All About Ethics!

Ethics, Morals, and Values

Ethical Dilemma (Think about it) • You are an inmate in a

concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

Why Talk about Ethics?

• The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to ethics, and morals, and to come to an understanding about the differences between them.

What is Ethics and Morality?• The definition of Ethics

is often confused with morality, so here’s an explanation of the two terms:

• Ethos (Greek) and Mores (Latin) are terms having to do with “custom,” “habit,” and “behavior.”

• Ethics is a rational reflection on morality

What is Ethics?• Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that tries to

answer the question of what is good / bad.

• Ethics is the study of human behavior and its consequences in the light of what is ideally possible. For example, ethicists might study a society's morals to determine what effect they would have on humankind if they were used as universal standards.

What is Morality?

• Morality can be defined as:a system of rules for guiding human conduct, and principles for evaluating those rules.

• Try to remember two things from the above definition?

• Morality is a system;• It is a system made up of

rules and principles

So why study Ethics?

• Discussing moral issues is important because…

– It helps us address controversies and dilemmas– It teaches us how to live a good life?

Ethical Theories • The study of ethics goes back to the Greek philosophers• These philosophers proposed many ethical theories

Why study these theories?- A useful ethical theory makes it possible for us to examine moral problems, reach conclusions through logical reasoning and defend the conclusions

Ethical Theories

• Utilitarianism• Deontological Theories• Related Theory: virtue theory• Natural Law Theories

Utilitarianism

• Utilitarianism says that an action is good if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

So… Bringing this back to Government

What type of government would a staunch Utilitarian most likely support?

Discuss with your neighbors and see if you can come up with an answer and why.

Deontological Theory• Says that one must follow “his

or her obligations to another individual or society because upholding one’s duty is what is considered ethically correct.”

• Deontologists believe that morality is a matter of duty, and we as individuals have a moral obligation to act in accordance with duty.

So… Bringing this back to Government

• Do you think that someone who subscribed to Deontological Theory would make a good ruler / leader? Why or why not?

Related Theory: Virtue Theory

Virtue Theory is an approach that deemphasizes rules, consequences and particular acts and places the focus on the kind of person who is acting. The issue is not primarily whether an intention is right, though that is important; nor is it primarily whether one is following the correct rule; nor it is primarily whether the consequences of an action are good, though these factors are not irrelevant.

What is important is whether the person acting expressing good character (moral virtues) or not.

So… Think about it

What are the qualities of a good physician?

What are the qualities of a good patient?

What are the qualities of a good leader?

What are the qualities of a good teacher?

Natural Law Theories• Naturalist believe

that natural law principles are an inherent part of nature and exist regardless of whether government recognizes or enforces them. Naturalist further believe that government must incorporate natural laws principles into their legal systems before justice can be achieved.

So… think about it

• What would a naturalist say about the hot button issue of abortion?

Ethics in Historical Context

Aristotle(384 – 322 BC)

• Greek philosopher.• Teacher of Alexander the

Great.• His ethics books dedicated

to his son Nicomachus and are commonly referred to as the Nicomachean Ethics.

Aristotelian Philosophy

• Matter and form• Potentiality and Actuality• Plant, Animal, & Speaking souls.

Aristotelian Virtue Ethics

• Humans should strive to fulfill their true “potential”.

• We have a “feel” for right and wrong.• There are certain traits in “role models” that

seem to make them “superior” and makes their lives “good”.

• Adopting these traits (Virtues) would improve our lives and contribute to our overall wellbeing. (the good life).

So…… According to Aristotle:

• An action is moral if it is one that a virtuous person, acting in character, would take at the given situation.

• Becoming a virtuous persons benefits the person.

• One should strive to maximize intellectual virtues and find the middle path to moral virtues.

So where do you think your morality comes from?

• Parents – instill ethics and morals in children

• Religion – most religions set guidelines on how to make moral judgments.

• Peers – friends effect your moral judgments. Peer pressure can sometimes cause people to make moral and ethical decisions.

• Technology – provides many opportunities to make moral and ethical decisions. Think about it, how many of you have ever violated copy right law, because of technology?

Right, Wrong, and Grey areas?

• Unclear situations in ethics, many times they are personal and hotly debated in politics.

• Black and white – fairly clear – straight forward, most people feel the same way about: stealing, murder, honesty, charity.

• Grey areas – Natural law theories can have a lot of grey areas

Virtue EthicsWhat is it in these people that make them role models?Achievements?Abilities?Character?All/some/combination of the above?

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning

• Lawrence Kohlberg was a psychologist

• He based his theory upon research and interviews with groups of young children.

• A series of moral dilemmas were presented to children, who were then interviewed to determine the reasoning behind their judgments for each scenario.

The Story of Heinz (Kohlberg, 1963)

• A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a pharmacist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the pharmacist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug.

The Story of Heinz cont’d.

• The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the pharmacist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the pharmacist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug-for his wife. Should the husband have done that?

Think, Pair, Share

• Think about your answer to the question, and your REASON for that answer.

• After you have answered the question and come up with a reason, talk to your neighbor.

• Compare your answers and be prepared to share your discussions with the entire class.

Level 1. Preconventional MoralityStage 1: Obedience & Punishment

ANSWER: NO, he shouldn’t have, because he could have got caught and then he would have got punished.

Or YES, because if not, wife would be angry

- common in young children- rules seen as fixed and absolute. - Obeying the rules is important to avoid punishment.- Does not consider the interests of others.

Stage 2 - Individualism and Exchange

• YES, he should have. The pharmacist refused to make a deal so Heinz was right to steal drug to help his wife get better.

• Or NO, Your wife is wrong to expect you to steal. It is not reasonable for her to ask you to break the law, as she may still not get better.

• Common amongst children aged 7-10 and some adults• “What’s in it for me?” – (egocentric)• Give-and-take guides behaviour• Tries to strike deals that serve both parties interests

2. Conventional MoralityStage 3 - Interpersonal Relationships

• NO, because good people do not steal. People will think you are a bad person if you steal.

• YES, Because good husbands should look after their wives. Even if it means breaking the law, this is what a good person would do.

• This stage is reached by 10-16 years, and is usually found in many adults

• the "good boy-good girl" orientation,• focused on living up to social expectations and roles. • emphasis on conformity, being "nice," and consideration of

how choices influence relationships.

Stage 4 - Maintaining Social Order

• ANSWER: NO, because stealing is against the law. If everyone stole, society would be in chaos.

• YES, because when you married you promised to do everything to help your wife. If you didn’t steal the drug, you would be breaking your promise.

- People begin to consider society as a whole when making judgments.

- The focus is on maintaining law and order by following the rules, doing one’s duty and respecting authority.

- They think of the consequences if EVERYONE behaved in this way

L 3. Postconventional moralityStage 5 - Social Contract and Individual Rights

• Yes, Heinz’s wife’s right to live outweighs the pharmacist’s right.

• No, The life of one individual should not cause you to act in ways that threatens social order.

• At this stage, people begin to consider HUMAN RIGHTS and SOCIAL CONTRACTS

• Rules of law are important for society, but members of the society should agree upon these standards.

• They consider the differing values, opinions and beliefs of other people.

Stage 6 - Universal Principles• Yes, he should have stolen because the principle of life is more

important than a law about not stealing. Even the pharmacist would be better off because he would not be party to your wife’s death. The case might bring attention to the problem of expensive drugs.

• No, Your feelings for your wife should not take precedence over the well-being of others. If you steal the drug, the pharmacist may raise the price of the drug making it even harder to get.

• Very few people reach this level of reasoning.• People make decisions based upon their personal principles. • They follow most laws (as they are based universally held values)

but if laws violate them, they believe they must act according to their principles.

Prerequisites for Morality

• It must be possible to choose actions and to plan. What abilities enable us to do that? Make a list

Which Can be Moral or Immoral?

Prerequisites for Morality

• Now what if I tell you that these are all people with serious mental illness?