PHIL201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Trolley Problem, Deontological Ethics, Universalizability
6 Jun 2018
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WEEK 2
The Nature of Ethics
Pinto Madness!
Ethics involves a particular kind of assessment or evaluation of the conduct and character of
responsible agents!
-human character and conduct- virtues and vices !
-Who is responsible for the conduct or policy?
-The rightness or wrongness of actions, practices and policies?!
-Is there someone respondiere we can blame?!
-Duties and obligates - what we morally ought to do?!
-Are there implications for human welfare? (Harms, benefits? )
-Rights and freedoms !
-Are our rights violated?!
-Human welfare and suffering !
-Other things of value: non-human animals, the natural environment other rational creatures?!
-Are there issues of fairness or justice?
-Are there issues of Character?
-What tells me the action about the persons character?!
-Crudal or kind?!
-In order to valuate the persons character!
Ethical Questions:!
Is it morally permissible for a company knowingly to endanger the lives of its customers in this
way in order to minimize production costs and maximize profits?!
Is it illegal? Is it morally?!
Should companies be required to do any more than meet current legal safety standards for their
products, particularly when most of their competitors are not exceeding such standards?!
Descriptive ethics and normative ethics:#
descriptive ethics: !
finding out what people value and what they believe to be right or wrong e.g.: Anthropologe,
sociology, the current system and to describe the system!
—> Many Hindus believe it is wrong to eat meet; describetive ethical claim#
#
normative ethics:#
finding out what we ought to value and how we ought to behave#
It is wrong to eat meat; One ought not to eat meet- normative ethical claims!
Morally is Distinct from convention!
The anthropologist wanna describe other societies , the moral conventions of a particular culture
or society!
There is a difference between conventional rules and moral rules !
„ everyone is doing it“ is not an excuse!
The normative ethicist is interested in whether such conventions can be justified or rationally
defended !
Conventional rules ( taking of the shoes in Korea) #
Moral rules ( people uses women for homework & stuff)!
Morality is distinct from law
1) Practices can be immoral even if they are legal, selling dangerous products, rape in marriage,
adultery !
2) Laws can be immoral and Anjust —> racist and sexist laws#
3) A practice can be illegal but not immoral ( e.g. homosexuality, same sex unions, religious
practices, politegal protests) #
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Ethics involves a particular kind of assessment or evaluation of the conduct and character of responsible agents. Human character and conduct- virtues and vices. Are there implications for human welfare? (harms, bene ts? ) In order to valuate the persons character. Nding out what people value and what they believe to be right or wrong e. g. : anthropologe, sociology, the current system and to describe the system. > many hindus believe it is wrong to eat meet; describetive ethical claim normative ethics: Nding out what we ought to value and how we ought to behave. It is wrong to eat meat; one ought not to eat meet- normative ethical claims. The anthropologist wanna describe other societies , the moral conventions of a particular culture or society. There is a di erence between conventional rules and moral rules. Everyone is doing it is not an excuse.
