Introduction to Ethics

1
Introduction to Ethics

• Dr. Amir Salehi

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Overview

• Defining Ethics
• Differences between Ethics and Psychology
• Ethical Issues
• Realism vs. Anti-realism in Ethics
• Universalism vs. Relativism in Ethics
• Epistemology of Ethics
• Reasons for being moral
• Deontological Teleological Ethics
• Purpose of Ethics
• Methods used in Ethics
• Samples of questions asked in Ethics

3
What is Ethics?

• Defining Ethics
• Ethics, or moral Philosophy, is the study of
  principles governing human actions in terms of
  their goodness, badness, rightness and wrongness.

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Differences between Psychology and Ethics

• Both are concerned with human action / behavior

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Differences between Psychology and Ethics

• While Psychology is descriptive, Ethics is
  normative.
• Specifically ethics is interested in normative
  issues for examining moral problems like
  abortion, euthanasia, DNA research, genetic
  manipulation and so on.

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Ethical Issues

• Question
• What do all ethical issues have in common?
• Answer
• All ethical issues are problems that represent
  conflict of values and/or interests

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Realism vs. Anti-realism in Ethics

• Question Are there any standards or criteria
  that ought to govern human behavior?
• Realism Yes, moral truth exists independently
  from human culture and existence
• Anti-realism No, moral truth is man-made
  (creation of a culture or society etc.)

8
Universalism vs. Relativism in Ethics

• Question Can the standards of morality be valid
  for all humans with different cultural
  backgrounds and different religious beliefs?
• Universalism Yes, the standards of morality are
  unchanging
• Relativism No, the standards of morality are
  subject to change. They depend on circumstances,
  time and many other factors.

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Epistemology of Ethics

• Question How can we know what the standards of
  morality are?

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Reasons for being moral

• Question Even if we know about the standards
  of morality, why should we follow them,
  especially when they dont seem to be in our own
  best interest?

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Deontological and Teleological Ethics

• Question In general, what is the characteristic
  of all moral acts?
• Deontological view Good motive or intention
• Teleological view Good outcome or result

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Purpose of Ethics

• To develop ethical theories that can define and
  justify moral duties
• To solve ethical issues

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Question What is the difference between morality
discussed in religion and the way morality is
discussed in Ethics?
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Methods used in Ethics

• Critical thinking
• Rational / logical thinking
• Reflective thinking
• Systematic thinking
• Normative thinking

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Sample of questions asked in Ethics

• What is a good person?
• What is a good life?
• (a life with a good purpose, or a life which is
  simply more self-centered with pleasure and fun)

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Quiz

• How is Ethics defined?
• What is the difference between Ethics and
  Psychology?
• What does an Ethical Issue represent?
• What is the difference between Realism
  Anti-realism in Ethics?
• Define Universalism Relativism in Ethics.
• Describe Deontological Teleological Ethics.
• What is the Purpose of Ethics?
• What is the method used in Ethics?