
humility
sincerity
obedience
patience
hospitality
trustingness
reasonableness orderliness
self-knowledge detachment
self-confidence cleanliness
attentiveness
discernment
reliability
equilibrium
self-respect
environmentalism
friendship
simplicity
gratitude
self-discipline
moderation
Theological Virtues
faith
hope
charity
The Cardinal Virtues
prudence
justice
wisdom
foresight
circumspection
caution
understanding
thoughtfulness
solicitousness
religion
generousity
honor
obedience
gratitude
friendship
truthfulness
fortitude
commitment
patience
perseverence
courage
magnanimity
confidence
responsibility
temperance
moderation
modesty
chastity
self-discipline
equilibrium
simplicity
sincerity
Theological
virtues
Theological
virtues
faith
faith
hope
hope
charity
charity/ love / benevolence
Cardinal
Cardinalvirtues
virtues
justice
justice/ fairness / righteousness / impartiality / equity
prudence
prudence/ wisdom / caution / discretion
temperance
temperance/ moderation / sobriety / self-care
fortitude
fortitude/ commitment / courage / bravery / determination / earnestness
acceptance / tolerance / openness
chastity
environmentalism
faithfulness / loyalty / fidelity / reliability / trustworthiness
acceptance
forgiveness
generosity / liberality
chastity
self-discipline
honesty / truthfulness / veracity
honesty
kindness
hospitality
loyalty
solidarity
humility / meekness
generosity
reverence
kindness / beneficence
/ compassion / sensitivity / gentleness
hospitality
humility
mercifulness / forgiveness
environmentalism
religion / reverence / observance / piety / prayerfulness
self-discipline / restraint
solidarity / community / sociality
conscientiousness / thoroughness
conscientiousness
honor
cooperativeness / helpfulness
cooperativeness
integrity
dependability / reliability
dependability
obedience
detachment / simplicity
detachment
patience
diligence / dutifulness / industriousness
diligence
perseverance
equilibrium / tranquillity
equilibrium
punctuality
friendliness / friendship
friendliness
responsibility
gratitude / thankfulness
gratitude
sincerity
honor / self-respect
integrity / harmony
obedience
patience
perseverance / resilience / endurance
punctuality
responsibility
sincerity
attentiveness
attentiveness
modesty
civility / civic dedication
civility respect wonder
cleanliness
cleanliness
sacrifice
courtesy / politeness / tact(fullness)
courtesy reasonableness
discernment / foresight
discernment
timeliness
flexibility
flexibility
self-knowledge
frugality
frugality
self-confidence
modesty
orderliness
trusting-ness
orderliness
reasonableness
respect
sacrifice
self-confidence
self-knowledge
timeliness
trustingness
wonder (sense of)
life-
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
virtues / vices
inspire intentions
that can be described
as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
behaviours are
described as
‘right’ or ‘wrong’
but behaviours are made up of more
discrete elements – acts, objects –
that are described as ‘good’ or ‘evil’
so, how does one determine good & evil?
Western philosophical ethics has recognized
at least three bases upon which to found the
meaning of ‘good’ and ‘evil’
authority
nature
person
superstition, gods/mythology
kings, popes, institutions,
constitutions, laws and
(social) contracts
natural law (patterns, structures)
autonomous reason (Kant)
The Human Person Adequately Considered
person is a unity, an integral whole
but … person is never ‘an’ individual but
always person-in-community
The Human Person Adequately Considered
person is a unity, an integral whole
is historical
corporeality
conscious
person
originality,
intentionality:
person
in
relation
fundamentally
interiority:
ininrelation
relation
to culture
particular
subjectivity
toto
equal
virtually
theothers
material
in dignity
everything
world
person is never ‘an’ individual but always
person-in-community
The Human Person Adequately Considered
the gendered version?
intentionality: in relation to virtually everything
the resources
person in relation tosharing
the material
world of the world
person in relation to culturenon-patriarchal structures
person is historical
the untold narrative
person in relation to particular
others
caring
for self and others
conscious interiority: subjectivity
being is being in relation
corporeality
originality, fundamentally equal in dignity
gendered
life-
motivation
circumstances
activity
intention
behavior
behaviours are described as: ‘right’ or ‘wrong’
but behaviours are made up of more discrete elements
– acts, objects – that are described as: ‘good’ or ‘evil’
‘good’ = that which
serves to protect,
promote or enhance
the human person
adequately and
integrally
considered
‘evil’ = that which
serves to threaten,
harm or diminish the
human person
adequately and
integrally
considered
need a new slide on ambiguity of good and evil
as well as rules of proportionality
Return to the list of activities:
inspire, persuade, threaten, coerce, injure