PHIL 2390H Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Informed Consent, Meta-Ethics, Primum Non Nocere
26 Jun 2018
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Module 1
What is Ethics?
Morality vs Ethics
-Morality:
o“Morality is the system of rules which, when followed, cause individuals to act in
predictable, co-operative ways that minimize conflict between them.”
oMorality or moral codes can differ between and within cultures.
-Ethics:
o“Ethics is the systematic study of morality; the study of the concepts and
theoretical justifications involved in practical reasoning or reasoning meant to be
applied to govern individual behaviour.”
oNot normally understood as culturally dependent (morality usually is)
oFocus on non-religious ethical arguments
Divisions of Ethics
-Metaethics: asks questions with answers to which form the very foundation of ethical
inquiry: What is good? Why be moral?
oWhy should I act that way? Questions about free will…
-Normative Ethics: focus on the construction, evaluation and justification of theories of
morality.
-Applied Ethics: deals with the morality in practice and focuses on specific areas of
inquiry such as business ethics, computer ethics, or biomedical ethics. This will be our
main focus!
What is the connection between law and morality?
- There are things which are immoral but are not illegal
oEx: cheating on your spouse, lying...
- There are things which are illegal but not immoral
oEx: the use of drugs
- Fisher argues that “all laws on moral justifications; that is all laws are aimed at creating
social cooperation, protecting the vulnerable, guiding action, and resolving conflicts- the
very things morality is aimed at.”
Principles of Biomedical Ethics
- Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Justice and Autonomy
Respect for Autonomy
- What does it mean to respect autonomy?
- Who counts as autonomous?
- Contrasted with paternalism (we have a responsibility to make sure their choices will
not harm them) which is seen as appropriate for children
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Morality: morality is the system of rules which, when followed, cause individuals to act in predictable, co-operative ways that minimize conflict between them. , morality or moral codes can differ between and within cultures. Normative ethics: focus on the construction, evaluation and justification of theories of morality. Applied ethics: deals with the morality in practice and focuses on specific areas of inquiry such as business ethics, computer ethics, or biomedical ethics. There are things which are immoral but are not illegal: ex: cheating on your spouse, lying There are things which are illegal but not immoral: ex: the use of drugs. Fisher argues that all laws on moral justifications; that is all laws are aimed at creating social cooperation, protecting the vulnerable, guiding action, and resolving conflicts- the very things morality is aimed at. Contrasted with paternalism (we have a responsibility to make sure their choices will not harm them) which is seen as appropriate for children.
