SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

EXISTENTIALISM A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.

QUESTION of an EXISTENTIALIST What course(s) of action will allow freedom of choice and responsibility for one’s actions?

EXISTENTIAL QUOTES "...the individual is defined only by his relationship to the world and to other individuals; he exists only by transcending himself, and his freedom can be achieved only through the freedom of others. He justifies his existence by a movement which, like freedom, springs from his heart but which leads outside of himself." ~ Simone de Beauvoir, 1948, The Ethics Of Ambiguity, p. 156The Ethics Of Ambiguity

EXISTENTIAL QUOTES "if we possess our why of life we can put up with almost any how. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, 1889/1990, Twilight of the Idols (Trans. R. J. Hollingdale), p. 33Twilight of the Idols “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” ~ Jean-Paul Sartre “Life has no meaning a priori. Before you come alive, life is nothing; it’s up to you to give it a meaning and value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose” ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

DEONTOLOGY Fulfil moral duties and obligations regardless of end results. It is the motives that determine if an action is morally right or wrong, not the consequences.

DEONTOLOGY Consider the statement “He didn’t do what was expected.” Motives : a) “I don’t want to.” b) “I don’t know how to.” c) “I can’t.”

QUESTIONS OF A DEONTOLOGIST What would I do if everyone were to do as I did? Would I be using the person as a means or as an end?

KANT’S THEORIES Kant's three significant formulations of the categorical imperative are: categorical imperative Act only according to that maxim by which you can also will that it would become a universal law.maxim Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. Act as though you were, through your maxims, a law-making member of a kingdom of ends (an ideal world of self-directed individuals).

DEONTOLOGICAL QUOTES Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world. ~Immanuel Kant Read more: In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so. ~Immanuel Kant Read more:

CARE ETHICS Emphasize the importance of relationships The basic beliefs of the theory are: a)All individuals are interdependent for achieving their interests b)Those particularly vulnerable to our choices and their outcomes deserve extra consideration to be measured according to – the level of their vulnerability to one's choices – the level of their affectedness by one's choices and no one else's c)It is necessary to attend to the contextual details of the situation in order to safeguard and promote the actual specific interests of those involved

QUESTION OF CARE ETHICIST “What course(s) of action will best sustain and nurture a caring relationship between myself and others?”

CARE ETHICS QUOTES “I've found that if I say what I'm really thinking and feeling, people are more likely to say what they really think and feel. The conversation becomes a real conversation. “ ~Carol Gilligan Read more:

COMMUNITARIAN Emphasizes the responsibility of the individual to the community

QUESTION OF A COMMUNITARIAN “How would I act if everyone in my community knew exactly what I were doing?”

COMMUNITARIANISM QUOTES “Ideally citizens are to think of themselves as if they were legislators and ask themselves what statutes, supported by what reasons satisfying the criterion of reciprocity, they would think is most reasonable to enact.” ~John Rawls Read more: “The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance.” ~John Rawls Read more:

Rawls’s “Original Position” The “original position” is a “hypothetical device” for developing and examining the justice of societal principles and laws. A law, a political structure, a society, a government and people.

The Original Position Behind the veil of ignorance, we assume hypothetically that we do not know anything about our possible position within the society for which we are developing laws.

The Original Position Behind the veil of ignorance, we must assume we do not know whether we will be rich or poor, male or female, young or old, felon or victim, black or white within the state we are organizing or under the law we are proposing. Our guiding principle is “Justice as Fairness.”

Mom’s version of Veil of Ignorance “Fine, you can cut the pie… …but I decide who gets which piece!” “Fine, you can cut the pie… …but I decide who gets which piece!”

Two Guiding Principles First, the Principle of Equal Liberty--”each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with similar liberty for others.” Second, the Difference Principle--”Social and economic inequalities are just only if they result in compensating benefits, particularly for the least advantaged in society.”

Principle of Equal Liberty This principle guarantees as much liberty as possible to individuals. As long as my freedoms do not hinder the fundamental liberty of others, I should be free to act as I choose.

Difference Principle We can have economic and class differences if even the worst off in society are benefited in some way. Social and economic inequalities must be such that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity of obtaining them.

“The Maximin Solution” By combining the principle of equal liberty and the difference principle, we can obtain the “maximin solution,” which means we will benefit the least advantaged in society. The worst outcome of a decision must be better than the worst outcome of alternative solutions.

Neo-Kantian Position on Human Worth “[E]ach person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override.... Therefore... The rights secured by justice are not subject to political bargaining or to the calculus of social interests.” (i.e., utilitarianism is wrong) (Rawls)

Rawlsian Justice at Work: Nationalize Health Care? Thoughts Behind the Veil. Pro: Everyone would have equal access to doctors and specialists. No one would be turned away from a kidney transplant because they lacked funds. Con: Those with the wealth to pay for costly treatment would lose that ability. Perhaps fewer and lesser qualified people might become doctors. If a private health care system mandated that no one would be turned away and if the care were better, we could accept the inequality of private care.

Rawlsian Justice: Affirmative Action— Good or Bad: Reasoning Behind the Veil Pro: Will it help those least well off in society even if it means some injustice for otherwise qualified candidates for education or jobs? Am I more likely to be a minority that will be benefited or someone who might be hurt? Does this violate the Rawlsian view that the goods of society must be open to all? Will it simply create a new class of “least-well-off” people?

UTILITARIAN One should act so as to maximize the amount of happiness in the world. Focuses on the CONSEQUENCES of actions.

QUESTION OF AN UTILITARIAN “What course(s) of action will best maximize total happiness in the world?”

UTILITARIANISM QUOTES “It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong.” ~Jeremy Bentham (founder of Utilitarianism) Read more: “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.” ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

VIRTUE ETHICS The character of a person that determines if he is morally upright, not because he followed rules or of what he did. Therefore telling a lie is right or wrong on a case by case basis, not always wrong like what deontologist claims.

QUESTION OF A VIRTUE ETHICIST “What would the most virtuous person I know of do in this situation?”

VIRTUE ETHICS QUOTES “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” ~Aristotle Read more: “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” Aristotle Read more: Aristotlehttp://

EGOIST To do what you want to achieve what you want in life.

QUESTION OF AN EGOIST “What course(s) of action will most effectively ensure that my short- and long-term goals are reached?”

Existentialism: Which action allows freedom of choice? Deontology: Which action such that everyone should follow? Care Ethics: How to benefit the vulnerable? Communitarian: Which action to benefit any member of the group? Adapted from David A. Shapiro, University of Washington,Department of Philosophy Utilitarianism: Which action yields maximum happiness? Virtue Ethics: What would the most virtuous person do? Egoism: How can I achieve my personal goals?