Download Chapter 3: Morality and the Moral Life Ethics

Morality and the Moral Life
Ethics (moral philosophy): The study of
morality using the methods of philosophy.
Morality: Our beliefs about right
and wrong actions and good and bad
persons or character.
Characteristics of Moral Norms:
1.
Overridingness
2.
Impartiality
3.
Universality
4.
Reason-based
Divine Command Theory The doctrine that
God is the creator of morality.
Moral Objectivism The view that there are
moral standards that are true or correct for
everyone.
Moral Relativism The view that moral
standards do not have independent status but
are relative to what individuals or cultures
believe.
Subjective Relativism The view that
right actions are those endorsed by an
individual.
Cultural Relativism The view that right
actions are those endorsed by one’s
culture.
The Implications of Subjective Relativism
1.
It implies that on moral matters,
individuals are infallible.
2.
It entails an implausible moral
equivalence. (the sincere moral views of
any individual are as good or as true as
those of any other).
3.
It implies that moral disagreement is
virtually impossible.
The Implications of Cultural Relativism
1.
It implies that cultures are morally
infallible.
2.
It implies that other cultures are beyond
criticism.
3.
It entails that all social reformers are
never right.
The Implications of Cultural Relativism
4. It rules out moral progress.
5 . It implies moral equivalence—one
culture’s moral beliefs are as good as any
other.
The Argument for Cultural Relativism
1. If people’s moral judgments differ from
culture to culture, moral standards are
relative to culture (there are no objective
moral standards).
2. People’s moral judgments do differ from
culture to culture.
3. Therefore, moral standards are relative to
culture (there are no objective moral
standards).
The Argument for Cultural Relativism
1. If people’s moral judgments differ from
culture to culture, moral standards are
relative to culture (there are no objective
moral standards).—FALSE
2. People’s moral judgments do differ from
culture to culture.—DUBIOUS
3. Therefore, moral standards are relative to
culture (there are no objective moral
standards).—CONCLUSION UNSUPPORTED
Cultural Relativism vs. Moral Objectivism
Moral objectivism does not entail
intolerance.

Cultural relativism can easily justify
intolerance and cannot consistently advocate
tolerance.

Moral Theory A theory that explains why an
action is right or wrong or why a person or a
person’s character is good or bad.
A moral theory tells us what it is about an
action that makes it right, or what it is about
a person that makes him or her good.
Moral Theories
Consequentialist theories insist that the
rightness of actions depends solely on their
consequences or results.

Deontological
(nonconsequentialist)
theories say that the rightness of actions is
determined not solely by their consequences
but partly or entirely by their intrinsic
nature.
Moral Theories
utilitarianism The view that right actions
are those that result in the most beneficial
balance of good over bad consequences for
everyone involved.

ethical egoism The view that right
actions are those that further one’s own best
interests.

Moral Theories
Kant’s theory The theory that right
actions are those that accord with the
categorical imperative.

virtue ethics A moral theory that focuses
on the development of virtuous character.

Moral Theories
ethics of care A moral perspective that
emphasizes the unique demands of specific
situations and the virtues and feelings that are
central to close personal relationships.

feminist ethics An approach to morality
aimed at advancing women’s interests,
underscoring their distinctive experiences and
characteristics, and advancing the obvious truth
that women and men are morally equal.

The Moral Criteria of Adequacy
Consistency with our considered moral
judgments

Consistency with the facts of the moral
life


Resourcefulness in moral problem-solving
The Argument against Ethical Egoism
1.
If a moral theory conflicts with what we take
to be our plausible moral intuitions, we have
strong reasons to doubt it.
2.
Ethical Egoism seems to be inconsistent with
our considered moral judgments.
3.
Ethical Egoism appears to conflict with an
essential element of the moral life:
impartiality.
4.
Therefore, we have strong reasons to doubt
it.
The Argument against the Divine
Command Theory
1.
If an action is morally right only because God says so,
then any action at all could be morally right.
2.
If any action at all could be morally right, there could
be no reasons for God’s willing one way or the other.
3.
But if God has no reasons for his commands, no
standards other than his say-so, his commands are
arbitrary—an implausible implication.
4.
Therefore, the divine command theory must be false.
Argument against Utilitarianism
1.
If a moral theory conflicts with our
considered moral judgments, we have
strong reasons to doubt it.
2.
Utilitarianism conflicts with our
considered moral judgments regarding
justice.
3.
Therefore, we have strong reasons to
doubt the truth of utilitarianism.
An Argument against Kantian Ethics
1.
2.
3.
If a moral theory conflicts with our
considered moral judgments, we have
strong reasons to doubt it.
Kant’s theory conflicts with our
considered moral judgments regarding
conflicts among duties.
Therefore, we have strong reasons to
doubt the truth of Kant’s theory.