1. Theory of Formalism Mag-isa, Von Justin Mallare, Tristan Howell
Medina, Alethea Mae
Medina, Denver
Mendoza, Danver
Narciso, Fiona
Ogilvie, Jeremy James
Ong, Kim Thomas
Onate, Claudette Miracel
Perez, Roi Vincent

2. Outline Ethical Systems Definition and Examples History
Form and Content
Kant’s Ethics
Intrinsic Values
Harry J. Gensler’s Theory of Formal Ethics

3. Outline VIII. Categorical Imperative
IX. Ethical Formalism vs. Other Ethical Theories
X. Pros and Cons
XI. Theory of Formalism in Engineering Ethics
XII. History of Engineering Ethics
XIII. Criticisms on Ethical Formalism
XIV. Formalism: Another Approach

4. Ethical Systems

5. What are Ethical Systems?
-source of moral beliefs -the underlying premises from which we make judgments -they are beyond argument

6. Baelz(1977)
-they are prescriptive; certain behavior is demanded or proscribed -they are authoritative -logically impartial or universal -they are not self-serving

7. Basic Types of Ethical Systems
Deontological
-concerned with the inherent nature of the act being judged.
-an act which is inherently good, even if results in bad consequences is still a good act.
Teleological
-judges the consequences of the act
-a bad act resulting in good consequences would be defined as good. (end justifies the means)
Deontological – when we fail to follow our duty we are behaving immorally. And yes haha moral-what is acceptable and not acceptable for them to do. Even if they break a moral rule, focuses on the act
Teleological – focus on the consequences, often referred to as consequentalist moral systems. Acts which leads to correct consequences is moral and acts which lead to wrong consequences is immoral

8. DEFINITION OF FORMALISM
A type of ethical theory which defines moral judgments in terms of logical form rather than its content.
Formalism is the view that theoretical information about an object, or practical guidance about how to treat it, are to be derived from attention to its form rather than its matter or content.
Logical form example -- "laws" or "universal prescriptions"
Content example -- judgments about what actions will best promote human well-being
Ethical formalism is related to, but not identical to, Harry J. Gensler's relatively recent (circa 1996) theory of formal ethics. Formal ethics is similar to ethical formalism in that it focuses on formal features of moral judgments, but is distinct in that the system of formal ethics is explicitly (and intentionally) incomplete. Specifically, while some ethical formalist systems (e.g., arguably Kant's "universal laws") view a set of formal features as both necessary and sufficient, formal ethics views such formal features as necessary but not sufficient.
Ethical formalism is "considered as an absolutist system, if something is wrong, it is wrong all the time" (Pollock, 2004). Just the same, if something is right, it is then right all the time.

9. When can you say its formal?
It should focus on the structural and functional properties that instances of a type have in common and derives its conclusions from those alone.
Example: Logic and mathematics, for example, are considered formal because they are concerned with the way certain forms of argument and calculation work, without regard to what those arguments or calculations are about

10. HISTORY Idea originated in ancient Greek metaphysics
Plato (c B.C.) argued that to understand an object is to grasp the forms in which it “participates.”
Aristotle ( B.C.) developed this theory by contrasting the form of an object to its matter.
In Aristotle’s account, the form of an object is its functional construction, the arrangement of the matter or parts which enables it to serve its purpose or engage in those activities which are essential to it. The members of a species all have the same form, while each individual has its own particular matter.

11. IMMANUEL KANT ( )

12. IMMANUEL KANT Father of formalist thinking
One of the most influential philosophers in the history of western philosophy
In the 18th century, argued that right and wrong are founded on duty
The concept of “motive” is the most important factor in determining what is ethical
An action is only truly moral if done from a sense of duty, and the most valuable thing is a human will that has decided to act rightly

13. Works on ethics:
The Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)
The Critique of Practical Reasoning (1787)
He is the primary proponent in history of what is called deontological ethics
"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
The Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)
Search for and establishment of the supreme principle of morality
The Critique of Practical Reasoning (1787)
Kant attempts to unify his account of practical reason with his work in the Critique of Pure Reason. he attempted to explain the relationship between reason and human experience and to move beyond the failures of traditional philosophy and metaphysics

14. FORM AND CONTENT
The form is the "shape“ of the thing, a container without content.
The content is the specific manifestation of the form.
Example:
Form – concept of “ good” and “ right ”
Content- something “good” may refer to helping someone in need.

15. FORM AND CONTENT
Ethical formalism rejects the concern with actual moral acts and concentrates instead on the fundamental sources of moral goodness regardless of their application.
The content of any moral action has no meaning.
Any ethical theory has a form, or rule of action, and content, the specific nature of that action. Ethical formalism dispenses with content altogether.

16. KANT’S ETHICS
Kant's ethics is called formalism because it focuses on the form or structure of a moral judgment.
A truly moral action is one that comes from the free will.
Ethical action deriving from the will is truly good because it is both free and universal.

17. KANT’S ETHICS
Universality becomes the ground of morality because it does not take into consideration any specific interest.
The very concept of universality means that real moral rules must apply to everyone equally.
Formalism is ethical universalism made into laws that are absolute. Therefore, the content of any specific moral action has no meaning. If a universal law says "do not cheat," then under no circumstances is cheating permissible. -- example

18. FORMALISM
Kant's approach to ethics begins with an analysis of "ulterior motives.“
Kant then proceeds to analyze the acts of so-called "Good Samaritans" to see why they do good things for complete strangers.
"Under what circumstances will people sincerely do good with no expectation of benefit?"
 Something could look good, and really be bad; and vice-versa, something could look bad, and really be good. 

19. Good Will in Formalism

20. How do we define Formalism?

22. Good Will In Formalism
Kant explains that the only thing good in itself is the “Good will.”
“A good will is not because of what it effects or accomplishes---because of its fitness for attaining some proposed end: it is good through its willing alone----- that is, good in itself.”
Therefore, doing something because you think is good doesn’t make the act good. It all matters on the attitude you have towards it.

23. Let’s say you’re at your mother’s house and she asks you to wash her car for her. you either:
Wash your mother’s car because it makes her happy and you care about her so you do it with no complaints.
Wash your mother’s car simply because you like washing cars.
Reluctantly wash your mother’s car even though you have a ton of things to do.
Which one of these, according to Kant, are morally correct and are done out of sheer good will?

24. According to Kant doing something out of good will means doing it strictly for the sake of duty. Meaning, you do the right thing because it is your “job” to do so.
As soon as you are doing an act out of the fact that you are inclined to do so because of some reward, or pleasure that is involved then that act will not account for your Good Will.
Kantian Ethics is straight to the point duty inspired. There is no other emotion that should be felt other then “I must do this because it is my duty.”

25. That is why in our example, C is the only right answer — for Kant that is.
Even though A seems to look good on the outside, if you get joy our of helping your mother then you are also inclined to do so.
If B, then you are also inclined to do so out of the pleasure you will get from washing the car!

26. INTRINSIC VALUE
Ethical formalism holds that the source and ground of ethical laws contains their value.
For Kant, a truly moral action is one that comes from the free will.
Ethical action deriving from the will is truly good because it is both free and universal.
1.) Therefore, consequences do not matter.
Kant's famous formalist principle is one of the most famous of ethical formalist ideas.
2.) The will is free when no outside influences, such as self-interest, interfere with it. The will in this case is totally free, and therefore totally universal.
3.) Universality becomes the ground of morality because it does not take into consideration any specific interest. It is moral for the sake of being moral.
2.)

27. INTRINSIC VALUE
Kant's famed ethical formalism shows the source of moral action through a will that is totally free from constraint, and hence, necessarily totally universal.
All rational human beings are capable of this sort of action. Since this is the source of moral goodness, and all human beings can perform it, then each rational person is the source of moral good.
The very concept of universality means that real moral rules must apply to everyone equally.

28. Harry J. Gensler's Theory of formal ethics

29. The Golden Rule

30. “Treat others as you want to be treated”

31. K. Know: “How would my action affect others?”
I. Imagine: “What would it be like to have this done to me in the same situation?”
T. Test for consistency: “Am I now willing that if I were in the same situation then this be done to me?”
A. Act toward others only as you’re willing to be treated in the same situation.

32. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
Two ethical imperatives that guide our actions:
1. What is best for everyone equally?
2. What preserves the needs of each individual equally?
This relates to Kant’s Categorical Imperatives – Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

33. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
Act so as to treat people always as ends in themselves, never as mere means.
Kant’s two basic assumptions:
a. Only human beings are capable of rationality
b. As rational, human beings are autonomous

34. HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
Kant divides the duties imposed by this formulation into two subsets:
Perfect Duty
According to his reasoning, we first have a perfect duty not to act by maxims that result in logical contradictions when we attempt to universalize them.
in general, perfect duties are those that are blameworthy if not met, as they are a basic required duty for a human being.

35. HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
Imperfect duty
which are still based on pure reason, but which allow for desires in how they are carried out in practice. because these depend somewhat on the subjective preferences of humankind, this duty is not as strong as perfect duty, but is still morally binding.
you do not attract blame should you not complete an imperfect duty but you shall receive praise for it should you compete it.
example: cultivating one’s own talents

36. HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
1. Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.

37. HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
2. Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, including yourself and others, as an end in itself, and never as a means to an end

38. HOW TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
3. Act as if you were a lawmaking member of a kingdom of end.

39. Ethical Formalism VS Other Ethical Theories

40. Ethical Formalism
an ethical theory that defines morals based off of logic and reason
Ethical formalism is "considered as an absolutist system, if something is wrong, it is wrong all the time" (Pollock, 2004). Just the same, if something is right, it is then right all the time.

41. Ethical Formalism
for an action to be moral, it is not sufficient that you do the right thing -- you must also do it from the right maxim (basis for action)
With its greater emphasis on logic over content, the laws themselves are more important than judging what actions are humanitarian
the German philosopher Kant was often criticized for his attempts at deriving concrete moral duties based on "universal laws”

42. Consequentialism
Deals with the consequences of actions rather than with their absolute morality
The dominant form of consequentialism is utilitarianism
Formalism focuses on individual rights, where consequentialism focuses on the common good.

43. Consequentialism
According to Kant there are several problems with consequentialism:
According to the consequentialist, no act (no matter how evil or cruel) is right or wrong in itself
If we are already inclined to do an act because we naturally seek to produce good consequences (e.g., pleasure, happiness), then we are not acting freely and therefore not morally responsibly

44. Consequentialism
According to Kant there are several problems with consequentialism:
Because of differences in their experiences and backgrounds, people differ as to what are good consequences; therefore, we can never achieve agreement on the end of moral behavior or on an ultimate criterion for making such decisions

45. Formalism VS Consequentialism
Example: A manager who refused to dump toxic waste outside his plant out of fear of being fired or even out of the desire to promote good community relations, would not be acting out of a true sense of duty.

46. Formalism VS Consequentialism
According to Kant, what would be (ethically) for the manager to ask himself/herself
whether he/she could support such dumping as a universal practice, or
whether in using the local community as a "sink" he/she was treating its citizens as mere means.

47. More Concrete Specification
Consequentialism
Deontology
Virtue Theory
Example
Mill's utilitarianism
Kantian ethics
Aristotle's moral theory
Abstract Description
An action is right if it promotes the best consequences.
An action is right if it is in accordance with a moral rule or principle.
An action is right if it is what a virtuous agent would do in the circumstances.
More Concrete Specification
The best consequences are those in which happiness is maximized.
A moral rule is one that is required by rationality.
A virtuous agent is one who acts virtuously, that is, one who has and exercises the virtues.  A virtue is a character trait a human being needs to flourish or live well.

48. Consequentialism Deontology Virtue Ethics
Consequentialism
Deontology
Virtue Ethics
Example
Utilitarianism
Kantianism
Aristotelianism
Model of Practical Reasoning
means-ends reasoning:  how do I get what I want/what's good?
How do I determine what's rational?
What habits should I develop?
Personal Identity (What is essential to the self?)
will & reason + desires
will & reason (desires are thought of as outside forces with the potential to thwart rationality)
Will & reason + desires + character traits
Rationality
getting what you want
doing what reason requires (at a minimum, not having inconsistent or self-contradictory  policies)
having the kinds of desires which reason determines are best
Primary Object of  Evaluation
consequences (states of affairs)
acts
people (agents)
The Good
(for most consequentialists, maximum happiness or something similar)
right action itself (? or possibly states of affairs brought about by right action?  or states of affairs in which people who act rightly are rewarded?)
whatever results from the actions of good people?  happiness?   acquisition of goods internal to practices?
The Right
actions that maximize the good
BASIC NOTION
the sort of thing a virtuous person would do in the situation
virtue
being disposed to maximize utility (for simple versions of consequentialism, there will be just one big virtue; more complex versions might have many)
positive attitude toward doing one's moral duty(?)
(but may be analyzed, e.g. as those dispositions necessary for the attainment of happiness)

49. Kant’s Ethical Theory Pros Cons Consistency Possible Conflict of Rules
Absolute
Objective
Consequences
Moral Law

50. THEORY OF FORMALISM IN ENGINEERING ETHICS
The field of applied ethics and system of moral principles that apply to the practice of engineering.
•The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients ,and to the profession.
As a scholarly discipline, it is closely related to subjects such as the philosophy of science, the philosophy of engineering, and the ethics of technology.

51. HISTORY OF ENGINEERING ETHICS
In the early 19th century, ethics was viewed as a personal rather than a broad professional concern
In the late 19th century, there had been series of significant structural failures, notably the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster(1876), Tay Bridge Disaster(1879), and the Quebec Bridge collapse(1907) as well as the Boston molasses disaster(1919)
These had a profound effect on engineers and forced the profession to confront shortcomings in technical and construction practice, as well as ethical standards
The formal codes of ethics for professional engineers was developed in 1912

52. CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL FORMALISM
It does not provide guidance for resolving conflicting duties.
It can be used to justify a position after it has been adopted, but it may give little help in forming a position.
It might not apply to extreme circumstances.
If an action is wrong, it is always wrong.

53. CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL FORMALISM
The wording of maxims is critical in ethical formalism and could lead to abuse and confusion Lies vs Untruths
An untruth is a lie, Kant writes, only if we expressly give another person to understand that we do intend to tell the truth and then do not do so.Only the latter is always morally wrong.
-Immanuel Kant’s Moral Theory
Wording of maxims= rule of conduct = rule for taking action and leading a good life.

54. CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL FORMALISM
Ethical Formalism does not provide guidance for resolving conflicting duties.
Reporters: You can’t blame us it is our job to spead the current news worldwide!!
Presidential security Group: You can’t blame us, we are under the president’s control. If he said that he don’t want interviews, we will not you make interviews with him!!

55. CRITICISMS OF ETHICAL FORMALISM
Formalism might not apply to extreme circumstances. If an action is WRONG, it is ALWAYS WRONG. Regardless of the good circumstances that might result.
1. Hello Garci Scandal
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Virgilio Garcillano
Samuel Ong ( wire tapped recordings )
1987 Constitution (Bill of rights Article 3 section 3)
Right to privacy
“The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court”
2. Deadly Force

56. Formalism: Another Approach

57. The Situation
Four police officers were tried by the court in this case and were acquitted of all charges although they gunned down the individual (Dialo).   It may have been evident to jurors that their original motive or intent was to protect their lives and the lives of those present when Dialo turned his back and reached for his back pocket (wallet).  

58. This conclusion may have been determined through the ethical formalism system which justifies the officers’ actions based on their non-malicious intent. This theory, in fact, may be contradicting if the victim’s rights are carelessly ignored through the process of consideration of only the officer’s individual rights and if in justification of the officers. 

59. The Friendzone

61. Formalism: In Simple Life Situations

62. Thank you for listening! Any Questions?