Ethical Theory: A Primer Philosophy 224 Ethical Theory: A Primer

As you are likely aware, this course satisfies CBU’s Moral Values General Education requirement. That it is well suited to do this should already be apparent. We have noticed, especially with the modern philosophers, important connections between discussions of human nature and the realm of our moral concerns. When philosophers are focusing on the realm of morality, a frequent response is to develop or defend an account of the conditions and constraints of morality. These theories are known as Ethical Theories. Moral Values

Some Important Questions Normative Ethical Theories attempt to provide systematic answers to general moral questions like these. What makes an act right or wrong? What is it about persons that makes them the proper objects of moral praise or blame? How can we be confident that we’ve come to acceptable solutions to our moral quandaries? Some Important Questions

The Aims of Ethical Theory There are two basic aims of Ethical theory. Practical Aim: identify a decision procedure that can be used to guide correct moral reasoning about matters of moral concern. Theoretical Aim: identify the features of actions or persons that make them right or wrong, good or bad. These aims are generally understood to be interrelated; satisfying one depends on and makes reference to the other. The Aims of Ethical Theory

The Role of Moral Principles For normative ethics, moral principles are general ethical statements that establish conditions under which moral evaluation can proceed. An action is obligatory if and only if God commands it (Divine Command Theory). Moral principles are the point of contact between the practical and theoretical aims of an ethical theory. They both specify the theoretical features and serve as the basis of a decision procedure. The Role of Moral Principles

Categories of Moral Evaluation Right or Wrong and Good or Bad are the basic categories of moral evaluation. Philosophical ethics divides these basic categories in to two groups: Categories of Deontic Evaluation; Categories of Value. Categories of Moral Evaluation

Deontic categories are used primarily to evaluate the rightness or wrongness of action. Typically, philosophers have identified three basic deontic categories: Obligatory: we ought to act; we have a duty to act; Wrong: we ought not to act; we have a duty to avoid acting; Permissible: an action is neither obligatory or wrong. Deontic Categories

Value categories are used to assign the predicates good, bad or neutral to persons or things. Something can be valuable in one of two ways: Intrinsically: a thing is valuable in and of itself; Extrinsically: a thing is valuable by reference to some intrinsically valuable thing. In philosophical ethics, theories about value are theories of intrinsic value. The basic value categories are thus: Intrinsically good; Intrinsically bad; Intrinsically neutral. Value Categories

Structure of an Ethical Theory Given these two basic categories of moral evaluation, it should not be surprising that philosophical ethical theories typically exhibit: A Theory of Right Conduct in which the deontic categories are fleshed out, typically in the form of an account of the right-making and wrong-making features of actions; A Theory of Value in which an account of intrinsic moral (and often nonmoral) value is spelled out. Structure of an Ethical Theory

The Role of a Theory of Human Nature As we’ve already noted, philosophical ethical theories rely on an account of human nature. After all, a normative ethical theory that didn’t suit who/what we are wouldn’t be of much use. Such a theory should and does play a key role in specifying both the theory of right conduct and the theory of value. Evaluation of these elements of an ethical theory requires evaluation of the theory of human nature on which they rely. The Role of a Theory of Human Nature

Evaluating Ethical Theories In addition to a consideration of the adequacy of the theoretical foundations of a particular theory (like the adequacy of it’s theory of human nature), there are a number of intra-theoretical features which a successful ethical theory must exhibit. Consistency (of moral verdicts). Determinacy (or moral verdicts). Intuitive Appeal (correspond to our intuitions). Internal Support (for and from our considered moral judgments). Explanatory Power (why we have the intuitions and judgments we do). Evaluating Ethical Theories

TV: Some thing or state of affairs is intrinsically good if and only if (iff) its realization is part of what perfects human beings; intrinsically bad iff it involves the destruction of what perfects human beings; neutral iff it is neither perfecting nor destroying. TRC: An action is obligatory iff failing to perform it would result in the violation of the goods required for human perfection; wrong iff performing it would be violative; permissible iff performing or failing leaves the basic goods untouched. Natural Law Theory

TRC: An action is obligatory iff it has a higher utility than any other alternative action an agent could perform; wrong iff it has less utility than another alternative; permissible iff it has as high a utility as any other alternative. TV: For utilitarianism, the TV is essentially a definition of utility. Some historical examples include: pleasure, happiness, desire fulfillment. Utilitarianism

Kantian Ethical Theory (Deontology) Categorical Imperative: “So act that you use humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means.” (The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals) TRC: an action is obligatory iff failing to perform it would fail to respect humanity; wrong iff performing it would fail to respect humanity; optional iff neither performing it nor failing to perform it would fail to respect humanity. TV: Respect for humanity amounts to respect for the capacity in oneself and others to freely choose one’s ends. Kantian Ethical Theory (Deontology)