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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