PHIL 2103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Moral Evil
7 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Joh aurthor’s faie relief ad the ideal oral ode
• Reall hat Arthur alls siger’s greater oral eil priiple
o If it is within our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby
sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it
• Such a principle, Arthur argues ignores the reality of entitlements
• 2 kinds of entitlement:
o Rights (both positive and negative)
▪ Positive ex. Marriage
▪ Negative ex. Right to life (left alone)
o Just deserts (both desired and unwanted)
• Our current social moral code recognizes equality, entitlements, and the importance of
preventing harm to others
• The question for Arthur is this:
o Would an ideal moral code include principles respecting rights and just deserts, or
would it, as Singer suggests, reject them completely in favor of the greater moral evil
principle?
▪ Aordig to Arthur the ideal oral ode is the oe that, he reogized ad
taught by members of society, would most effectively promote the collective
well-being of those living under it.
▪ Such a code, Arthur claims, would neither ignore rights not just deserts
• Farmer example
o Not suggesting people in need are lazy
o Rather we have morality that includes entitlement
• Arthur’s arguet rus, roughly, as follos:
o P1: the ideal moral code most employ realistic, accurate assumptions about human
beings and out life in this world
o P2: by calling on us to eliminate the notions of rights and just deserts from our current
moral code, Singer is promoting unrealistic, inaccurate assumptions about human
beings and our life in this world
o C: therefore, “iger’s greater oral eil priiple aot e all there is to the ideal oral
code
o Arthur thinks yes we need to have room for moral improvement, but we need to keep
things realistic as far as what everyone will do
• Kidney example
o You could give up a kidney and promote wellbeing
o Arthur does not think this is realistic; not everyone would follow it
• “iger’s arguet does aay ith the otio of harities
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
