What are ethics?

What are ethics?

Ethics and Law

• The laws a society makes reflect the ethical standards of that society.

• EX: In the United States we believe that driving at high speeds is dangerous and a hazard to the common good. Therefore, we make laws that limit the speed that cars may drive.

Ethics and Law

• YOUR TURN: Think of a law that reflects an ethical value of the United States… Explain which ethical values are being upheld by the law…

QUESTIONS

• How do you determine what is right and what is wrong?

Ethical Philosophies

• Utilitarianism

• Deontology

• Consequentialism

• Moral Relativism

• Virtue Ethics

UtilitarianismDecisions are based around the concept of doing the most good for the most people.

So, a utilitarian looks to benefit the maximum number of people as much of the time as possible, sometimes at the expense of the individual or small groups.

Deontology• Decisions are

based around the adherence to rules or strict moral codes.

• For example, lying is wrong, even if it is done to spare someone’s feelings.

• Things are always right or always wrong.

• Morality comes from “duty”

• Founder: Immanuel Kant

Consequentialism• Decisions are based around how the situations

turned out in the end.

• In other words, doing something “immoral” is justified if it serves a better outcome than doing nothing or adhering to rigid codes of morality.

Virtue Ethics• Correct moral action is

derived from exposure to and then practicing decision making in moral situations.

• The more moral action one takes, the more moral one becomes. Moral behavior takes practice!

• Founder: Aristotle

Virtue Ethics• Aristotle taught that there were “virtues” humans should

strive for in their daily lives and that they should practice these in measured amounts.

• Examples: justice, courage, loyalty, temperance, civility, humility, etc…

• When a person was practicing too little (vice of deficiency), or too much (vice of excess), this would be an immoral act. Aristotle called the perfect balance, the concept of the “mean”.

Courage

VICE of DEFICIENCY

MEAN VICE of EXCESS

Courage

VICE of DEFICIENCY

MEAN VICE of EXCESS

COWARDICE BRAVERY RECKLESSNESS

Moral Relativism • Relativists believe that there are no

set moralities and that moral decision making must rest purely on the people and the particular culture they belong to.

• However, immoral acts are still possible when the act offends the prevailing ethical standards of a particular culture.

• Different cultures can have differing moral codes, but members must still adhere to those codes.

Moral Relativism

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