Chapter One:Chapter One:Moral ReasonsMoral Reasons

Applying Ethics: A Text with ReadingsApplying Ethics: A Text with Readings (10 (10thth ed.) ed.)Julie C. Van Camp, Jeffrey Olen, Vincent BarryJulie C. Van Camp, Jeffrey Olen, Vincent Barry

Cengage Learning/WadsworthCengage Learning/Wadsworth

Moral ReasoningMoral Reasoning

Considering certain kinds of reasons: Considering certain kinds of reasons: moral reasonsmoral reasons

Trying to arrive at the best moral reasons Trying to arrive at the best moral reasons for actingfor acting

Choosing the morally right course of actionChoosing the morally right course of action

Ethical RelativismEthical Relativism

Ethical relativismEthical relativism: M: Moral truths are not absolutely true but true relative to some particular standards.

Cultural relativism: Moral truths are not absolutely true but are relative to a particular society.

– Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of society and not on an absolute standard.

Individual relativism: Moral truths are not absolute but relative to individuals.

– Whether an act is right or wrong depends on the convictions of the person performing it and not on an absolute standard.

The Principle of UtilityThe Principle of Utility(The Greatest Happiness Principle)(The Greatest Happiness Principle)

The moral principle that we should produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness, giving equal consideration to the happiness and unhappiness of everyone who will be affected by our actions.

A test that can be applied to:– Individual acts– Individual ethical rules

FairnessFairness

The Golden RuleThe Golden Rule

Kantian respect for Kantian respect for personspersons

– Never use other people merely as a Never use other people merely as a means to means to your own endyour own end

– Recognize that persons are Recognize that persons are autonomousautonomous beingsbeings

Proper Human Excellences:Proper Human Excellences:VirtuesVirtues

Character traits and activities that are Character traits and activities that are distinctively distinctively humanhuman

EudaimoniaEudaimonia– Happiness, total well-beingHappiness, total well-being– The human being’s natural purposeThe human being’s natural purpose– Fulfilling our social roles, making proper use Fulfilling our social roles, making proper use

of reasonof reason

The Will of GodThe Will of God

Natural lawNatural law: the system of divine moral : the system of divine moral laws (Aquinas)laws (Aquinas)

Differing religious traditionsDiffering religious traditions

Can statements based on Can statements based on faithfaith be the be the basis of moral reasoning and argument?basis of moral reasoning and argument?

Principles of Social MoralityPrinciples of Social Morality

Social Justice: what makes a society a just one?Social Justice: what makes a society a just one?

Individual Rights: Individual Rights:

– Natural RightsNatural Rights: rights we are all born with (Locke, : rights we are all born with (Locke, Jefferson, Nozick)Jefferson, Nozick)

– Mutual Agreement behind the Veil of IgnoranceMutual Agreement behind the Veil of Ignorance (Rawls)(Rawls)

Equality principleEquality principle

Difference principleDifference principle

More Principles of Social MoralityMore Principles of Social Morality

EqualityEquality– Equal treatment under the lawEqual treatment under the law– Equal opportunityEqual opportunity

The The General WelfareGeneral Welfare– Public Decency and MoralityPublic Decency and Morality

Pluralism and FreedomPluralism and Freedom– Individual FreedomIndividual Freedom– Social Utility of PluralismSocial Utility of Pluralism

““Moral Virtue” Moral Virtue” AristotleAristotle

Moral virtuesMoral virtues: acquired by exercising them: acquired by exercising them

Moral goodnessMoral goodness: a quality disposing us to act in : a quality disposing us to act in the best way when we are dealing with the best way when we are dealing with pleasures and painspleasures and pains

““Virtue” definedVirtue” defined: a disposition of the soul in : a disposition of the soul in which, when it has to choose among actions and which, when it has to choose among actions and feelings, it observes the feelings, it observes the meanmean relative to us relative to us

““Respect for Persons”Respect for Persons”Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant

The ultimate worth of The ultimate worth of personspersons

Moral agentsMoral agents: law-givers to themselves: law-givers to themselves

Realm of endsRealm of ends

Categorical ImperativeCategorical Imperative– Never act in such a way that I could not also will that Never act in such a way that I could not also will that

my maxim should be a universal lawmy maxim should be a universal law– Act so that you treat humanities as an end and never Act so that you treat humanities as an end and never

merely as a meansmerely as a means– The idea of the will of every rational being as making The idea of the will of every rational being as making

universal lawuniversal law

““Utilitarianism”Utilitarianism”John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill

Principle of utility (greatest happiness Principle of utility (greatest happiness principle)principle):: choose the action that creates choose the action that creates the greatest happiness for all concernedthe greatest happiness for all concerned

““Happiness”Happiness”:: pleasure and the absence of pleasure and the absence of painpain

““A Theory of Justice”A Theory of Justice”John RawlsJohn Rawls

A conception of A conception of justice as fairnessjustice as fairness– Based on social contract theoryBased on social contract theory– Assumes original position of equalityAssumes original position of equality– But all are behind a But all are behind a “veil of ignorance”“veil of ignorance”

Two principlesTwo principles of justice of justice– Each has equal right to most extensive basic Each has equal right to most extensive basic

libertyliberty compatible with similar liberty for others compatible with similar liberty for others– InequalitiesInequalities are to everyone’s advantage and are to everyone’s advantage and

attached to positions open to allattached to positions open to all

““The Ethics of Care”The Ethics of Care”Virginia HeldVirginia Held

Feminist approach to ethicsFeminist approach to ethics

Features of the ethics of careFeatures of the ethics of care

– Moral salience of attending to Moral salience of attending to needs of othersneeds of others for for whom we take responsibilitywhom we take responsibility

– Values Values emotionemotion, rather than rejecting it, rather than rejecting it– Questions Questions universalistic and abstractuniversalistic and abstract theories, theories,

favoring individualistic approachesfavoring individualistic approaches– Rethinks Rethinks public and privatepublic and private spheres spheres– Conception of Conception of “person”“person” as relational and as relational and

interdependent, not individualisticinterdependent, not individualistic