The Common Good Approach in Ethics
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Questions and Answers

What is the most cited definition of civic education?

  • Encouraging isolationism
  • Promoting individualism
  • Studying the history of a nation
  • Studying the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a politically organized group (correct)

    • Ethical questions are concerned with what one would do.

    False

    Define morality.

    Morality is the degree to which an action conforms to a standard or norm of human conduct.

    Laws can be ______ or immoral.

    <p>unethical</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their meanings:

    <p>Ethics = Explores the meaning and ranking of different ethical values Morality = Related to praxis, the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason Laws = Norms approved by state bodies to promote social harmony</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the core values promoted in Moral and Civics Education?

    <p>Respect for life, Respect for reasoning, Fairness, Concern for the welfare of others, Respect for diversity, Peaceful resolution of conflict</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which ethical theories are included in normative ethics?

    <p>Feminist ethics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Ethical egoism advocates for actions that prioritize the common good.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the key principle of Utilitarianism?

    <p>Producing the greatest happiness for the greatest number</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Kant's Categorical Imperative based on?

    <p>Kant's Categorical Imperative is based on the idea that there are certain objective ethical rules in the world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Kant, how should moral questions be determined?

    <p>Moral questions should be determined independent of reference to the particular subject posing them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which division of duties is imposed by Kant's Principle of Universality?

    <p>Both</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Kant, people should be used as a means to an end.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Ross's Prima Facie Duties are understood as ________.

    <p>guidelines</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the central focus of consequentialist ethics?

    <p>The outcome or consequences of the act</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who are the two English philosophers and social reformers known for their writings on utilitarianism?

    <p>Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Bentham's utilitarianism, the end justifies the __.

    <p>means</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Act-utilitarianism states that an act is right only if it results in the most good possible.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the philosopher with the type of utilitarianism they advocated:

    <p>Jeremy Bentham = Hedonistic utilitarianism John Stuart Mill = Eudaimonistic utilitarianism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fundamental principle of utilitarianism?

    <p>The principle of utility</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which philosopher stated that the right act or policy is the one that causes 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number'?

    <p>Jeremy Bentham</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Psychological altruism holds that all human actions are necessarily self-centered.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the Divine Command Theory, an act is morally __________ if it is permitted by the command of God.

    <p>permissible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the philosopher with their ethical theory:

    <p>Kant = Deontological Ethics Bentham = Utilitarianism Locke = Rights Theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are examples of intrinsically bad practices?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In ethical decision-making, facts alone determine what actions should be taken.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of ethics according to the text?

    <p>to offer tools for thinking about difficult problems</p> Signup and view all the answers

    _______ occurs when rational or credible motives are used to cover up true motives.

    <p>Rationalization</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following ethical reasoning types with their descriptions:

    <p>Reasoning by analogy = Explains one thing by comparing it to something similar Deductive reasoning = Applies a principle to a situation Inductive reasoning = Provides evidence to support a hypothesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fundamental goal of fairness and justice approach in ethics?

    <p>To treat everyone the same way</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the Common Good Approach, what is ethical?

    <p>What advances the common good</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the Rights Approach, it is morally acceptable to use people in ways they do not freely choose.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the 18th century thinker Immanuel Kant, people have dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives and have a fundamental __________ to have these choices respected.

    <p>moral right</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is social morality concerned with?

    <p>human beings in relation to other human beings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to liberal pluralism, what is the role of the state in society?

    <p>To act as a neutral arbiter among competing groups</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Locke, what are the 'natural' or God-given individual rights that the state should defend?

    <p>life, liberty, property</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Marxists view the capitalist state as a neutral arbiter in society.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Marx's view, the state is part of a 'superstructure' that is determined by the economic 'base'. This reflects the unequal class ____.

    <p>power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the theorist with their view of the state:

    <p>Robert Dahl, Charles Lindblom = Modern pluralists view the state as complex and less responsive to popular pressures Karl Marx = The state is seen as an instrument of class oppression New Right Theorists = Believe in minimal state intervention and view the state as overbearing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why should human beings be moral?

    <p>to live peacefully, happily, creatively, and meaningfully</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following are common answers to 'Why be moral?'

    <p>Behaving morally is a matter of self-respect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Hobbes, what is the purpose of morality?

    <p>To promote wellbeing and freedom</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the components of the state with their descriptions:

    <p>Population = Without it, there can be no state Defined Territory = Includes land, water, and airspace Government = Implements the will of the community Sovereignty = Highest power that distinguishes the state</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Understanding Civics and Ethics

    • Definition of Civic Education:
      • Studies about the rights and responsibilities of citizens of a politically organized group of people
      • Knowledge, means, and activities designed to encourage students to participate actively in democratic life
    • Minimal and Maximal Concepts of Civic Education:
      • Minimal: content-led, teacher-based, whole-class teaching, examination-based assessment
      • Maximal: comprised of knowledge, values, and skills, prepares students for active participation, extends learning beyond the curriculum and classroom
    • Definition of Ethics and Morality:
      • Ethics: branch of philosophy, explores the meaning and ranking of different ethical values, establishes standards and norms of conduct
      • Morality: related to praxis, concerned with the conduct itself, code of conduct one follows accepted in a society or subgroup

    Ethics and Law

    • Laws: norms formally approved by the state or national/international political bodies to promote well-being, resolve conflicts, and promote social harmony
    • Differences between Ethics and Law:
      • Some actions may be illegal but not unethical
      • Some actions may be unethical but not illegal
      • Laws can be unethical or immoral
      • Ethics is not enforceable by law

    Importance of Moral and Civic Education

    • Goals:
      • Make individuals responsible and efficient members of their community
      • Teach values and sense of commitment that define an active and principled citizen
      • Produce self-confident citizens who decide on issues based on reason
      • Create a generation capable of shouldering family and national responsibility
    • Necessity:
      • Instill citizens about their rights and duties
      • Foster a participant political culture
      • Provide relevant knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes
      • Overcome discrimination and nurture inclusive dialogue among cultural groups
      • Contribute to peace-building

    Approaches to Ethics

    • Teleological Ethics (Consequentialist):
      • Judges an action based on its consequences
      • Action is right or wrong depending on the outcome
      • Includes theories such as utilitarianism, hedonism, and ethical egoism
    • Deontological Ethics:
      • Denies the principle of maximizing good over evil
      • Asserts that there are other considerations that make an action right or obligatory besides its consequences
      • Includes principles such as justice, keeping promises, and being commanded by God or the state
    • Egoism:
      • Ethical Egoism: focuses on the consequences of actions, believes that those consequences justify actions
      • Psychological Egoism: asserts that individuals act only in their own self-interest
      • Argument for ethical egoism: if individuals are psychologically programmed to act only in their own self-interest, then they can never be obligated to perform altruistic acts### Normative Ethical Theories

    Ethical Egoism

    • Ethical egoism is a normative theory that suggests one should always act in their own self-interest.
    • It does not forbid helping others, but only if it benefits oneself.
    • It does not say one should always do what is most pleasurable, but what will be of long-term benefit to oneself.

    Psychological Egoism

    • Psychological egoism is the argument that humans are always seeking their own greatest good.
    • It suggests that one's own self-interest is the only basic principle in human nature.
    • The argument is used to support ethical egoism, but it is not logically compelling.

    Utilitarianism

    • Utilitarianism is a universal teleological system that aims to maximize goodness in society.
    • The theory suggests that an action is best if it procures the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
    • There are two types of utilitarianism: act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism.
    Act-Utilitarianism
    • Act-utilitarianism suggests that an act is right if and only if it results in as much good as any available alternative.
    • It is a practical problem to decide which act is the correct one in each case.
    Rule-Utilitarianism
    • Rule-utilitarianism suggests that an act is right if and only if it is required by a rule that is itself a member of a set of rules whose acceptance would lead to greater utility for society than any available alternative.
    • It is a more specific rule that passes the test of rational scrutiny.
    Criticism of Utilitarianism
    • Problems with formulating utilitarianism: determining which variable to rank first when they seem to conflict (happiness or number).
    • The comparative consequences objection: it is difficult to predict the long-term consequences of actions.
    • The consistency objection to rule-utilitarianism: it can become a deontological system or transform into act-utilitarianism.
    • The no-rest objection: one should always do what promotes the most utility, leaving no time for rest or leisure.
    • The publicity objection: utilitarianism seems to contradict the requirement of publicity.
    • The relativism objection: rule-utilitarianism seems to endorse different rules in different societies.
    • Criticism of the ends justifying immoral means: utilitarian ends might justify immoral means, such as lying or torture.

    Altruism

    • Altruism is a moral theory that suggests an action is right if the consequences of that action are favorable to all except the actor.
    • Psychological altruism holds that all human action is necessarily other-centered and other-motivated.
    • Altruists act to increase other people's pleasure, even if it decreases their own pleasure and causes themselves pain.### Deontological Ethics
    • Rightness or wrongness of moral action is determined with reference to formal rules of conduct rather than consequences or result of an action.
    • It is referred to as "the means justifies the end".
    • Deontological moral theory is diametrically opposite to utilitarianism.
    • It is a duty-based theory, and consequences or results of our action have nothing to do with their rightness or wrongness.
    • Emphasis is on intentions, motives, moral principles, or performance of duty rather than results.

    The Divine Command Theory

    • Ethical principles are simply the commands of God.
    • Derive their validity from God's commanding them.
    • Without God, there would be no universally valid morality.
    • Analyze the DCT into three separate theses:
      • Morality originates with God.
      • Moral rightness simply means "willed by God", and moral wrongness means "being against the will of God."
      • Because morality essentially is based on divine will, not on independently existing reasons for action, no further reasons for action are necessary.

    Rights Theory

    • A "right" is a justified claim against another person's behavior.
    • Correlativity of rights and duties: Rights and duties are related in such a way that the rights of one person imply the duties of another person.
    • John Locke argued that the laws of nature mandate that we should not harm anyone's life, health, liberty, or possessions.
    • Thomas Jefferson recognized three foundational rights in the United States Declaration of Independence:
      • Life
      • Liberty
      • Pursuit of happiness
    • Four features traditionally associated with moral rights:
      • Natural - not invented or created by governments
      • Universal - do not change from country to country
      • Equal - rights are the same for all people, irrespective of gender, race, or handicap
      • Inalienable - one cannot hand over his/her rights to another person

    Kant's Categorical Imperative

    • Not consequences which determine the rightness or wrongness of an act, but the intention of the person who carries out the act.
    • The emphasis is on the correctness of the action, regardless of the possible benefits or harm it might produce.
    • There are some moral obligations which are absolutely binding, no matter what consequences are produced.
    • Kant's duty-based theory emphasizes a single principle of duty.
    • The categorical imperative is a single, self-evident principle of reason that he calls the "categorical imperative".
    • Different from hypothetical imperatives that hinge on some personal desire.
    • Kant emphasizes the idea of good intention.

    Ross's Prima Facie Duties or Moral Guidelines

    • Prima facie duties are duties that dictate what we should do when other moral factors are not considered.
    • Examples of prima facie duties:
      • Duty to keep promises
      • Duty of reparation
      • Duty of gratitude
      • Duty of justice
      • Duty of beneficence
      • Duty of self-improvement
      • Duty of non-maleficence
    • Prima facie duties are understood as guidelines, not rules without exception.
    • The actual duty has the greatest amount of prima facie rightness over wrongness.

    Moral and Civics Chapter 3

    • The function of morality is to give guidance in dealing with puzzles and provide principles and rules that are acceptable to everyone.
    • Individuals consider what is right and correct based on their own justification.
    • The ethical nature of our action and decision is dependent on our notion of "Good" and "Bad", "Right" and "wrong".
    • Instrumental good and intrinsic good:
      • Instrumental good: things which we consider good or desirable for their result or what they lead to.
      • Intrinsic good: things which we consider good not because of what they lead to but because of what they are in themselves.
    • Task of ethics: to analyze and critically consider the values we hold and the claims we make, to evaluate the adequacy of reasons that we give for our actions.

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    Explore the philosophical concept of the common good, its roots in Greek philosophy, and its implications for ethical reasoning and social welfare.

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