2. 1 Basic Moral Orientations Overview

3. 2 On what basis do we make moral decisions? n “Do what the Bible tells you”--Divine Command Theories n “Follow your conscience”--The Ethics of Conscience n “Watch out for #1”--Ethical Egoism n “Do the right thing”--The Ethics of Duty n “Don't dis' me”--The Ethics of Respect n “...all Men are created...with certain unalienable Rights”--The Ethics of Rights n “Make the world a better place”--Utilitarianism n “Daddy, that’s not fair”--The Ethics of Justice n “Be a good person”--Virtue Ethics

4. 3 "Do what the Bible tells you” Divine Command Theories n Being good is equivalent to doing whatever the Bible--or the Qur’an or some other sacred text or source of revelation--tells you to do. n “What is right” equals “What God tells me to do.”

5. 4 “Follow your conscience” The Ethics of Our Inner Voice n Conscience tells us what is right or wrong n Often has a religious source n May be founded in a notion of human nature n Is often negative in character, telling us what is not right

6. 5 "Watch out for #1” Ethical Egoism n Says the only person to look out for is yourself n Ayn Rand, The Ethics of Selfishness n Well known for her novel, especially Atlas Shrugged

7. 6 "Do the right thing" The Ethics of Duty n Begins with the conviction that ethics is about doing what is right, about doing your duty. n Duty may be determined by: –Reason Kant: Do what any rational agent should do –Professional role A physician’s duty to care for the sick –Social role A parent’s duty to care for his or her children

8. 7 "Don't dis' me" The Ethics of Respect n Human interactions should be governed by rules of respect n What counts as respect can vary from one culture to another –Examples: spitting in the sand showing the soles of one’s shoes-- Richardson n What is it that merits respect?

9. 8 “...all Men are created...with certain unalienable Rights” The Ethics of Rights n The most influential moral notion of the past two centuries n Established minimal conditions of human decency

10. 9 “Make the world a better place” Utilitarianism n Seeks to reduce suffering and increase pleasure or happiness n Demands a high degree of self-sacrifice—we must consider the consequencs for everyone. n Utilitarians claim the purpose of morality is to make the world a better place.

11. 10 “Daddy, that’s not fair” The Ethics of Justice n Begins early in the family with fairness to all family members n What is fair for one should be fair for all. n Treating people equally may not mean treating them the same.

12. 11 "Be a good person” Virtue Ethics n Seeks to develop individual character n Assumes good persons will make good decisions n Developed by Plato and Aristotle n Integral to the Jesuit tradition –The Spiritual Exercises n Provides a way of integrating all the theories

13. 12 Classroom Application

14. 13 Your Colleagues’ Moral Orientation