Important to remember:

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1 Chapter 12: Moral, Legal, and Aesthetic Reasoning Critical Thinking, 10 th edition By Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parker PowerPoint developed by Sarah Landsdown 2011 By PresenterMedia.com Important to remember: For now, moral means not nonmoral Doesn t mean not immoral McGraw- Education. All rights What s the difference? Placing a knife in a drawer is a NONMORAL act. Placing a knife in your roommate s eye is an IMMORAL act McGraw- Education. All rights 1

2 So here, moral just means having to do with morality. MORAL REASONING refers to reasoning that applies a MORAL PRINCIPLE to a specific case McGraw- Education. All rights A value judgment judges the merit of something. A moral value judgment judges the MORAL merit of something. Eg. She gave him more than he deserved. A nonmoral value judgment judges the merit of something. Eg. June is an effective teacher McGraw- Education. All rights Divide into two groups of two: value vs. moral value judgments Jason is the world s best poker player. Susan dresses really well. It s wrong to invade another country. Doug, you should be nicer to your kid brother McGraw- Education. All rights 2

3 Moral reasoning mostly consists of applying a general moral principle to a specific case. A moral oa principle cpe is just a general moral statement. Hill Higher Education All 7 Moral Reasoning Principle 1 Similar cases are to be treated in similar ways. Eg. If I let one kid take quizzes with book open We must let everyone take it that way. Hill Higher Education All 8 Moral Reasoning Principle 2 If you seem to be treating similar cases differently, then the burden of proof is on YOU to explain why the cases really are NOT similar. Eg. If I let blue eyed kids take the Quizzes with their books open, then it is up to me to show why blue eyed kids should be treated differently. Hill Higher Education All 9 3

4 Often the general moral principle is UNSTATED. Eg: He promised he would marry you, so he better not back out now. Unstated general principle: One should keep one s promises. Hill Higher Education All 10 Basic Moral Perspectives 1. Consequentialism 2. Duty Theory/Deontologism 3. Moral Relativism 4. Religious Relativism 5. Religious Absolutism 6. Virtue Ethics 11 Perspective # 1 Consequentialism What makes an act right or wrong is its outcome. Always act so as to maximize happiness! (Known as Utilitarianism. ) 12 4

5 Problem: It seems some actions are wrong regardless of their outcomes. For example, wouldn t slavery be wrong even if the sum total of happiness in the world would be greater with slavery? 13 Perspective # 2 Deontological Ethics Right/wrong are intrinsic properties of an act. Example: It is wrong for anyone anywhere to break a promise. 14 Problem: How do you KNOW which acts are intrinsically good or right? One answer: Those acts in which you treat others as ends, not as means. 15 5

6 Perspective # 3 Moral relativism What makes something right or wrong is what one s society thinks. Example: Does your society think extra marital sex is wrong? Then it IS wrong for you to have extra marital sex. 16 Problems! With Moral Relativism 1. What counts as a society??? 2. Even within a society there usually are conflicting views about what is right or wrong. 1. e.g., conflicting views within American society about gay marriage. 3. Suppose your society thinks it is o.k. to kill Americans. 1. Then, as an American, I think it is WRONG for you to kill Americans. But as a Relativist, I think it is RIGHT for you to kill Americans. Then, as an American, I think it is WRONG for you to kill Americans. But as a Relativist, I think it is RIGHT for you to kill Americans. 17 Perspective # 4 Religious Relativism What makes something right or wrong is what one s religion thinks. Example: Does your religion think pre marital sex is wrong? Then it IS wrong for people in your religion. 18 6

7 Similar problems as with Perspective # 3 1. What counts as a religion? Are Catholics and Protestants one religion or two? Are you still a Christian if you haven t gone to church in umpteen years, etc. 2. Even within a religion there usually are conflicting views about what is right or wrong. 1. e.g., conflicts within the United Church of Christ about gay marriage. 19 Perspective # 5 Religious Absolutism What makes something right or wrong is what the correct religion thinks. Example: Does the correct religion think premarital sex is wrong? Then it IS wrong, period. For everyone. 20 Main problem: Which religion is correct? 21 7

8 Perspective # 6 Virtue Ethics VE identifies the characteristics of the ethically best tlife. Then it says that one should develop those traits ( virtues ) that best enable one to lead such a life. 22 Problem: What is the ethically best life? We can t say, unless we know what the purpose of life is. But who is to say what that is? And perhaps there is no purpose of life to begin with. 23 Legal Reasoning Justifying Laws Legal Moralism Harm Principle Legal Paternalism Offense Principle Law should make anything illegal that is immoral Outlaw something if it can do harm to others. Outlaw something to protect them from harming themselves. Outlawing an act if it offends others. 8

9 Aesthetic Reasoning 1. Are valuable if they are meaningful or teach us truths. 2. Capacity to convey beliefs central to traditions or cultures where they originate 3. Can help bring social or political change 4. Give pleasure to those that experience it. 5. Help produce emotions that are valuable. 6. Help produce special non emotional experiences (feeling of belonging, etc.) 7. Posses a special form or property 8. Taste can not be disputed! 9