Moral Philosophy, Introduction Introduction to Philosophy Jason M. Chang

Moral Philosophy,Introduction

Introduction to PhilosophyJason M. Chang

Lecture Outline1. Intro to ethics

2. Moral theory

3. Queen v. Dudley and Stevens

Intro to moral philosophyMorality (or ethics)

• Definition

• Morality vs. the law

Intro to moral philosophyMoral philosophy (aka ethics)

• Definition

• Social science vs. moral philosophy

Intro to moral philosophy

What questions arise when discussing a hospital’s euthanasia policy?

Intro to moral philosophy

Sub-divisions in moral philosophy

o Applied ethics

o Normative ethics

o Metaethics

Moral theory• Trolley problems

o Trolleyo Sumo

• Question

• What makes an act morally right? What makes an act morally wrong?

Moral theory• Moral theory

o Definition

o Features of a moral theory

General

Prescriptive

Moral theory• Types of moral theory

o Consequentialist theories

o Non-consequentialist theories

Moral theory• Moral theories covered in this course

o Consequentialist theories Egoism Utilitarianism

o Non-consequentialist theories Divine command theory Natural law theory Kantianism

The Queen v. Dudley and Stevens

The Queen v. Dudley and StevensFacts:

• May 19, 1884: The English yacht Mignoette sets sail

• Crew = Dudley, Stephens, Brooks, and Parker the cabin boy

• July 5: Mignoette sunk; crew forced onto lifeboat

• Crew has little food and no drinking water

• July 18: Dudley and Stephens kill Parker

• Crew feeds on Parker’s body and blood

The Queen v. Dudley and Stevens

• The issue

Whether Tom Dudley and Edwin Stevens did the morally right thing