Philosophy March 2nd Objective Opener Understand the problem of Relativism and Morality through discussion and close reading. What is good?

Chapter 5 The Problem of Relativism and Morality © 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. McGraw-Hill

The Problem of Relativism and Morality Relativism the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity within themselves, but they only have relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration. Morality Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Moral Relativism is the position that moral or ethical propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal moral truths, but instead make claims relative to social, cultural, historical or personal circumstances.

Active Euthanasia George Zygmanic, who had become a quadriplegic as a result of a motorcycle accident and was in excruciating pain, asked his brother, Lester, to kill him. Lester did. Did Lester do the right thing? Why or why not?

Types of Moral Judgments We judge actions to be right or wrong. We judge people, their characters, and their motives to be good or bad.

Moral Theorizing We justify our actions by appeal to moral principles. For example: it’s wrong to lie, it’s wrong to steal, it’s wrong to break promises, etc. Can these moral principles be explained in terms of a unified moral theory? For example: Do they follow from a fundamental moral principle?

Morality and Moral Codes Some say there’s nothing more to being moral than following a moral code. But moral codes are often too general to provide specific guidance. For example: Does “Thou shalt not kill” mean it’s immoral to kill in self-defense? They can also be internally inconsistent. For example: the Bible says: “Whosoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.” How does this square with the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill?”

Descriptive vs. Normative Ethics Descriptive ethics, practiced by sociologists, tries to identify the principles that people, in fact, use to make moral judgments. (What is occurring) Normative ethics, practiced by philosophers, tries to identify the principles that people should use to avoid doing wrong. (What should be occurring)

Evolutionary Ethics Some thinkers believe that a descriptive account of the biological basis of moral behavior can yield a normative theory of ethics. But from the fact that something is the case, we can’t conclude that it should be the case. For example: from the fact that in most cultures women are subservient to men, we can’t conclude that women should be subservient to men.

The Long Arm of Reason How has morality evolved over time? What issues do you predict will become immoral in the future?

Constructing Moral Theories Moral theories try to determine what makes an action right or a person good. The data that moral theories try to explain is considered moral judgments—those judgments that we accept after reflecting critically on them.

Reflective Equilibrium We want the fit between data and theory to be so close that no reasonable change in either would improve it.

Criteria of Adequacy for Moral Theories Moral theories should be consistent with our considered moral judgments. Moral theories should be consistent with our experience of the moral life—they should not imply things we know to be false like we’re morally infallible or can’t get into moral disagreements. Moral theories should be workable—they should give specific guidance in specific situations.

Science and Morality How does Science Connect to Morality? Are there right and wrong answers in morality? Is there an objective definition of human well-being? How would you define Well-Being? What do you think about Sam Harris’s argument? Do you agree/disagree? Why?

Closer: The Morality Game Assignment II#1 http://www.philosophersmag.com/index.php/games Choose the Morality Play game This is different than in your book, so make sure you go to the right place!!