Morality, Ethics, Arguments
Ethics and Morals are intertwined
• Ethics - a branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending and recommending
concepts of right and wrong conduct.
• Ethics – Disciplined reflection and analysis on the
moral intuitions and choices that people make.
• Morality – The science of human duty; the rules
of human conduct.
• The rules and principles are typically
authoritative, prescriptive and universalizable.
Morality
• Beauchamp – Function is “To combat the
deleterious consequences of human
sympathies (tendencies).”
• Warnock - Aim is “to contribute to the
betterment (or non-deterioration) of the
human predicament.”
• Moore – “Ethics aims at discovering the
properties belonging to all things that are
good.”
Invalid Moral Argument
• 1) A fetus has a brain wave after 25 weeks of
gestation. (fact or premise)
• 2) A conscious adult has a brain wave. (fact or
premise)
• Therefore: Killing a fetus after 25 weeks is as
wrong as killing a conscious adult. (evaluative)
• You jumped the “Fact-Value gap”
• You drew evaluative conclusion from facts.
Valid Moral Argument
• 1) A human fetus has a brain wave after 25
weeks of gestation. (fact or premise)
• 2) A human with a brain wave is a person.
(connecting fact-value premise)
• 3) Killing a person is morally wrong.
(evaluative premise)
• Therefore, killing a fetus with a brain wave is
morally wrong. (evaluative)
Principles to Consider
• Autonomy – Principle of respect for one’s ability
and right to make decisions on one’s own behalf.
The right to self-determination.
• Beneficence – Principle of helping others achieve
their important interests, either by respecting
their autonomy or what we see as in their best
interests (paternalism). Do the right thing.
• Fidelity – Keep your promises. Keep
confidentiality.
Principles - continued
• Justice – One has acted justly when one has
given another what they are due. Similar
cases should be treated similarly.
– Distributive Justice – just distribution of social
benefits and burdens
• Nonmaleficence – Refrain from harming
others. Can be applied to society as well.
• Veracity – “Honest is the best policy”
Are You…
• Consequentialist – What should be done is
determined by anticipated consequences or
historical precedent. Motives and intentions are
not relevant. No act, in and of itself, is moral.
• Deontologist – (Kantian ethics) – Ethics is a
matter of duty, not consequences. An act must
be done from the right motive (which is to do
one’s moral duty) and done freely. Humans
should always be treated as “ends”, not “means
to an end”.
• Utilitarian – An act is right if it produces the
greatest good for the greatest numbers. The act
leads to good consequences (pleasure or
preference).
A Utilitarian’s Essence
• Consequentialism – Consequences count, not
motives or intentions.
• The Maximization Principle – The number of
people affected by consequences matters; the
more people, the more important the effect.
• A Theory of Value (or “Good”) – Good
consequences are defined by pleasure or what
people prefer.
• Scope-of-Morality Premise – Each being’s
happiness counts as “one”.