COMP 381
Agenda
TA: Caitlyn Losee
 Books and movies nominations
 Team presentation signup

 Beginning of class
 End of class

Rawls and Moors
Ethics
Decision making based on logical
reasoning
 Addresses how people on society
should act
 Should advance the good of society
over time

Criteria for Ethical Systems
balance of justice and mercy
 protect individual freedoms and rights

 no individual can/should impede or hurt
another individual
recognizes unethical laws
 flexibility
 deal with relativism
 societal balance

Ethical Systems

Ethical relativism – very briefly
 Individual (or subjective)
 Cultural

Normative ethical theories
 Deontological (duty-based)
○ Kantianism
○ Contractualism
 Teleological (result-based)
○ Utilitarianism

Hybrid theories
 Social justice
 Just consequentialism
Deontological Theory

What is it?
 Based on our duties and responsibilities
 Actions are fundamentally right or wrong

Classic Examples
 Kantianism (Kant)
1724-1804
 Contractualism (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau)
1588-1679
1632-1704
1712-1788
Kant’s Categorical Imperatives

Universality: “Always act in such a way
that the maxim of your action can be
willed as a universal law of humanity.”

Respect: “Always treat humanity,
whether in yourself or in other people,
as an end in itself and never as a mere
means.”
Kantianism

Treats all people as moral equals

Allows no exceptions
Duty can preclude acting on feelings

Social Contract Theory
Morality consists in the set of rules,
governing how people are to treat one
another, that rational people will agree to
accept, for their mutual benefit, on the
condition that others follow those rules
as well.
James Rachel, The Elements of Moral Philosophy
Contractualism
Framed in terms of rights
 Explains acting out of self-interest when
there is no common agreement
 Provides framework for moral issues
dealing with government (civil
disobedience)
 Doesn’t address conflicting rights

Deontological Summary
Both believe that there are universal
moral rules
 Basis of those moral rules

 Kant
○ can be universalized
○ based on duties
 Contract
○ would benefit the community
○ based on rights
Teleological Theory

What is it?
 Something is good based on its
consequences

Primary example: Utilitarianism
 Jeremy Bentham
1748-1832
 John Stuart Mill
1806-1873
Utilitarianism
Greatest Happiness Principle
 Compute the costs and benefits

 Simple calculation: do positives outweigh
the negatives?

Two forms
 Act – consequence of a specific act
○ Too costly
○ Susceptible to happenstance
 Rule – judge the consequence of the
generalized rule
Strengths
Focus on happiness
 Down to earth
 Appeals to many people
 Comprehensive

Problems
Ignores our sense of duty
 Range of effects that one must consider
 Calculus requires that we balance very
different aspects
 Unjust distribution of good results

Evaluating Ethical Systems
Criterion
Balance justice and mercy
Protect individual freedoms
and rights
Recognize unethical laws
Flexibility
Deal with relativism
Societal balance
Kant Contract Util
Rawls’s Social Justice

Social contract made under “veil of
ignorance”
 Independent of self
 Everyone same claims to basic rights
and liberties

Inequalities must be
 equal opportunity (based on skill or
societal benefit) or
 of greatest benefit to least-advantaged
1921-2002
Rawl’s Principles of Justice
Principle of Equal Liberty
Each person has an equal right to the most
extensive liberties compatible with similar
liberties for all.
 Difference Principle : Social and economic
inequalities should be arranged so that
they are both

 to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged
persons and
 attached to offices and positions open to all
under conditions of equality of opportunity.
Just Consequentialism
James Moor (Dartmouth)
 Consider consequences of action… but
combine with deontological ideals

 Consider duties, rights, and justice

Protect against unnecessary harm
(suffering), where harm = loss of core values
 life, happiness, abilities, security, knowledge,
freedom, opportunities, resources
Applying Just Consequentialism
 A decision
or action is ethical if
 It does not cause any unnecessary harm to
individuals and groups
 Supports individual rights
 Fulfills duties
Evaluating Ethical Systems
Criterion
Balance justice and mercy
Protect individual freedoms
and rights
Recognize unethical laws
Flexibility
Deal with relativism
Societal balance
Rawls
Moor
Using Ethical Reasoning
 How
can (do) you use it?
 Limitations?
 How
can we use it to form
cyberspace?