3.1 What is Ethics?

Take 1You're hungry, you've got no money, and there you are wandering around Bob's

Hyper-Mega Giganto Food Store-o-Mart! You spot your favourite chocolate bar.

Coast is clear; no one is watching you. Should you steal it? Your tummy growls.

But it's wrong to steal, isn't it? But why is that? What to do, what to do...

What is the issue?

What do you do and why?

Take 2Your favourite band, The Greasy Weasels, have a new song and you just need

to have it for your cell-phone! You get on the internet to acquire it. But should

you pay for the download? After all, you can get it for free, and the Greasy

ones are not going to miss the small amount you would pay. And why shouldn't

you—everyone else does! To download or not to download...

What is the issue?

What do you do and why?

Take 3It's really early on Saturday morning. Your mom knocks on your bedroom

door and asks you where you were last night. Truth, well, best not get into

that here. Truth will get you into hot water with your mom, and that

always sucks. If you make up a convincing story and apologize a ton,

perhaps she won't ground you for weeks. On the other hand, lying is not

right and perhaps you should just fess up and tell the ugly truth and get

your just desserts. Truth or fiction....

What is the issue?

What do you do and why?

What is Ethics?foundation of all rules for we should act

- may include formalized rules (laws)

- may include informal rules (should you lie?)

- many professions have a code of ethics

- Hippocratic Oath

- Ontario College of Teacher

Ethical Standards

What is Ethics?

What exactly is the conscience?

Is it a collection of moral habits taught by parents? Or

learned from friends?

Is it something people are born with?

Some people use the law as their guide…..Is this an

appropriate guide? Can the law be wrong?

What is ethics?

It’s against the law to walk around with an ice cream cone in

your back pocket when you’re in Alabama.

What is ethics?

It’s against the law to tickle a woman

under her chin with a feather duster in

Maine.

You can’t carry a violin in a paper bag

while in public in Utah.

What is ethics?

It’s unlawful to sell hollow logs in

Tennessee.

Serving wine in teacups while in

Kansas is highly illegal

What is ethics?

In Wisconsin, it’s against the law to

serve apple pie without cheese.

While you’re in Oregon, you

can’t test your physical endurance

or exercise while driving

What is Ethics?

Ethics comes from the Greek word Ethos, which

means character

Ethicists investigate character traits that are good and

admirable, as well as traits that can be bad and

reprehensible.

What is Ethics?

Ethics is the study of how one should act. It is not the study

of how people actually do act, for many people do not act

ethically.

Ethics looks at what you should do and, more

philosophically, why you should do it.

Ethics is about obligations: it is the study of "should-ing".

Ethics vs. MoralityMorality ≠ Ethics

Mortality = thou shall, thou shalt not- Ten Commandments – Thou shalt not kill

Ethics is the philosophy behind morality

- What is the basis for the 10 Commandments?

- WHY is it wrong to kill

Nature and Aims of Ethics

The study of ethics is often referred to as Moral

Philosophy

However, some philosophers argue each is distinct and

refers to different areas of behaviour

In this view, morals should refer to the study of what is

proper, appropriate behaviour

Nature and Aims of Ethics

The study of ethics can be divided into three main

categories:

1. Normative theories

2. Meta-ethics

3. Applied Ethics

Nature and Aims of Ethics

1. Normative Ethics

Examines specific 'shalls' and 'shall nots'

based on broad meta-ethical principles, such as "God is

the ultimate moral authority".

Based on this foundation, a series of norms, or

appropriate behaviours, develops.

Nature and Aims of Ethics

1. Normative Ethics

Theories that describe ethical attitudes are called

descriptive theories.

Descriptive Theories deal with the factual study of the

ethical standards or principals of a group.

Ex. It is a proven fact that most students have knowingly

plagiarized at least once in their high school careers

Nature and Aims of Ethics

1. Normative Ethics

Ex. It is a proven fact that most students have knowingly

plagiarized at least once in their high school careers

This would be a descriptive claim about what is the case.

Normative would look at how students should not

plagiarize (looks at how students ought to act)

Nature and Aims of Ethics

1. Normative Ethics

Normative Theories can be divided into three main

categories:

1. Theories of Action- focus on how people should act

and why they should act this way

2. Theories of Character- What makes a good person

(character traits that are good and bad)

3. Theories of Value- questions about what people value

(assessments of worth- justice, injustice)

Nature and Aims of Ethics

2. Meta-ethics

"meta" means above or beyond.

the study of where ethical principles come from

Questions like:

Is God the ultimate source of moral guidance?

Do ethical facts exist or are they just opinions?

Are ethical rules subjective or objective?

Are ethics universal?

Nature and Aims of Ethics

2. Meta-ethics

A theory of Meta-ethics allows for the development of a normative

ethical system

Ethical Universalists- argue that there is one universal moral code,

but the code should admit of exceptions depending on

circumstances

Ethical Relativists: would argue that there is no universal moral

code but that what is good is relative to the individual, time, place,

and particular circumstances

Nature and Aims of Ethics

3. Applied Ethics

examines specific moral issues and dilemmas

Is unauthorised computer file-sharing unethical?

Do we have moral obligations to the environment?

This is "ethics in the real world", dealing with particular

social and political issues.

Nature and Aims of Ethics

3. Applied Ethics

Applying Theories of action, character and value to ethical dilemmas about

anything

When we take an ethical theory and apply it to such real life scenarios as

the environment, politics, animal rights we are applying ethical theories to

practical situations

Examples

Following this will be a series of ethical

dilemmas, examples of applied ethics. For

each, identify what the normative ethical

issue is. The first couple will be done

together as a group, the last individually.

The Concentration CampYou are an inmate in a concentration

camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang

your son who tried to escape and wants

you to pull the chair from underneath

him. He says that if you don’t he will not

only kill your son but some other

innocent inmate as well. You don’t have

any doubt that he means what he says.

What should you do?

Found MoneyYou are living with your family in a scarce, poverty-stricken country. Where you live,

there is no food bank, and you and your family are starving to death. One day, you are

out trying to find some sort of food to nourish your family, when something

miraculous (or problematic) occurs. You find a huge sack full of money that has fallen

off the back of a truck. You realize this would be a fortune to your family, but there is

one obvious catch. This money has to belong to someone else, and to take it and use

it for your family would be stealing. You could explain your situation to the rightful

owner of the money, but how can you know he’ll be a generous person? Would you:

a. Return the money to its rightful owner or

b. Take the money and use it to help your family.

Sleepover

One month ago, your 14-year-old daughter had a sleepover with her best female friend, which went very well and both girls had a good time. However, now, she is telling you that she is inviting her male friend over to do the same thing. Neither you, nor her, have ever viewed him as a boyfriend or an intimate partner of any kind, just a friend who happens to be male. He has agreed to come and stay with your daughter overnight, but you are worried that the event could escalate into teen sexuality and consider forbidding him to stay overnight, or telling your daughter not to invite him. Yet, you don’t want to be unfair to your daughter or her friend. She insists to you that he is just a casual friend and no sexual activity will occur. What would you do?

InfidelityYou are an emergency worker that has just been called to the scene of an accident. When you arrive you see that the car belongs to your wife. Fearing the worst you rush over, only to see she is trapped in her car with another man. He is obviously her lover, with whom she’s been having an affair.

You reel back in shock, devastated by what you have just found out. As you step back, the wreck in front of you comes into focus. You see your wife is seriously hurt and she needs attention straight away. Even if she gets immediate attention there’s a very high chance she’ll die. You look at the seat next to her and see her lover. He’s bleeding heavily from a wound to the neck and you need to stop the flow of blood immediately.

If you attend to your wife, her lover will bleed to death, and you may not be able to save her anyway. If you work on the lover, you can save his life, but your wife will definitely die.

Who should you choose to work on?

Tortured ChildImagine that a powerful alien were to visit earth, with the ability to

eradicate war, famine and suffering. The alien says that he will do this, and

turn the world into a utopia where humans will be happy and peaceful

forever more, but only if a price is paid. He demands a small child be

given to him so that he can perform hideous scientific experiments on it,

causing the child unimaginable pain.

Should you hand over the child?

What if the alien demands that you must inflict the torture on the child

yourself?

Tortured ChildImagine that a powerful alien were to visit earth, with the ability to

eradicate war, famine and suffering. The alien says that he will do this, and

turn the world into a utopia where humans will be happy and peaceful

forever more, but only if a price is paid. He demands a small child be

given to him so that he can perform hideous scientific experiments on it,

causing the child unimaginable pain.

Should you hand over the child?

What if the alien demands that you must inflict the torture on the child

yourself?

Robin Hood

You witness a man rob a bank, but instead of keeping the

money for himself, he donates it to a local orphanage. You

know this orphanage has been struggling for funding, and this

money will allow the children to receive proper food, clothing

and medical care. If you report the crime, the money will be

taken away from the orphanage and given back to the bank.

What should you do?