Chapter One What is the Purpose of Morality? Ethics Chapter One What is the Purpose of Morality?

What is the Purpose of Morality? What is Moral? Webster says, “relating to, dealing with or capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct” What is Morality? The character of being in accord with the principles or standards of right conduct Principles of right and wrong conduct

What is the Purpose of Morality? What is Morality for? Is it to enable us to reach our goals in a socially acceptable way? Is it to enable us to resolve conflicts of interests fairly? Is it to develop certain kinds of positive character? Is it to promote human happiness? Is it to enable society to survive?

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” The significance of the book is that it illuminates the need for and purpose of ethical codes Ralph is democratically chosen as the leader and the leader has limited powers of the group and appropriate rules are agreed upon They also recognize the necessity of substantive and procedural rules There are symbols of authority (the conch)

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” What do you believe is the number one priority? Shelter? Food? Fire?

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Soon this is tested The competition for power and status Ralph and Jack vie for leadership and a bitter rivalry ensues Failure of public policy Challenges of leadership Speaking without the conch Then the conch is destroyed

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Soon this is tested Neglect of Social Responsibilities Jack’s hunters refuse to help build shelters Freeloading soon becomes a common phenomenon Neglect causes the fires to burn out, which results in not being rescued

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Soon this is tested Escalating Violence Breaking glasses Killing of pigs Mob behavior when killing pigs Painted faces creates deindividuation Sodomy of pigs Killing of humans

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Some Moral Behavior Piggy willingly give up his glasses to start the fire But, since Piggy did not hunt should he be allowed to eat

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Things Begin to Degenerate The fire, symbol of hope, is left unattended The conch, the symbol of orderly governance is destroyed Ralph’s authority is challenged & undermined which destroys the rational procedures Piggy’s glasses are stolen with impunity (Jack knows he can’t do anything about it)

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Things Begin to Degenerate Still Piggy asks Jack to act morally I ask for my glasses back not as a favor I don’t ask for Jack to a sport I don’t ask because Jack is strong I ask because it is the right thing to do “Give me my glasses, because you have to”

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Things Begin to Degenerate When Ralph and Jack fight do they both know what they are doing is morally wrong? Each one taunts the other, wanting the other one to make the first move Ralph tells Jack he has to give Piggy back his glasses and reasons Piggy can’t see without them (moral reasoning?)

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Things Begin to Degenerate Piggy again attempts to reason morally Isn’t it better to be sensible like Ralph, than to be all painted up? Isn’t it better to have rules and agree than to hunt and kill? Isn’t it better to have law and rescue than hunting and breaking things? How do they react?

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Things Begin to Degenerate How could they morally justify the deaths? More deaths? Would Jack stop at nothing to get what he wanted (the death of Ralph and power)? Was Jack willing to destroy the whole island to get what he wanted?

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” What is the main idea about morality that you get out of this selection When Piggy morally reasons with Jack to get his glasses back what is Piggy presupposing? What is Jack’s response? What is Jack’s response to being called a thief?

What is the Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” What is Ralph’s understanding of morality? What is Piggy’s? What is Jack’s? What is the significance of the conch and how do you interpret its destruction?

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? “The Coral Island” What happened on Coral Island? How is it the same as the “Lord of the Flies” Utopia How is it different than the “Lord of the Flies” Jack overthrows Ralph Jack overthrows the humane rules Jack hunts Ralph like a pig

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? “The Coral Island” What happened on Coral Island? How is it the same as the “Lord of the Flies” Utopia How is it different than the “Lord of the Flies” Jack overthrows Ralph Jack overthrows the humane rules Jack hunts Ralph like a pig

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? “The Coral Island” What happened on Coral Island? How is it the same as the “Lord of the Flies” Utopia How is it different than the “Lord of the Flies” Jack overthrows Ralph Jack overthrows the humane rules Jack hunts Ralph like a pig

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” The theme is to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not only any political system however apparently logical or respectable

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” A delegation starts out hunting pigs for meat and they enjoy the excitement, the violence, the bloody destruction of the pig … The children painted themselves with colored mud They then kill anyone in their way without remorse

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” They symbolically kill the symbols of religion (Simon) and philosophy (Piggy) which opens the gates to hell The glasses are a symbol of our misuse of technology to spoil the environment and our ability to create weapons that will lead to global suicide

On the Nature & Purpose of Morality? The “Lord of the Flies” Coleen Zoller believes the “Lord of the Flies” is a very male book Zoller believe women would act differently Women would stress cooperation and caring for one another

Why Do We Need Morality? Hobbes’s Account Nature has made us basically equal in physical and mental ability Each of us has the ability to harm, even kill the other either by ourselves or w/ the help of others We all want to attain our goals, food, shelter, security, power, wealth… These two facts, equal ability to harm and the desire to attain our goals lead to an unstable state

Why Do We Need Morality? Hobbes’s Account Equality of ability gives use the hope of attaining our goals If two people want the same object, they can’t both possess the same object, so they become enemies and they want to subdue or destroy each other What are most fights in high school about? (crime, jealousy)

Why Do We Need Morality? Hobbes’s Account So, we exchange some of our liberty for a social contract We elect a ruler Rules are set for us to follow Rules are enforced Within this contract is morality Where there is no enforceable law, there is no right nor wrong

Why Do We Need Morality? Hobbes’s Account So, morality is a form of social control We all opt for an enforceable set of rules and are most are better off than if we had no rules The “Cold War” keeps us all in fear Without morality our existence would be an unbearable hell

Why Do We Need Morality? The Purpose of Morality Morality consists of a set of rules which if followed by nearly everyone will promote the flourishing of nearly everyone These rules restrict our freedom, but only in order to promote greater freedom and well being

Why Do We Need Morality? The Purpose of Morality To keep society from falling apart To ameliorate human suffering To promote human flourishing To resolve conflicts of interest in just and orderly ways To assign praise and blame, reward the good and punish the guilty

Why Do We Need Morality? On the State of Nature Thomas Hobbes Hobbes argues that people are all egoists who always act in their own self interest, to obtain gratification and avoid harm It is in our self interest to make a contract to keep to a minimal morality of respecting human life keeping covenants made and obeying the laws of the society

Why Do We Need Morality? On the State of Nature Thomas Hobbes Hobbes proposed a strong sovereign or government to impose severe penalties on those who disobey the laws What does it say about mankind when he rides armed, when he locks his doors, when he locks his chests Isn’t this an accusation by actions?

Why Do We Need Morality? On the State of Nature Thomas Hobbes The Right of Nature-the liberty each man has to use his own power as he will himself for the preservation of his own nature Liberty-the absence of external impediments Law of Nature- a general rule found out by reason that a man is forbidden to do that

Why Do We Need Morality? On the State of Nature Thomas Hobbes Law of the Gospel-whatsoever you require that others should do to you, that do ye unto them There must be some coercive power to compel men equally to the performance of their covenants, by the terror of some punishment greater than the benefit they expect by the breach of their covenant