Ethics Final Exam Pointers PDF

Consequentialism Utilitarianism can be traced back to the Ancient Philosopher Epicurus. Philosopher associated with modern utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham. Hedonism is a consequentialism based on pleasure. Examples of Consequentialism: An unintentional act that produces happiness is still consider...

Consequentialism Utilitarianism can be traced back to the Ancient Philosopher Epicurus. Philosopher associated with modern utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham. Hedonism is a consequentialism based on pleasure. Examples of Consequentialism: An unintentional act that produces happiness is still considered morally good. Any act promoting the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is always morally acceptable. An act is considered wrong even if most people benefit from it. Problems of Consequentialism It quantifies human dignity. Any action is morally justifiable. It weighs data for decision-making. RULE Utilitarianism Forcing a person without consent is not good in principle, for in the long run, people will be anxious and scared, for the time will come when it will be their turn to be violated. ACT Utilitarianism Whether you like it or not, you must be forced to be operated on and give your organs to the four patients, even at the expense of your life. Not Utilitarianism Batman keeps capturing Joker, yet only puts Joker in prison despite heinous crimes and the​ constant escape. Classical consequentialism Yagami Light owns a powerful notebook that can kill anyone whose name is inscribed within it. Targeting drug addicts and notorious criminals, Light's lethal actions draw the attention of L, a genius international agent. Despite Light's supporters, L maintains that killing without due process is inherently wrong, advocating instead for life imprisonment as a more just punishment. L is right! NOT align with classical consequentialism. Kurapika, despite his unfathomable anger towards the Phantom troupe who kills his entire clan, the Kurta clan, still opts just to capture the Phantom troupe alive. The captured member will only die due to their personal decision to refuse to follow the conditions and the questions of Kurapika. Technically, they commit suicide. Deontology Philosopher: Immanuel Kant (Modern) Categorical (binding) Imperative: Example ( I study for the sake of knowledge itself. I do good for goodness.) Best merit: It brackets our emotional biases so that we can properly use pure reason. Weakness: It abstracts morality from particular situations and circumstances. 1st Formulation of Categorical Imperative: Universalizability What will happen if all people are doing it? ( Can all people do it) Can we do it all the time without contradiction? 2nd Formulation: Humanity formula Humans as ends-in-themselves Human dignity and autonomy Virtue Ethics Vices and Golden Mean (Greek: Aurum Medium) Page 1 of 3 Deficiency (Boorishness) Golden Mean/Virtue (Wittiness) Excess (Buffoonery) Vulgarity- Magnificence- Niggardliness Virtue of Wisdom- verifies what is posted on Facebook by triangulating it with other reliable sources. Virtue of Prudence- does not criticize anything about someone because he does not want to hurt them. He fears they may take revenge, so it is better not to say anything. Discuss the natural law theory of Saint Thomas Aquinas which inspired Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics. Contractarianism -According to Thomas Hobbes, the main ground of morality is cooperative social order or rule. -Defection is when you break the contract you are in – whether you agreed to be in it or not -and you decide to look after your interest, instead of cooperation. Constant war of all against all is the result of the difficulty of life’s reality that Thomas Hobbes elaborated. -Morality consists of the set of rules governing behavior that rational people will accept on the condition that others accept them as well, according to contractarianism. -There is no morality until we make it up is a distinct characteristic of contractarianism. Morality is not innate, not from God. -Right acts are those that do not violate the free and rational agreements that we've made. Examples of agreements: The taxes were spent properly for education, medical health, and infrastructure. There is a country that has a law to kill all the useless individuals, including criminals,​ addicts, and students who have failing grades. Feminist Ethics -Carol Gilligan is a great advocate of feminist ethics with her book "In a Different Voice" published in 1980s. -Feminist ethics is best associated with ethics of care. -The issues of feminist ethics, cloud basic moral code, ethics tends to become gender-based, and indecisiveness in moral decision-making. -Feminist ethics can be expressed in the following actions, to help others meet the basic needs of the people, develop and sustain the basic capabilities of people, and alleviate or avoid pain or suffering responsively. -According to James Rachels, feminist ethics be best understood as part of normative ethics. -This action elaborates feminist ethics, a person joined the relief operation for those affected by the calamity. -Female morality offers a unique voice, emphasizing care and compassion. Applied Ethics Applied ethics is also known as practical ethics. Page 2 of 3 Biocentrism is an environmental ethics that believes all life deserves equal moral consideration and equal moral standing. Hippocratic oath is known for the commitment to do good and avoid harm in bioethics. Applied ethics means, Practical ethics An attempt to provide ethical solutions to real-world problems A branch of philosophy that develops moral theories about how people should behave Applied ethics attempts to answer how people should act in specific situations. Questions under applied ethics: Is it ethical to conduct an experiment that explores the cloning of a human person? Is it ethical for a business owner to bluff during negotiations with another company? Is it morally permissible for a doctor to engage in mercy killing when a terminal cancer patient begs to be put out of her misery? Bioethical principle is involved in a situation where the patient with an urgent, life-threatening illness should be treated first before the patient with a simple trauma is Justice. Bioethical principles Autonomy Beneficence Justice- patient with an urgent, life-threatening illness should be treated first before the patient with a simple trauma. Non Maleficence Applied Ethics are -Bioethics -Business Ethics -Legal Ethics Applied Ethics is always present whenever people's welfare and actions are involved. Applied Ethics intersperse in most disciplines to check and balance the appropriate actions and practices in other fields. Applied Ethics ensures that the will and reason of the people will not be sacrificed in exchange for the so-called progress of the other fields of discipline. Act in a way that you bring all the normative ethics in the particular scenarios. Accountability Page 3 of 3