Ethics II PHI101 PDF

ETHICS II PHI101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY DR SIMON LANGFORD  OUTLINE Recap Plato/Socrates’ response to Glaucon The tripartite theory of the soul Happiness and the harmonious soul Four kinds of disordered soul Problems for Pla...

ETHICS II PHI101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY DR SIMON LANGFORD  OUTLINE Recap Plato/Socrates’ response to Glaucon The tripartite theory of the soul Happiness and the harmonious soul Four kinds of disordered soul Problems for Plato’s view. Egoism and altruism  RECAP In the previous class we considered 3 views about morality from Plato’s Republic. Morality as following society’s conventions Morality as what benefits the powerful Morality as an instrumentally valuable social contract We also talked about the myth of the ring of Gyges and the idea that the immoral person is happier than the moral person. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=TFVMW6SNUX8&T=30S  THE TRIPARTITE SOUL Plato’s Response Plato attempts to show that being moral is intrinsically good and instrumentally good. He attempts to show that the moral person is always happier than the immoral person. The Tripartite Soul The human soul is made up of three parts: Reason Spirit Appetite  A SOUL IN HARMONY Reason guides us to truth and knowledge. The spirit wills and puts into action what reason tells it to do. The spirit is noble. The appetite is our desire, e.g., for bodily pleasures. The appetite is base. Socrates argues that the moral person’s soul is in harmony: reason governs; spirit wills what reason chooses; reason and spirit keep the appetite in order. I.e., the moral person has a well-ordered soul. Like health, this is intrinsically good as well as instrumentally good.  HARMONY AND HAPPINESS For Socrates, having a harmonious soul is happiness. You can control your desires and not be ruled by them. You can use reason to desire the right things. You can use reason and a well-functioning spirit to fulfil those desires. You can use reason to avoid regret and frustration. The pleasures of the harmonious soul are the greatest pleasures. So, for Socrates, the person with the harmonious soul acts morally (guided by reason) and achieves the greatest happiness. What do you think so far?  DISORDERED SOULS When the soul is not in harmony, an immoral character results. Plato describes 4 kinds of disordered souls. Timocratic character (ruled by spirit—seeks glory and honor above all) Think of a samurai warrior or a knight who puts glory and honor first.  DISORDERED SOULS Oligarchic character (ruled by necessary appetites—seeks wealth above all) Necessary appetites include the desire for shelter, security, food etc. The oligarchic character seeks wealth above all to ensure he can have whatever he needs. Democratic character (ruled by unnecessary appetites—seeks freedom above all) The democratic character wants to be able to do as he pleases without anybody constraining him. He seeks freedom above all so that nobody can stop him from living the way he wants to live.  DISORDERED SOULS Tyrannic character (ruled by lawless appetites—seeks pleasure above all) The tyrant is ruled by lawless desires and seeks pleasure above all no matter who he hurts. He will harm and kill others as he desires. These four disordered characters depart further and further from the harmonious soul which is ruled by reason.  HARMONY AND HAPPINESS The tyrannic character is a slave to his desires and dominates those around him. He has lost touch with reality and lost control of himself. His desires cannot be satisfied. He regrets time spent chasing desires that don’t satisfy and fears a hollow future without fulfilment.  HARMONY AND HAPPINESS The pleasures of the harmonious soul are greater than those of the disordered soul. Each type of character may believe that his own pleasures are superior. But the harmonious soul knows better than the others. He has experienced the pleasures of appetite, spirit and reason. Through his greater command of reason, he has a keener ability to compare them.  PROBLEMS FOR PLATO Problem 1: Plato claims that the despised and mistreated just man is happier than the loved and well-treated unjust man. Through reason, the just man can control his feelings and does not require the esteem of others. Does this underestimate our dependence on others and the misery of physical suffering? Problem 2: What is justice? Plato’s answer: it is when reason rules spirt and appetite. What about the psychopath/sociopath? He may not be out of control like the tyrant. His reason may be in control—he just doesn’t care if his actions harm other people.  PROBLEMS FOR PLATO Problem 3: What is morality? Plato’s answer focuses on oneself—having a harmonious soul. Shouldn’t the answer be more focused on the value and rights of other people? Being moral/just is largely about how you treat other people. Next, we will look more carefully at why people act morally. This is something we have touched on already.  PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM Glaucon’s social contract idea implies that moral behavior is self-interested. We don’t act morally because we really care about other people; we do it for our own benefit. This view of human motivation is called psychological egoism. It says that we always act out of self-interest.  PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM Thomas Hobbes 1588 - 1679 No man giveth but with intention of good to himself, because gift is voluntary; and of all voluntary acts, the object is to every man his own good; of which, if men see they shall be frustrated, there will be no beginning of benevolence or trust, nor consequently of mutual help. (1651 [1981: Ch. 15]) we behave morally to our own benefit  PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM If that is right, it looks like we may not be capable of acting morally at all. E.g., Immanuel Kant affirms that man should act: …not from inclination but from duty, and by this would his conduct first acquire true moral worth. 1724-1804  ALTRUISM AND ULTIMATE DESIRES It is tempting to think that for behaviour to be genuinely moral, it must be altruistic. Altruism: behavior that is motivated by an ultimate desire for the well-being of another person. What are ultimate desires? If you desire A because it will help you get something else you desire, B, then your desire for A is an instrumental desire. If you desire A in itself NOT as a way to get something else you desire, then your desire for A in an ultimate desire.  ALTRUISM AND ULTIMATE DESIRES Suppose you help somebody in need. That is pro-social behavior. But is it altruistic? Example You believe Mary is sad, and you believe that if you help Mary, she will help you get a good job in her company, which will make you very happy. This is not altruistic—you have an instrumental desire to help Mary, but it is based on an ultimate desire for your own happiness.  ALTRUISM AND ULTIMATE DESIRES Example 2 You believe Mary is sad, and you believe that if you help Mary, she will feel better. This looks altruistic—you have an instrumental desire to help Mary, and it is based on an ultimate desire for Mary’s wellbeing.  ALTRUISM AND ULTIMATE DESIRES Psychological egoism says: all our actions are like the first example—based on an ultimate desire for our own wellbeing ( self image self satisfaction, even we donated the charity anonymously we still get self image ) Altruism says: at least sometimes we act from an ultimate desire for the wellbeing of another person. ( we don’t ALWAYS look for our benefit ) Do you think that we can act altruistically? Do you think being moral requires acting altruistically?  SUMMARY Plato’s Tripartite Soul: Reason, Spirit, Appetite The moral person has a harmonious soul 4 kinds of disordered souls (Timocratic, Oligarchic, Democratic, Tyrannic) The pleasures of the harmonious soul are greater Problems for Plato Why do people behave morally? Psychological Egoism vs. Altruism Instrumental desires and ultimate desires  QUESTIONS Explain Plato’s tripartite view of the soul. What is morality/justice, according to Plato? Why is it intrinsically good? What are the four disordered souls described by Plato? Why is the tyrannic character unhappy, according to Plato? Is Plato right? What problems does Plato’s view of justice/morality face? What is psychological egoism? What is altruism? Explain the difference between instrumental desires and ultimate desires.