Evaluating Arguments
Last week
• Arguments composed of
– Premises
– Conclusions
• Ways to validate arguments
– Are premises logically linked to lead to the
conclusion?
– Are premises established facts or debatable?
Taxi Driver Argument
• You can win any argument with facts can’t
you?
Evaluating premises
What evidence supports the premise?
Is the earth flat?
Reliable References
• Accurate (source, methods & procedures)
• Author’s qualifications
• Current (based upon most recent
information)
• Purpose of publication (potential bias or
stakeholder agenda)
• Primary vs. secondary source
Ways to lose an argument
• Use false, poorly documented or even
laughable premises
Making Ethical Decisions
Your perspective or how you view
the situation can greatly effect
your ethical decision.
Find 3 boxes in the corner
Find 3 boxes in the corner
1
1
2
or
3
3
2
The boxes you find depends upon your
perspective?
Making Ethical Decisions
What are some methods to
reliably make ethical decisions?
Decision 1
?
You are an emergency room physician, and you only have five doses of a certain
drug left. Five patients have mild versions of a condition and only require a single
dose to save their lives. One patient is so severely ill, that all five doses would be
required to save this one patient’s life. Any patient that is not treated will die!
What should you do?
What moral principle can guide your decision?
Utilitarian Ethics
• Decisions based upon the greatest future
good (utility) for the greatest number
– “good” may be individual pleasure, absence of
pain, intellectual pleasure, etc.
• Cost-benefit approach to decision making
– Negative consequences may occur and even
outweigh positive for some individuals or
groups
Utilitarian Ethics
Identify a moral decision for which you feel
comfortable using a utilitarian approach
Decision 2
?
You are an excellent transplant surgeon and all your transplants work! You have
five patients and each needs a transplant. One needs a heart, one a brain, one a
lung, one a kidney and one a liver. Another patient comes in to find the results of
his blood tests. You know from the test results that this male patient would be an
excellent donor. You have no other prospects for donating transplants. You decide
to ask the patient if he would be willing to donate his life to save the lives of the
other 5 patients that need a transplant. The male patient declines your kind offer,
but you realize that you could overpower him and cut him up without his consent.
What should you do?
What moral principle can guide your decision?
Deontological Ethics
• Decisions are based upon:
– The Rights of Others (i.e. The “Bill of Rights”
in the US Constitution. “All people are
endowed with certain unalienable rights…”)
– Our Duties (i.e. We have a duty to help
people when they are devastated by a natural
disaster.)
– Similar to golden rule of “do unto others as
you would have them do unto you”.
Is it morally wrong to beat on
•
•
•
•
•
your rock?
your car?
your tree?
your dog?
your child?
Question of Animal Rights?
Are non-human animals?
Unconscious
machines
Beings with
value & rights
If so, what rights
do they have?
Deontological Ethics
Identify a moral decision for which you feel
comfortable using a deontological
(rights/duties) approach
Decision 3
You are given the assignment in class to read a chapter in your textbook and
answer a set of questions. Your instructor has clearly indicated that you are
expected to complete the assignment, but the assignment will not be used in any
way to determine your grade in the class. You are on your honor to complete the
assignment. You find a sheet in your used textbook with the answers from the
previous semester. You can complete the assignment but as always there are
many other activities you could choose to occupy the time.
What would you do?
What moral theory can guide your decision?
Virtue Ethics
• Based on motives and moral character
• What action has the greatest virtue?
• What sort of person should I be and how
should I live?
Virtue Ethics
Identify a moral decision for which you feel
comfortable using a virtue approach
3 methods for making ethical decisions
1. Utilitarian
What is the greatest good?
2. Deontological
What are the rights and/or duties of those involved?
3. Virtue Theory
What is the most virtuous action?
Decision 4
The driver of a trolley has passed out at the wheel, and his trolley is hurtling out
of control down the track. Straight ahead on the track are five people who will be
killed if the trolley reaches them. You are a passerby, who happens to be
standing by the track next to the switch. If you throw the switch, you will turn the
trolley into a spur of track on the right, thereby saving the five. Unfortunately, one
man is also on that spur and will be killed if you turn the trolley.
What would you do?
What moral principle can guide your decision?
Ethical Theories Sometimes Collide
• Switching the track to save the five has more
utility than saving the one.
• Switching the track to save the five violates the
rights of the one by doing something that will
cause harm to another person.
• Arguing about the value of saving five is not
likely to convince someone who is concerned
about violating the rights of another person.
• A virtuous person might devise a method to
sacrifice himself/herself to save both the five and
the one.