What do you do if… ?

You witness a friend stealing another friend’s iPod?

You get an invitation to go to Lake Tahoe for the same weekend you promised to babysit for your neighbors?

You are waiting for your math teacher to return to his room and you notice that he has left his final exam lying out in plain sight? 4x +(3)y/43=5z

Your find yourself alone with your best friend’s girlfriend/boyfriend, on whom you have a secret crush, and she/he makes a move on you?

You find a pair of expensive sunglasses on the table at In-N- Out Burger, left there by a previous customer?

Your parents go out of town for the weekend and tell you not to have friends over, but your friends find out that your parents are gone and they show up? With beer.

You dent the BMW in the next parking space as you pull out of the spot You dent the BMW in the next parking space as you pull out of the spot? Does your thinking change if the other car is a beat up old Chevy Nova?

MORALS AND ETHICS

Good Sin Morality Evil Ethics “Moral Compass” Decisions Conscience Values Right Culture Wrong

Moral/ethical thinking affects our relationships STEPDAD by Mike Ostresh

Moral/ethical issues arise in the workplace

We find examples of morals and ethics in public life Penrose on Politics by Brett Penrose

TEENS ARRESTED AFTER FOOD FIGHT In the daily news: City Council Members Indicted IN Real Estate Scam Three members of the city council accused last year o buying city property at reduced cost Mountain View, Monday TEENS ARRESTED AFTER FOOD FIGHT Los Altos, yesterday Dozens of students were arrested at Los Altos High School early Wednesday after engaging in a high-spirited hurling of mashed potatoes in the school cafeteria.

Morality and Ethics--is there a difference? Morality generally defines personal character and is based on deep values Ethics is generally defined as the social system in which morals are applied. In other words, codes of behavior expected by the group or institution. The two can collide: * Court of Law * Medicine * Work situation * Other examples?

Everyday moral/ethical questions: How can I tell what “the right thing” is? Is it always right to tell the truth? Do I have an obligation to help people in need? What does it really matter if I “do right?” What do I gain from behaving morally or ethically? What do I sacrifice from behaving morally or ethically? How do other people’s moral/ethical decisions affect mine?

Theories and Systems of Morality & Ethics

Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development Stage One: Respect for power and punishment-- I will do what I want as long as I don’t get in trouble Stage Two: Looking out for #1-- I will do what benefits me; I’ll give if I get Stage Three: “Good Boy” “Nice Girl”-- I please others to gain their approval Stage Four: Law and Order-- I conform; I do my duty to maintain social order; people who break rules should be punished Stage Five: Justice through Democracy-- I actively work to change laws that are unfair; I work within the system Stage Six: Guiding Moral Principles-- I do what I know is right even if the law says otherwise; I am always true to my values

Information for next five slides from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Ethical Relativism: No principles are universally valid. All moral principles are valid relative to culture. The rules of the society serve as a standard. Strength--Tolerance/Understanding of other cultures Weakness--Confuses what ought to be done with what is currently done

Divine Command Theory: Moral standards depend on God who is all-knowing. Any act that conforms to the law of God is right; an act that breaks God’s law is wrong. Strengths--Standards are from a higher authority than humans. Gives a reason for moral behavior. Weakness--Depends on interpretation of God’s will.

Utilitarianism: Actions are judged right or wrong solely by their consequences. Right actions are those that produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness. Each person’s happiness is equally important. Strength--promotes human well-being and attempts to lessen human suffering. Weakness--One person’s good can be another’s evil. Hard to predict accurately all consequences.

Deontology: Emphasis is on moral rules and duty. Rules go for everyone in the society. Emphasis on autonomy, justice and kind acts. People are treated as ends, never means. Strength--Moral rules are universal Weaknesses--Says nothing about the rights of other living things. Rules can be abstract--who decides what is moral?

Virtue Ethics: Morals are internal. It seeks to produce good people who act well out of spontaneous goodness. Emphasizes living well and achieving excellence. Strength--Internalizes moral behavior Weakness--Offers no guidance for resolving ethical dilemmas

So begins our exploration of morality and ethics!