Ethics: Egoism, Subjectivism, Moral Dilemmas

Introduction to Ethics

• Ethics generally concerns pursuing good and avoiding bad, along with acting in right ways and avoiding wrong actions
• The study of ethics involves determining the basis for values that hold special importance in human life

Moral and Non-Moral Problems

• A key question is when a rule or problem becomes a moral issue

Kinds of Valuations Outside of Ethics

• Aesthetic valuations involve approval or disapproval based on sensory appeal but are not considered ethical valuations
• Technical Valuations are considered right or wrong based on adhering to proper procedure
• Etiquette involves judging actions based the observation of standards of etiquette, distinct from ethical judgement
• Acts of Man are involuntary actions necessary to sustain life and have no ethical implications
• Human Acts encompass voluntary actions, like helping others, which are subject to moral and ethical considerations

Valuations Involving Moral or Ethical Considerations

• Moral problems involve valuations directly related to human actions characterized by gravity and concern for human well-being itself .

Examples that involve moral or ethical considerations

• Acts that may not directly threaten life, but whose consequences pose a significant threat, demand ethical consideration
• Moral problems can arise when standards are violated
• Religious beliefs can serve as moral standards
• Moral problems include violating moral principles

Examples of moral principles

• Not using people
• Not killing one person to save another
• Recognizing the sanctity of every life
• Avoiding discrimination against the handicapped

Who Can Be Ethical?

• St. Thomas Aquinas posits that humans are ethical because they possess a rational soul
• Rationality enables awareness of situations and environments
• Consciousness and the ability to think allows individuals to make capable judgement
• These capacities enable humans to foresee action consequences and judge rightness or wrongness
• Only humans possess this capacity; thus morality os a human endevour

Reason, Free Will, and Conscience

• Ethical assumptions like free will and reason are critical in determining who can be ethical
• Reason or rationality and freedom are important elements to determine actions within the realm of morality
• Without these assumptions, ethical valuation cannot be ascribed to an act
• Conscience, the inner voice distinguishing right from wrong, is exclusive to human beings

Moral Experience

• Moral consideration comes from moral situations that require or need moral judgement to do good or its opposite It's important to know what makes up moral problems and how to tell them apart; people can use that information to guide their decisions
• Without distinguishing morally loaded actions from those without moral significance, responsibility for actions can be ignored, leading to instant, instinctive decisions

Moral Dilemma

• Moral dilemma is a situation of conflict that occurs when two moral points conflict with each other
• It described as a more complicated situation in which you're torn between two goods, or two evils
• A moral dilemma is when there are many viable options, as well as when they're morally sound, but only one can be given preference, and the others have to be ruled out

3 Different Levels of Moral Dilemma

• Personal Dilemma pertains to individual choices, including problems between individuals
• Organizational Dilemma relates to business, medical, or public sector issues, affecting all members of the organization
• Structural Dilemma encompasses an entire institutional network and theoretical paradigm

Moral Assumptions

• Reason is the first element of any human act. Every person is a thinking human being
• They are aware of their actions and consequences and meaning they can discern the ethical implications of their actions, understanding whether an action is right or wrong

Freedoms

• Freedom is a critical element in moral valuation, ethical value can't be justified without it
• Moral action stems from individuals acting freely to do good
• Moral valuation and responsibility can't be attributed to actions devoid of freedom

Requirement of Morality

• Morality involves guiding conduct by reason, doing what has the best reasons and giving equal importance too the intersts of people affected

Standards of Moral Valuations Based on Self

• Subjectivism asserts that the individual is central to all moral valuations
• The individual is the sole determinant of what is morally good or bad, right or wrong.

Egoism

• Egoism is a doctrine where individual self-interest is the valid end of all actions

Types of Egoism

• Psychological Egoism is a descriptive theory asserting humans are inherently self-interested and seek self-fulfillment, consciously or unconsciously, in all actions
• Ethical Egoism is the position that self-interest and personal ends are the only overriding concern, driven by selfish motives without regard for others

Explore ethical egoism, subjectivism, and moral dilemmas. Understand the differences between psychological and ethical egoism. Delve into moral decision-making and the importance of recognizing moral situations.