Chapter One
Ethics and Ethical Reasoning
Why Study Ethics/What
is Ethics
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Why study ethics?
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There are differing views of moral rights and wrongs.
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Matters are not always easy to judge.
What is ethics?
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The set of values or principles held by individuals or groups
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A study of the various sets of values that people have
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A branch of philosophy: moral philosophy
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Philosophical questions can be asked about
many subjects.
Aesthetics is the philosophical study of art.
Epistemology is the philosophical study of
knowledge.
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Normative ethics considers what is good, right, just.
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Metaethics asks questions about the nature of ethics.
Ethical Evaluation and Terms
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Ethical and Other Types of Evaluation
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Evaluative (normative)
statements/judgments/claims
Descriptive statements/judgments/claims
Differences between the two
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Ethical Terms:
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Right/Wrong
Good/Bad
Obligatory/Permissible
Ought/Ought not
Sociobiology and the Naturalistic Fallacy
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Deriving ought from is - Hume’s Law
Naturalistic Fallacy
Ethical Reasoning and Arguments
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Ethical Terms
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Right/wrong usually apply to actions – usually no degrees
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Good/bad how we perceive things – room for degrees (good, better, bad, worse)
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Just/Unjust, Virtuous/Vicious
Ethics and Reasons
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Reason-giving is essential in philosophical ethics.
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Moral judgments do not have to rely only on reason – emotion can play and important role.
Intuitionism, Emotivism, Subjectivism, Objectivism
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Inituitionism - intuitive knowledge of ethical truths
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Emotivism – Calling something “good” means recommending, not describing
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Objectivism – Values have an objective reality
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Subjectivitm – Values express subjective opinion
Ethical Reasoning and Arguments
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Structure of Ethical Reasoning and Arguments:
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Premises
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Conclusions
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Conclusions follow from premises.
Evaluating and Making Good Arguments
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Soundness
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Value-based claims
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Conceptual matters
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Factual assertions
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Fallacious arguments: begging the question, circular reasoning, ad hominem
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Justifying versus explaining
Ethical Theory
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Ethical theory
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A systematic exposition of a particular view about
what is the nature and basis of good or right
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Relationship between ethical theory, ethical
principles, and ethical judgments: ladder structure
Types of ethical theory
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Consequentialist (teleological) – e.g., Utilitarianism
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Nonconsequentialist (deontological) – e.g.,
Kantianism
Can ethics be taught?
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Matter of knowledge and motivation
Hume: Ethical Judgments and
Matters of Fact
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Hume’s Treatise
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Morality does not exist in any matter of fact
that can be discovered by the
understanding.
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Moral judgments: based on
perceptions in the mind
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Distinction of vice and virtue: not
perceived by reason
Stevenson: Emotivism and Ethics
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Stevenson, Facts and Values
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Analytical study: necessary to ethical
decisions
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Scientific method: not applicable to
ethical decisions
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Emotive meaning of ethical terms
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Ethical statements: intended to influence
people’s decisions
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Ethical terms: instruments in adjusting
human interests; words produce
affective responses in people