“The Moral of the Story”

An Introduction to Ethics

What Would You Do? Prediction

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities” (1859)

Why is this such a significant date in American History?

Life before 2001

Life after 2001

The Age of Terrorism

September 11, 2001

Iraq prison known for torture and execution

Retained as a prison

Americans took control

2004 Photos of abuse were released

Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse

Use of dogs to inflict terror on prisoners

Humiliating Poses

Elections

Democrats and Republicans

Assume morals involve good and evil Choices we make

ETHICISTS◦Selfishness vs. unselfishness◦ Informed consent◦Moral principles vs. Consequences◦Group rights vs. Individual right

Traditionally good and evil are religious concepts – which means we pass judgment and take sides - do not remain objective

MORALS

Ronald Reagan 1980 “The Evil Empire”

George W Bush 2001 “Evil acts”

There is a fine line between religion and politics since our country was founded on belief in religious freedom.

Morals and Politics

It exists outside of human beings and tempts us, or influences us.

What is evil?

It exists within us – or is something that might be missing.

Stanford Prison Experiment 1971

Culture based Religion based Compassion Consideration Duty

Moral and non-moral values

What is good?

Values by the age of 7 or it’s too late

Morals and values depend on environment

Should elementary schools teach values?

Morals, Ethics and Values

Greek ethos – character◦Theories about the rules we follow

◦Ordering, questioning, investigation of what we believe

Ethics

Latin mores – character, custom, habit◦The moral rules we follow◦What our social life is composed of

Morals

The DifferenceEthics Morals

Conduct defined by a group, culture, etc.

Conduct defined by an individual’ ideals and principles

Social System - External Individual - Internal

Society says it is right I say it is right

Fear of social/peer disapproval, legal aspects, etc.

Fear of being uncomfortable, remorse, depressed, etc.

Flexible depending on others Usually consistent

What is important

What has worth

Likes and dislikes

Values

Religious reasons – Decrees from God(s)

Philosophy◦Head – use reason, sense, rationality◦Heart – emotion, intuition◦Biology – needed for survival◦Nature of Morality – fear of being caught

Why be moral?

Errors of reasoning

Jumping to conclusions based on partial, or imperfect evidence, or personal biases

Logical Fallacies

Hasty Generalizations – jumping to conclusions based on a small sample◦ The last two mechanics I went to tried to cheat

me, therefore no mechanics can be trusted.

Appeal to Authority – referring to “experts” ◦ Spokesmen◦ High profile personalities◦ Generalized statements … “they”

Begging the Question – assuming what you are trying to prove is a fact◦ I’m right because it’s true.

Ad Baculum (by the stick) – using threats to gain favor◦If you don’t agree with me I won’t talk to

you again.

Ad Hominem (to the man) – who a person is or where they are from determines correctness or incorrectness◦While on the way to lunch you get stuck

behind an elderly person driving 25 mph in a 35 mph zone and claim all old people drive slow.

◦When, “They’re from California” explains it all

Slipper Slope – assuming that drastic consequences will follow a certain decision◦If abortion is continued the human race

will cease to exist.

Straw Man – inventing a viewpoint so radical that hardly anyone holds it, so you can knock it down◦Gun advocates want to allow criminals

and children to carry weapons, so we should work toward a gun ban.

Bifurcating; false dichotomy – creating a situation with no true third option◦We either have to respect all individual

rights or curtail people’s rights in order to achieve security, it’s one or the other.

◦Only applies to a situation with no third possibility, such as being pregnant – you can’t be a little bit pregnant; it’s ether yes or no.

Red Herring – created or placed to deflect away from the truth.

Ad misericordiam – appeal to pity – The teacher’s favorite fallacy!

◦I know I didn’t do that great but I have to get an “A” or my parents will kill me!

◦I had to stay at my friends house and I left my bag in their car and they aren’t here today.

◦I didn’t have time to finish because my printer ran out of ink and we didn’t have anymore because we’re poor.

Inductive◦Based on the evidence the conclusion is uncertain, but likely.

Socrates was Greek. Most Greeks eat fish.

Conclusion: Socrates ate fish.

Deductive◦Based on the evidence the conclusion is certain

Humans are mortal. I am a human.

Conclusion: I am mortal.

Moral Conclusions

It’s not about right and wrongAim for preferable responsesReach conclusions based on a balance between reason and emotion – avoid logical fallacies

Agree to respectfully disagree and accept other’s values

Debating Moral Issues

Stories have value – they teach us lessons, ask us to consider our values and question our morals◦What stories have you learned from?

20th Century – Movies, television and music have similar value◦What alternate media have you learned

from?

The Moral of the Story…