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Philosophers on why be moral

Philosophers on why be moral. Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk. Hobbes on contract. Morality is product of a contract, which it is rational for each of us to agree to Because it is in my self-interest (egoism) Morality as means to end, given by egoism

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Philosophers on why be moral

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  1. Philosophers on why be moral Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk

  2. Hobbes on contract • Morality is product of a contract, which it is rational for each of us to agree to • Because it is in my self-interest (egoism) • Morality as means to end, given by egoism • This is also ‘rational’: it is rational to do what benefits oneself

  3. The moral contract • Better not to be harmed by others – hence constraints on others’ behaviour; but better not to be constrained • Solution: agree to constraints given that others agree; not best for me, but best I can get • Better to trust and co-operate; agreement to be moral generates trust

  4. The ‘free rider’ problem • In a situation of trust, if everyone else is acting morally, it is even better to act self-interestedly – at least if you can get away with it. • But how can I trust others to keep the contract? • Morality is collectively in everyone’s self-interest, but it is in each person’s self-interest to break the agreement – knowing this, we won’t trust each other!

  5. Plato on self-interest • Would it be bad for you to get away with being immoral? • Yes: the soul has ‘parts’ that can be in conflict, e.g. desire v. reason • Desires do not consider what is good for us; when desires control us, we cannot recognise what is good • Only when reason is in charge is inner conflict avoided • We recognise what is morally right and want to do it • We are happier

  6. Self-interest and morality • Can we say what is in our self-interest without referring to morality? • E.g. cheating - might make you feel happy at the time, but you don’t gain what is of real value (‘achievement’) • Self-interest is getting what is truly valuable • But some values are moral values - so morality precedes self-interest, and can’t be defined as a means to self-interest

  7. Objections to Plato • Plato shows that we must be prudent, but not that prudence is the same as morality. • He assumes that reason will lead us to act morally – but this is what we are questioning. • Is happiness the absence of inner conflict?

  8. Kant on reason • Being moral because it benefits me doesn’t explain the importance of morality. • Morality is the same for everyone. Therefore, to act morally is to act in a way everyone can act. • This can be worked out using reason alone, independent of desires. • Why be moral? Because it is the same as being rational.

  9. Hume on sympathy • It is not irrational to do what not everyone can do. Reason only works out how to get what we want (means-end reasoning). • Morality is based on sympathy, which is a natural human motivation. • We are moral because we care. So it would be inconsistent with your own desires to act immorally. • If you really don’t care about other people, you are probably a sociopath.

  10. More on sympathy • This doesn’t mean that morality is subjective. • You might not care the ‘right’ amount: ‘in order to pave the way for [sympathy], and give a proper discernment of its object, it is often necessary, we find, that much reasoning should precede’. • Someone who is immoral is not always irrational – but we can still criticise them for being immoral.

  11. Aristotle on ‘flourishing’ • We all aim at living the best life we can. But what this is depends on what we are. • Human beings are capable of reason. • So living well is living in accordance with reason. • Our character is important here - to be virtuous is to have desires and emotions that are ‘reasonable’.

  12. Virtue • As we are social, we need to consider what counts as the most appropriate response to living with others. • E.g. anger; to feel it ‘at the right times, with reference to the right objects, towards the right people, with the right motive, and in the right way’ • The moral life is the life that is best for us.

  13. Development • The best life for you involves recognising other people’s value, and treating them accordingly. • Failing to be motivated by other people’s rights or needs means not having the right relationship with them. • Morality is not distinct from self-interest - a good person does not think that being moral is no good for them.

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