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How do we know what is right and what is wrong?
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What is the difference between what “is” happening
and what “should” happen?
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Human beings are naturally good and tend towards
cooperation with others.
Human beings are naturally selfish and find that
cooperation with others maximizes their own benefit.
Think of some Human Rights Issues in today’s
society.
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TOK 2
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The Joker has transformed himself from the
Clown Prince of crime to a vicious, sociopath,
killing, seemingly, without remorse.
Every time he breaks out of Arkham Asylum
he commits violent crimes. The type
Philosopher Joel Feinberg describes as “Sick,
Sick, Sick or Triple Sick!”
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Batman ‘always’ catches the Joker but he also
knows he will ‘always’ escape and most likely,
kill again.
At one point in Batman’s history he is very
close to killing him but Commissioner Gordon
stops him .
Batman: How many more lives are we going
to let him ruin?
Gordon: I don’t care, I won’t let him ruin
yours!
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Batman has often thought about killing him,
so why hasn’t he?
His belief, rightly or wrongly, is that if he kills
the joker, it would make him just as bad as
the criminals he is sworn to fight.
Hey, don’t be so selfish, this isn’t just about
you Bats! Or is it? Should it be?
DEBATE
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Utilitarianism
System of Ethics that look at maximising
TOTAL Happiness.
They simply would not understand
Superheroes! They would happily forsake the
life of one hostage if it meant saving the lives
of many.
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Against: Deontologists
They would judge the morality of the act on
the features intrinsic to the act itself. Huh?
For them, the end NEVER justifies the means.
The fact that it would prevent further killing
is irrelevant to to them.
Only thing that matters is that killing is
wrong!
Some exceptions, killing in self defence for
example.
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Man at the switch, if he moves it, it kills one
workman, doesn’t move it, 5 people get
killed.
Who would move it, who would not? Why? Get
into groups of 4 and discuss it.
What would Batman do?
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What if you knew that the 5 people were
escaped prisoners and the workman was an
innocent? Would that change the game?
How about the workman cheats on his wife?
Ok, how about he beats her too?
Where does your Moral Compass lie?
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Let’s say a guy called Bruce is in control of
the switch.
Is Bruce morally speaking allowed to divert
the trolley? If he is, can we also say he is
REQUIRED TO DO IT?
Utilitarian would require him to flip the
switch, however a deontologist would have
difficulty.
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Utilitarianists are agent neutral and which
maximise well being.
Deontologists are agent specific. When they
say “don’t kill” they mean YOU don’t kill!
U-emphasis on good outcomes
D- the right action
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A surgeon has 5 patients, each is dying and
needs a different organ transplant.
The surgeon contemplates drugging a
colleague and taking his organs, killing him
but saving the five others.
Would you endorse that action?
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What if the 5 patients were children?
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If they were your sisters and brothers?
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Difficult Moral questions!
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Why do you think Bats is so gloomy all the
time?
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If Bats comes across him just about to kill an
innocent person, would he be justified in
killing him then? (OK I imagine Batman would
find a way out of that)
What if Bats finds the Joker JUST after he’s
killed someone? If he kills him now then he’ll
PROBABLY save lots of future lives.
That’s the problem, PROBABLY.
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Minority Report (Movie)
Punishing people for crimes they WILL
commit in the future.
Can we as a society go down this path? Where
does this lead to?Where do you stand?
Finally, how does this question of Ethics
relate to our WOK we have studied to date,
namely perception and language?
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Presentation on Moral Ethics
For or against (Or take another topic of your choice)
Abortion should never be allowed.
Genetic testing and Designers Babies are the way of
the future.
I’m a grown up, don’t tell me I can’t take drugs!
Is Euthanasia morally bad?
Do we have Free Will or are all of our actions already
decided?
What is right and what is wrong? How do we know?
Did you create your own sense of obligation or was it
imposed on you by external forces?