Ethics: Introduction to Moral Philosophy Reviewer PDF
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This document presents an introduction to ethics and moral philosophy, covering key concepts such as moral reasoning, moral dilemmas, consequentialism, and justice. It explores different ethical theories, including those of Bentham, Mill, and Kant, as well as the concept of human rights. The handouts provide a framework for understanding ethical principles and their application.
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MORAL REASONING HANDOUT 01: INTRODUCTION TO - the process of thinking about what is right and wrong ETHICS AND MORAL PHILOSOPHY MORAL DILEMMA ETHICS...
MORAL REASONING HANDOUT 01: INTRODUCTION TO - the process of thinking about what is right and wrong ETHICS AND MORAL PHILOSOPHY MORAL DILEMMA ETHICS - a situation where we must choose - originates from the Greek word ethos between two actions with both good and (character/custom) bad aspects - set of rules or principles that help people decide what is good or bad, right or wrong WHY DO RULES MATTER: - shaped by values, beliefs, and culture 1. Cooperation - teamwork 2. Law and Order - maintain structure and MORALITY predictability - originates from the Latin word moralis 3. Equality - fairness (customs/manners) 4. Accountability - take responsibility 5. Rights Protection - protect individual MORAL PHILOSOPHY rights and freedom - the broader field that explores where those ethical rules come from, why they exist, and IMPACTS OF BREAKING RULES: how they are justified. 1. Ruins Trust - damages relationships and teamwork Think of it like this: 2. Interferes with Harmony - disrupts Ethics is the "what to do." peace Moral philosophy is the "why and how we 3. Stalls Progress - maintains chaos and decide what to do." instability Ethics helps us act, while moral 4. Keeps Consequences - punishments or philosophy helps us understand the negative outcomes reasoning behind those actions. KEY BRANCHES OF ETHICS: MAIN REASONS WHY ETHICS MATTER: 1. Normative Ethics 1. Guiding Personal Behavior - integrity 2. Metaethics and accountability 3. Applied Ethics 2. Promoting Social Harmony - cooperation and understanding NORMATIVE ETHICS 3. Encouraging Critical Thinking - - standards or norms engaging with ethical questions 4. Influenced by Policy and Governance - METAETHICS laws and social norms - ethical statements and judgments THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF ETHICS: APPLIED ETHICS 1. Moral Reasoning - practical application of ethical principles 2. Moral Dilemma HANDOUT 02: MORAL CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE - Immanuel Kant THEORIES AND JUSTICE - you should act only in ways that you believe everyone should act CONSEQUENTIALISM - outcomes or consequences IMMANUEL KANT - " rational principles must guide moral UTILITARIANISM actions and that individuals should always - happiness or benefit to most people treat others as ends in themselves, not merely as means to an end." TYPES OF CONSEQUENTIALISM - most influential deontologist 1. Act Consequentialism - believed in the importance of reason and 2. Rule Consequentialism moral law. ACT CONSEQUENTIALISM VIRTUE ETHICS - individual actions and its outcomes which - character of the moral agent are judged by how much happiness it creates. CHARACTER OVER ACTION - ethical behavior comes from being a good RULE CONSEQUENTIALISM person rather than following rules or - following certain rules leads to best evaluating consequences outcome THE GOLDEN MEAN JEREMY BENTHAM - Aristotle - quantity - virtue lies between two extremes (excess - founder of utilitarianism and deficiency). - "actions are right if they bring happiness and wrong if they cause pain." ARISTOTLE - father of virtue ethics JOHN STUART MILL - developing good character traits to - quality achieve eudaimonia (human flourishing) - "some pleasures (like intellectual ones) are more valuable than others (like physical THE CONCEPT OF JUSTICE AND ones." HUMAN RIGHT DEONTOLOGY JUSTICE - focuses on duties and rules - principle of fairness - some actions are right or wrong regardless of its outcome IMPORTANCE OF JUSTICE: - Maintain social order DUTY-BASED ETHICS - Ensure recognized and protected rights - moral duties that must be followed, - Promotes accountability regardless of the results. - Discourages wrongdoing - Promotes trust 10. Right to fair trial - public trial, fair and MAIN TYPES OF JUSTICE: impartial trial, and legal representation 1. Distributive Justice 2. Retributive Justice 3. Restorative Justice 4. Social Justice DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE - fair distribution of resources and benefits within society. RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE - punishment for wrongdoing RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - repairing the harm SOCIAL JUSTICE - need for equality and fair treatment HUMAN RIGHTS - the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS: 1. Right to life - right to live 2. Right to liberty and security - personal freedom 3. Right to equality before the law - individuals treated equally and protected by law 4. Freedom of expression - express one's opinions freely without retaliation 5. Right to privacy - protection from arbitrary interference 6. Right to education - access to education 7. Right to work and fair wages - gain employment and receive fair compensation 8. Freedom of assembly - gather peacefully and form associations 9. Right to participate in government - take part in the political process
