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Chapter 1Most everyone shares “core values”, desiring ?1.life2.plish goalsTwo ways to view world ?1.selfish point of view 2.ethical point of view Why Study Ethics?1.way to decide the best thing to do2. New problems accompany new technologies3. “Common wisdom” may not exist for novel situations brought about by new technologies Good Ethical Theory Supports ?1.Persuasive2.Logical ArgumentsEthical Theories?1.Subjective Relativism2.Cultural Relativism3.Divine Command Theory4.Ethical Egoism5.Kantianism6.Act Utilitarianism7.Rule Utilitarianism8.Social Contract TheoryCase for Subjective Relativism ?1. Well-meaning and intelligent people disagree on moral issues2. Ethical debates are disagreeable and pointlessCase Against Subjective Relativism?1. Blurs distinction between doing what you think is right and doing what you want to do2. Makes no moral distinction between the actions of different people3. SR and tolerance are two different things4. Decisions may not be based on reasonCase for Cultural Relativism?1. Different social contexts demand different moral guidelines2. It is arrogant for one society to judge anotherCase Against Cultural Relativism?1.two societies do have different moral views doesn’t mean they ought to have different views2. It doesn’t explain how moral guidelines are determined3. What if there are no cultural norms?4. It doesn’t account for evolution of moral guidelines.5. It provides no way out for cultures in conflict6. Existence of many acceptable practices does not imply all practices are acceptable (many/any fallacy)7. Societies do, in fact, share certain core values8. Only indirectly based on reasonCase for Divine Command Theory?1. We owe obedience to our Creator2. Allah is all-good and all-knowing3. Allah is the ultimate authorityCase Against Divine Command Theory?1. Different holy books disagree2. Society is multicultural, secular3. Some modern moral problems not addressed in scriptureCase for Ethical Egoism?1. It is practical since we are already inclined to do what’s best for ourselves2. It’s better to let other people take care of themselves3. The community can benefit when individuals put their well-being first4. Other moral principles are rooted in the principle of self-interestCase Against Ethical Egoism?1. An easy moral philosophy may not be the best moral philosophy2. We know a lot about what is good for someone else3. Self-interest can lead to blatantly immoral behavior4. Other moral principles are superior to principle of self-interest5. People who take the good of others into account lead happier lives6. By definition, does not respect the ethical point of viewCase for Kantianism?1.Rational2. Produces universal moral guidelines3. Treats all persons as moral equalsCase Against Kantianism?1. Sometimes no rule adequately characterizes an action2. Sometimes there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules3.In a conflict between a perfect duty and an imperfect duty, perfect duty prevails4.In a conflict between two perfect duties, no solution5. Kantianism allows no exceptions to perfect duties6. Despite weaknesses, a workable ethical theoryPrinciple of Utility (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill)?1. An action is good if it benefits someone2. An action is bad if it harms someonePrinciple of Utility(Utility)?1. Happiness = advantage = benefit = good = pleasure2. Unhappiness = disadvantage = cost = evil = painUtilitarianism?1. Morality of an action has nothing to do with intent2. Focuses on the consequences3. A consequentialist theoryAct utilitarianism?1. Add up change in happiness of all affected beings2. Sum > 0, action is good3. Sum < 0, action is badCase for Act Utilitarianism?1. Focuses on happiness2. Down-to-earth (practical)3. ComprehensiveCase Against Act Utilitarianism?1. Unclear whom to include in calculations2. Too much work 3. Ignores our innate sense of duty4. Susceptible to the problem of moral luckApplying Principle of Utility to Rules?1. We ought to adopt moral rules which, if followed by everyone, will lead to the greatest increase in total happiness2. Act utilitarianism applies Principle of Utility to individual actions3. Rule utilitarianism applies Principle of Utility to moral rulesCase for Rule Utilitarianism?1. Compared to act utilitarianism, it is easier to perform the utilitarian calculus2. Not every moral decision requires performing utilitarian calculus.3. Moral rules survive exceptional situations4. Avoids the problem of moral luckCase Against Utilitarianism in General?1. All consequences must be measured on a single scale.2. Utilitarianism ignores the problem of an unjust distribution of good consequences.3. Despite weaknesses, both act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism are workable ethical theoriesTheory Thomas Hobbes?1. Establishment of moral rules to govern relations among citizens2. Government capable of enforcing these rulesTheory Jean-Jacques Rousseau?1. In ideal society, no one above rules2. That prevents society from enacting bad rulesKinds of Rights?1. Negative right2. Positive right3. Absolute right4. Limited rightCorrelation between Types of Rights?1. Positive rights tend to be more limited2. Negative rights tends to be more absoluteJohn Rawls’s Principles of Justice(Principle of Equal Liberty)?1. Each person may claim a “fully adequate” number of basic rights and liberties2. so long as these claims are consistent with everyone else having a claim to the same rights and libertiesCase for Social Contract Theory:1. Framed in language of rights2. Explains why people act in self-interest without common agreement3. Provides clear analysis of certain citizen/government problemsCase Against Social Contract Theory?1. No one signed contract2. Some actions have multiple characterizations3. Conflicting rights problem4.May unjustly treat people who cannot uphold contract5. Despite weaknesses, a workable theoryObjectivism vs. Relativism1. Relativism: Morality is a human invention2. Objectivism: Morality has an existence outside the human mind ................
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