Introduction to the Ethics (Overview of Major Theories- Part I)

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1 Intrductin t the Ethics (Overview f Majr Theries- Part I) Ahmed Kulanić

2 Chapter Overview Intrductin Review f ethical theries

3 Mst everyne shares cre values, desiring Life Happiness Intrductin Ability t accmplish gals Tw ways t view wrld Selfish pint f view: cnsider nly wn self and its cre values Ethical pint f view: respect ther peple and their cre values

4 Mrality A sciety s rules f cnduct Defining Terms What peple ught / ught nt t d in varius situatins Every sciety has rules f cnduct describing what peple ught and ught nt t d in varius situatins. We call these rules mrality. Ethics Ratinal examinatin f mrality Evaluatin f peple s behavir Ethics: ratinal, systematic analysis Ding ethics : answers need explanatin Explanatins: facts, shared values, lgic Ethics: vluntary, mral chices Wrkable ethical thery: prduces explanatins that might be persuasive t a skeptical, yet pen-minded audience Ethics is the philsphical study f mrality, a ratinal examinatin int peple's mral beliefs and behavir.

5 Types f Ethical Inquiry Nrmative ethics is an atempt t decide r prescribe values, bahavirs, and way f being that are right f wrng, gd r bad, admirable r deplrable Meta-ethics is cncerned with understanding the language f mrality thrugh an analysis f the meaning f ethically related cncepts and theries such as the meaning f gd, happiness and virtuus character. Descriptive Ethics is ften reffered t as a scientific rahter than a philsphical ethical inquiry.

6 Determinism Genetic determinism: A persn s eventual character and behavir is inevitable given the genetic DNA within that persn. Psychlgical determinism: Certain desires within yu are s strng that they always determine hw yu behave and think. (Think Freud: Yu re always mtivated in sme way by sex!) Thelgical determinism: If Gd is mniscient, Gd knws what yu will d frm yur birth t yur death predicting everything befre yu actually d it. Or perhaps Gd has decreed everything that will ever happen, making everything yu d set in stne befre yu d it. Causal determinism: If yu re a purely physical being in a physical universe, accrding t science, everything yu d r think fllws frm the exact way that physical things are rdered in the universe and the ways in which thse things interact in accrd with set physical laws.

7 Subjective Relativism Relativism N universal nrms f right and wrng One persn can say X is right, anther can say X is wrng, and bth can be right Subjective relativism Each persn decides right and wrng fr himself r herself What s right fr yu may nt be right fr me

8 Case fr/against Subjective Relativism Cases fr: Well-meaning and intelligent peple disagree n mral issues Ethical debates are disagreeable and pintless Cases againts: Blurs distinctin between ding what yu think is right and ding what yu want t d Makes n mral distinctin between the actins f different peple SR and tlerance are tw different things Decisins may nt be based n reasn Nt a wrkable ethical thery

9 Cultural Relativism What is right and wrng depends upn a sciety s actual mral guidelines These guidelines vary frm place t place and frm time t time A particular actin may be right in ne sciety at ne time and wrng in ther sciety r at anther time

10 Case fr/againts Cultural Relativism Cases fr: Different scial cntexts demand different mral guidelines It is arrgant fr ne sciety t judge anther Cases Against: Because tw scieties d have different mral views desn t mean they ught t have different views It desn t explain hw mral guidelines are determined What if there are n cultural nrms? It desn t accunt fr evlutin f mral guidelines. It prvides n way ut fr cultures in cnflict Existence f many acceptable practices des nt imply all practices are acceptable (many/any fallacy) Scieties d, in fact, share certain cre values Only indirectly based n reasn Nt a wrkable ethical thery

11 Divine Cmmand Thery Gd actins: thse aligned with Gd s will Bad actins: thse cntrary t Gd s will Hly bks reveal Gd s will We shuld hly bks as mral decisinmaking guides

12 Case fr/against Divine Cmmand Thery Cases fr: We we bedience t ur Creatr Gd is all-gd and all-knwing Gd is the ultimate authrity Cases Against: Different hly bks disagree Sciety is multicultural, secular Sme mdern mral prblems nt addressed in scripture The gd Gd (equivalence fallacy) Based n bedience, nt reasn

13 Ethical Egism Each persn shuld fcus exclusively n his r her self-interest Mrally right actin: that actin that prvides self with maximum lng-term benefit Philsphy espused by Ayn Rand, authr f The Funtainhead and Atlas Shrugged Case fr Ethical Egism: It is practical since we are already inclined t d what s best fr urselves The cmmunity can benefit when individuals put their well-being first Other mral principles are rted in the principle f self-interest Case Against: An easy mral philsphy may nt be the best mral philsphy Nt true that peple naturally act in their wn lng-term self-interest Scial injustices have ccurred when individuals have put their wn interests first Other mral principles are superir t principle f self-interest Ethical egism is a frm f bigtry

First and Second Discourse. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Return to the idea of happiness and where our souls have gone

First and Second Discourse. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Return to the idea of happiness and where our souls have gone First majr critique f mdern sciety First and Secnd Discurse Jean-Jacques Russeau Platnic Return t the idea f happiness and where ur suls have gne Russeau = philspher f petry/music Pet = utsider f sciety