Philosophy Week 8 Notes Ethics Moral Philosophy Systematizing defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior Three main areas Metaphysics Where do our ethical principles come from what do they mean are they Normative Ethics Standards to regulate right and wrong conduct Applied Ethics Examine specific issues e g abortion animal rights environmental real concerns war etc Normative Ethics Standards to regulate right and wrong conduct test of proper behavior E g Golden Rule We should do others what we would want other to do to us Normative Standards what we should be the case Since I do not want my neighbors to steal my phone then it is wrong for me to steal their Since I want people to feed me when I m starving then I should feed people when they phone are starving Other examples discussed in class This same reasoning can determine if any possible action is right or wrong Normative Theories Virtue Theories Morality is not about following defined set of rules Virtue Ethics What is important is developing good habits of characters Once the characteristics are acquired then you will habitually act in that way Plato s four virtues wisdom courage temperance and justice Christianity s theological virtues faith and hope Duty Theories Morality based on specific principles of obligation Deontological Greek Duty It is not the consequences that matter It is wrong to not care for your kids even if there is great benefit such as financial saving Consequentialist Theory Morality based on weighing the consequences of our actions Consequentialism An action is morally right IFF the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable Kinds agent performing the action Ethical Egoism Action is morally right if consequences are more favorable to the Ethical Altruism Action is morally right if consequences are favorable for everyone except yourself Utilitarianism Actions is morally right if consequences are favorable to everyone Utilitarianism Action is morally right if consequences are favorable to everyone Consequentialist Theory An action is morally right IFF the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable Three Main Kinds wrong to determine if right or wrong Bestiality Act Utilitarianism Add up the consequences of each action to determine if right or Hedonistic Utilitarianism Add up the pleasure and pain that would result from the action Rule Utilitarianism A behavioral rule is morally right if the consequences of adopting that rule are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone Singer Peter Singer Applied Ethics bioethics ethics of living things medical Utilitarian Suffering in the World Case Study Syria 2015 Animal Liberation 1975 Famine Affluence and Morality 1975 3 million refugees left in Syria 6 5 million displaced within Syria 220 000 killed since 2011 1 million injured 10 million starving and malnourished of a population of about 22 million Who is helping Syria Lebanon population of about 4 million has taken in 1 2 million refugees USA population of about 320 million has taken in 11 423 refugees Singer s Claim I shall argue that the way people irrelatively affluent countries react to a situation like that in Syria cannot be justified page 510 In regard to situations like Syria The decisions and actions of human beings can prevent the suffering page 510 What is the case Unfortunately human beings have not made the necessary decisions at the individual level people have with very few expectations true in 1971 as it is now in 2015 not responded to the situation in any significant way page 501 Significant Responses Given large sums of money to relief funds Write their government representative demanding increased government assistance Demonstrated protested in the streets Held symbolic fasts We aren t though Assumption Suffering and death from lack of food shelter and medical care is bad DROWNING CHILD EXAMLE I f it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance we ought morally to do it Singer s Main Argument 1 Lack of food water and medical care is bad 2 If it is in our power to stop something bad from happening without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance we ought to do it 3 The drowning child is an example of our power to prevent a bad thing from happening i e 4 We can prevent the death of a child without sacrificing anything of comparable moral 5 Like the drowning child we ought to prevent lack of food shelter and medical care for the death of a child importance others Read World Hunger and Moral Obligation The Case Against Singer Arthur Arthur Singers Moral Principle Singer s Moral Evil Rule Greater Moral Evil Rule If it is in our power we ought morally to do it page 510 and 503 What does Arthur Think Singer is right that part of our moral code involves equal consideration to equally serious needs page 510 Singer ignores the other part of equality Entitlements Arthur s Main Claim Our commonly shared morality thus consequences nor entitlements page 512 1 Entitlements Example Our Bodies o Sexual Favors o Donating a Kidney or an Eye Your life could be shortened or less enjoyable but It may be unpleasant but you could prevent psychological harm or it would be worse to be blind or die so you should donate those organs rape so you should grant sexual favors body you must show that your unpleasantness would be of equal importance to the harm you would prevent If not you must consent page 511 In order to be justified in refusing your o According to the Greater Moral Evil Rule Entitlement You are entitled to keep your organs and not grant sexual favors because you have a right to your body and that weighs against whatever duty you have to help 1 2 Rights page 511 Negative Rights Right to noninterference o Right to life is a right to not be killed o Property privacy religious freedom right to be left alone Positive Rights Right of Recipience o Having a Child Child has a right to be fed clothed etc o Going into business with a partner Right to have other follow promise e g contracts o Drowning Child Only a case of violated rights positive rights if parent or lifeguard not around 2 2 Desert Positive Desert Getting positive things earned o Deserving to keep your hard earned crops Negative Desert Getting negative things earned o Nazi war criminal deserving to go to jail What Arthur Thinks of Singer Perhaps singer is a reformer Reject Entitlements Entitlements are