Introduction to Philosophy
PART IV
Introduction to Ethics
 What is Ethics
 Morality & Ethics
 Moral Philosophy/Ethics
 Some Classic Moral Problems
 Some Moral Questions
 Ethical Assessment & Value
 Focus of Ethical Assessment
 Value
Introduction to Ethics
 Spectrum of Morality
 Introduction
 Absolutism
 Objectivism
 Relativism
 Subjectivism
 Moral Nihilism
 Moral Skepticism
Introduction to Ethics
 IV Ethics & Other Normative Areas
 Introduction
 Ethics
 Religion
 Law/Rules
 Etiquette
 Aesthetics
 Distinct
Introduction to Ethics
 Moral Theories
 Aretaic/Virtue Theory
 Cognitivism
 Cultural Relativism
 Divine Command Theory
 Deontology
 Ethical Egoism
 Ethical Relativism
 Emotivism
 Error Theory
 Hedonism
Introduction to Ethics
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Intuitionism
Moral Anti-Realism & Realism
Moral Skepticism
Natural Law
Naturalism
Prescriptivism
Subjectivism
Teleology
Utilitarianism
 Introduction
 Defined
 Utility
 Relevant Beings
 Act & Rule Utilitarianism
 Proponents
 Appeal
 Costs & Benefits
 Democracy
 Moral Intuitions
John stuart mill
 Background
 Background
 Education
 Life
 Works
Utilitarianism
 What Utilitarianism Is
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Foundation of Morals
Ends
 The Pig Objection
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The Objection
Mill’s Reply
Difference in quality of pleasures
Basis of the difference in quality of pleasures
Preference
Higher Faculties
Happiness & Contentment
Objection
Competent Judges
Utilitarianism
 Standard, End & Scope
 Standard
 End & Scope
 Proof of the Principle of Utility
 Questions of Ultimate Ends
 The Analogy
 All Possible Proof
John Stuart Mill
 Objection
 People desire things other than happiness
 Virtue & Happiness
 Love of Money
 Love of Power & Fame
 Virtue contrasted with love of money, power or fame
 Happiness
 Proof of the Principle of Utlity
John Stewart Mill
 Internal Problems
 Formulation
 Consequences
 Response
 External Problems
 Unreasonable Expectations
 The Rights of Minorities
 Nothing is Forbidden
 Absurd Implications
 Integrity
Deontology
13
 Introduction
 Defined
 Rule-Deontological Theories
 Defined
 Rules
 Proponents
 Appeal
Kantian Ethics
14
 Introduction
 Theoretical Reason
 Practical Reason
 Ethical Works
 Emphasis
 Rationalism
Categorical imperative
15
 The Good Will
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The Good Will & Qualities
Worthiness of Happiness
Virtues
The Goodness of the Good Will
 Moral Worth, Maxim & Universal Law
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Moral Worth
The Good
Law
Example
Determining the Good
Duty
Categorical imperative
16
 The Categorical Imperative
 Law & Will
 Imperatives
 Examples
 Suicide
 Lying Promises
 Rusting Talents
 Helping Others
Categorical Imperative
17
 Ends
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Rational Beings
Objects of the Inclination
Rational Beings
Supreme Practical Principle
Kingdom of Ends
Rational Beings as Legislators
 Three Postulates of Morality
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Introduction
Freedom
Immortality
God
Problems
18
 Problems
 Duty
 Inflexibility
 Rationality
 Terrible Maxims seem to pass the test
 Kingdom of Ends
Aesthetics
19
 Aesthetics
 Defined
 Problems
 Questions
 Aestheticians, Critics & Artists
Oscar Wilde
20
 Background (1864-1900)
 Life
 Poetry
 Plays
 Prose
New Aesthetics
21
 First Part
 Vivian
Position
 Mirror
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Cyril’s Challenge to Vivian

Nature & life imitate art
 Vivian’s Case
 Nature & Art
Change in London’s climate is due to a school of art.
 Nature is our creation
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New Aesthetics
22

Looking & Seeing
Things are because we see them.
 The influence of the arts.
 Looking is different from seeing.
 One does not see anything until one sees its beauty
 Example: fog
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Nature’s Imitation of Art
Effects
 Nature
 Sunset
 Life
 Art
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New Aesthetics
23
 What Art Expresses

Cyril
Imitative instinct
 Art expresses
 Temper of its age
 Spirit of its time
 Moral & social conditions
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Vivian
Art never expresses anything but itself
 Vanity
 Crowd
 Not so
 Art is not symbolic of any age
 Ages are the symbols of art.
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New Aesthetics
24
 Imitative Art

Vivian
The more imitative art is, the less it represents the spirit of the age.
 Example
 The more abstract & ideal, the more it represents the spirit of the age.
 Architecture or music
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Cyril
The spirit of the age.
 Arts of imitation reveal the spirit of the age.
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Vivian: Middle Ages
Imitative arts
 Middle Ages
 No great artist ever sees things as they really are.
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New Aesthetics
25
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Vivian: Japan
Japanese people as presented in art do not exist.
 No resemblance.
 Nothing extraordinary
 Japan is a pure invention.
 Painter
 See a Japanese effect
 At home
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Vivian: Ancient Greeks
Greek art
 Athenian women
 Art has never told us the truth
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New Aesthetics
26
 Vivian: Doctrines of the New Aesthetics
 First Doctrine: Art never expresses anything but itself
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Independent
Age
Opposes
History
Does not reproduce its age
To pass from the art of a time to the time itself is the great mistake all historians
make.
Second Doctrine: All bad art comes from returning to Life and Nature and
elevating them into ideals.
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Life & nature
Realism is a complete failure
Avoid modernity
The only beautiful things
Hecuba
Modern
Romanticism
New Aesthetics
27
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Third Doctrine: Life Imitates Art for more than Art imitates
life.
Fourth Doctrine: Lying, the telling of beautiful untrue things,
is the proper aim of art.
Political Philosophy
28
 Introduction
 Social & Political Philosophy
 Classic problems in social philosophy
 Some questions in social philosophy
Liberty
 Introduction
 Questions
 Liberty
 Positive & Negative Liberty
 Who/What Determines Liberty?
 Liberty & Security
 Other Grounds for Limiting Liberty
Benito Mussolini
 Background
 Life
Fascism
 Fascism
 Peace
 Only War
 Life
 Fascism & Other Views
 Marxism & Fascism
 Fascism Denies
 Democracy & Fascism
 Predictions
Fascism
 Foundation of Fascism
 Fascism
 The Fascist State
 Empire
Liberty
 Goal & History of Liberty
 Mill’s Goal
 Liberty & Rulers
 Liberty as Limiting Power
 History of Limiting Power of Rulers
 The Tyranny of the People
 The Will of the People
 The Tyranny of the Majority
Liberty
 Limits. Rules & Principles
 The Limit of Legitimate Interference
 The Basis of Rules
 No Principle
 Mill’s Principle
 Rightful Exercise of Power
 Limits in Application: Children & Those in Need of Care
 Limit in Application: Barbarians
Liberty
 Utility as the Foundation of Liberty
 Utility
 Punishment
 Compelling
 Accountability
 Sphere of Action & Regions of Liberty
 Sphere of Action
 1st Region of Liberty: Inward Domain of consciousness
 2nd Region of Liberty: Tastes & Pursuits
 3rd Region of Liberty: Liberty of Combination
Liberty
 Opposition
 Opposes
 Ancient Commonwealths
 Modern Commonwealths
 Tendencies Against Liberty
Emma Goldman
 Background (1869-1940)
 Life
 Activities
 Works
Anarchism
 Anarchism’s Opposition

Objections to anarchism
Impractical
 Stands for violence & destruction
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Reply to the First Objection
Oscar Wilde
 Existing conditions
 True criterion
 Anarchism is more practical
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Reply to Second Objection
The most violent element in society is ignorance.
 Anarchism only destroys parasitic growths.
 Anarchism

Anarchism
 Nature of Anarchism
 Anarchism
New social order
 All governments rest on violence.
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Two elements: Individual & Social Instinct
Not foreign
 Battled
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Anarchism
Only philosophy
 Anarchism

Anarchism
 Pernicious Influences-Religion

Liberator
Anarchism liberates
 War on pernicious influences
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Strongholds of Enslavement
Religion
 Property
 Government
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Religion
Dominates man’s mind
 Kingdom
 Anarchism
 Rid of dominion

Anarchism
 Pernicious Influences-Property

Property
Dominion of man’s needs
 Anarchism
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Property is Robbery
Proudhon
 Monopolizing
 Productivity exceeds demand
 Demand

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Real Wealth
Utility
 Gray & Hideous Things
 Anarchism
 Rid of dominion

Anarchism

Machine & Centralization
Machine subservience
 Anarchism
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Anarchism & Property
Anarchism
 Oscar Wilde
 Perfect Personality
 Anarchism’s Ideal
 Economic Arrangements

Anarchism
 Pernicious Influences: The State
 The Three
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Government
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Religion
Property
State
Emerson
Absolute subordination
Thoreau
Injustice
Greatest offense
Ouida on the State
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Demands obeyed & treasury filled
Clockwork
Destroys
State requires
Anarchism

Bakunin on the State
The state
 State as protector of property & monopoly.
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 Law & Order

Fatal Belief that the state
Rests on natural laws
 Maintains social order & harmony
 Diminishes crime
 Prevents the lazy from fleecing his fellows
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Natural Law
Natural law
 Machinery of government
 Obey
 Violence
 Blackstone
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Anarchism
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Order
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Diminishing Crime
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Order
Terror
Social harmony
Society
Authority responds
Arsenal of government
Absurd apology
State is greatest criminal
Failed to destroy
Crime is misdirected energy
Wrong channels
Laziness
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Free
Laziness
Present system
Anarchism

Anarchism
Strip labor
 Making work
 Government must be done away with
 Destroying government & laws
 Only in freedom


Human Nature
Horrible crimes
 The greater the charlatan
 Cannot speak of human nature
 John Burroughs: experimental animals
 Freedom

Anarchism

Anarchism stands for
Liberation of the mind
 Liberation of the human body
 Liberation from the shackles of government
 Social order
 Order

 Methods
 Political Machinery
Anarchism opposes the use of political machinery
 Thoreau on voting
 History
 Laws

Anarchism

Representatives
Representatives
 Corruption
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Direct Action
Stirner
 Anarchism
 Defiance
 Illegal
 Free

Anarchism

More on direct action
Universal suffrage
 American independence
 John Brown
 Trade unions
 Direct action
