Ethical Theories Flashcards
(22 cards)
Utilitarianism
A type of consequentialism.
The only thing that matters is the consequence of an action.
If an action produces more pleasure than alternatives, it is right.
Jeremy Bentham
Said that all pleasures are equal. Utilitarian.
John Stuart Miller
Hedonistic–happiness equals pleasure (the absence of pain)
How your actions affect other people is the only thing to consider when making a decision
What did Mill believe about pleasures?
Some pleasures are higher and some are lower.
The pleasures that all creatures enjoy are lower.
The pleasures that only humans enjoy are higher.
We have a duty to promote more happiness.
Utilitarian Calculus
Created by Bentham.
Used to measure the pleasure for everyone involved in a decision. Divided pleasure into different categories and then measures how much of each pleasure is generated from an action.
It didn’t have a section of pleasure for the quality of it.
Act vs. Rule Utilitariansim
Act– (Mill) Each situation or action is judged individually
Rule–Consequences of each type of action are considered. Choose actions that belong to happiness-maximizing types.
Mill’s argument for Utilitarianism
Pleasure is desirable
Desirable things are good
So, pleasure is good.
But, capable of being desired is different than worthy of being desired. Just because something is capable of being desired doesn’t mean that it is worthy of being desired.
Problems of Utilitarianism (6)
- It is difficult to accurately predict the consequences of an action
- A wrong action might turn out to be right later by accident.
- There is no room for special obligation to family. Your family and other people are treated the same (should you starve your child to feed 10 orphans?)
- Actions are never just plain wrong, they just fail to produce more happiness than alternatives.
- Being made happy by fantasizing about torturing children is better than being made sad by that.
- Lying, murder, adultery, slavery, etc. can all be justified if they promote more overall happiness.
Relativism (moral vs. cultural)
Moral: Asks what is true about morality? Each person can be right about their own morals, based on thier individual perspective.
Cultural: There are no universal moral rules that hold for every culture. Moral beliefs arise from our personal settings. Right and wrong are simply labels for what cultures approve of and dissaprove of.
Ruth Benedict
Anthropologist who said that there are no universally shared moral values. Descriptive relativism. Can be tested empiracally. Just claims. Is vs. ought.
Disagreement argument
-There aren’t any universal moral rules
-Right and wrong are expressoins of opinion or tradition
(1 doesn’t lead to 2)
-When there is a disagreemnt about something, it’s just opinion.
(that’s false, so add…)
When disagreeing about somehting that’s not scientific of empiracally verifiable, it’s opinion.
(that makes that statement just an opinion)
(It’s not an argument, but a claim, that will only work if you’re already a relativist)
Relativism Problems (5)
- Nothing is every just plain wrong–just disaproved of.
- Rejection of your cultural practices is immoral, making moral progress impossible.
- Criticizing other cultures is immoral. Nazi’s were merely different, not better/worse.
- What is a culture? How much agreement is needed? Is belief of the majority correct?
- Telling people to tolerate everyone and not tell them what to do, is telling people what to do! It’s saying tolerance is an objective good, when everything is supposed to be relative. Intolerance is not tolerated.
Kant
Deontology.
Used rationalism to define morality.
Something is morally worthy when you do them against your inclination (God is not morally praisworthy?) Some actions are pleasing and fitting, but have no moral worth (you want to do the right thing).
ONLY ONE categorical imperative. (four formulations)
Do what could logically be a universal law-for everyone, every situation- (perfect duty), and do what you could will to be a universal law (imperfect duty).
Morally wrong actions result in either
1.a contradictory or impossible state of affairs, or
2.being inconsistent—contradicting ourselves.
Hypothetical and Categorical imperative
Hypothetical: if… then…
Categorical: Do x
(Kant)
Virtue ethics
Emphasizes character and moral virtues rather than rules or consequences.
Key question: instead of what should I do, what kind of person should I be?
Focuses on developing good character traits.
Aristotle
Eudamonia
Objective flourishing or well-being. Central to Aristotle’s ethics
Aristotle’s Ethics
Virtue is the mean between excess and deficiency
Practical wisdom (phronesis) is needed in applying virtues in everyday life.
Moral development–virtues are developed through practice and habituation.
Can’t be virtous until you are around 30. Until then, your virtues are still malleable and changing.
St. Augustine
Medieval Christian Thinker.
Christianity emhpasizes the cultivation of virtues, often seen as divine gifts necessary for salvation. Linked virtue with divine grace.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Medieval Christian Thinker.
Integrated Aristotelian ethics with Christian theological virtues.
Alasdair Macintyre
20th century.
Focused on reviving virtue ethics. Argues that modern philosophy has lost its way due to the decline of shared moral frameworks. There are no longer common understandings of virtues.
Virtue Ethics Problem Questions (3 + circulatity problem)
- Could be seen as relativistic
- Demands time to develop character
- Not easily applied to ethical issues in practical situations (not necessarily bad–the Bible is similar).
CP: Who is virtous? Those who do right. How do we know who does right?
Solved by anchoring in deontology/two great commandments.
