Download Ethical Principles: *Good* vs. *Right*

Ethical Principles: “Good” vs.
“Right”
Current Issues – LHS
Ethical Principles
What makes an act “right”?
What makes an act “good”?
What should be prioritized when
making ethical decisions?
Beneficence
• People should
prioritize “doing good”
in ethical decision
making
• Similar to concept of
utility
– One should attempt to
generate the largest
ratio of good over evil
possible
“Least Harm”
• Similar to beneficence,
but deals w/ situations
where neither choice is
beneficial
– People should do the least
harm possible to the fewest
people
• Do people have a greater
responsibility to “do no
harm” than to take steps
to benefit others?
– Ex – walk past someone
vs. punching someone you
walk by for no reason
Respect for Autonomy
• People should reign over themselves
and make decisions that apply to their
lives
– They are the only ones who understand
their chosen lifestyle
– They understand their own emotions,
beliefs, etc. and are best positioned to
act in accordance with them
• What about autonomy for dependents?
– Paternalistic view
• A dependent person’s best interests
should win out over their own wishes
(But what if the decision maker’s ideals
clash with the dependent’s ideals?)
• Example – physician with terminal
patient, convincing family to continue
treatment despite pain to patient
– Libertarian view
• A dependent’s wishes should prevail
over their best interests
• Maximizes individual autonomy
Justice
• Fairness should be
prioritized in ethical
decision making
• Example: cops are
required to obey speed
limit, but they are allowed
to speed in unique
situations
– Reach scene of crime
quickly
– Pursuit of criminal suspect
“Do the Good Thing”
• Utilitarianism best
exemplifies the
beneficent / “least
harm” philosophy
– Maximizing “utility”, or
good outcomes, for
the most people
– OR minimizing harm to
the least number of
people
“Do the Right Thing”
• Deontology (literally “The
Study of Duty”) best
exemplifies “doing right”
• Denies that the morally
right action is determined
by consequences
• The most common
philosophy of this school
of thought is that of the
Prussian, Immanuel Kant
(1724-1804)
Kant’s Ethical System
• He believed that people were
governed by perfect and
imperfect duty
– Perfect duty = morally required
actions to perform at all times
(“Categorical Imperative”)
• Examples: don’t give incorrect
change; not lying; don’t commit
suicide; don’t make false
promises
– Imperfect duty = morally
required actions that are
followed sometimes
• Examples: give to charity; develop
own talents
Kant’s Ethical System: Moral
Worth of People
Things We Do
Mere behavior
(involuntary)
Actions contrary
To Duty (impermissible)
Voluntary Actions
(what we choose to do)
Actions not contrary
To Duty (permissible)
Actions not required
By Duty (allowed to do)
Actions required by
Duties (our Duties)
Actions done merely
In accordance w/ Duty
(do not convey moral worth)
Actions Done from
Duty (convey moral worth)
Categorical Imperative (CI)
• What is it?
– A command that
applies to everyone
and is impossible to
opt out of
– Kant says morality
must be based on CI
b/c morality
commands us to act in
a certain way; to act
contrary is immoral, by
definition
Categorical Imperative
• “Act only in such a way through which you
can at the same time will that it should
become a universal law (of nature)”
– You are not allowed to do anything yourself
that you would not be willing to allow
everyone else to do, as well (no exceptions
for yourself!)
• Ex – if others should keep their promises, you too
must keep your promises
Categorical Imperative Applied
• If you want to lie to get something you wanted, you
would have to be willing to make it the case that
everyone always lies to get what they want.
• If this were to happen, no one would ever believe
you, the lie would not work and you wouldn’t get what
you wanted.
• Therefore, if you willed that lying should become a
universal law, then you would thwart your goal
• Thus, it is impermissible to lie, according to CI,
because the only way to lie is to make an exception
for yourself
Kant’s Idea of Moral Worth
• Kant believed that a person is
good or bad depending on the
motivation of their actions
(NOT the consequences!)
– Motivation = what caused you to
do the action (reasoning)
– One can be a good person – be
moral – only if one is motivated by
their duty
• If actions are motivated by
something other than duty
(emotions, etc.) then that action
does not have moral worth
Kant’s Idea of Moral Worth
• Why do motivations
matter?
– Why else do people do
things?
• Emotions
• Selfish reasons
• Kant argued that moral
worth only comes when
you do something b/c you
know it is your duty – you
do it regardless of whether
you like it!