Ethics as a Method of Philosophic Inquiry

Notebook Review2. What does it mean to say

that an action is "good?" Think here about the qualities you associate with "good" (and, perhaps, "bad")

3. Do you believe people should always be moral?

Would you take the money?

Some Terms

• Moral

• Immoral

• Amoral

• Non-moral

“Sam is a good surfer.”“Sam is a good person.”“Sam has good manners.”“Sam always adheres to the speed limit.”“Sam hid a Jewish family from the Nazi’s.”

“Julie cheats on her husband.”“Julie has sexual relationships with people other than her husband.”“Julie doesn’t understand on any level the pain her husband feels because of her infidelity and she doesn’t understand what makes her infidelity wrong.”

“Rex is a good dog.”“Julie beats her dog.”“Sam beats his drum.”“Berber makes good knives.”

The Trolley Dilemma

What is the principle that serves as the basis for your decision?

When loss of life is inevitable, sacrificing one life in order to save five is the right thing to do.

Numbers count.

The Trolley Dilemma

We said….

When loss of life is inevitable, sacrificing one life in order to save five is the right thing to do.

Numbers count.

The Dilemma

A mental conflict between moral imperatives.

“Between a rock and a hard place.”

Rattles us out of habit.

Compels us to find/create principles to guide decision making.

Forces us to dig into a question with more questions to discover our assumptions, clarify our values, and unravel critical concepts.

Would any of these alter the principle?Gender.Age.Criminal history.Wealth/power/social status.Personal relationships.Uncertainty about whether our action will work.Culpability of man on bridge for situation (i.e. what if he disabled the brakes?).

When loss of life is inevitable, sacrificing one life in order to save five is the right thing to do.

Numbers count.

What does the dilemma reveal about….

The ways we value different kinds of lives?

Our sense of responsibility toward others?

Our loyalties?

The relationships among knowledge, intention, consequences, and moral responsibility?

Our values?

The Afghan Goatherds

100 goats, two farmers, one 14 year old boy.

All unarmed.

No rope to tie them up.

Let them go, and they could give away location of Seals to Taliban.

Kill them or let them go?

What if…..The farmers are women?

Old women?

You know the farmers are Taliban opponents?

You know the Taliban will torture them to find out where the Seals are?

You know the farmers are Taliban sympathizers?

You know the farmers are Taliban sympathizers but the boy is not?

You know the boy is a Taliban sympathizer but the farmers are not?

What actually happened“We’re on active duty behind enemy lines…and have a right to do everything we can to save our own lives.” (one soldier)

“It would be wrong to execute these unarmed men in cold blood.” (Marcus Luttrell)

Vote: 2 to 1 to let them go (1 abstention).90 minutes later, 100 Taliban assault.3 of the 4 Seals killed.Rescue helicopter shot down, killing all 16 soldiers.Marcus Luttrell survives.

Marcus Luttrell“It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lamebrained decision I ever made in my life. I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant….At least, that’s how I look back on those moments now….The deciding vote was mine, and it will haunt me till they rest me in an East Texas grave.”

Does the outcome undermine Luttrell’s decision to let the farmers go?

Does the outcome affect your own decision?

What does the Afghan Goatherd dilemma reveal about….

The ways we value different kinds of lives?

Our sense of responsibility toward others?

Our loyalties?

The relationships among knowledge, uncertainty, intention, consequences, and moral responsibility?

Our values?