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Perspectives of Ethics

Perspectives of Ethics. Ethical Formalism. Absolute rules about what is good and about a person's duty behave in a certain manner “It is right because God said so.” Ex. Genesis 22, Abraham's readiness to kill Isaac Absolutist theory Immanuel Kant – founder

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Perspectives of Ethics

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  1. Perspectives of Ethics

  2. Ethical Formalism • Absolute rules about what is good and about a person's duty behave in a certain manner • “It is right because God said so.” • Ex. Genesis 22, Abraham's readiness to kill Isaac • Absolutist theory • Immanuel Kant – founder • Based on the idea that people investigate principles of conduct, norms of behavior, and specific rules (or laws) for human interactions • Involve absolute duties to behave in certain ways under all circumstances

  3. Kant's Theory of Duty • The morally good is determined by the intention that lies that lies beneath the action • The moral worth of an act comes from the nature of its motivation and not from what the act bring about • Absolute Principle/ Categorical Imperative • Basis of ethical codes

  4. Categorical Imperative • Tests the moral validity of an action • Applies universally to all situations (categorical) • Force of a law of reason and not optional (imperative) • “Act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will to be a universal law” • Absolute Duties

  5. The Nuremerg Trials, p. 81 Read:

  6. Strenghts of Absolute Rule Application • It ensures equal treatment of people similarly situated • It develops a respect for the law and for law appliers • It limits the impact of personal prejudice • It makes the law understandable, consistent and fair

  7. Drawbacks of Absolute Rule Application • It allows majorities to persecute minorities • It does not promote good in people's lives • It can inhibit “justice” by not properly discriminating between people • It says nothing about how to “see” a situation, to recognize the moral significance of a situation

  8. “The utilitarian doctrine asserts that we should always act so as to produce the greatest possible ratio of good to evil for everyone concerned.” --John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism Utilitarianism

  9. Utilitarianism • Developed by Jeremy Bentham and later by John Stuart Mill • The sole, ultimate standard of right and wrong is the principle of utility • The criterion to be considered is the consequences a choice would bring to the world • In making ethical choices, one must analyze the comparative amount of good produced by an act or the comparative balance of good or evil it produces

  10. In deciding ethical questions, utilitarians believe that a calculation mus be made regarding which choice would maximize the good of the greatest number of people.

  11. Double Principle of Utility • To maximize the balance between good and evil • To distribute this as widely as possible

  12. The Limits of Absolute Idea, p. 88 Read:

  13. “Greatest happiness for the greatest number of people”

  14. 2 Kinds of Utilitarianism • Rule Utilitarianism • Happiness of majority • Act Utilitarianism • Happiness of individual

  15. Problems of Utilitarianism • It is difficult to “calculate” amounts of good and evil • Merely being good for the majority does not necessarily make an act moral—it ignores the rights of minorities and of individual citizens • There is no basis for choosing between equal amounts of good and evil • In deterring crime, it does not matter who is punished—the guilty or the innocent

  16. Taking situations into account when deciding what is right Calculating what is would produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people Kant vs. Mill • Consistency is one's maxim where circumstances are ignored • Reason is the most silent feature of morality

  17. Focusing on the consequences; right acts are those which, in their application, promote good over evil, and , thus, Mill takes the good more seriously than Kant Kant vs. Mill (cont.) • Focusing on the will/intention behind an act: Kant succeeds in taking people more seriously than Mill

  18. The obligation to do good and to prevent harm. Principle of Beneficience

  19. Implications of the Principle of Beneficience • One ought not to inflict evil or harm • One ought to prevent evil or harm • One ought to remove evil • One ought to do or promote good

  20. Principle of Distributive Justice • Fairness • We ought to make the same relative contribution to the goodness of the lives of others

  21. Theories of Distributive Justice • Merit (Western Liberalism) • People should receive according to their relative merits • Equality (Modern Democratic Theory) • People should receive exactly equal amounts • Socialism (Marxist) • People should receive according to their needs • Virtue (Platonic, The Republic, Book 1, • “what each is due”) • People should receive according to their goodness

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