Transcript Thinking About Ethics

The Philosopher's Way
A Text with Readings
FIFTH EDITION
CHAPTER
8
are there moral truths?
Thinking about Ethics
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What Is Our Duty to Others? Vincent Van Gogh’s painting depicts the story of the Good Samaritan, who stops
to help a stranger who has been robbed and beaten. The importance of helping those in need is a moral teaching
common to religions. In this chapter, we will consider whether it is possible to decide on universal moral values.
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Learning Objectives
8.1 Explain the idea of an internal moral
compass and it's application to your
experience.
8.2 Analyze and discuss arguments for
and against ethical relativism.
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Learning Objectives
8.3 Explain and discuss ethical
absolutism, the idea that at least
some moral values are universal and
apply to all individuals and cultures.
8.4 Describe and critically evaluate
egoism as a universal principle.
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Learning Objectives
8.5 Explain and critically evaluate the
connection between religion and
universal values.
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Chapter Overview
Click on the screenshot in presentation mode to view a video on thinking about
ethics.
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8.1 Your Moral Compass
• The role of philosophy
• Ethics and values
 Ethical and moral are essentially
equivalent terms that can be used
interchangeably.
 Moral values
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Should We Prolong Life at all Costs? Ethical dilemmas are an unavoidable part of life. What is your reaction
this photograph of a comatose patient on life support equipment? Do you believe that medical technology should
be used to extend people’s lives in all cases? Why or why not?
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8.1 Your Moral Compass
• How does one become a "philosopher
of values?"
 Thinking deeply about profound moral
issues
 Studying efforts of great thinkers
 Discussing these concepts with others
 Constructing a coherent ethical
approach
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8.1 Your Moral Compass
• Thinking critically about ethics
 Most people's values are not "systems"
at all.
• General principles
• Practical conclusions
• Emotional pronouncements
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8.2 Ethical Relativism
• Ethical relativism
• Ethical subjectivism
 Fatal flaw
• Does not entail tolerance for views of
others
 Live and let live?
 Mohandas Gandhi
• The golden rule of conduct
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Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948). As leader of India’s struggles for independence from Britain, Gandhi’s
method of nonviolent resistance served as a model for twentieth-century civil rights leaders, including Martin
Luther King, Jr. A political and spiritual leader, Gandhi helped India achieve independence through nonviolent
civil protest and disobedience. What were the factors in his background that influenced his decisions? Were these
choices free?
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8.2 Ethical Relativism
• What are the roots of ethical
subjectivism?
• Why does it seem to be particularly
popular on college campuses and in our
culture?
• Descriptive ethics
• Normative ethics
• John Searle
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8.2 Ethical Relativism
• Developing informed beliefs
 We should ask ourselves two important
questions.
• What is my opinion about this issue?
• Is my opinion informed by evidence and
reasons?
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8.2 Ethical Relativism
• Isn't everyone "entitled to his or her
opinion?"
• Ethical subjectivism can lead to moral
apathy.
 Refer to the case of Deletha Word in the
student text.
• Our moral beliefs have real-world
consequences.
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What Are the Consequences of “Not Getting Involved”? Deletha Word’s family and friends gathered to
mourn a loss that might have been prevented had onlookers intervened. Do you think that a belief in ethical
subjectivism results in a lack of caring for others?
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8.2 Ethical Relativism
• Cultural Relativism: Each Culture
Determines What Is Morally Right
 Cultural relativism is ethical
subjectivism on a societal level.
• Ruth Benedict, from Anthropology and
the Abnormal
 Analyzing Benedict on culture and
values
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Ruth Benedict (1887–1948). This American anthropologist was one of the first women to become prominent
in the social sciences. In Patterns of Culture (1945) Benedict advocated cultural relativism and attempted to
apply individual psychological concepts to whole groups.
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8.3 Ethical Absolutism: Some
Moral Values Are Universal
• Ethical absolutism
• W. T. Stace, The Concept of Morals
 Two main arguments in favor of
relativism
• William James
• Analyzing Stace's critique of ethical
relativism
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Is Genocide Morally Evil? According to Stace, our belief in absolute moral standards allows us to make moral
judgments about genocide. Most of us would have no difficulty in judging Hitler’s actions as morally wrong. What
about the actions of those who followed his orders? Or those who supported Hitler but did not literally participate
in killing Jews and other prisoners?
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8.4 Egoism as a Universal Principle
• Ethical egoism
• Arguments for egoism
 Plato, The Republic, "The Myth of
Gyges"
 Social contract theory
 Analyzing the "Myth of Gyges"
 Psychological egoism
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8.4 Egoism as a Universal Principle
• Ayn Rand, from The Virtue of
Selfishness
 Analyzing Rand
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Ayn Rand (1905–1982). Rand was an American writer who advocated “the virtue of selfishness” in her novels,
plays, and short stories. Her most famous works are The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957).
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Is it ethical to break the law to defend our personal integrity? Gary Cooper in The Fountainhead. The
protagonist of this film and novel is Howard Roark, a gifted and original architect who refuses to compromise his
artistic vision to please others. Roark personifies Rand’s moral ideal. When his designs for a huge public works
project are modified—and in his mind adulterated—without his permission, he undertakes to destroy the
completed structures. How would you evaluate the morality of his decision? Why?
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8.4 Egoism as a Universal Principle
• Arguments against egoism
 James Rachels, from Egoism and Moral
Skepticism
• Analyzing Rachels's critique of egoism
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Are good deeds selfish? Lincoln claimed that in doing good he was acting selfishly because not doing good
would make him suffer. Do you agree that it is selfish to want to help others?
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8.5 Religion and Universal Values
• One of the traditional roles of most
religions is to provide moral guidelines
for believers in that religion.
• The relationship between religion and
morality is a natural one for many
reasons.
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8.5 Religion and Universal Values
• Divine Command Theory
 The story of Abraham and Isaac, from
The Bible
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8.5 Religion and Universal Values
• Natural Law Theory
 St. Thomas Aquinas
 Martin Luther King Jr., from Letter from
a Birmingham Jail
 Analyzing King on universal values
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Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968). King was an American minister and civil rights leader and winner of the
Nobel Peace Prize. In the tradition of natural law ethics, Dr. King believed that “one had a moral responsibility to
disobey unjust laws,” a position that led to his arrest on several occasions. Do you agree with Dr. King’s
reasoning?
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Making Connections: On Becoming
an Ethical Person
• Can you make connection between
theory and choices you make on a daily
basis?
 Robert Coles, The Disparity Between
Intellect and Character
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