Traditional Ethical Theories

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Traditional Ethical Theories
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Reminder

• Optional Tutorial
• Monday, February 25, 1-150
• Room M122

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Reminder

• Showing of An Inconvenient Truth
• Next Tuesday, February 26
• 300-500
• MB305
• (Philosophy Dept. seminar room)

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Quiz on February 28

• Section one (40)
• 10 short answer questions, 4 points each.
  Largely definition of terms and identification of
  philosophical positions with the appropriate
  philosopher or belief system.
• Section two (60)
• 1) One medium-length answer to a question on An
  Inconvenient Truth (20)
• 2) One long answer to a question from a choice
  of two. The two questions will be chosen from the
  following list of four. (40)

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Long-answer questions

• Is eating honey (i.e. stealing the product of the
  bees labor) a moral issue? If not, why not? If
  so, is it justified or is it wrong, and why?
  Discuss in relation to at least two belief
  systems that we have studied.
• What belief system that we have studied is most
  likely to result in an environmentally sound and
  sustainable society? Compare your choice with at
  least two other belief systems.
• Is it better for people to live a more natural
  way? Explain what you mean by more natural. If
  it is not better, why not? If it is better, for
  whom is it better (i.e. for the individuals
  living the natural lifestyle, for people in
  general, for future generations, for sentient
  animals in general, or for the earth/nature as a
  whole), and why?
• What has intrinsic value? Discuss in relation to
  at least two belief systems that we have
  discussed.
• Note belief systems that we have discussed
  include Aristotelian teleology, virtue ethics,
  natural law ethics, Christianity, Buddhism,
  Taoism, deontological ethics, utilitarianism and
  the scientific world view/evolutionary theory.

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Virtue Ethics (review)

• Aristotle
• Virtue consists of realizing our natural human
  potential as
• rational animals (our telos).
• The cultivation of human virtues
• Kindness, courage, honesty, justice, etc.
• Focus on motivations for actions, rather than
  consequences
• Problems with virtue ethics
• Do people really have a telos? If not, how can
  the virtues be justified?
• Is cultivating the virtues really the best way
  for an individual to maximize his human
  potential?
• People can do the wrong thing for the right
  reasons (e.g. ignorantly kind)

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Natural Law Ethics (review)

• Thomas Aquinas
• What is natural is good because God made nature
  and God is good.
• God gave us the innate ability to know what is
  good.
• Morality is universal and objective it is a law
  of nature.
• Problems for virtue ethics
• Depends upon belief in God.
• Without belief in God, there is no justification
  
• for believing that what is natural must be
  good.

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Deontological Ethics

• Kant (1724-1804), German philosopher
• Rightness of actions is independent of
  consequences.
• The Categorical Imperative defines our moral
  duties.
• Moral duties, e.g.
• not to kill or harm innocent people
• not to lie
• to keep promises
• to respect the rights of others
• The Categorical Imperative can be understood
  through reason.

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Deontological Ethics (cont.)

• The Categorical Imperative can be worked out
  through the principle of universalizability
• "Always act according to that maxim whose
  universality as a law you can at the same time
  will", and is the "only condition under which a
  will can never come into conflict with itself"
• (Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals)
• Rational beings have an intrinsic worth and
  dignity.
• The end (purpose) of morality is in preserving
  the well-being and dignity of all rational
  agents
• Act with reference to every rational being
  (whether yourself or another) so that it is an
  end in itself in your maxim
• (Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals)
• You must never treat a person as a means, but
  always as an end.

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Problems with deontological ethics

• Problem of justification for Categorical
  Imperative
• where does it come from
• Not all good actions can be universalized
• Rigid
• e.g. if we have a categorical imperative not to
  lie,
• it is wrong to lie even if by lying to a mad
  gunman,
• we can save an innocent persons life
• It is not always possible never to treat a
  rational agent as an end, e.g. war

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Utilitarianism

• John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), English philosopher
• A form of consequentialism
• An act is judged to be moral or immoral according
  to its consequences.
• Instrumentalist good vs. Intrinsic good
• Instrumentalist good good as a means by which to
  realize an intrinsic good, e.g. medicine
• Intrinsic good something good in and of itself,
  e.g. happiness

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Utilitarianism (cont.)

• Happiness and the absence of suffering are the
  ultimate intrinsic goods.
• The goal of morality is to maximize happiness
  (the greatest good for the greatest number)
• An act is good if it maximizes the collective
  happiness and minimizes the collective suffering.

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Problems with Utilitarianism

• Seemingly immoral acts can be judged moral, e.g.
  killing an innocent person.
• Consequences are often difficult or impossible to
  predict.
• The morality of an act may depend on chance (how
  the consequences happen to play out).
• How can you calculate units of goodness (utiles)?
• Happiness and lack of suffering may not be the
  only
• intrinsic goods.

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Varieties of Utilitarianism

• Act utilitarianism
• classic utilitarianism
• Preference utilitarianism
• aim to maximize the fulfillment of peoples
  preferences, rather than happiness
• Rule utilitarianism
• act in accordance with rules that, in the long
  run, tend to maximize happiness/preferences

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Exam question on An Inconvenient Truth

• Are Gores arguments for valuing nature primarily
  instrumentalist or intrinsic? Do you think his
  views could be best characterized as conforming
  to virtue ethics, natural law ethics, deontology
  or utilitarianism? Explain, with concrete
  examples.

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Readings for next time

• Required
• Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, chapters 1, 2 and
  15, provided in handout
• Optional
• Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, chapter 16, The
  Rumblings
• of an Avalanche, available on reserve (whole
  book) in
• the Philosophy Department Office