Ethical Theories. A (Very) Brief Introduction

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Ethical Theories. A (Very) Brief Introduction"

Transcription

1 Ethical Theories A (Very) Brief Introduction Last time, a definition Ethics: The discipline that deals with right and wrong, good and bad, especially with respect to human conduct. Well, for one thing, what precisely do we mean by human conduct? Different ethical theories focus on different aspects 1

2 Domains of Ethical Assessment Domain Acts and Actions Consequences Evaluative terms Right, Wrong, Obligatory, Permissible, Supererogatory Good, Bad, Indifferent Motive Good Will, Evil Will, Neutral Character Virtuous, Vicious, Neutral After Louis Pojman, What is Moral Philosophy, (1995), p. 16 Also mentioned last time: Right vs. wrong and good vs. bad are often used in everyday speech as if they were synonymous, but these terms can (and should) be distinguished. As it turns out, this distinction provides a handy way of classifying ethical (moral) theories 2

3 Classifying Moral Theories Moral theories can be categorized according to whether the theory takes judgments of value (good vs. bad) or judgments of obligation (right vs. wrong) to be fundamental I. Species of Moral Judgment I. Judgments of Obligation X is right You ought to do X You have a duty to do X II. Judgments of Value Where X is normally the performance of an action. Judgments of obligation concern the Right X is a good thing (or X is a bad thing ) X is valuable (or X is nugatory ) X, yum! (or Yuck, X! ) Judgments of value concern the Good 3

4 Deontological (D) Theories Deontological moral theories take judgments about what is right to be primary. Value considerations are not fundamental (and, on some D views, simply irrelevant) to whether or not an action is right or wrong. E.g., Kant s moral theory Deon < Greek duty, obligation Such theories are sometimes said to maintain the priority of the right to the good Consequentialist (C) Theories C theories (e.g., utilitarianism): Judgments about what is right are derivable from and dependent on judgments of value. If something is intrinsically good (e.g., pleasure), then an action which helps to bring about more of that thing is, ceteris paribus, a morally commendable action. Such theories could be said to maintain the priority of the good to the right 4

5 Something to Notice If the moral rightness or wrongness is dependent only on the good (or bad) consequences that an act brings about, then it would seem to follow that that there can be no such thing as an inherently immoral act Instead, the rightness or wrongness of an action will always depend on the goodness or badness of the consequences that the action brings about This may an acceptable implication, but it seems to be in tension with some basic intuitions that some people seem to have about morality II. Monistic vs. Pluralistic Theories Ethical theories can be classified further with respect to whether the theory takes one thing or a bunch of things to be primary 5

6 Theories of Obligation Monistic E.g., Kantian Ethics. There is only one fundamental duty the categorical imperative (For now: act so that the rule implied by your action could be willed without contradiction to be a rule for everybody.) Pluralistic E.g., W. D. Ross s Ethics of Duty. We have a number of duties (Ross thinks there are at least seven), all of which are equally fundamental, though any of them can be overridden by others Theories of Value Monistic According to hedonic utilitarianism (e.g., as described by Bentham) there is only one thing that is intrinsically valuable, namely pleasure or the absence of pain G. E. Moore Pluralistic G.E. Moore s intuitionism: There is an indefinitely large number of good things in the world, each of which possesses it goodness as a unique, non-natural property (Moore: The goodness of friendship and the goodness of listening to Mozart s Die Zauberflote, etc., etc. cannot be compared by any common measure). 6

7 Utilitarianism A Paradigm Consequentialist Theory A Revolution In Ethics For our purposes, utilitarianism can be said to have been founded by Jeremy Bentham ( ); developed and refined by John Stuart Mill ( ) Philosophical Radicals : Both Bentham and Mill were active social and political reformers; both wrote and campaigned in aid of legislation (Bentham, penal reform; Mill, women s suffrage, contraception, Irish land reform) 7

8 this practical focus is not accidental. Bentham s major work: Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789). As its title implies, for Bentham, moral philosophy is and ought to be put to use in setting a practical political agenda. Mill, for his part, wrote numerous pamphlets on social and political questions and served as an MP. Of particular note, his The Subjection of Women (with Harriet Taylor Mill, 1869) one of the major documents of modern liberal feminism. Classical Utilitarianism (U) in a Nutshell a) Actions are to be judged right or wrong solely by virtue of their consequences; nothing else matters. (consequentialism) b) Consequences are to be assessed as good or bad solely in terms of the utility or disutility (pleasure or pain; happiness or unhappiness) created. c) Each person s utility counts and counts equally (egalitarianism) The fundamental normative principle: Maximize utility! (for everyone affected). A teleological view. 8

9 How is this revolutionary? The core idea: An action is morally right (i.e., is a duty or is at least morally permissible) if it brings about more utility (more happiness, more pleasure) for everyone affected than any other alternative action. Its familiar (though potentially self-contradictory) slogan: The greatest happiness of the greatest number Implication: Our happiness matters; everyone s happiness matters. Morality is not given by God or inscribed in eternal abstract rules. It something we can do something about Objectivity The bold U claim: We can, in principle, get morals objectively right. In order to function as a practical guide to moral questions, the utilitarian reckons, a moral theory must be as objective as possible. Utility is understood to be the sort of thing that we ought to be able ascertain, at least in principle, by observation, measurement, scientific reasoning 9

10 The Case for Utilitarianism The U idea has been enormously influential over the last 200+ years, in philosophy, politics, economics and elsewhere. The attractiveness of the U idea, I d suggest, has a lot to do with: Objectivity/Non-mysteriousness Equality/Impartiality At least some scope for human freedom Criticisms of U (A Selection) 1. Backward-looking reasons (the case of desert island promises ) 2. Justice considerations (McCloskey s false witness example) 3. Rights considerations (the rapist s pleasure; nonsense on stilts ) 4. Free-ridership considerations ( what if everyone did that? ) 10

11 Kantian Ethics A paradigm deontological theory Immanuel Kant ( ) Kant s moral philosophy: Concerned with the moral authority of reason (i.e., reason alone, without reference to experience). In the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), Kant says that he aims to construct a pure moral philosophy, perfectly cleared of everything which is only empirical, and which belongs to anthropology. In contrast to U, Kant aims to articulate moral rules not in terms of how the empirical world works, but in terms of our nature as rational beings. 11

12 Kant s Theory Outlined According to Kant: An action done from duty has its moral worth, not in the purpose that is to be attained by it, but in the maxim according to which the action is determined. The moral worth depends, therefore, not on the realization of the object of the action, but merely on the principle of volition according to which, without regard to any objects of the faculty of desire, the action has been done. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (1785) Maxims? By maxim Kant means the rule that you would be following if you were to perform some action. In effect: If everyone behaved this way, what rule would they be following? Example: You are in a financial jam and you lie on a loan application to obtain money that you know you likely can t pay back. The maxim of this action can t be anything particular (i.e., empirical), instead, it must something general: It s morally OK to lie. 12

13 How Does This Add Up to a Moral Theory? Kant: Your willingness to act on a specific maxim expresses your commitment to a general rule, i.e., a commitment that extends beyond this particular case to cover you and everyone else in any relevantly similar case. This claim is not as nutty as it might seem. In fact, Kant insists, it is a matter of ordinary logic. (And logic is something that we rational beings ought to be eminently capable of.) To give it a name, we might call the principle at work here the generalizability of reasons The Generalizability of Reasons Consider the following dialogue: Me: You: Me: The Audwagen Serpent is a really great car. It has plenty of power with its 300 horsepower V6. Yet, it gets better than 60 MPG on the highway. And it is safe: It has roll cage construction and side-panel airbags. So what do you think of the Volksdi Locust? It s a piece of crap. You: But the Locust has a V6 engine that gives better than 300 horsepower, it gets 62 MPG highway, and it too has roll cage construction and side-panel airbags? 13

14 Practically anyone can discern that I ve made an error of some kind in the previous dialogue. And, notice, it s not a factual (empirical) error about cars. We could substitute sports teams or wine coolers (or works of art?) and the error would still be there. The error: I ve been logically inconsistent. If X + Y + Z are jointly sufficient for me to judge something a great car, then I should be willing to judge as a great car anything else that has those same properties. (Either that or specify at least one more property required for a car to be great ) Imperatives Hypothetical Imperative: A non-moral imperative telling us what we ought to do provided that we have the relevant desire. ( If you want to go to law school, you ought to write the LSAT ) Categorical Imperative: An imperative that holds categorically, i.e., without exceptions. We can know such things, Kant asserts, because we are rational beings. I.e., we accept them because we accept the authority of reason 14

15 The Categorical Imperative (CI) First Formulation ( Universal Law ) Act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will without contradiction that it should be a universal law of nature This may resemble (a slightly pretentious version of) the Judeo-Christian Golden Rule (and that s not an accident, Kant would assert). But, in the context of Kant s theory, there more going on here. It may not look like it at first, but the CI can be thought of as, in effect, a test for logical consistency An Example (related to Kant s own, but in somewhat different terms): If, when I say I promise to pay you back, I know, according to the maxim of my action, that I mean I m not going to pay you back (I m just saying that I will), there is a clear contradiction: I promise = I don t promise (P = ~P) If whenever anyone says I promise they are entitled to mean, I don t promise, there can clearly be no such thing as promise keeping. Making false promises cannot be willed to be a universal law ( universalized ) without creating a contradiction. 15

16 Second Formulation ( Humanity ) Act in such a way that I will always treat humanity, whether in my own person or in the person of another, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. For Kant all (but only) rational beings are genuine participants in the realm of morality. And it is precisely our rationality and our autonomy (our ability to and our requirement that we give the law unto ourselves ) which makes us the sort of creatures that are worthy of respect. Criticisms of Kantian Ethics Highly abstract Highly inflexible The problem of conflicting duties ( The case of the ax-wielding murderer ) 16

17 Bonus Round: Rights A Guide to Rights-Talk Rights-Based Ethics Another approach to moral theory one with great contemporary significance is to link moral obligation to some notion of rights. Bentham notwithstanding, nothing prevents a utilitarian from helping herself to the idea of rights. Yet right-based theories are, by their nature, fundamentally deontological. They too maintain the priority of the right to the good. 17

18 What Are Rights? 1. A right is an entitlement to something E.g., legal rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982): In Canada, legal sanctions may apply in cases where rights to life, liberty or security of the person have been found to be violated. A package of basic human rights is proposed in documents such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Helsinki Accords (1975). Violations of human rights may not (yet) be subject to legal sanction, but instead are more like (putative) moral norms: People who violate them are subject to our praise and blame, our disrespect. 2. Rights imply correlative duties E.g., My right to freedom from physical harm imposes on others a duty not to physically harm me; My right to free speech imposes on others a duty not to prevent me from speaking; My property right in X imposes a duty on others not to trespass upon or interfere with my use and enjoyment of X. 18

19 Hohfeld s (1919) Classification A and B are CORRELATIVE iff the presence of the one [of A or B] in an individual X implies the existence of at least one other person Y in which the other [of A or B] is present. A and B are OPPOSITES iff the presence of the one in an individual X implies the absence in himself, X, of the other Negative vs. Positive Rights Negative Rights: Freedom from interference; an entitlement to be left alone. (E.g., freedom of expression, privacy rights) Positive Rights: Freedom to do or to attain something; an entitlement that somebody else do something for/to you. (E.g., the right to an education, the right to medical care) 19

20 Some Considerations Some theorists (e.g., hard-core libertarians) argue that all (or most) moral and political rights, properly understood, are negative rights (i.e., there are no legitimate positive rights, except in private law). How so?: Any putative positive right involves the violation of someone s negative rights (e.g., through taxation) In liberal societies, this view strongly conditions regulatory and administrative law economic liberties (negative rights) limit the power of regulators. (e.g., intellectual property rights, assessment and licensing of technologies, product labeling etc.) Where do rights come from? Perhaps (moral) rights are just a metaphysical fact (a deontological view) Perhaps moral rights are just a convenient way of speaking, possibly generalizing from legal rights (a utilitarian could endorse this view) Most commonly in philosophy, though, rights are understood to be an output of a social contract. (See, e.g., Hobbes, Locke) 20

Kant, Deontology, & Respect for Persons

Kant, Deontology, & Respect for Persons Kant, Deontology, & Respect for Persons Some Possibly Helpful Terminology Normative moral theories can be categorized according to whether the theory is primarily focused on judgments of value or judgments

More information

Some Ethical Theories

Some Ethical Theories Some Ethical Theories Some Distinctions Ethical principles can be categorized according to whether they take judgments of value or judgments of obligation to be primary 1 I. Species of Moral Judgment I.

More information

Chapter 2 Normative Theories of Ethics

Chapter 2 Normative Theories of Ethics Chapter 2 Normative Theories of Ethics MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Consequentialism a. is best represented by Ross's theory of ethics. b. states that sometimes the consequences of our actions can be morally relevant.

More information

Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT

Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT KANT S OBJECTIONS TO UTILITARIANISM: 1. Utilitarianism takes no account of integrity - the accidental act or one done with evil intent if promoting good ends

More information

Kantian Deontology - Part Two

Kantian Deontology - Part Two Kantian Deontology - Part Two Immanuel Kant s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals Nathan Kellen University of Connecticut October 1st, 2015 Table of Contents Hypothetical Categorical The Universal

More information

GS SCORE ETHICS - A - Z. Notes

GS SCORE ETHICS - A - Z.   Notes ETHICS - A - Z Absolutism Act-utilitarianism Agent-centred consideration Agent-neutral considerations : This is the view, with regard to a moral principle or claim, that it holds everywhere and is never

More information

Suppose... Kant. The Good Will. Kant Three Propositions

Suppose... Kant. The Good Will. Kant Three Propositions Suppose.... Kant You are a good swimmer and one day at the beach you notice someone who is drowning offshore. Consider the following three scenarios. Which one would Kant says exhibits a good will? Even

More information

Lecture 12 Deontology. Onora O Neill A Simplified Account of Kant s Ethics

Lecture 12 Deontology. Onora O Neill A Simplified Account of Kant s Ethics Lecture 12 Deontology Onora O Neill A Simplified Account of Kant s Ethics 1 Agenda 1. Immanuel Kant 2. Deontology 3. Hypothetical vs. Categorical Imperatives 4. Formula of the End in Itself 5. Maxims and

More information

Benjamin Visscher Hole IV Phil 100, Intro to Philosophy

Benjamin Visscher Hole IV Phil 100, Intro to Philosophy Benjamin Visscher Hole IV Phil 100, Intro to Philosophy Kantian Ethics I. Context II. The Good Will III. The Categorical Imperative: Formulation of Universal Law IV. The Categorical Imperative: Formulation

More information

Mill s Utilitarian Theory

Mill s Utilitarian Theory Normative Ethics Mill s Utilitarian Theory John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism The Greatest Happiness Principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they

More information

Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I. Based on slides 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I. Based on slides 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I Participation Quiz Pick an answer between A E at random. What answer (A E) do you think will have been selected most frequently in the previous poll? Recap: Unworkable

More information

-- did you get a message welcoming you to the cours reflector? If not, please correct what s needed.

-- did you get a message welcoming you to the cours reflector? If not, please correct what s needed. 1 -- did you get a message welcoming you to the coursemail reflector? If not, please correct what s needed. 2 -- don t use secondary material from the web, as its quality is variable; cf. Wikipedia. Check

More information

KANTIAN ETHICS (Dan Gaskill)

KANTIAN ETHICS (Dan Gaskill) KANTIAN ETHICS (Dan Gaskill) German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was an opponent of utilitarianism. Basic Summary: Kant, unlike Mill, believed that certain types of actions (including murder,

More information

Computer Ethics. Normative Ethics Ethical Theories. Viola Schiaffonati October 4 th 2018

Computer Ethics. Normative Ethics Ethical Theories. Viola Schiaffonati October 4 th 2018 Normative Ethics Ethical Theories Viola Schiaffonati October 4 th 2018 Overview (van de Poel and Royakkers 2011) 2 Ethical theories Relativism and absolutism Consequentialist approaches: utilitarianism

More information

Humanities 4: Lectures Kant s Ethics

Humanities 4: Lectures Kant s Ethics Humanities 4: Lectures 17-19 Kant s Ethics 1 Method & Questions Purpose and Method: Transition from Common Sense to Philosophical Understanding of Morality Analysis of everyday moral concepts Main Questions:

More information

Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT

Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT Deontology: Duty-Based Ethics IMMANUEL KANT A NOTE ON READING KANT Lord Macaulay once recorded in his diary a memorable attempt his first and apparently his last to read Kant s Critique: I received today

More information

Categorical Imperative by. Kant

Categorical Imperative by. Kant Categorical Imperative by Dr. Desh Raj Sirswal Assistant Professor (Philosophy), P.G.Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh http://drsirswal.webs.com Kant Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (1724 1804)

More information

KANT, MORAL DUTY AND THE DEMANDS OF PURE PRACTICAL REASON. The law is reason unaffected by desire.

KANT, MORAL DUTY AND THE DEMANDS OF PURE PRACTICAL REASON. The law is reason unaffected by desire. KANT, MORAL DUTY AND THE DEMANDS OF PURE PRACTICAL REASON The law is reason unaffected by desire. Aristotle, Politics Book III (1287a32) THE BIG IDEAS TO MASTER Kantian formalism Kantian constructivism

More information

Chapter 2 Reasoning about Ethics

Chapter 2 Reasoning about Ethics Chapter 2 Reasoning about Ethics TRUE/FALSE 1. The statement "nearly all Americans believe that individual liberty should be respected" is a normative claim. F This is a statement about people's beliefs;

More information

SUMMARIES AND TEST QUESTIONS UNIT 6

SUMMARIES AND TEST QUESTIONS UNIT 6 SUMMARIES AND TEST QUESTIONS UNIT 6 Textbook: Louis P. Pojman, Editor. Philosophy: The quest for truth. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN-10: 0199697310; ISBN-13: 9780199697311 (6th Edition)

More information

In-Class Kant Review Dialogue 1

In-Class Kant Review Dialogue 1 1 Kant Review Dialogue 1 Micah Tillman 05 April, 2010, slightly revised 18 March, 2011 Tedrick: Hey Kant! In-Class Kant Review Dialogue 1 Why, hello there Fredward. Tedrick: It s Tedrick. Fredward is my

More information

DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS

DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS In ethical theories, if we mainly focus on the action itself, then we use deontological ethics (also known as deontology or duty ethics). In duty ethics, an action is morally right

More information

Hello again. Today we re gonna continue our discussions of Kant s ethics.

Hello again. Today we re gonna continue our discussions of Kant s ethics. PHI 110 Lecture 29 1 Hello again. Today we re gonna continue our discussions of Kant s ethics. Last time we talked about the good will and Kant defined the good will as the free rational will which acts

More information

Evaluating actions The principle of utility Strengths Criticisms Act vs. rule

Evaluating actions The principle of utility Strengths Criticisms Act vs. rule UTILITARIAN ETHICS Evaluating actions The principle of utility Strengths Criticisms Act vs. rule A dilemma You are a lawyer. You have a client who is an old lady who owns a big house. She tells you that

More information

Chapter 3 PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS AND BUSINESS CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. After exploring this chapter, you will be able to:

Chapter 3 PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS AND BUSINESS CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. After exploring this chapter, you will be able to: Chapter 3 PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS AND BUSINESS MGT604 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES After exploring this chapter, you will be able to: 1. Explain the ethical framework of utilitarianism. 2. Describe how utilitarian

More information

THE CONCEPT OF OWNERSHIP by Lars Bergström

THE CONCEPT OF OWNERSHIP by Lars Bergström From: Who Owns Our Genes?, Proceedings of an international conference, October 1999, Tallin, Estonia, The Nordic Committee on Bioethics, 2000. THE CONCEPT OF OWNERSHIP by Lars Bergström I shall be mainly

More information

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CD5590 LECTURE 1 Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic Department of Computer Science and Engineering Mälardalen University 2005 1 Course Preliminaries Identifying Moral

More information

Philosophical Ethics. Distinctions and Categories

Philosophical Ethics. Distinctions and Categories Philosophical Ethics Distinctions and Categories Ethics Remember we have discussed how ethics fits into philosophy We have also, as a 1 st approximation, defined ethics as philosophical thinking about

More information

Let us begin by first locating our fields in relation to other fields that study ethics. Consider the following taxonomy: Kinds of ethical inquiries

Let us begin by first locating our fields in relation to other fields that study ethics. Consider the following taxonomy: Kinds of ethical inquiries ON NORMATIVE ETHICAL THEORIES: SOME BASICS From the dawn of philosophy, the question concerning the summum bonum, or, what is the same thing, concerning the foundation of morality, has been accounted the

More information

Is euthanasia morally permissible? What is the relationship between patient autonomy,

Is euthanasia morally permissible? What is the relationship between patient autonomy, Course Syllabus PHILOSOPHY 433 Instructor: Doran Smolkin, Ph. D. doran.smolkin@kpu.ca or doran.smolkin@ubc.ca Course Description: Is euthanasia morally permissible? What is the relationship between patient

More information

Chapter 2: Reasoning about ethics

Chapter 2: Reasoning about ethics Chapter 2: Reasoning about ethics 2012 Cengage Learning All Rights reserved Learning Outcomes LO 1 Explain how important moral reasoning is and how to apply it. LO 2 Explain the difference between facts

More information

Philosophical Ethics. The nature of ethical analysis. Discussion based on Johnson, Computer Ethics, Chapter 2.

Philosophical Ethics. The nature of ethical analysis. Discussion based on Johnson, Computer Ethics, Chapter 2. Philosophical Ethics The nature of ethical analysis Discussion based on Johnson, Computer Ethics, Chapter 2. How to resolve ethical issues? censorship abortion affirmative action How do we defend our moral

More information

Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I. Based on slides 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I. Based on slides 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley Lecture 6 Workable Ethical Theories I Participation Quiz Pick an answer between A E at random. (thanks to Rodrigo for suggesting this quiz) Ethical Egoism Achievement of your happiness is the only moral

More information

Course Syllabus. Course Description: Objectives for this course include: PHILOSOPHY 333

Course Syllabus. Course Description: Objectives for this course include: PHILOSOPHY 333 Course Syllabus PHILOSOPHY 333 Instructor: Doran Smolkin, Ph. D. doran.smolkin@ubc.ca or doran.smolkin@kpu.ca Course Description: Is euthanasia morally permissible? What is the relationship between patient

More information

Making Decisions on Behalf of Others: Who or What Do I Select as a Guide? A Dilemma: - My boss. - The shareholders. - Other stakeholders

Making Decisions on Behalf of Others: Who or What Do I Select as a Guide? A Dilemma: - My boss. - The shareholders. - Other stakeholders Making Decisions on Behalf of Others: Who or What Do I Select as a Guide? - My boss - The shareholders - Other stakeholders - Basic principles about conduct and its impacts - What is good for me - What

More information

Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Spring 2011 Russell Marcus

Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Spring 2011 Russell Marcus Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Spring 2011 Russell Marcus Class 26 - April 27 Kantian Ethics Marcus, Introduction to Philosophy, Slide 1 Mill s Defense of Utilitarianism P People desire happiness.

More information

Moral Philosophy : Utilitarianism

Moral Philosophy : Utilitarianism Moral Philosophy : Utilitarianism Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a moral theory that was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). It is a teleological or consequentialist

More information

INTRODUCTORY HANDOUT PHILOSOPHY 13 FALL, 2004 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY---ETHICS Professor: Richard Arneson. TAs: Eric Campbell and Adam Streed.

INTRODUCTORY HANDOUT PHILOSOPHY 13 FALL, 2004 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY---ETHICS Professor: Richard Arneson. TAs: Eric Campbell and Adam Streed. 1 INTRODUCTORY HANDOUT PHILOSOPHY 13 FALL, 2004 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY---ETHICS Professor: Richard Arneson. TAs: Eric Campbell and Adam Streed. Lecture MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m. in Cognitive Science Bldg.

More information

Philosophical Ethics. Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics)

Philosophical Ethics. Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics) Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics) Consequentialism Deontology (Virtue Ethics) Consequentialism the value of an action (the action's moral worth, its rightness or wrongness) derives entirely from

More information

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS. by Immanuel Kant

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS. by Immanuel Kant FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS SECOND SECTION by Immanuel Kant TRANSITION FROM POPULAR MORAL PHILOSOPHY TO THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS... This principle, that humanity and generally every

More information

Tuesday, September 2, Idealism

Tuesday, September 2, Idealism Idealism Enlightenment Puzzle How do these fit into a scientific picture of the world? Norms Necessity Universality Mind Idealism The dominant 19th-century response: often today called anti-realism Everything

More information

Duty and Categorical Rules. Immanuel Kant Introduction to Ethics, PHIL 118 Professor Douglas Olena

Duty and Categorical Rules. Immanuel Kant Introduction to Ethics, PHIL 118 Professor Douglas Olena Duty and Categorical Rules Immanuel Kant Introduction to Ethics, PHIL 118 Professor Douglas Olena Preview This selection from Kant includes: The description of the Good Will The concept of Duty An introduction

More information

Ethics Prof. Vineet Sahu Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur

Ethics Prof. Vineet Sahu Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur Ethics Prof. Vineet Sahu Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur Module No. #01 Lecture No. #08 Deontological Theories Immanuel Kant Now, continuing to talk about,

More information

Ethics is subjective.

Ethics is subjective. Introduction Scientific Method and Research Ethics Ethical Theory Greg Bognar Stockholm University September 22, 2017 Ethics is subjective. If ethics is subjective, then moral claims are subjective in

More information

Pojman: What is Moral Philosophy?

Pojman: What is Moral Philosophy? Pojman: What is Moral Philosophy? Etymology Morals < Latin mores: Custom The traditional or characteristic norms of a people or group Ethics < Greek ethos: Character Usually the character or essential

More information

Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Fall 2013 Russell Marcus

Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Fall 2013 Russell Marcus Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 110W Fall 2013 Russell Marcus Class 28 -Kantian Ethics Marcus, Introduction to Philosophy, Slide 1 The Good Will P It is impossible to conceive anything at all in

More information

Deontology. Immanuel Kant ( ) Founder of Deontology

Deontology. Immanuel Kant ( ) Founder of Deontology Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Founder of Deontology The right act is that which is in accordance with the correct moral rule (GK. deon) or principle (Kant calls these maxims ) Rejects hedonism Rejects consequentialism

More information

Is Morality Rational?

Is Morality Rational? PHILOSOPHY 431 Is Morality Rational? Topic #3 Betsy Spring 2010 Kant claims that violations of the categorical imperative are irrational acts. This paper discusses that claim. Page 2 of 6 In Groundwork

More information

Definitions: Values and Moral Values

Definitions: Values and Moral Values Definitions: Values and Moral Values 1. Values those things that we care about; those things that matter to us; those goals or ideals to which we aspire and by which we measure ourselves and others in

More information

Autonomous Machines Are Ethical

Autonomous Machines Are Ethical Autonomous Machines Are Ethical John Hooker Carnegie Mellon University INFORMS 2017 1 Thesis Concepts of deontological ethics are ready-made for the age of AI. Philosophical concept of autonomy applies

More information

A primer of major ethical theories

A primer of major ethical theories Chapter 1 A primer of major ethical theories Our topic in this course is privacy. Hence we want to understand (i) what privacy is and also (ii) why we value it and how this value is reflected in our norms

More information

Kantian Deontology. A2 Ethics Revision Notes Page 1 of 7. Paul Nicholls 13P Religious Studies

Kantian Deontology. A2 Ethics Revision Notes Page 1 of 7. Paul Nicholls 13P Religious Studies A2 Ethics Revision Notes Page 1 of 7 Kantian Deontology Deontological (based on duty) ethical theory established by Emmanuel Kant in The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Part of the enlightenment

More information

Take Home Exam #2. PHI 1700: Global Ethics Prof. Lauren R. Alpert

Take Home Exam #2. PHI 1700: Global Ethics Prof. Lauren R. Alpert PHI 1700: Global Ethics Prof. Lauren R. Alpert Name: Date: Take Home Exam #2 Instructions (Read Before Proceeding!) Material for this exam is from class sessions 8-15. Matching and fill-in-the-blank questions

More information

Ethical Reasoning and the THSEB: A Primer for Coaches

Ethical Reasoning and the THSEB: A Primer for Coaches Ethical Reasoning and the THSEB: A Primer for Coaches THSEB@utk.edu philosophy.utk.edu/ethics/index.php FOLLOW US! Twitter: @thseb_utk Instagram: thseb_utk Facebook: facebook.com/thsebutk Co-sponsored

More information

Introduction to Ethics

Introduction to Ethics Introduction to Ethics Auburn University Department of Philosophy PHIL 1020 Fall Semester, 2015 Syllabus Instructor: Email: Version 1.0. The schedule of readings is subject to revision. Students are responsible

More information

Kantianism: Objections and Replies Keith Burgess-Jackson 12 March 2017

Kantianism: Objections and Replies Keith Burgess-Jackson 12 March 2017 Kantianism: Objections and Replies Keith Burgess-Jackson 12 March 2017 Kantianism (K): 1 For all acts x, x is right iff (i) the maxim of x is universalizable (i.e., the agent can will that the maxim of

More information

Annotated List of Ethical Theories

Annotated List of Ethical Theories Annotated List of Ethical Theories The following list is selective, including only what I view as the major theories. Entries in bold face have been especially influential. Recommendations for additions

More information

Tools Andrew Black CS 305 1

Tools Andrew Black CS 305 1 Tools Andrew Black CS 305 1 Critical Thinking Everyone thinks, all the time Why Critical Thinking? Much of our thinking is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, or down-right prejudiced. This costs us

More information

Kant s Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals

Kant s Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals Kant s Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals G. J. Mattey Spring, 2017/ Philosophy 1 The Division of Philosophical Labor Kant generally endorses the ancient Greek division of philosophy into

More information

#NLCU. The Ethical Leader: Rules and Tools

#NLCU. The Ethical Leader: Rules and Tools The Ethical Leader: Rules and Tools #NLCU March 12, 2017 Washington, DC Dr. Scott Paine Director, Leadership Development and Education Florida League of Cities Agenda So What is Ethics? Sample Ethical

More information

24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life

24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life Fall 2008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms. Three Moral Theories

More information

PHI 1700: Global Ethics

PHI 1700: Global Ethics PHI 1700: Global Ethics Session 13 March 22 nd, 2016 O Neill, A Simplified Account of Kant s Ethics So far in this unit, we ve seen many different ways of judging right/wrong actions: Aristotle s virtue

More information

PHIL%13:%Ethics;%Fall%2012% David%O.%Brink;%UCSD% Syllabus% Part%I:%Challenges%to%Moral%Theory 1.%Relativism%and%Tolerance.

PHIL%13:%Ethics;%Fall%2012% David%O.%Brink;%UCSD% Syllabus% Part%I:%Challenges%to%Moral%Theory 1.%Relativism%and%Tolerance. Draftof8)27)12 PHIL%13:%Ethics;%Fall%2012% David%O.%Brink;%UCSD% Syllabus% Hereisalistoftopicsandreadings.Withinatopic,dothereadingsintheorderinwhich theyarelisted.readingsaredrawnfromthethreemaintexts

More information

CS305 Topic Introduction to Ethics

CS305 Topic Introduction to Ethics CS305 Topic Introduction to Ethics Sources: Baase: A Gift of Fire and Quinn: Ethics for the Information Age CS305-Spring 2010 Ethics 1 What is Ethics? A branch of philosophy that studies priciples relating

More information

Moral Theory. What makes things right or wrong?

Moral Theory. What makes things right or wrong? Moral Theory What makes things right or wrong? Consider: Moral Disagreement We have disagreements about right and wrong, about how people ought or ought not act. When we do, we (sometimes!) reason with

More information

24.01: Classics of Western Philosophy

24.01: Classics of Western Philosophy Mill s Utilitarianism I. Introduction Recall that there are four questions one might ask an ethical theory to answer: a) Which acts are right and which are wrong? Which acts ought we to perform (understanding

More information

7/31/2017. Kant and Our Ineradicable Desire to be God

7/31/2017. Kant and Our Ineradicable Desire to be God Radical Evil Kant and Our Ineradicable Desire to be God 1 Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Kant indeed marks the end of the Enlightenment: he brought its most fundamental assumptions concerning the powers of

More information

A Review on What Is This Thing Called Ethics? by Christopher Bennett * ** 1

A Review on What Is This Thing Called Ethics? by Christopher Bennett * ** 1 310 Book Review Book Review ISSN (Print) 1225-4924, ISSN (Online) 2508-3104 Catholic Theology and Thought, Vol. 79, July 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.21731/ctat.2017.79.310 A Review on What Is This Thing

More information

(naturalistic fallacy)

(naturalistic fallacy) 1 2 19 general questions about the nature of morality and about the meaning of moral concepts determining what the ethical principles of guiding the actions (truth and opinion) the metaphysical question

More information

Deontological Ethics

Deontological Ethics Deontological Ethics From Jane Eyre, the end of Chapter XXVII: (Mr. Rochester is the first speaker) And what a distortion in your judgment, what a perversity in your ideas, is proved by your conduct! Is

More information

Backward Looking Theories, Kant and Deontology

Backward Looking Theories, Kant and Deontology Backward Looking Theories, Kant and Deontology Study Guide Forward v. Backward Looking Theories Kant Goodwill Duty Categorical Imperative For Next Time: Rawls, Selections from A Theory of Justice Study

More information

Short Answers: Answer the following questions in one paragraph (each is worth 5 points).

Short Answers: Answer the following questions in one paragraph (each is worth 5 points). HU2700 Spring 2008 Midterm Exam Answer Key There are two sections: a short answer section worth 25 points and an essay section worth 75 points. No materials (books, notes, outlines, fellow classmates,

More information

Kant's Moral Philosophy

Kant's Moral Philosophy Kant's Moral Philosophy I. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (178.5)- Immanuel Kant A. Aims I. '7o seek out and establish the supreme principle of morality." a. To provide a rational basis for morality.

More information

The Pleasure Imperative

The Pleasure Imperative The Pleasure Imperative Utilitarianism, particularly the version espoused by John Stuart Mill, is probably the best known consequentialist normative ethical theory. Furthermore, it is probably the most

More information

PHIL 202: IV:

PHIL 202: IV: Draft of 3-6- 13 PHIL 202: Core Ethics; Winter 2013 Core Sequence in the History of Ethics, 2011-2013 IV: 19 th and 20 th Century Moral Philosophy David O. Brink Handout #9: W.D. Ross Like other members

More information

(i) Morality is a system; and (ii) It is a system comprised of moral rules and principles.

(i) Morality is a system; and (ii) It is a system comprised of moral rules and principles. Ethics and Morality Ethos (Greek) and Mores (Latin) are terms having to do with custom, habit, and behavior. Ethics is the study of morality. This definition raises two questions: (a) What is morality?

More information

Quote. Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas. Chapter Two. Determining Moral Behavior. Integrity is doing the right thing--even if nobody is watching

Quote. Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas. Chapter Two. Determining Moral Behavior. Integrity is doing the right thing--even if nobody is watching Chapter Two Determining Moral Behavior Quote Integrity is doing the right thing--even if nobody is watching - Unknown Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas 1 - Identify the facts 2 Identify relevant values and concepts

More information

Critical Reasoning and Moral theory day 3

Critical Reasoning and Moral theory day 3 Critical Reasoning and Moral theory day 3 CS 340 Fall 2015 Ethics and Moral Theories Differences of opinion based caused by different value set Deontology Virtue Religious and Divine Command Utilitarian

More information

Ethical non-naturalism

Ethical non-naturalism Michael Lacewing Ethical non-naturalism Ethical non-naturalism is usually understood as a form of cognitivist moral realism. So we first need to understand what cognitivism and moral realism is before

More information

Consequentialism. Mill s Theory of Utility

Consequentialism. Mill s Theory of Utility Consequentialism Mill s Theory of Utility Consequentialism Theory of Normative Ethics Has a different way of determining what the good life is from Aristotle: J.S. MILL: Good -----> THEORY OF CONSEQUENTIALISM

More information

Download: Two clips from Star Trek. The needs of the many and The needs of the one found in Course Content Kant folder.

Download: Two clips from Star Trek. The needs of the many and The needs of the one found in Course Content Kant folder. TOPIC: Philosophy 1000 Lecture Introduction to Kant s deontology of Categorical Imperatives. KEY TERMS/ GOALS: Conformity with duty vs. motive from duty. Deontology. Kant s focus on agent s motives rather

More information

Quiz 1. Criticisms of consequentialism and Kant. Consequentialism and Nonconsequentialism. Consequentialism in practice. Must Choose Best Possible Act

Quiz 1. Criticisms of consequentialism and Kant. Consequentialism and Nonconsequentialism. Consequentialism in practice. Must Choose Best Possible Act Quiz 1 (Out of 4 points; 5 points possible) Ethical Theory (continued) In one clear sentence, state one of the criticisms of consequentialism discussed in the course pack. (up to 2 bonus points): In one

More information

Altruism. A selfless concern for other people purely for their own sake. Altruism is usually contrasted with selfishness or egoism in ethics.

Altruism. A selfless concern for other people purely for their own sake. Altruism is usually contrasted with selfishness or egoism in ethics. GLOSSARY OF ETHIC TERMS Absolutism. The belief that there is one and only one truth; those who espouse absolutism usually also believe that they know what this absolute truth is. In ethics, absolutism

More information

AN OUTLINE OF CRITICAL THINKING

AN OUTLINE OF CRITICAL THINKING AN OUTLINE OF CRITICAL THINKING LEVELS OF INQUIRY 1. Information: correct understanding of basic information. 2. Understanding basic ideas: correct understanding of the basic meaning of key ideas. 3. Probing:

More information

Journalists have a tremendous responsibility. Almost every day, we make

Journalists have a tremendous responsibility. Almost every day, we make Applied Ethics in Journalism A N I NTRODUCTION Patricia Ferrier Journalists have a tremendous responsibility. Almost every day, we make decisions that affect other people, decisions that might mean invading

More information

Divine command theory

Divine command theory Divine command theory Today we will be discussing divine command theory. But first I will give a (very) brief overview of the discipline of philosophy. Why do this? One of the functions of an introductory

More information

Computer Ethics. Normative Ethics and Normative Argumentation. Viola Schiaffonati October 10 th 2017

Computer Ethics. Normative Ethics and Normative Argumentation. Viola Schiaffonati October 10 th 2017 Normative Ethics and Normative Argumentation Viola Schiaffonati October 10 th 2017 Overview (van de Poel and Royakkers 2011) 2 Some essential concepts Ethical theories Relativism and absolutism Consequentialist

More information

Theme 1: Ethical Thought, AS. divine command as an objective metaphysical foundation for morality.

Theme 1: Ethical Thought, AS. divine command as an objective metaphysical foundation for morality. Theme 1: Ethical Thought, AS A. Divine Command Theory Meta-ethical theory - God as the origin and regulator of morality right or wrong as objective truths based on God s will/command, moral goodness is

More information

A Rational Solution to the Problem of Moral Error Theory? Benjamin Scott Harrison

A Rational Solution to the Problem of Moral Error Theory? Benjamin Scott Harrison A Rational Solution to the Problem of Moral Error Theory? Benjamin Scott Harrison In his Ethics, John Mackie (1977) argues for moral error theory, the claim that all moral discourse is false. In this paper,

More information

Notes on Moore and Parker, Chapter 12: Moral, Legal and Aesthetic Reasoning

Notes on Moore and Parker, Chapter 12: Moral, Legal and Aesthetic Reasoning Notes on Moore and Parker, Chapter 12: Moral, Legal and Aesthetic Reasoning The final chapter of Moore and Parker s text is devoted to how we might apply critical reasoning in certain philosophical contexts.

More information

Summary of Kant s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

Summary of Kant s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals Summary of Kant s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals Version 1.1 Richard Baron 2 October 2016 1 Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Availability and licence............ 3 2 Definitions of key terms 4 3

More information

Chapter 2 Determining Moral Behavior

Chapter 2 Determining Moral Behavior Chapter 2 Determining Moral Behavior MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A structured set of principles that defines what is moral is referred to as: a. a norm system b. an ethical system c. a morality guide d. a principled

More information

Natural Law Theory. See, e.g., arguments that have been offered against homosexuality, bestiality, genetic engineering, etc.

Natural Law Theory. See, e.g., arguments that have been offered against homosexuality, bestiality, genetic engineering, etc. Natural Law Theory Unnatural Acts Many people are apparently willing to judge certain actions or practices to be immoral because those actions or practices are (or are said to be) unnatural. See, e.g.,

More information

CHAPTER 2 Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE

CHAPTER 2 Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE CHAPTER 2 Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A structured set of principles that defines what is moral is referred to as: a. a norm system b. an ethical system c. a morality guide d. a principled guide ANS:

More information

Undergraduate Calendar Content

Undergraduate Calendar Content PHILOSOPHY Note: See beginning of Section H for abbreviations, course numbers and coding. Introductory and Intermediate Level Courses These 1000 and 2000 level courses have no prerequisites, and except

More information

University of York, UK

University of York, UK Justice and the Public Sphere: A Critique of John Rawls Political Liberalism Wanpat Youngmevittaya University of York, UK Abstract This article criticizes John Rawls conception of political liberalism,

More information

The fact that some action, A, is part of a valuable and eligible pattern of action, P, is a reason to perform A. 1

The fact that some action, A, is part of a valuable and eligible pattern of action, P, is a reason to perform A. 1 The Common Structure of Kantianism and Act Consequentialism Christopher Woodard RoME 2009 1. My thesis is that Kantian ethics and Act Consequentialism share a common structure, since both can be well understood

More information

factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus.

factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus. Answers to quiz 1. An autonomous person: a) is socially isolated from other people. b) directs his or her actions on the basis his or own basic values, beliefs, etc. c) is able to get by without the help

More information

Q2) The test of an ethical argument lies in the fact that others need to be able to follow it and come to the same result.

Q2) The test of an ethical argument lies in the fact that others need to be able to follow it and come to the same result. QUIZ 1 ETHICAL ISSUES IN MEDIA, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY WHAT IS ETHICS? Business ethics deals with values, facts, and arguments. Q2) The test of an ethical argument lies in the fact that others need to be

More information

Philosophy of Ethics Philosophy of Aesthetics. Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology

Philosophy of Ethics Philosophy of Aesthetics. Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology Philosophy of Ethics Philosophy of Aesthetics Ross Arnold, Summer 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology Philosophical Theology 1 (TH5) Aug. 15 Intro to Philosophical Theology; Logic Aug. 22 Truth & Epistemology

More information