THINKING CRITICALLY

ABOUT MORAL ISSUESCH. 9, CHAFFEE

MORAL COMPASS: THE THINKER’S GUIDE TO MORAL DECISION-MAKING

MAKE MORALITY A PRIORITY DISCOVER THE “NATURAL LAW” CONSIDER THE ETHIC OF CARE DEVELOP AN INFORMED INTUITION ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY CHOOSE TO BE A MORAL PERSON CONSIDER THE ETHIC OF JUSTICE PROMOTE HAPPINESS JUSTIFY MORAL JUDGMENTS

MORAL COMPONENT? You consider purchasing a research

paper from an online service, and you plan to customize and submit the paper as your own.

A friend of yours has clearly had too much to drink at a party, yet he’s insisting that he feels sober enough to drive home.

The romantic partner of a friend of yours begins flirting with you.

You and several others were involved in a major mistake at work, and your supervisor asks you to name the people responsible.

MORAL COMPONENT? Treatment of other people or animals. Not a clear right vs. wrong answer Positive and negative consequences to

oneself or others Guided by values to which you are

committed and that reflect a moral reasoning process that leads to the decision

Concept of moral responsibility

ETHICS AND MORALS Principles that govern our relationships

with other people The ways we ought to behave The rules and standards that we should

employ in the choices we makeRight vs. wrong Just vs. unjustGood vs. badFair vs. unfairResponsible vs. irresponsible

ETHICS & MORALS & VALUE Greek word “ethos”: moral purpose or

character Cultural customs or habits

Latin word “moralis’: custom Private and public nature of the moral life Social context of cultural customs

Possessing intrinsic worth that we prize, esteem and regard highly based on clearly defined standards

ACTIVITY Think of someone you know whom you

consider to be a person of outstanding moral character. Fix this person in your mind and write down this person’s qualities that qualify him/her as a morally upright individual.

Compare your idea of a moral person with that of your partner’s.

BECOME A PHILOS0PHER OF VALUES

Think deeply and clearly about these profound moral issues

Study the efforts of great thinkers through the ages

Discuss these concepts with others in a disciplined and open-minded way

Construct a coherent ethical approach grounded on sound reasons and commitment to truth

WHAT ARE MY MORAL VALUES? Do we have a moral responsibility toward less fortunate

people? Is it wrong to divulge a secret that someone has confided in

you? Should we eat meat? Should we wear animal skins? Should we try to keep people alive at all costs, no matter

what their physical or mental condition? Is it wrong to kill someone in self-defense? Should people be given equal opportunities, regardless of

race, religion, or gender? Should you ‘bend the rules’ to advance your career? Is it alright to manipulate people into doing what you want

if you believe it’s for their own good? Is there anything wrong with pornography? Should we always try to take other people’s needs into

consideration when we act or should we first make sure that our own needs are taken care of?

Should we experiment with animals to improve the quality of our lives?

EVALUATE YOUR VALUES Clearly articulated Well-grounded? Ill defined? Tenuously rooted? Coherent whole, consistent with one

another? Fragmentation and inconsistency? source?

MORAL THEORIES

I would follow my conscience (the part of our mind formed by internalizing the moral values we were raised with)

I do not know what I would do: a morally agnostic theory of morality

I would do whatever would improve my own situation: pragmatic theory of morality

I would do what God or the scriptures say is right: a theist theory of morality

I would do whatever made me happy: hedonist moral theory

I would follow the advice of an authority: authoritarian moral theory

I would do what is best for everyone involved: altruistic moral theory

ANALYZING MORAL DILEMMAS Describe the decision that you would

make in this situation and explain why Identify the moral value(s) or

principles(s) on which you based your decision.

At the conclusion of the activity, compare the moral values that you used. Consistent?

Describe your general conclusions about your own moral compass.

THINKER’S GUIDE TO MORAL DECISION-MAKING Make morality a priority Recognize that a critical-thinking approach to

ethics is based on reason Include the ethic of justice in your moral

compass Include the ethic of care in your moral compass Accept responsibility for your moral choices Seek to promote happiness for oneself and

others Seek to develop an informed intuition Discover the “natural law” of human nature Choose to be a moral person