Transcript IntrotoEthics2016 2

What should I do? How should I act? Is it right?
Introduction to
Ethics
Some key questions…
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What should I do?
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What is the right thing to do?
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How should I act/react?
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Should we listen to our ‘gut reactions’, our consciences
or the law?
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What are the limitations of each of the above?
A FEW FACTS ABOUT
ETHICS
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comes from the Greek word ethos meaning character
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ethics has been an aspect of philosophical debate since
people started debating!
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ethicists study actions and issues that can be considered
good and/or bad, right and/or wrong and ask general
guiding questions of how people should act
Difference between Ethics and Morals/Morality
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Morals (Morality): customary beliefs about HOW people
should be and act
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Ethics: the study of theories about these beliefs
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note: this distinction is not always established in all works related to this topic
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Study of ethics is divided into 3 main categories: normative theories, metaethics and applied ethics
Normative Theories
(theories of morals and morality)
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deal with questions of how people should act- and WHY
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these theories do not focus on if something happens but
rather if it should happen
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Do students cheat on essays? (descriptive - social science)
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Should students cheat on essays? (prescriptive - philosophy)
Consider examples of issues related
to theories of ACTION
Theories of Character
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focuses on the quality of character traits (good or bad…)
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also referred to as virtue theories/virtue ethics
(particularly when addressed what are considered to be
‘good’ virtues).
Examples of Virtues
Theories of Value
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these deal with questions of people’s
values/assessments of worth
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Eg: What is goodness? Justice? Injustice?
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Are these ideas objective or subjective?
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Are they determined by culture? What values do people
share? Why?
Metaethics
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involves examining the meaning of the terms used when
exploring ethical issues and the methodology used to
address specific situations
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explores how and in what sense ethical judgements can
be justified
A few challenges…
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words and meaning can be subjective
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debate between the relationship between
good and right as some argue they are not
synonymous
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shipwreck scenario
Some key Ethical Theories:
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Nihilism: 4th C BC
❖no such things as right and wrong because moral
truths or facts do not exist
❖Sicilian philosopher of 4th C BC Gorgias argued that
nothing exists and if it did, it could never be known nor
communicated because communication based on words
= symbols and no symbol can be what it symbolizes
Skeptics
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originated in Ancient Greece
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believe nothing can be known for certain therefore can
never know if moral truths or facts exist
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ethical statements would be defended by further ethical
statements and they believe ppl must doubt the truth of
all such statements
Determinism (Newton, Darwin, Augustine of Hippo, Luther, Calvin,)
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all that happens is determined by previous events or
laws of nature (free will an illusion)
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Issac Newton - universal laws of nature
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atoms (in brain) subject to laws of nature so ppl cannot
control their actions
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Darwin - controlled by biological/genetic makeup
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religious argument - predestination determines choices
Psychological Egoism (influenced by ideas of Freud)
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people are free to make moral choices (influenced by
unconscious psychological desires)
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humans are programmed to act only out of self-interest
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Eg: sharing, no such thing as ‘a free lunch’
Some other important Ideas:
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Ethical Absolutism
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Ethical Universalism
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Relativism
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Moral Values - Subjective or Objective?
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Are ‘Right’ and ‘Legal’ the Same Thing?
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Can people do good without God?
Ethical Absolutism:
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one universally acceptable moral code
determines the rightness and wrongs of
actions
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argues that everyone, regardless of
consequences, cultural background, etc.,
should observe the same moral code
Ethical Universalism
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This theory argues:
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there is one universally acceptable moral code
that determines the rightness and wrongness of
actions
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does NOT believe that this code should be
applied regardless of circumstances
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moral code/rules CAN and SHOULD be broken in
certain circumstances
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moral rules are universal but not necessarily
absolute
Ethical Relativism
(Pre-Socratic Thinkers, Hume)
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This theory:
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- rejects the idea of the universal moral code
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- argues that all values are RELATIVE to time, place,
persons and situations
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- all moral values are equally acceptable, because there is
no way of judging between them
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- neither a nihilist nor skeptical in nature: theory DOES
believe in right and wrong just does not believe that ideas
about right and wrong are universal
Ethical Relativism
continued…
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- morality depends on SOCIAL CUSTOMS
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- ethical norms are relative to particular societies
(eg: Capital punishment)
So…
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Most people lie somewhere between ethical
universalism and ethical relativism.
Logical Postivism (Ayer 20th C)
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debating moral issues is impossible as ethical
statements are meaningless
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only statements that matter are those that are true by
definition (2+2=4) or that can be verified by evidence
presented by the senses (Eg: It is raining)
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therefore: there are no moral facts and thus impossible
to make moral choices
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this theory, however, does argue that people should try
to obey the law
Challenges to LP: (Rorty)
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some who challenged LP argue that the ideas
presented by the theory cannot be true by definition
nor proved by the sense so they are therefore
meaningless…
Emotivism (originated by Hume)
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also disputes the idea of moral facts that exist
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argues moral claims are just expressions of feeling
or attitude
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influenced Logical Positivism
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express approval or disapproval which in turn only
express feelings and attitudes