* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download What is Ethics?
Utilitarianism wikipedia , lookup
Cosmopolitanism wikipedia , lookup
Stephen Toulmin wikipedia , lookup
Aristotelian ethics wikipedia , lookup
Individualism wikipedia , lookup
Divine command theory wikipedia , lookup
Ethics of eating meat wikipedia , lookup
Virtue ethics wikipedia , lookup
Lawrence Kohlberg wikipedia , lookup
Sexual ethics wikipedia , lookup
J. Baird Callicott wikipedia , lookup
Compliance and ethics program wikipedia , lookup
Kantian ethics wikipedia , lookup
Clare Palmer wikipedia , lookup
Organizational technoethics wikipedia , lookup
The Moral Landscape wikipedia , lookup
Bernard Williams wikipedia , lookup
Moral disengagement wikipedia , lookup
Arthur Schafer wikipedia , lookup
Alasdair MacIntyre wikipedia , lookup
Business ethics wikipedia , lookup
Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development wikipedia , lookup
Moral development wikipedia , lookup
Jewish ethics wikipedia , lookup
Consequentialism wikipedia , lookup
Critique of Practical Reason wikipedia , lookup
Moral responsibility wikipedia , lookup
Ethics of artificial intelligence wikipedia , lookup
Morality throughout the Life Span wikipedia , lookup
Ethical intuitionism wikipedia , lookup
Thomas Hill Green wikipedia , lookup
Morality and religion wikipedia , lookup
Ethics in religion wikipedia , lookup
AS Ethics: Ethical concepts What is Ethics? The study of right & wrong; how we choose to act; what we do; how we treat others. Descriptive ethics Theories describe the moral choices that people (within a society) make; why they make those choices; and what values that society has. This involves psychology & sociology **This is not a philosophical study** (Normative) ethics is the broad study of right/wrong and good/bad. For example, moral theories prescribe the moral choices that people ought to make; why they ought to make those choices; and what values that society ought to have. Meta-ethics Theories investigate what ethical language means. Predominantly, theorists are interested in such questions as ‘what does ‘x is good’ mean?’ and ‘does ethics deal with fact or opinion?’ This is a philosophical study that gained popularity in the 20th Century with the linguistic turn - the idea that philosophy should be the study of language. Applied Ethics Because ethics is a practical philosophy - it deals with our relations with others, some philosophers hold that they should apply ethics to real-life dilemmas. E.g., sexuality & relationships; bio-ethics; legal ethics; environmental ethics; war & peace. 1 AS Ethics: Ethical concepts Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of absolutist and relativist morality Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of what it means to call an ethical theory absolutist and objective Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of what it means to call an ethical theory relativist and subjective Absolutist morality • • • • What is right/wrong never changes. Most absolutists believe in inflexible moral laws (e.g., ‘do not kill’). Circumstances are never relevant for making a moral judgement. Absolutists use words such as ‘always’ and ‘never’ (these are called categorical statements). Arguments for Absolutism Different cultures by and large share the same values. Easy to learn how to be a morally good person – you just learn the rules. We do all agree that torturing innocents is wrong (don’t we?). Arguments against Absolutism Why not believe that moral truths are absolute? Sometimes we need flexibility to deal with situations. (Moral dilemma The Promise) Relativistic morality • What is right/wrong is not ‘fixed in stone’. • Morality might be relative to: o a person (subjectivism) o a society (cultural relativism) o a situation (Situation Ethics and Utilitarianism) • Relativists do not use words such as ‘always’ and ‘never’. Arguments for Relativism Different people have different moral views. Different situations need different responses. 2 AS Ethics: Ethical concepts Arguments against relativism If cultural relativism is true, there can be no genuine moral disagreements. (Moral dilemma The Nazis) That people have different moral views is a descriptive rather than normative point. Objective morality • The rightness/wrongness of an act is not dependent upon human beliefs/feelings. • There are external standards of rightness and wrongness. Arguments for Objectivity There do seem to be genuine moral disagreements. Arguments for Objectivity You cannot see or touch moral truths Subjective morality • The rightness/wrongness of an act is dependent upon human beliefs/feelings. • There are no external standards of rightness and wrongness. • There can be no genuine moral disagreements as morality is based in subjective opinion. Arguments for Subjectivity Where else could morality come from if not us? Arguments against Subjectivity What if someone thought that killing was acceptable? Surely they are wrong? 3 AS Ethics: Ethical concepts Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the terms deontological and teleological Deontological theories Rightness is determined by act/intention Arguments for Deontology Intentions seem to be morally relevant. Arguments against Deontology Aren’t consequences morally relevant? Teleological theories Rightness is determined by consequences Arguments for Teleological theories Consequences seem to be morally relevant. Arguments against Teleological theories Aren’t intentions morally relevant? What if I cause the right consequence accidently? 4