Introduction to Ethics II

1
Introduction to Ethics II

• September 1, 2004
• CS4001B
• Fall 2004

2
Ethical Theories

• Subjective Realism
• Cultural Realism
• Divine Command Theory
• Kantianism
• Act Utilitarianism
• Rule Utilitarianism
• Social Contract Theory

3
Subjective Realism

• Each person decides right from wrong for himself
  or herself
  
• For Subjective Realism
• Well-meaning and intelligent people can have
  totally opposite opinions about moral issues
  
• Ethical debates are disagreeable and pointless
• Against Subjective Realism
• The line between doing what you think is right
  and doing what you want is not sharply drawn
  
• Makes no moral distinction between the actions of
  different people
  
• Subjective realism and tolerance are 2 different
  things
  
• Allows people to make decisions based on
  something other than reasoning

4
Cultural Relativism

• The meaning of right and wrong rests with a
  societys actual moral guidelines
  
• For Cultural Relativism
• Different social contexts demand different moral
  guidelines
  
• It is arrogant for one society to judge another
• Morality is reflected in actual behavior

5
Cultural Relativism

• Against Cultural Relativism
• Just because 2 societies have different views
  about right and wrong, doesnt imply that they
  ought to have different views
  
• Does not explain how an individual determines the
  moral guidelines of a particular society
  
• Does not do a good job of explaining how moral
  guidelines evolve
  
• Provides no framework for reconciliation between
  cultures in conflict
  
• Societies do share certain core values
• Only indirectly based on reason

6
Divine Command Theory

• Based on the idea that good actions are those
  aligned with the will of God and bad actions are
  those contrary to the will of God
  
• For Divine Command Theory
• We owe obedience to our Creator
• God is all-good and all-knowing
• God is the ultimate authority

7
Divine Command Theory

• Against Divine Command Theory
• Many holy books, and some of their teachings
  disagree with each other
  
• Unrealistic to assume a multicultural, secular
  society will adopt a religion-based morality
  
• Some moral problems are not addressed directly in
  the scripture
  
• It is fallacious to equate the good with God
• It is based on obedience rather than reason

8
Kantianism

• Covered in previous class

9
Act Utilitarianism

• Covered in previous class

10
Rule Utilitarianism

• Covered in previous class

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Social Contract Theory

• Morality consists in the set of rules, governing
  how people are to treat one another, that
  rational people will agree to accept, for their
  mutual benefit, on the condition that others
  follow those rules as well

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Social Contract Theory

• For Social Contract Theory
• Framed in the language of rights
• Explains why rational people act out of
  self-interest in the absence of a common
  agreement
  
• Provides a clear, ethical analysis of some
  important moral issues regarding the relationship
  between people and government

13
Social Contract Theory

• Against Social Contract Theory
• None of us signed the social contract
• Some actions can be characterized in multiple
  ways
  
• Does not explain how to solve a moral problem
  when the analysis reveals conflicting rights
  
• May be unjust to those people who are incapable
  of upholding their side of the contract

14
Class Exercise

• Get into groups of 2
• Analyze one of the 4 scenarios on pages 50-51
  from
  
• A Kantian perspective
• An Act Utilitarian perspective
• A Rule Utilitarian perspective
• The perspective of Social Contract Theory
• Hand in your analysis at the end of class