Values, Self & Knowledge

Values, Self & KnowledgeAn introduction to philosophy

Spring 2013

The big picture❄ Meetings❄ Topics❄ Aims❄ Constraints

Assessment Comprehension exercise, essay, exam, participation

Admin details

Our meetings❄ 10 lectures

❊ 3 hours (!)❊ 2 breaks❊ Slides available after

lecture❄ 5 tutorials

❊ 3 hours

What is Philosophy?❄ Biology❄ Civil Engineering❄ Philosophy?

A puzzle

The Swiss Cheese Paradox❄ The more holes there are, the

less cheese there is.❄ Swiss cheese has holes.❄ More Swiss cheese, more holes.❄ Therefore, the more Swiss

cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

(X) Swiss cheese has holes.

(1) More Swiss cheese, more holes. (2) The more holes there are, the less cheese there is.(3) Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

The Swiss Cheese Paradox

(1) X Y

(2) Y Z

(3) Thus, X Z

The Swiss Cheese Paradox

(1) More Swiss cheese, more holes.

(2) The more holes there are, the less cheese there is.

(3) Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there

is, the less cheese there is.

Compelling example

(1) Tom is a lion Tom is a cat

(2) Tom is a cat Tom is a mammal

(3) Thus, Tom is a lion Tom is a mammal

(1) X Y

(2) Y Z

(3) Thus, X Z

The Swiss Cheese Paradox

(1) More Swiss cheese, more holes.

(2) The more holes there are, the less cheese there is.

(3) Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

What important thing have you learnt about the world?

What philosophers doConsider Bill Clinton. Clinton might have been different in many ways. Had things turned out otherwise, he might have never been impeached.

In fact, he might never have been president… He might have lived in a different country. He might have had electric blue hair.

But now: could he have been a flower?

What philosophers doWe can of course imagine an eccentric person naming a flower ‘Bill Clinton’. But the question is not whether a flower could have been named ‘Bill Clinton’. The question is whether a flower could have been Bill Clinton.

Concerning the man actually called Bill Clinton (i.e. the actual 42nd president of the United States), could he have been a flower?

And the answer seems to be no… Likewise, it seems that Clinton could not have been a table, or an antelope.

Ted Sider, Riddles of Existence

Introduction to Philosophy

Through Process

Through Issues

Topics

Ethics

Self

Why be

moral?

What is moralit

y?

Is this moral

?

Is the mind the

brain?

What am I?

Are we free?

Recommended approach

❄ Understand the questions

❄ Solve the puzzles Read

Participate

AssessmentShort exercise (10%) 500 words Due 19 Aug 9am Submission TBC

Essay (40%) 1000 words Due 18 Sep 9am Submission TBC

Exam (40%) Short essay responses 2 hrs Focus on 2nd half of term

Participation (10%) Constructive contribution

Contact details

❄ Jason Phanjphan@uow.edu.au

❄ Blog address:phil107.wordpress.com

Philosophy & the others

Morality

Why do we act morally?

What moral beliefs do different cultures have?

How best to develop a child morally?

Why should we be moral?

Is morality merely social conventions?

Is it immoral to eat other humans?

What’s the difference?

I would be a nice person by

ceasing to exploit the poor

I should be a nice person by

ceasing to exploit the poor

Would you be moral?

Should you be moral?

What should I do?❄What I should do

•What I have reason to do•Matter of rationality

❄What I would do•What I actually do• Empirical matter

Why should I be moral?* A Puzzle *

Nature: Survival of the fittest❄ A system of

increasing & using one’s advantages

❄ The strong takes advantage of the weak

❄ The smart takes advantage of the dim

Puzzling morality Catherine Wilson:

Moral obligations “reduce the advantages of those who observe them”Is it rational to reduce one’s advantage???

Why should I be moral?

Why should I be moral?

❄ For self-benefit❄ It makes me feel

good❊ Or, it avoids my feeling

terrible❄ My values are about

being moral

The calculated pursuit of Hello Kitty

1. I want the Hello Kitty figure

2. I would get the figure if I queue at McDs

3. Therefore, I should queue at McDs

Should you queue?“You should queue at Macs for the Hello Kitty figure.”

“But I don’t want the Hello Kitty figure!”

“You should queue regardless of whether you want it.”

???

1. Rationality Principle

I should do something only if that gets me what I want.

❄Can be direct or indirect

2. Observation about morality

Morality does not always get us what we want❄ Sometimes, we can get

away with being immoral

❄ & it is not very hard

Observation about morality

Morality does not always get us what we want

When it fails to do so, why should we be moral?

Ted Bundy❄ Confessed to 30 murders

committed between 1974 – 78.

❄ "...a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human's pain and the control he had over his victims, to the point of death, and even after.” The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule

‘Nor is there any "reason" to obey the law for anyone, like myself, who has the boldness and daring -- the strength of character -- to throw off its shackles. ... I discovered that to become truly free, truly unfettered, I had to become truly uninhibited. And I quickly discovered that the greatest obstacle to my freedom, the greatest block and limitation to it, consists in the insupportable "value judgment" that I was bound to respect the rights of others.’

Statement by Ted Bundy, paraphrased and rewritten by Harry V. Jaffa.

How should we respond to Bundy?

❄ Call him names ❊ Evil, terrible, inhuman…

❄ Try to influence him❊ “You would be moral if

you stop murdering…”

How should we respond to Bundy?❄ Demand that he stop

harming others❊ “You should not cause

others to suffer just for your own pleasure…”

❄ Consider him blameworthy❊ But someone seems

blameworthy only when he did something he should not do

❄Bundy is blameworthy for his evil action

❄Bundy has the obligation to be moral

Morality seems to have authority

“What is distinctive of moral requirements is that they are thought of as providing a reason to act which outweighs or overrides any reason the agent may have to act in some other way. Moral requirements are thus seen as independent of desire in the further sense that they have a claim on our obedience that is not conditional on there being nothing else which we want more.”

- David McNaughton

Moral authority

3. Moral Conviction

We should be moral even when we can get away with immorality.

Moral obligations do not depend on our wants.

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

Our wants decide what we should do.

Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want.Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

Should you be moral?“You should not cheat because it is wrong.”

“But I don’t want to be moral!”

“You should be moral regardless of whether it gets you what you want.”

???

The Ring of Gyges

The Ring of Gyges“…as he was sitting among them he chanced to turn the collet of the ring inside his hand, when instantly he became invisible to the rest of the company and they began to speak of him as if he were no longer present.

Whereupon he contrived to be chosen one of the messengers who were sent to the court; where as soon as he arrived he seduced the queen, and with her help conspired against the king and slew him, and took the kingdom.”

The Ring of Gyges“…If you could imagine any one obtaining this power of becoming invisible, and never doing any wrong or touching what was another's, he would be thought by the lookers-on to be a most wretched idiot, although they would praise him to one another's faces, and keep up appearances with one another from a fear that they too might suffer injustice.”

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

It is just a social construct, & a method of social control

‘Morality Is A Sham’

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

Our wants decide what we should do.

Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want.Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

The strategic view

I should be moral because that benefits me❄ Does this strategy really work?❄ Conflict with moral conviction?

The feelings view

I should be moral because:❄ it makes me feel good

❊ Conflict with moral conviction?❄ it prevents me from feeling

bad❊ Seems like a phobia❊ Why not get it treated?

The altruistic view

I should be moral because that is what I want❄ False assumption that

everyone is selfish❄ I have unselfish/altruistic

wants

The values view

I should be moral because that reflects my values.

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

Our wants decide what we should do.

Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want.Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

The philosophical processWhy should we be moral?❄ Principle of Rational Action

❊ Why should we do something?❄ Apply principle to morality

❊ Does moral action meet the criterion of rationality?

Clear cases of (i) rational action & (ii) irrational actions

Reflective Equilibrium

❄ When our beliefs seem to conflict,❊ We should try to dissolve

the conflict❊ Otherwise, we should reject

the conflicting belief we are less sure of, in favour of what we are more sure of

In your view, what are some clearly rational

actions?& some clearly irrational actions?

What friends do❄ I am buying her a gift

because I value her friendship.

❄ I value her friendship because of…

Why do YOU value

friendship?

Puzzle of instrumental valueWhy do you value X?❄ I value X because it gets me Y.Why do you value Y?❄ I value Y because it gets me Z.Why do you value Z?❄ No reason.❄ Only causes.

“I believe the Earth is flat.”

“Because a scientist meddled with my brain to make me believe that.”

“WHY?”

Reasoned or brute?❄ Understanding why I am

having this belief• E.g. A scientist meddled

with my brain❄ Understanding why I should have this belief

• E.g. Because of relevant scientific observations

Reasoned or brute?

❄ Understanding why I am having these values

• E.g. I was conditioned to do so

❄ Understanding why I should have these values

• E.g. Because…?

Puzzle❄ Unknown to you, a scientist

meddled with your brain such that you now value repeatedly counting the hairs on your head.

❄ Should you value repeatedly counting the hairs on your head?

❄ Glasses are needed for count your hairs. Should you buy glasses for that reason?

Value puzzleWhy do you value X?❄ I value X because it gets me

Y.

Why do you value Y?❄ I value Y because it gets me

Z.

Why do you value Z?❄ No reason.

But I have no reason to get Z

But I have no reason to get Y

The values view

I should be moral because that reflects my values.❄ Why should you accept those

values?

2 kinds of value❄ Instrumental value

❊ Value possessed due to functionality

❊ Have reason to pursue it as a means

❄ Intrinsic value❊ Value possessed in itself❊ Have reason to pursue it as an

end in itself

Puzzle of instrumental valueWhy do you value exercise?❄ Because it helps me stay

healthy.Why do you value staying healthy?❄ Because it gets me happiness.Why do you value happiness?❄ Because it is intrinsically

valuable.

I have reason to

get happiness

I have reason to

stay healthy

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

Our wants decide what we should do.

Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want.Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

The calculated pursuit of Hello Kitty

1. I want the Hello Kitty figure

2. I would get the figure if I queue at McDs

3. Therefore, I should queue at McDs

I should try to get what I want.

The calculated pursuit of Hello Kitty

1. I want the Hello Kitty figure

2. I should try to get what I want.

3. Therefore, I should try to get the Hello Kitty figure.

Is this true?

Are you more sure of this than of your

moral convictions?

Putting them together

Rationality Principle

Observation About

MoralityMoral Conviction

Our wants decide what we should do.

Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want.Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

Conflict

Looking back❄ Are we assuming that only the

satisfaction of our interests is intrinsically valuable?

❄ Moral authority, moral blame & praise❊ We can best make sense of these

if the subjects of moral consideration have intrinsic value

❊ Need for respect

Review

❄ Should & Would❊ Rational vs

psychological❄ Specific to general

❊ Why should I be moral?

❊ Why should I do X?❄ Reflective

equilibrium

Rational Egoism The possibility of altruism

Moral authority & blame/praise

Intrinsic & instrumental value

Coming up…

Why should I be moral?

What is morality?

Why should Bundy be moral?

“Then I learned that all moral judgments are "value judgments," that all value judgments are subjective, and that none can be proved to be either "right" or "wrong." I even read somewhere that the Chief Justice of the United States had written that the American Constitution expressed nothing more than collective value judgments. Believe it or not, I figured out for myself - what apparently the Chief Justice couldn't figure out for himself -- that if the rationality of one value judgment was zero, multiplying it by millions would not make it one whit more rational.

Nor is there any "reason" to obey the law for anyone, like myself, who has the boldness and daring -- the strength of character -- to throw off its shackles. ... I discovered that to become truly free, truly unfettered, I had to become truly uninhibited.

And I quickly discovered that the greatest obstacle to my freedom, the greatest block and limitation to it, consists in the insupportable "value judgment" that I was bound to respect the rights of others. I asked myself, who were these "others"?

… That is the honest conclusion to which my education has led me - after the most conscientious examination of my spontaneous and uninhibited self.”

- Statement by Ted Bundy, paraphrased and rewritten by Harry V. Jaffa.