normative ethics and ethical frameworks_f15

8/18/2019 Normative Ethics and Ethical Frameworks_F15

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Ethical Theory


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Main Branches of Ethics


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Main Branches of Ethics

Normative (prescriptive) ethics:

How should people act?

Descriptive ethics:

What do people think is right?Applied ethics:

How do we take moral knowledge and put it into

practice?

Meta-ethics:What does right even mean?


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Normative Ethics


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Normative Ethics

!irtue "thics

"mphasis on #eing as opposed to doing

Deontolog$

%udges an action #ased on a set o& rules

'onseuentialism

%udges an action #ased on the outcome o& that

action


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Normative Ethics – A Very Basic Example

Is It Moral to ie!

Deontolog$(rule-#ased)

t is never* moral to lie'onseuentialism

t is sometimes moral to lie

!irtue "thics

*ne would consider what the decision+s outcomewould sa$ a#out the decision maker+s moral

character


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Virt"e Ethics


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Virt"e Ethics

*denti&$ desira#le characteristics that a

moral or virtuous person em#odies

*,he evaluation o& actions is dependent on

ethical udgments a#out the inner li&e o&

the agents who per&orm those actions


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Virt"e Ethics

*.ro#lems with !irtue "thics

*What constitutes a virtue?

*Who gets to sa$ what is a virtue and what is not?


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#eontolo$ical Ethics


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*Moral decisions are made #ased o&& one+s duties

and rights

*/antianism

*0ormulated 'ategorical mperative

*'onseuences are inconseuential

• 1awlsian "thics (*ne t$pe o& 'ontractarianism)

*2ocial 'ontract #etween individuals andgovernment(&amiliar?)

*3asis &or 'ivil 1ights


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*.ro#lems with /antianism

*What is moral good? /ant argues onl$ one thing

satis&ies moral good4

*,he .arado5 o& Deontolog$(,rolle$ .arado5)

*.ro#lems with 'ontractarianism

*Where are the rights derived?


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%onse&"entialism


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%onse&"entialism

*Morall$ right actions are de&ined as those that produce a

6good7 outcome4

*Moralit$ o& an action is evaluated on a case-#$-case #asis4

*8tilitarianism*.rocess in determining the moral course o& action

94denti&$ all courses o& action4denti&$ all a&&ected parties

;4denti&$ the #ene&its and harms to all parties &romeach action


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%onse&"entialism

*.ro#lems with 8tilitarianism

*Do the ends reall$ usti&$ the means?

*s pleasure or happiness the onl$ moral a#solute good?


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'i$hts Ethics

*3ased primaril$ on the works o& %ohn >ocke alate 9@th-'entur$ "nglish philosopher

*nitiall$ his vindictive was directed at the /ing

and .arliament

*>ocke proposed that government was createdto serve the people who possessed certain

1ights and that when government (read: the

/ing and .arliament) trampled on these rights

the$ were a#using the rights o& the people4

*,hese rights could include #oth positive acts onthe part o& government (e4g4 providing &or

national de&ense) and negative (e4g4 trial #$

ur$)4


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'i$hts Ethics

*3rought to the 8nited 2tates most prominentl$in %e&&erson+s te5t o& the Declaration o&

ndependence:* ,he .ream#le to the Declaration invokes the theor$ o&

1ights "thics

* ,he 6He has47 phrases #ring it home:

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing

his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of rial by Jury

He has made Judges dependent on his !ill alone for the

tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their

salaries.


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'i$hts Ethics

*'an $ou think o& modern e5amples?


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Easy Example (

When $ou were dropping o&& $our homework in a

pro&essor+s mail#o5 $ou noticed a classmate($our

&riend) going through the su#mitted homework and

coping some answers4 Bou thought a#out turning in theclassmate into the pro&essorC $ou also thought o&

con&ronting him or her4 3ut in the end $ou did neither4

%usti&$ $our actions using one ethical &ramework4


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Easy Example )a

Bou are the captain o& $our school+s #asket#all

team4 Bou witness $our teammate using a

#anned su#stance in the locker room the da$

#e&ore a pre-season scrimmage match4 Bouturn $our teammate in4

%usti&$ $our actions using one ethical

&ramework4


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Easy Example )*

Bou are the captain o& $our school+s #asket#all

team4 Bou witness $our teammate using a

#anned su#stance in the locker room the da$

#e&ore the championship match4

Do $our actions change &rom "5ample a?


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Easy Example +

Bou+re in a desert walking along in the sand

when all o& the sudden $ou look down and

$ou see a tortoise4 ,he tortoise la$s on its

#ack its #ell$ #aking in the hot sun#eating its legs tr$ing to turn itsel& over

#ut it can+t not without $our help4 3ut

$ou+re not helping4

Wh$ is that?%usti&$ $our actions using one ethical

&ramework4


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,ard Example (

2tem cells are currentl$ #eing researched as possi#le

treatments to man$ disorders4 2tem cells are harvested

&rom three main sources:

*Human em#r$os less than 9 da$s old(the em#r$o is

destro$ed)

*8m#ilical cord #lood(harvested at #irth)

*2kin cells that have #een reverted to stem cell

state

*ne possi#le use o& stems cells in the &uture is to grow

&ull organs allowing &or transplants with =ero chance o&

reection4

8sing the ethical &rameworks discussed toda$ usti&$ a

total #an on stem cell use4


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,ard Example ) – The Trolley -ro*lem

A trolle$ is running out o& control down a track

and approaching a &ork in the track that

de&aults to the le&t4 Bou are in control o& a

switch that diverts the trolle$ down the righttrack4 *n the le&t track &ive people are tied

to the track4 *n the right one person is tied

to the track4

What action(or lack thereo&) do $ou take? 8se

an ethical &ramework i& $ou can4

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