2 Ethical Theories

8/19/2019 2 Ethical Theories

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Kirsten Ribu - Siri Fagernes - HiO 2005 1

Ethical theories

Lecture 2, MS008A


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Kirsten Ribu - Siri Fager nes - HiO 2005

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o!a"

Ethical heories o# $ut" %Kant&

'irtue %Aristotle&

(onse)uence %*tilitarianis+& ohn Stuart

Mill


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Ethical theories

he #or+al stu!" o# ethics goes bac. to the gree. /hiloso/her Socrates

1hiloso/hers hae /ro/ose! +an"ethical theories

Why study these theories?

A use#ul ethical theor" +a.es it /ossible#or us to e3a+ine +oral /roble+s, reachconclusions through logical resoning an!!e#en! the conclusions


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Moral ruths

Are there certain +oral truths Human rights

The ’law’ of nature: the behaiour an! !oings o#

hu+ans that enable us to !eelo/ the /otentialan! talents that nature has gien us

$ee!s that create /eace an! har+on" bet6een

/eo/le

Moral truths are those that are acce/te! b"+an" /eo/le, !es/ite !i##erences in culture an!

religion


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he /roble+s o# Ethical

7ehaiour

ot al6a"s a )uestion o# 6hat is !i##icult to

!eci!e, that is, the !i##erence bet6een right

an! 6rong, 9goo! an! ba!9 So+eti+es 6e are te+/te! to !o so+ething

: .no6ing that it is not right

here is a thing calle! co++on sense

Although; 9(o++on sense is not so

co++on9


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E3a+/le

An obiousl" good deed: he classical9seeing an ol! 6o+an across the roa!9

=e !o this goo! !ee!, encounter a #rien!6ho sa"s 9=h" !i! "ou !o that >ou haeother things to !o, !on9t 6aste "our ti+e,"ou shoul! be out there +a.ing +one"?9

The problem: >ou are #orce! to !e#en! "ourgoo! !ee!

he !ee! in itsel# is goo!, un)uestionabl"


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urning the tables

=hen the /erson !oing goo! is +a!e toans6er

H"/othesis; he scan!als o# =orl!(o+ an!Enron Figures 6ere +ani/ulate!, the /eo/le on

the insi!e got a6a" 6ith #ortunes be#ore thecrash

=hat i# the res/onsible ha! sai!; No, wewill not do it. t is wrong! =ith no #urthere3/lanation


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Ho6 !oes it reall" 6or.

Man" large co+/anies to!a" are being

/ressure! into acting +orall"

he" are #orce! to ta.e ethics seriousl", asa /art o# their culture

Attitu!es change : ethics are /lace! higher

than /ro#it

(orru/tion 6ill be +ore easil" reeale!

nsight; Boo! ethics 6ill /a" in the long run?


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he Ethics o# $ut"


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++anuel Kant %D@24 -D804&

++anuel Kant 6as born at Knigsberg in East1russia, 22 A/ril, D@24 !ie! there, D2 Februar",D804

here are t6o /erio!s o# KantGs literar" actiit" he#irst, the /re-critical /erio!, e3ten!s #ro+ D@4@ toD@8D, the !ate o# the e/och-+a.ing Kriti. !erreinen 'ernun#t the secon!, the critical /erio!,e3ten!s #ro+ D@8D to D@C4

"ood Will and the #ategorical mperati$e 1eo/les actions shoul! be goerne! b" moral lawsthat are uni$ersal

1rinci/les o# +oralit" must be based on reason Kantianis+ e3/lains why an action is right or 6rong,

!oes not Iust state that it is so


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Boo! 6ill

he onl" thing that can be calle! good 6ithout )uali#ication

s not the sa+e as goo! !ee!s, but goo! initsel# ntelligence an! courage are goo! )ualities,

but can be use! in har+#ul 6a"; robbingban.s, #rau! etc

Focus is on what we ought to do, not whatwe want to do Jdutifulness J acting in acertain 6a" accor!ing to +oral rules


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he (ategorical +/eratie

%irst formulation: Moral rules J

uniersal la6s 9Act onl" #ro+ +oral

rules that "ou can at the sa+e ti+e 6ill

to beco+e uniersal la6s9

Second formulation: 9Act so that "ou

al6a"s treat both "oursel# an! other

/eo/le as en!s in the+seles, an!

neer onl" as a +eans to an en!9

E3a+/le; he (arla case :


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he (arla stor"


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Anal"sis;

1lagiaris+ ealuate! using theCategorical Imperative: %irst formulation: *se the rule; can

clai+ cre!it #or a re/ort 6ritten b"so+eone else Re/orts 6oul! cease tobe ali! as in!icators o# .no6le!ge i#

eer"one #ollo6e! this rule Second formulation: (arla is using her

/ro#essor as +eans to an en!


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*tilitarianis+ %heor" o#

(onse)uence&

A /hiloso/h" that is in contrast to !ut" ethics &eremy 'entham %D@48-D82& an! &ohn Stuart

(ill %D80


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*tilitarianis+

+tilitarianism %#ro+ the Latin utilis, use#ul&is a theor" o# ethics base! on )uantitatie+a3i+iation o# so+e goo! #or societ" or

hu+anit" t is a #or+ o# conse)uentialis+ his goo! is o#ten ha//iness or /leasure, *tilitarianis+ is so+eti+es su++arie! as

he greatest ha//iness #or the greatestnu+berWikipedia


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(ont

he /hiloso/her &ohn Stuart (ill: N*tilitarianis+ is 9the cree! 6hich

acce/ts as the #oun!ation o# +orals, utilit"

or the greatest ha//iness /rinci/le, hol!sthat actions are right in /ro/ortion as the"ten! to /ro+ote ha//iness, 6rong as the"ten! to /ro!uce the reerse o# ha//iness

7" ha//iness is inten!e! /leasure an!the absence o# /ain b" unha//iness,/ain an! the /riation o# /leasure9

%Utilitarianism, ii, D8


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Hu+e he /hiloso/her Hu+e !i! not see an" religious

source or sanction o# +oralit" in utilitarianis+ n his n-uiry concerning the rinciples of

(orals /01203’ he carrie! out an e3tensie

anal"sis o# the arious Iu!g+ents 6hich 6e/ass u/on our o6n character an! con!uct an!on those o# others

He !re6 the conclusion that $irtue and

personal merit consist in those -ualitieswhich are useful to oursel$es and others.


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Act *tilitarianis+

1rinci/les o# *tilit"

An action has nothing to !o 6ith the

attitu!e behin! the action

'entham; No moti$e is in itself a

bad one. f moti$es are good or bad,

it is because of their effects.


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1ros an! cons o# act

*tilitarianis+

ro; t #ocuses on ha//iness t is !o6n to earth : 6here to buil! a /rison,

6here to treat !rug-a!!icts- the +eta!on :/rogra++e %but; ot in +" bac. "ar!&

#on; t is not /ractical- too +uch energ" goen into

eer" +oral !ecision gnores our sense o# !ut" he /roble+ o# +oral luc. : the e##ect !eci!es

6hether the action is +oral or not


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Rule *tilitarianis+

Wea4nesses o# Act *tilitarianis+ has lea!to *ule +tilitarianism

Eer"one shoul! follow rules that lea! to

the greatest increase in total happiness A//lies the /rinci/le o# ha//iness to thee##ect o# moral rules, act utilitarianis+a//lies the /rinci/les to indi$idual actions

Focuses on rules li.e !ut" ethics; *ules shoul! be followed without e5ception Rule utilitarianis+ loo.s at the conse-uenses $ut" ethics loo.s at the 6ill +otiating the action


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Rule *tilitarianis+ - /ros an!

cons ro;

Beneral conse)uences on societ" b" a!o/ting a uniersalrule

Soles the /roble+ o# +oral luc. : the occasional at"/ical

result !oes not a##ect the goo!ness o# an action E3a+/le : sen!ing #lo6ers to a sic. /erson is al6a"s a

goo! action %een though she +a" be allergic to#lo6ers&

#on;

=e +ust use a single scale to ealuate co+/letel"!i##erent .in!s o# conse)uences : #or instance buil!ing ane6 +otor6a"; cost an! bene#it in +one", s /eo/lelosing their ho+es

hin. o# +ore cons?


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'irtue Ethics

'irtue ethics +a" be i!enti#ie! as the one

that e+/hasies the $irtues, or moral

character n contrast to the a//roach 6hich

e+/hasies !uties or rules %duty,

!eontolog"&

or that 6hich e+/hasies the conse)uences

o# actions %conse-uentialism&


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'irtue ethics

n /hiloso/h", the /hrase virtue

ethics re#ers to ethical s"ste+s that

#ocus /ri+aril" on 6hat sort o# /ersonone shoul! tr" to be

Accor!ing to irtue ethicists the ai+ o#

all hu+ans is to lead a good, happyand fulfilling life.


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E3a+/le

Su//ose it is obious that so+eone in nee!shoul! be hel/e!; A utilitarian 6ill /oint to the #act that the

conse)uences o# !oing so 6ill +a3i+ise 6ell-being

A deontologist to the #act that, in !oing so theagent 6ill be acting in accor!ance 6ith a +oral

rule such as $o unto others as "ou 6oul! be!one b"P

A $irtue ethicist to the #act that hel/ing the/erson 6oul! be charitable or beneolent


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Honest"

An honest person cannot be i!enti#ie!

si+/l" as one 6ho al6a"s tells the truth,

#or one can hae the irtue o# honest"6ithout being tactless or in!iscreet

he honest /erson recognises 6That would

be a lie6 as a strong reason #or not +a.ing

certain state+ents in certain circu+stances


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Relatiis+

here are no uniersal +oral nor+s o#right an! 6rong

$i##erent /eo/legrou/s o# /eo/le canhae o//osite ie6s o# a +oral/roble+ : both can be right

6o .in!s o# relatiis+; Sub7ecti$e relati$ism #ultural relati$ism


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SubIectie relatiis+;

/ro an! con ro:

8ach person creates his9her own

morality / e5ample: $iews on abortion3.

f morality is relati$e, we do not ha$eto agree for instance if abortion is

right or wrong. 'oth sides are right.


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(ontinue!#on: A line o# !e#ense #or !oing 6hat "ou 6ant to !o; P

=ho are "ou to tell +e 6hat to !o an! 6hat not to!oP (orality J !oing 6hat "ou 6ant to !o

$oing 6hat "ou 6ant as long as it !oes not hurtan"bo!"; What does it mean to harm somebody? he )uestion is O subIectie?

olerance is not the sa+e as subIectie relatiis+$oes being tolerant +ean that "ou acce/t that

others are intolerant, racist etc; Relatiis+ J no uniersal rules 91eo/le ought to be tolerant9 J a uniersal rule

nconsistant


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(ultural relatiis+

$i##erent ie6s o# right an! 6rong hel! b" different societies

he +eaning o# right an! 6rong rest 6ith a societ"9s

+oral gui!eines *ight and wrong $aries in time and place 85ample; (ircu+cision o# A#rican 6o+en

Anthro/ologists hae !e#en!e! a culture9s right to stic. totra!ition

(ultural !i##erences concerning truth#ulness, stealingan! cheating; 85ample; testi#"ing to lo6er s/ee! a#ter a car acci!ent

C0Q o# or6egians 6oul! not, D0 Q o# >ugoslaians 6oul!not (Ethics for the Information age. Michael Quinn)


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(ultural Relatiis+ : /ro

$i##erent social conte3ts !e+an! !i##erent

+oral gui!elines

t is arrogant #or one societ" to Iu!ge another : 6e hae +ore technolog" than others, but

6e are not 9better9, +ore intelligent, +ore

+oral etc

Moralit" is re#lecte! in actual behaiour; 9$oas sa", !o not !o 6hat !o9 : but !oes this

6or.


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(ultural relatiis+; cons $i##erent ie6s on right an! 6rong !oes not i+/l"

that there ought to be !i##erent ie6s : 85ample; Ho6 to sole the !rought /roble+; )-uaduct s sacrifice to rain go!s

Societies share core alues, there#ore, the" +a"e3ist a uniersal ethical theor" : o//osing culturalrelatiis+ E3a+/les o# core alues; care #or ne6born, not telling lies,

/rohibition against +ur!er (oral guidelines are a result of tradition, not

necessarily based on reason.


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Kirsten Ribu Siri Fager 4

e3t 6ee.

(ensorshi/ an! Free!o+ o# S/eech ntellectual 1ro/ert" 1riac" E3cercises; Fin! e3a+/les o# goo! ethical con!uct *se =i.i/e!ia to #in! out +ore about ethics o# !ut",

conse)uence an! irue, an! criticis+ o# thesetheories =rite a /age or so about the li.enesses

an! !i##erences in these three theories o be !iscusse! in class

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2 Ethical Theories