Lecture 1
Introduction to Ethics
Chapter Overview
• Introduction
• Review of some ethical theories
• Comparing workable ethical theories
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1.1 Introduction
The Ethical Point of View
• Most everyone shares “core values”, desiring
– Life
– Happiness
– Ability to accomplish goals
• Two ways to view world
– Selfish point of view: consider only own self and its core
values
– Ethical point of view: respect other people and their core
values
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Defining Terms
• Society:
• It is a group of individuals living in a
particular site links among them cultural and
social relations, each one of them seeks to achieve
the interests and needs.
• Morality(‫)االخالقية‬
– A society’s rules of conduct
– What people ought / ought not to do in various situations
• Ethics)‫االخالقيات‬..‫(االخالق‬
– Evaluation of people’s behavior
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Why Study Ethics?
• Ethics: A way to decide the best thing to do
• New problems accompany new technologies
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the most important sources
of morality
1-religion
2- Custom
3- Conscience
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More on Ethics
• Ethics: rational, systematic analysis
– “Doing ethics”: answers need explanations
– Explanations: facts, shared values, logic
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Ethical standards are derived from three
main sources:
1 - First Source: Shara And Human Values
2- Second Source: The Laws And Canons
3- Third Source: The Prevailing Culture In The
Community
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Good Ethical Theory Supports
Persuasive, Logical Arguments
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Definition o Subjective Relativism f
1.Subjective Relativism
-Of The Most Famous Theories Of Modern Physics,
- It Was Developed By Albert Einstein Inthe Early
Twentieth Century.
-There Are Two Theories Of Relativity,
------The first is Special Relativity
------ The Second Is General Relativity,
-Both Of Which Rely On The Principle Of Relativity
developed By Galileo Galilei In 1636
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Subjective Relativism
What is Relativism
• Subjective relativism
– No universal norms of right and wrong
– One person can say “X is right,” another can say “X
is wrong,” and both can be right
– Each person decides right and wrong for himself
or herself
– “What’s right for you may not be right for me”
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Definition of Cultural Relativism
2. Cultural Relativism
. Is The Principle States That
The Actions And Beliefs Of The Individual Must
Be Understoodby Others Within The Context Of
The Culture In Which He Was Born.
. This Principle Was Established Axiom In
The Research Methodology Anthropological Wor
k By Franz Boas
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Cultural Relativism
• What is “right” and “wrong” depends upon a
society’s actual moral guidelines
• These guidelines vary from place to place and
from time to time
• A particular action may be right in one society
at one time and wrong in other society or at
another time ->
• Right/wrong for same society at different times
• Right/wrong for different societies at same time.
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3. Divine Command Theory
- Is A Meta-ethical Theory Which Proposes
That An Action's Status As Morally Good Is
Equivalent To Whether It Is Commanded By
God
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Overview of Divine Command Theory
• Good actions: those aligned with God’s will
• Bad actions: those contrary to God’s will
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4. Ethical Egoism
- Egoism Is The Theory That One’s Self Is, Or Should
Be, The Motivation And The Goal Of One’s Own
Action.
- Egoism Has Two Variants:
. Descriptive
.Normative.
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4. Ethical Egoism
Definition of Ethical Egoism
• Each person should focus exclusively on his
self-interest
• Morally right action: that action that provides
self with maximum long-term benefit
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Categorical Imperative (1st Formulation)
Act only from moral rules that you can at
the
same time will to be universal moral laws.
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2nd Formulation of Categorical
Imperative
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Plagiarism Scenario
• Carla
– Single mother
– Works full time
– Takes two evening courses/semester
• History class
– Requires more work than normal
– Carla earning an “A” on all work so far
– Carla doesn’t have time to write final report
• Carla purchases report and submits it as her own
work
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Kantian Evaluation (1st
Formulation)
• Carla wants credit for plagiarized report
• Rule: “You may claim credit for work performed by
someone else”
• Proposal moral rule is self-defeating
• It is wrong for Carla to turn in a purchased report
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Kantian Evaluation (2nd
Formulation)
• Carla submitted another person’s work as her
own
• She attempted to deceive professor
• She treated professor as a means to an end
– End: passing the course
• What Carla did was wrong
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Case for Kantianism
•
•
•
•
Rational
Produces universal moral guidelines
Treats all persons as moral equals
Workable ethical theory
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Perfect and Imperfect Duties
• Perfect duty:
– Example: Telling the truth
• Imperfect duty:
– Example: Helping others
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Principle of Utility
•
•
•
•
Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
An action is good if it benefits someone
An action is bad if it harms someone
Happiness = advantage = benefit = good =
pleasure
• Unhappiness = disadvantage = cost = evil = pain
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Case for Act Utilitarianism
•
•
•
•
Focuses on happiness
Down-to-earth (practical)
Comprehensive
Workable ethical theory
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Kinds of Rights
• Negative right: A right that another can
guarantee by leaving you alone ->
– e.g., Right to free expression
• Positive right: A right obligating others to do
something on your behalf ->
– e.g., Right to a free education.
• Absolute right: A right guaranteed without
exception
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Comparison between types
of rights
• Positive rights tend to be more limited ->
– e.g., free education up to a certain point (K-12)
• Negative rights tends to be more absolute ->
– e.g., “right to life”
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