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Ethics & Moral Reasoning

Chapter 3

Moral ReasoningO Systematic approach

O Structured logical arguments

O Three areas of knowledge and skill needed:O Moral contextO Philosophical foundationO Critical thinking

Context of Moral Reasoning

O ContextO Decision makingO Cultural environmentO Economic Impact

ConfuciusO “Equilibrium and

harmony”O “Equilibrium

(chung) is the great root from which grow all human actings in the world. And. . . Harmony (yung) is the universal path” (Four Books, Vol. 1, 1.4, 1.5)

Philosophical FoundationsO Ancient Greece

provides moral sense

O Socratic dialogue

Socrates

O The RepublicO Athenian DemocracyO Reason and WisdomO Higher moral “good”O One should never do

wrong in return, nor mistreat any man, no matter how one has been mistreated by him.” (Crito, 49c)

Plato

O Virtue EthicsO Golden MeanO Character O Evil

Aristotle

Example of the finding the mean:Social Drinking

Excess Middle Ground

Deficiency

Overdoing Virtue Underdoing

Care-Based EthicsO Foundation of world’s major religionsO Golden Rule

O Judaism: What is hated unto you, do not to your friend (Talmud)O Christianity: 1And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye

also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31)O Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find

hurtful.(Udanavarga 5:18)O Hinduism: One should never do that to another which one

regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires.(Anusasana Parva, CXIII, Verse 8)

O Islam: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” (An-Nawawi's Forty Hadith 13,56)

O Bahai: Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.(Bahá'u'lláh[35][36])

Kant and Moral DutyO “Act on that maxim which you will to

become a universal law”O Categorical Imperative

O Moral BehaviorO Deontological Ethics

O AbsolutistO Concrete and predictableO Short-coming: dilemma between two

equal principles

UtilitarianismO John Stuart Mills & Jeremy Betham

O Mills: “Seek the greatest happiness for the aggregate whole.”

O Consequence over EthicsO Happiness O Benefit versus Harm

O Teleological BaseO Positive results matterO Egoists

Social ContractO Enlightenment Period

O Reason & science O Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean

Jacque RousseauO Ethical norms respected if society

agrees

Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance

O John Rawl, A Theory of JusticeO Utilitarianism

O Fairness is fundamental idea in concept of justice

O Cases of fairnessO Easy = arithmetic fairness O Veil of Ignorance

O Uses “original position” to determine outcomes

O Two primary principles formulated “behind the veil”

Behind the veil

Feminist EthicsO Critiques traditional theories O Public versus private domains

RelativismO Bertrand Russell & John DeweyO Progressivism

O Moral agents determine right and wrong based on individual perspectives and values

O Situationists

Deontological Theory of Moral Reasoning

O (Duty-Based)O Deon = DutyO AbsolutistO Non – consequentialist

O Judges morality of action based on action’s adherence to rules that bind you to duty

O Disregards consequencesO Individual motives are importantO People should be treated with respect

Contemporary Deontology

O Duty-based with exceptionsO “Principle of Permissible Harm”

O Frances KammO Relies heavily on categorical

imperativeO Allows considered case judgments

Teleological Theories

O Consequentialist O Looks for positive results over right

or wrongO Minimize injury to others O Procedure for addressing moral

dilemmaO Extremes

O Egoists Utilitarian

Critical ThinkingO Basis of moral reasoningO Consists of:

O KnowledgeO Ability to identify problemsO Identify all relevant information O Identify all assumptionsO Evaluate alternatives and make

decisions

SAD FormulaO S = Situational definitionO A = analysis of situation, application

of moral theoriesO D = Decision or ethical judgement

Situational Definition

• Description of Facts• Identify conflicting values or principles• Statement of ethical issue.

Analysis

• debate relative importance of conflicting values or principles• consider possibility of external factors• consider: "what do we usually do?"• consider duties to you, colleagues, sources, advertisers, society• Discussion of applicable theories

Decision

• make final decision• justify final decision based on likely criticism from detractors and

support with moral theory