SYSTEM OF MORAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING

THE APPROPRIATE CONDUCT FOR A PERSON

OR GROUP

Ethics

Ethics

Always conflict between individual and the ‘group’

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Arrested

• You and an accomplice have been arrested• Both care more about themselves then the

other• Prosecutor makes the following offer:– Choose to confess or remain silent– If you confess and other silent, you go free– If other way, they go free you serve lots of time– Both confess, both serve smaller sentences– Both silent, minor charger with little time for both

Choose

YouStay Silent

YouTalk

AccompliceStays Silent

Both in jail 1 Year

You – FreeAccomplice –

10 Years

AccompliceTalks

You – 10 YearsAccomplice is Free

Both serve 6 Years

Think about:

• What is the conflict with each option?• What is the best choice for both?• What is your safest option?• Which would you pick?

Tragedy of the Commons

Conflict for resources between individual interests and the common

good

Therefore• Unrestricted access to a resource ultimately dooms

the resource to be over-exploited.• We look at it as individuals and do what is best for

us, and not for the whole.• Ethically we cannot look at best for us, but best for

whole• Adam Smith has invisible hand theory: By looking

out for self we ultimately look out for whole because it is what is best for us – If others look out for themselves everyone is taken care of– Does this work?

Other cases of ‘Tragedy of the Commons’

– Whistle blowing– Arms race

• List ethical decisions you face everyday– Prepare a debate for your point of view

• Example

Research: Find arguments for pro / conExample

• Cheating• Lying• Stealing• Downloading• Fighting• Drinking / Smoking

underage

• How you act at work• Racism• Use of Cell Phones in

School• PDA• Other topics:

The case

• We are farmers.• We raise sheep• What do we want– Lots of sheep

• What do we need for the most sheep?– Lots of land to graze

• Once to many for our land – what will we do?– Use any available

• If there are other farmer’s what do they also do?– Use available land

• When we forget about everything & everyone else what will happen to the land– Used up

• What happens then?– All sheep die

• Who benefits from overusing?– We did for short time, then everyone loses due to over

exploiting