class 2 4-05

Ethical Theory

A Crash Course

Today

� Clarify some relationships between terms� Morality and ethical theory

� Morality and ethics

� Morality and law

� Two (of Five) Ethical Theories� Relativism

� Egoism

5 Ethical Theories

� Relativism

� Egoism

� Utilitarianism (J.S. Mill)

� Kantianism (I. Kant)

� Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)

3 Approaches to Morality/Ethical Theory

� Descriptive

� Conceptual

� Prescriptive (Normative)

Clarify Relationship between Terms

� Morality

� Ethical Theory

� Ethics

� Law

Problems with “Definitions”

� No ultimate authority for definitions of philosophical terms like “ethics”

� Philosophical definitions often differ from common usage of terms

� Words like “ethics” have histories, not definitions

B & B on “Morality”

“Morality is concerned with social practices defining right and wrong.” (1)

� Transmitted generation to generation

� Cannot be a purely personal policy

B & B on Morality andEthical Theory (“Ethics”)

“Morality…consists of what persons ought to do in order to conform to society’s norms of behavior, whereas ethical theory concerns the philosophical reasons for and against aspects of the morality stipulated by society.” (2)

B & B on Ethical Theory

“[Ethical theory] centers on justification: Philosophers seek to justify a system of standards or some moral point of view on the basis of carefully analyzed and defended concepts and principles….”(2)

Morality and Ethics

� For most purposes, they’re interchangeable terms.

� Recommend: Figure out what the writer/speaker means by these terms and whether anything turns on their definitions.

Handy Definitions for Reading Kant, Mill, Aristotle

� “Ethics is the pursuit of the good life.”

� “Morality is that part of ethics that involves universal principles of right and wrong, good and bad.”

Morality vs. Ethics

� Morality (Kant)

� Universal statements of right/wrong, good/bad

� Rule-oriented, i.e., what not to do

� Motives of actions

� Treatment of others

� Authority

� Religion

� Reason

� Ethics (Aristotle)

� Closer to prudence/ pragmatism

� What works

� Consequences of actions

� Character

� Authority

� Excellent people

� Experienced judges

B & B on Morality and Law

“If something is legal, it is not necessarily moral; if something is illegal, it is not necessarily immoral. To discharge one’s legal responsibilities is not necessarily to discharge one’s moral responsibilities.”(5)

Business Ethics and Compliance

� Due to legal and PR pressures, “ethics” in the business world has come to mean compliance to legal and professional standards.

� “Ethics” = CYA

� Who do businesses call with “ethics” questions?

� “Ethics” scandals in the media

� NY Times article, etc.

Today: 2 Ethical Theories

� Relativism

� Egoism

Relativism

� Cultural Relativism

� Ethical Relativism

(aka Normative Ethical Relativism)

Relativism

“Each culture should have the right to determine its own moral standards.”

Relativism

Fear of Cultural Imperialism

vs.

Denying the possibility of universal ethical principles/standards

Relativism

Relativism of judgments

vs.

Relativism of standards

Relativism

Tolerance vs. Universal Human Rights

Relativism and Subjectivism

“I have my own morality.”


Entitlement to hold an opinion

vs.

Entitlement to be right


“I believe capital punishment is wrong.”

“Capital punishment is wrong.”


“I have my own morality.”

vs.

“I often find myself in moral disagreement with others.”

Egoism

Plato’s “Ring of Gyges”

(aka “My Precious”)

Egoism

“Let’s suppose…that there were two such rings, one worn by a just and the other by an unjust person….[The just person’s] actions would be in no way different from those of an unjust person….”

Egoism

� Psychological

� Ethical

Psychological Egoism

� “Psychological egoism is the view that everyone is always motivated to act in his or her perceived self-interest.”(12)

Psychological Egoism

� If true, i.e., if altruism is impossible, then normative ethical theory is futile.

� Is there such a thing as altruism?

� What, if anything, is wrong with psychological egoism?

Psychological Egoism(James Rachels)

� The object wanted determines whether it’s self-interested, not the wanting of it.

� E.g., helping an old lady cross the street


Makes unwarranted assumption:

Every action is either motivated by self-interest or other-regarding motives. (And there is no such thing as a purely other-regarding motive.)

False dichotomy

� E.g., smoking


Another unwarranted assumption:

Concern for one’s own welfare is incompatible with a genuine concern for the welfare of others.

Ethical Egoism

“[T]he only valid standard of conduct is the obligation to promote one’s well-being above everyone else’s.”(14)

“[O]ne should consider the interests of others only when it suits one’s own interests.”(14)

Ethical Egoism

� Thomas Hobbes

� “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

� Powerful government

Ethical Egoism

Adam Smith

� Leads to largest number of benefits for the largest number of persons

� Free market

� Invisible hand

� Minimal government—rules of the game

Ethical Egoism

What, if anything, is wrong with “enlightened self-interest”?

class 2 4-05

Documents