Task 4 - Ethics

Question 1

Ethics

Answer 1

-systematizing, defending, recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior

Question 2

Meta ethics

Answer 2

• where our ethical principles comes from, and what they mean
• focus on issues of universal truths, will of God, role of reason, meaning of ethical terms themselves

Question 3

Normative ethics

Answer 3

• takes on a more practical task
• to arrive at moral standards and how to regulate right and wrong conduct (Verhalten)
• articulate the good habits we should acquire, duties that we should follow, consequences of our behavior on others
• there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles
• e.g. normative principle: we should do to others what we would want others to do to us

Question 4

Applied ethics

Answer 4

• examining controversial issues
• using conceptual tools of meta ethics and normative ethics
• abortion, animal rights, environmental concerns etc

Question 5

Psychological issues in meta ethics - what motivates us to be moral?

Egoism and altruism

Answer 5

• psychological egoism: self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions (Thomas Hobbes)
• psychological hedonism: pleasure is the specific driving force behind all of our actions
• psychological altruism: capacity to show benevolence to others ( Jospeh Butler)

Question 6

Psychological issues in meta ethics - emotion and reason

Answer 6

• David Hume: moral assessments involve our emotions, not our reason
• > moral actions include:
• emotive element: expressing my emotions about some specific behavior
• prescriptive element: prescribing some specific behavior
• Kant: true moral action is motivated only by reason when it is free from emotions and desires
• Kurt Baier: all of our moral choices are, at least can be, backed by some reason or justification

Question 7

Virtue (Werte) theorists

Answer 7

• less emphasis on learning rules
• > more importance of developing good habits of character (such as benevolence)
• we should avoid acquiring bad character traits (vices)
• emphasize on moral education

-Plato: 4 virtues ( wisdom, courage, temperance, justice)

• Aristotle:
• virtues are good habits that we acquire, which regulate our emotions
• most virtues fall at a mean between more extreme character traits
• we need assistance from our reason to do this

-after Aristotle: medieval theologians added theological virtues (faith, hope, charity)

Question 8

Consequentialist normative theories

Answer 8

• correct moral conduct is determined solely by a cost-benefit analysis of an action’s consequences
• action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable
• 3subdivisions:
  1) ethical egoism: action is morally right to if consequences are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action
  2) ethical altruism: morally right if consequences are more favorable to everyone except the agent
  3) utilitarianism: morally right if more favorable to everyone

Question 9

Rules/duty theories/ non consequentialists

Answer 9

• base morality on specific, foundational principles and obligations
• principles are obligatory, irrespective of the consequences
• Samuel Pufendorf: classified duties under 3 headings (duties to God, duties to oneself, duties to others)
• rights theory by Thomas Jefferson (locke) : 3 fundamental rights ( life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)
• Kant: only a single principle of duty -> categorical imperative
• > treat people as an end, never as means to an end
• > morality of our actions is determined by appealing to this single principle of duty