GLHLTH 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Immanuel Kant, Relativism, Harm Principle

• School: Duke University
• Department: Global Health
• Course: GLHLTH 210
• Professor: Jeffery Moe

Document Summary

Moral domains varies by culture, a universal ethic may not exist; however, there are general standards that are shared by all. Western, educated and individualistic cultures have an unusually narrow moral domain. Haidt mentions the harm principle : the only purpose for power to be rightfully exercised over another person of a civilized community, against their will, is to prevent harm to others . Ethic of autonomy: individuals with wants, needs and preferences; society provides rights, liberty and justice. Ethic of community: members of larger entities: families, teams, armies, companies, tribes, and nations; society requires duty, hierarchy, respect, reputation and patriotism. Ethic of divinity: temporary essels for a divine soul, children of god; society prescribes sanctity/sin, purity/degredation. Fundamental moral unit: what is being protected; in weird places, protecting autonomous rights. Individual rights, or relationship between persons or with the commons, doctor/patient trust. Harms: direct harms: physical, psychological, financial, reputational.