Download What is Ethics?

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.
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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
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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.
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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?
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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?
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