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8/10/2019 Ethical Theory 1
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Ethical Theory
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Consequentialism versus Non-
consequentialism
ConsequentialismConsequences alonedetermine whether an option is morally correct.
Moderate non-consequentialismConsequencessometimes determine whether an option ismorally correct.
Extreme non-consequentialismConsequencesnever determine whether an option is morallycorrect.
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Utilitarianism -- problems
Too demanding!
Too much calculation!
Incommensurability!
Doesnt fit our moral convictions!
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Deontology
Immanuel Kant (17241804) argued morality is foundedon reason and that it always was contrary to reason to breaka moral rule.
Moral obligations take the form of categorical imperativesnot hypothetical imperatives.
You should doy, period.
If wantx, then you should doy.
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Deontology
Thus, if you want to know if an act if morally
permissible, then:
Ask what rule (maxim) you would be
following if you were to take that action.
Ask whether everyone could follow that rule allthe time. If so, then it would be a universal law
and thus the act is permissible; otherwise, it is
not.
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Deontology - Problems
Kant wrote that lying in any circumstances isthe obliteration of ones dignity as a human
being.
We should do only those actions that conform torules that we could will to be adopted universally.If we were to lie, we would be following the ruleIt is permissible to lie. This rule could not beadopted universally, because it would be self-defeating: people would stop believing oneanother, and then it would do no good to lie.Therefore, we should not lie.
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Deontology - Problems
During WWII, Dutch fisherman smuggled Jewish refugeesin their boats. Nazi patrol boats would stop them and askwhere they were going and who was aboard. It appears thatwe have a genuine moral conflict between two rules.
It is wrong to lie.
It is wrong to facilitate the murder of innocent people.
Kantian sometimes claim this is simply moral tragedybutare these are they equally wrong?
Is this form of absolutism plausible?
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Social Contract Theories
Assumptions:
We act out of self-interest (e.g., maximize expected utility)
If we do better cooperating rather than by not cooperating,then it is in our interest to cooperate.
We do better cooperating rather than by not cooperatingsince we avoid the state of nature and prisoners dilemmas.
Hence, it is in our interest to cooperate.
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Moral Relativism
Moral differences argument:
Different societies have different moralcodes.
Therefore, morality is relative to ones
society.
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Moral Relativism --
Problems
Intercultural criticism
Intracultural criticism
Progress