Lecture Ethical Positions 2024 PDF

Week 3 HED 2101 PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS COURSE FACILITATOR: DR. MARIA ROSARIO CATACUTAN  These course notes were prepared by Maria Rosario G. Catacutan, PhD, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Strathmore University for purposes of teaching the unit Principles of Ethics for the semester...

Week 3 HED 2101 PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS COURSE FACILITATOR: DR. MARIA ROSARIO CATACUTAN  These course notes were prepared by Maria Rosario G. Catacutan, PhD, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Strathmore University for purposes of teaching the unit Principles of Ethics for the semester Aug to Nov 2024 The author requests that her permission be obtained by anyone who wishes to use this presentation for purposes other than what is intended by the author. Ethical theories and frameworks Part 1 Ethical positions throughout history Readings ▪ Notes on the elearning platform ▪ Debeljuh, Ethics Learning to Live, Chapter 2 Video: What is ethics? Ethical theories and frameworks Relativism Hedonism Utilitarianism Consequentialism Deontological ethics Altruism Virtue ethics (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle => Aquinas) Relativism Relativism Relativism Truth is ‘relative’ (relativism) to the person, context, environment, culture – We can’t agree… we can’t reach a consensus concerning what is right or wrong… – It all depends on “you”… “culture”, “customs”, etc… Relativism Forms of relativism Truth depends on the ‘subject’/individual (subjectivism); criterion for truth is ‘oneself’. – Herbert Spencer (1820-1903): Each person establishes “his own morality” [True for you but not for me] Cultural relativism: good and evil depend on the ethical values prevailing in society/culture – Emile Durkheim (1859-1917): Morality is determined by the “majority” group Situation ethics –morality depends on the situation as perceived by an individual’s conscience Critical evaluation of relativism All forms of relativism imply an intrinsic contradiction For a relativist, (1) there is no statement/judgment that can be true in an absolute sense, and (2) all truth is said to be relative. A relativist who says “There is no absolute truth” or “truth is relative” is in fact stating a truth” If there is no absolute truth, then there is no relative truth for the latter exists with reference to the former. Video: True for you but not for me Paul Copan Prof of Philosophy and Ethics Palm Beach, Atlantic University Consequentialism The morality of an action depends on its outcomes or consequences (ethics of results) An action is good if the sum total of the good consequences exceeds the bad consequences that arise from a concrete action Critical evaluation of consequentialism: – What problems could arise from consequentialism? – Lying: Is lying good or bad? – Lying is good if the good consequences that would arise are more than the bad consequences – Lying is bad: bad