Three Branches of Philosophy:
Epistemology: How do we know?
Metaphysics: What is the nature of the universe?
What do you do if…
?
You get an invitation to go to
Lake Tahoe for the same
weekend you promised to
babysit for your neighbor?
You witness a friend
stealing another
friend’s iPod?
You find a pair of
expensive sunglasses
on the table at In-NOut Burger, left there
by a previous
customer?
You dent the BMW in the next
parking space as you pull out of the
spot?
You are waiting for your math
teacher to return to his room and
you notice that he has left his final
exam lying out in plain sight?
4x +(3)y/43=5z
You find yourself alone with
your best friend’s
girlfriend/boyfriend, on
whom you have a secret
crush, and she/he makes a
move on you?
Your parents go out of town for
the weekend and tell you not to
have friends over, but your friends
find out that your parents are gone
and they show up?
With a lot of beer.
And a lot
more friends.
Lake Tahoe
iPod
Sunglasses
BMW
Math test
Crush
Parents
How do we decide what to do?
MORALS AND ETHICS
Good
Morality
Evil
Ethics
“Moral Compass”
Discipline
Decisions
Karma
Right
Wrong
Conscience
Sin
Values
Culture
Moral/ethical thinking affects our relationships
Moral/ethical issues arise in the workplace
We find examples of morals and ethics in public life
In the daily news:
TEENS ARRESTED AFTER FOOD FIGHT
Los Altos, yesterday
Dozens of students were arrested at Los Altos High School early Wednesday after engaging in a highspirited hurling of mashed potatoes in the school cafeteria.
Morality and Ethics--is there a difference?
Morality generally defines personal character
and is based on deep values
Ethics is generally defined as the social system in
which morals are applied. In other words, codes of
behavior expected by the group or institution.
The two can collide:
* Court of Law
* Medicine
* Work situation
* Other examples?
Everyday moral/ethical questions:
How can I tell what “the right thing” is?
Is it always right to tell the truth?
Do I have an obligation to help people in need?
Why does it really matter if I “do right?”
What do I gain from behaving morally or ethically?
What do I sacrifice from behaving morally or ethically?
How do other people’s moral/ethical decisions affect mine?
Theories and
Systems of Morality &
Ethics
Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
Stage One: Respect for power and punishment-- I will do
what I want as long as I don’t get in trouble
Stage Two: Looking out for #1-- I will do what benefits
me; I’ll give if I get
Stage Three: “Good Boy” “Nice Girl”-- I please others
to gain their approval
Stage Four: Law and Order-- I conform; I do my duty to
maintain social order; people who break rules should be
punished
Stage Five: Justice through Democracy-- I actively work
to change laws that are unfair; I work within the system
Stage Six: Guiding Moral Principles-- I do what I know is
right even if the law says otherwise; I am always true to
my values
Information for next five slides from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Ethical Relativism:
No principles are universally valid. All moral
principles are valid relative to culture. The
rules of the society serve as a standard.
Strength--Tolerance/Understanding of other cultures
Weakness--Confuses what ought to be done with
what is currently done
Divine Command Theory:
Moral standards depend on God who is allknowing. Any act that conforms to the law of God
is right; an act that breaks God’s law is wrong.
Strengths--Standards are from a higher authority than
humans. Gives a reason for moral behavior.
Weakness--Depends on
interpretation of God’s will.
Utilitarianism:
Actions are judged right or wrong solely by their
consequences. Right actions are those that
produce the greatest balance of happiness over
unhappiness. Each person’s happiness is equally
important.
Strength--promotes human well-being and attempts to
lessen human suffering.
Weakness--One person’s good can be another’s evil.
Hard to predict accurately all consequences.
Deontology:
Emphasis is on moral rules and duty. Moral norms go
for everyone in the society. Emphasis on justice and
kind acts. Focus is on what one DOES to be moral.
Strength--Moral rules are universal
Weaknesses—Can be inflexible
in some situations. Outcome
might not be positive in every
case. Rules can be abstract--who
decides what is moral?
Virtue Ethics:
Morals are internal. It seeks to produce good
people who act well out of spontaneous
goodness. Emphasizes living well and achieving
excellence. Note: Kohlberg’s theory of moral
development is based on this system as the
desired goal.
Strength--Internalizes moral behavior.
Promotes a positive goal for society.
Weakness—May be unrealistic. Offers no guidance for
resolving ethical dilemmas.