Chapter One: Dr. Frankena Sharon Kay Stoll PEP 570: Ethics in Sport

Introduction Our goal in this session: - To understand the nature and purpose of morality and moral philosophy according to Frankena.

Topics of Discussion An unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates

Topic One According to Socrates: what are the requisites of ethical thinking: We ought never to harm anyone We ought to keep our promises

Topic two - The nature of ethics Descriptive, empirical Normative Analytical

Descriptive Philosophy To describe and explain, or... To work out a theory of human nature

Normative ethics Asking “what is right” and “why is it right”?

Analytical ethics also called critical ethics, or meta-ethics, or just ethics. it asks epistemological or semantical questions, like: What is the meaning of “right” or good” How can ethical or value judgments be made? Can they be justified? What is the nature of morality? What is the difference between moral and nonmoral? What is the meaning of free will or determinism?

Topic Three - the nature of morality Why is it different from ethics?

Factors in Morality - p. 9 1. Certain forms of judgment are said to have moral quality, obligation, or responsibility. 2. Possible to give reasons for these judgments. 3. Some rules, principles, ideas, and virtues can be expressed in more general judgments and form a background of knowledge.

Factors - continued 4. Certain ways of feeling accompany these judgments and help us act. 5. Certain Sanctions of holding responsible, praising, and blaming. 6. A point of view that is different in other types of judging.

Kinds of normative judgment Judgment of moral obligation or deontic judgment. Judgments of moral value or aretaic judgments. Judgments of nonmoral value. Judgments of nonmoral obligation.

Examples: I ought to wash my car today. I ought to do my homework. I ought to tell the truth, even if she doesn’t. What you did was wrong! Coach Smith is a good coach. Coach Smith is a good man.

Examples: You should go to the rock concert. You should wear the skimpy bikini. You should honor your word. The movie, “Rosemary’s Baby”, would have been a better movie without the sex.

Dr. Frankena’s goal... A little normative mixed in toward a meta-ethical approach.