Moral Problems

Chapter 1

Moral Problems


What is Ethics?

Moral Problems
 

Ethics is the study of morality. Ethics is a reasoned discourse about morality. See the sample ethical argument starting on page 2: Is it Right to Kill?

Choice


 

Morality is concerned only with those areas of life that are open to our choice. Ought implies can. Freedom of Choice

Negative freedom (freedom from)

Freedom from coercion

Positive freedom (freedom to) Freedom to do what you choose to do

I.e., freedom of choice I.e., rational freedom of choice

Freedom to what you choose upon rational insight

Morality
 

Right and Wrong If I say that it is wrong to steal, then I am condemning the act. Most of us mean that not only do we condemn the act but that others ought to condemn it as well. If I think something is right and you think something is wrong than we disagree. It is different if I like red wine and you like white wine. We just have different tastes. It is not a disagreement.

Duty


If I say: You have a duty to visit your mother, then I mean that you ought to visit your mother.

Non-moral uses


We often use the words right and wrong in non-moral ways. For example, Did I put the wrong ingredient in this recipe? or Did I grab the right textbook to take to class? Words such as good and bad are often used in a non-moral sense. That was a good race. The weather is getting bad out there.

The words Good and Bad used in a moral sense

 

1. We speak of good or bad ideals. 2. We speak of good and bad consequences of action. 3. We speak of a persons character as good or bad. 4. We speak of good or bad intentions and motives.

Morality


We condemn someones actions or character by saying things such as, What the Enron executives did was immoral, or What the volunteer Red Cross worker did was the moral thing to do. We use the term moral to mean that some issue belongs in the area of morality. Both moral and immoral actions belong in the area of morality.

Morality Continued


What is a moral question? Many people disagree about this. Some believe that homosexuality is wrong, while others believe that it is a matter of preference. Is something a matter of morality only when it involves other people beside yourself?

Conscience


Follow your conscience. Where does the inner voice come from? Why does one persons conscience tell her to do x, and another persons conscience tells her to do y?

Conscience Continued
1.

2.

How do we know whether some inner voice we hear is the voice of conscience and not the voice of the devil? If conscience is the ultimate standard, it is arbitrary, it acts for no good reason. But if there is a good reason for what it says, it is not ultimate after all. That reason (happiness?, respect for rights?) is ultimate.

Kidding Oneself


Can people allow themselves to think that their conscience tells them something, when it actually doesnt? Regarding individual consciences, can both be right? Problems with the vagueness of conscience.

Revelation
 

Individual conscience is fallible the sacred word is not. Problems with revelation:

1. Paradox of Religious Ethics: Either the will of God is based on no good reason and is arbitrary, or it is based on a good reason and is not the ultimate standard of right and wrong. 2. What is contained in the sacred books can be vague. For example, war or peace? EXO 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. ROM 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Revelation continued


3. Religious ethics makes it difficult for non-religious people, or people of a different religion, to be ethical.

Religious ethics requires some further nonreligious ethics to govern relations with people who do not accept ones religion.

4. No revelation is complete. For example, should there be censorship of the arts?

Reason
 

 

Rely on reason. How do we reach ethical conclusions using reason? Is it reason that tells us to save our children? Reason or inclination? How are we supposed to know what the best reasons are in specific cases?

Why be Moral?
 

Why be moral? Divine Command:

Because God will punish me if I do wrong or

reward me if I do right.

Appeal to authority.

Follow because God is powerful not necessarily because God is good.

Obey God out of love, not out of hope for

reward. You must believe that God is good. (Euthyphro)

Morality Pays
 

Honesty is the best policy. Platos believes that goodness is its own reward. Is being moral sufficient for being happy? Is being moral necessary for being happy?

The Fair Play Argument



We have rules that will operate to our mutual advantage. How will we all agree on what the rules should be?

Because Its Right



Someone might say that they gave money anonymously so that an unknown child could have a new pair of glasses. If she was asked why she did it, she might respond that she simply wanted to make sure that the child could see. Is this self interested behavior? Is it possible that she did it because it is the right thing to do?

Relativism
     

Is morality relative? Relativism = Subjectivism Thinking something to be so makes it so for the person who believes it. Individual relativism (pp.34-35) = collective relativism Thinking an action to be right makes it right for the individual or society that thinks it to be right. Objectivism: beliefs are made true not merely by believing them but by their correspondence to the facts.

Relativism Continued


Differences in Environment

Some rules may depend on our standard of

living.


Differences in Belief

Spanish Inquisition


Differences in Temperament

Attitudes about sex

Homosexuality


Is homosexuality right for some people and wrong for others? Is there a human right to express ones sexual orientation?

Relativism Continued


If relativism is true, it is not objectively true: it is relatively true only for relativists, and its truth is in no way superior to objectivism, which is true for objectivists. Relativists think their belief can make statements objectively true: faith moves mountains. Thus they do not escape objective truth. If relativism is true everyone is already right, so that inquiry or the correction of error is impossible.