Philosophy 2030 Spring, 2016 Class #2

1. Philosophy 2030 Spring, 2016 Class #2 Title: Introduction to Ethics Instructor: Paul Dickey E-mail Address: pdickey2@mccneb.edu Class Website: www.quia.com Create your own userid & password. 1) Reading Assignment for Next Class Period: Chapter 1: pp. 1-18, 36-39

2. · In your portfolio, you will include briefly written stories/narratives of “what happened,” judgments and choices you or others made and your reasons for the choice, appropriate you-tube videos, cartoons, and song-lyrics, or whatever relevant “artifacts” you wish. Student Portfolios: Portfolio Guidelines for Introduction to Ethics P2030 Students will create a folder (either electronically or hardcopy as you choose) and place periodic assignments into that folder . (Please note: Your own assessments do not influence your grade on the assignment, but must be completed as part of your portfolio experience and evaluation in this class.)

3. You did WHAT???   In 2-3 paragraphs each, describe two actions that you took in the last week that you consider was an ethical choice you made. Select one action in which you believe you “did the right thing.” Select a second action in which you may not have done the right thing. Try to describe what guiding moral principle you would use to evaluate why one act was good and the other perhaps bad. What were the consequences of your actions? Student Portfolio: Assignment #1

4. Discussion – • What is Ethics anyway? • Ethics is one of the multiple disciplines in Philosophy, the one that deals with Moral Judgment and Moral Action. • So what is Philosophy? • Well, be careful. “What is Philosophy?” • is itself a philosophical question that you may hear many different answers and arguments. • For our purposes now, let us understand philosophy as an approach to try to answer fundamentally important questions by a process of argumentation known as logic and/or critical thinking.

5. The Major Fields of Philosophy • Metaphysics – “questions about what is” • Logic – “questions about philosophy’s own method.” • Epistemology – “questions about knowledge,” 4. Ethics -- “questions about values and morality and how they relate to human conduct.” Does a person have an obligation to others? How should we live to be good? What responsibilities do governments have to their citizens?

6. So, ask a question. Any question. Congratulations. You are doing philosophy.

7. Now, what is the process or method of answering it? That is, how should we do philosophy? Well, it seems you answer it by making a claim.

8. What is a Claim? • A claim is sometimes called an assertion, an opinion, a belief, a “view”, a thought, a conviction, or perhaps, an idea. • A claim must be expressed as a statement or a complete, declarative sentence. That is, it is propositional. It cannot be a question. • What is an Objective Claim vs a Subjective Claim? An objective (but not a subjective) claim is true or false independent of what people think! But be careful.

9. Arguments & Subjectivism • The view that “one opinion is as good as another,” “it’s true for me though it might not be true for you” or “whatever is true is only what you think is true” is known as subjectivism. • For some things, this makes sense, e.g. Miller taste great. My grandson is cute. The waiter at the restaurant was nice. But be careful. Is it reasonable to argue that the most significant beliefs in our lives are subjective – whether God exists, whether you are living your life morally, or whom you should love?

10. But there is another VERY important distinction that must be made about claims. Perhaps even more important. What is a Factual Claim? • In its clearest form, a claim asserts that something is true or false. • That is, it asserts a fact. This kind of claim is known as a “factual claim” or a “descriptive claim.”

11. What is a Normative Claim? • Value statements can also be claims though. In such claims, a fact is not asserted in the same sense that it was in factual claims. • For example, the claim “You should (or ought) to come to class” is not true or false (at least in the same way that the claim “P2030 class is held in Room 218” is). • Thus, some claims are “normative claims” or “prescriptive claims.” They express values and how one should act based on values. A value statement is a claim that asserts something is good or bad.

12. Now, Critical Thinking is Absolutely Relevant to Both Factual & Normative Claims • As we shall see in this class, it is necessary that we identify very clearly which kind of a claim we have before we can properly evaluate any argument for it! • Thus, please note we are taking a position against the subjectivist and saying that even normative judgments can be analyzed by the principles of critical thinking or reasoning.

13. The Fundamental Principle of Critical Thinking is The Nature of an Argument • Making a claim is stating a belief or opinion -- the conclusion • An argument is presented when you give a reason or reasons that the claim is true. -- the premise(s) • Thus, an argument consists of two parts, and one part (the premise or premises) is/are the reason(s) for thinking that the conclusion is true.

14. How Do Premises Support Factual vs. Normative Conclusions? In regard to evaluating support for factual vs. normative Conclusions, I would suggest the following two tips to keep in mind 1) Only factual premises support factual conclusions. That is, if the conclusion is factual (or descriptive), ALL premises must be factual. 2) A normative premise is always needed to support a normative conclusion. That is, if the conclusion is normative (or prescriptive), there must be at least one normative premise. Of course, there may or may not be factual premises!

15. Now, can we get back on topic? • Discussion – • What is Ethics or Morality anyway? • Are Ethical questions factual or normative? • If normative, are all normative questions moral questions? What about “What is a good story?”

16. So, what makes some normative questions moral questions? • Is it because they are ask questions about what is appropriate human conduct • or what is moral? • Well, perhaps, …..

17. Ethics is typically discussed in three ways: • Meta-ethics: the study of where ethical notions came from and what they mean; “What do we mean by good? Virtue? “Doing the right thing?” • Normative ethics: the search for a principle (or principles) that guide or regulate human conduct— that tell us what is right or wrong. “What should we do to be good?" • Applied ethics: study of specific problems or issues by using the ideas in normative ethics and based on meta-ethics definitions. “Is abortion moral?"

18. Why study Ethics?Everyone is engaged in ethical thought at most times in their lives, knowingly or otherwise. It is mistaken to suppose that philosophers have a monopoly on deep ethical ideas while the rest of us bumble along, blissfully unaware of the importance of the questions we suggested above. A glance at the newspapers, television, internet, as well as novels, films, plays, together with conversations on every street corner or in public houses and cafés, shows that each day we are confronted with ethical problems and have to make ethical decisions.

19. Can Philosophy Help?We'll try to see how a philosophical treatment can aid us in this endeavor that cannot be avoided. How well do our ideas hold up to scrutiny? Are they based on sound assumptions, or could we think otherwise? Are we applying them correctly, or as best we could? Perhaps most importantly, are there alternatives we have not yet considered? The guidelines of critical thinking and logic are the rules of the road.

20. What about our emotions? Our feelings? Do they help us to have insight into morality? Or do they just get in the way?Traditionally, philosophical inquiry often suggests we check our feelings at the door, reminding us that our feelings do not help us to confirm that something is true. That can only be done by evidence, it is often said. Can it really be relevant to the question whether God exists, how I “feel” about it?

21. Is Morality a scam? Every day people make moral claims that purport to describe and objective moral reality. Here are some examples of moral claims you might have heard someone say. • It is wrong to lie. • The war in Iraq is wrong. • It is good to help hurricane victims. • It is wrong for priests to sexually abuse children. On the face of it, this person would seem to be making claims that purport to describe some kind of objective moral reality. Can such a position be defended? If not, is there no morality?

22. Is Morality a scam? But are we really just trying to force other people to conform to the behavior that we accept and desire? Morality is the best of all devices for leading mankind by the nose. …Friedrich Nietzsche

23. Is Morality obvious and we just need to have the courage to do the right thing? It is often suggested that we all pretty much know what is right and wrong and the issue of ETHICS and MORALITY is finding the will and resolve to ACT or behave correctly when perhaps it is “easy” to do something else.

24. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE : Making Good Moral Judgments is Hard! We often will not agree on what is right. The subjectivist may have had a point after all. Yes, moral judgments are controversial. Contrary to what you may have thought, determining what is right will often be the primary and difficult issue. The subjectivist may have been right at least on the issue that we may NEVER agree.

25. In this class, how will we deal with disagreements? • Try to work through areas of moral agreement. Find common ground. • Be humble. Recognize that at some point all of us make logical mistakes in our arguments. • Be aware when your (or others) interests are at stake. • Make every effort to understand why someone might disagree with your view. • Be sure to take into account ALL the relevant facts and arguments. No “snap judgments.”

26. History of Western Philosophy in Five Minutes Video