1. Ethics and ethical systems 12 January
COMP 381
Ethics and ethical systems 12 January

2. What is ethics? philosophical study of morality
Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.

3. What is ethics? philosophical study of morality
rules of conduct describing what people in a society should and should not do

4. Society Association of people organized under a system of rules
designed to advance the good of its members
over time
Rawls, A Theory of Justice

5. What is the common good? James Moor’s core values
Life, happiness, ability to accomplish goals
Declaration of Independence
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
John Finnis’s intrinsic goods
Life, knowledge, play, aesthetic experience, sociability, religion, practical reasonableness

7. Ethics What choices that people make are part of ethics?
Must be voluntary
Must relate to morality
What is the fundamental purpose of any moral system?
To advance the common good
What rules of conduct did you learn growing up?

8. Ethical Dilemma Apparent conflict between moral imperatives
New technologies can open up new social problems and new ethical dilemmas
Examples?
Can new technologies change morality?

9. Studying Ethics Three Approaches
Descriptive ethics: what people believe to be right and wrong
Normative ethics: what people should believe is right and wrong
Philosophical ethics (meta-ethics): looks at the logic behind the decisions
Relationship between normative and philosophical ethics?
Examples where descriptive and normative ethics differ?

10. Theories that we will look at
Ethical relativism – very briefly
Individual (or subjective)
Cultural
Normative ethical theories
Deontological (duty-based)
Kantianism
Contractualism
Teleological (result-based)
Utilitarianism
Hybrid theories
Social justice
Just consequentialism

11. Criteria for Ethical Systems
balance of justice and mercy
protect individual freedoms and rights
no individual can/should impede or hurt another individual
recognizes unethical laws
flexibility
dealing with
relativism
societal balance

12. Ethical Relativism Is there anything universally right or wrong?
How is right or wrong decided?

13. Individual Relativism
Is this the same as tolerance?
For
Well-meaning, intelligent people can disagree
Against
Does not provide moral distinction.
What does morality mean?
Not based on reason
People are good at rationalization

14. Cultural Relativism Consider Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars work For
Different social contexts
Arrogance to judge
Are there examples when we should impose views on a society?
What if people have the right to leave?
Against
Evolution of practices
Societies do share core values

15. Normative Ethical Theories
Deontological: based on the sense of duty
Right because of the act
Teleological: based on the result
Right because of the result

16. Deontological Theory What is it? Classic Examples
Based on our duties and responsibilities
Actions are fundamentally right or wrong
Classic Examples
Kantianism (Kant)
Contractualism (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau)

17. Kantianism: Ethics of Duty
Duty as freely imposing obligation on one’s own self
Duty is internal
We impose duty on ourselves
What we SHOULD do, not what we WANT to do

18. Kant’s Categorical Imperatives
Universality: “Always act in such a way that the maxim of your action can be willed as a universal law of humanity.”
Respect: “Always treat humanity, whether in yourself or in other people, as an end in itself and never as a mere means.”
Are these the same? Which do you prefer?

19. Strengths of Kantianism
Rational
Produces universal moral guidelines
Treats all people as moral equals

20. Criticisms Practical Philosophical
Actions may need to be characterized by multiple rules and there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules
Allows no exceptions
Philosophical
Moral minimalism: requirements are not heartfelt
Moral alienation: alienated from feelings

21. Contractualism Social Contract Theory
Morality consists in the set of rules, governing how people are to treat one another, that rational people will agree to accept, for their mutual benefit, on the condition that others follow those rules as well.
James Rachel, The Elements of Moral Philosophy

22. Rights and Duties Duty not to interfere with others rights
Negative and positive rights
Negative right: duty is to not interfere
Positive right: duty is to provide
Absolute and limited rights
Typically, negative rights are absolute and positive are limited

23. Strengths of Contractualism
Framed in terms of rights
Explains acting out of self-interest when there is no common agreement
Provides framework for moral issues dealing with government (civil disobedience)

24. Criticism
Doesn’t address actions that can be characterized multiple ways
Doesn’t address conflicting rights

25. Comparing the Two Theories
Both believe that there are universal moral rules
Basis of those moral rules
Kant
can be universalized
based on duties
Contract
would benefit the community
based on rights

26. Teleological Theory What is it? Primary example: Utilitarianism
Something is good based on its consequences
Primary example: Utilitarianism
Jeremy Bentham
John Stuart Mill

27. Utilitarianism Greatest Happiness Principle
Compute the costs and benefits
Simple calculation: do positives outweigh the negatives?
Two forms
Act – judge the consequence of a specific act
Rule – judge the consequence of the generalized rule

28. Strengths Focus on happiness Down to earth Appeals to many people
Comprehensive

29. Problems of Act that Rule Addresses
Too much work to make a decision on each act
Susceptible to happenstance

30. Criticisms Ignores our sense of duty
Range of effects that one must consider
Calculus requires that we balance very different aspects
Unjust distribution of good results