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6 When Values Clash Theoretical 1
Chapter 6
When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
Utilitarian Strategies: Finding a Single Measure
Goods Versus Other Goods: “Pick the greater good”
Each choice has benefits and costs, choice is based on the greatest net benefit.Net benefit=total benefit over total cost or maximize utilityMust consider future/expected benefits and costs and choices can be difficult.
Review carefully the trade-offs or opportunity costs
Decision: How do we decide? Try to quantify the various benefits and costs. What are the questions that need to be asked? Research factual information.
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Chapter 6
When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
Goods versus other kinds of values.
Utilitarian believe all values can be stated as “goods”. One familyGreatest happiness becomes utilitarianism’s single measure for all moral conflicts.What is “Cashing them out”? Benefit and cost
Values That Don’t “Cash Out”TranslationHyper truthfulnessFairness-not always goodStealing and kidnapping to save someone life?
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Chapter 6
When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
Non-Utilitarian Strategies: Prioritizing Values
Right and Virtue Moral Families offer a more moderate response than the Utilitarian
Right and Virtue suggest prioritize conflicting moral values or ranking.
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Chapter 6
When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
Rights Versus Other RightsBasic right comes first
Right of life, right of safety, right of ownership, over other rights
Right of free speech over unpleasant things about you or me.
Uniformed voters have a right to vote
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Rights Versus Goods
Intuitions?Airplane crash-----What matters first?Kant-Moral thinking must be from a universal point of view not one person’sparticular point of view.
Rawls states that we must choose rules that establish a basic equalityof access to the fundamental goods of society, allowing inequality onlywhen inequalities benefit the least well off segments of society.Non-Utilitarian Strategies: Prioritizing Values
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When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
The Priority of VirtuesWhich virtue is most basic?
Answer: theory of human nature or the function of human beings.
Rational virtues are most basic-Aristotle.Faith and communion with God are most basic-Aquinas
Modern virtue theories are more contextual. Specific virtues may have priority over other values in specific situations or for specific people.Virtues in general versus virtues in specifics.
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Chapter 6
When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
When Theories Stalemate
Controversial? YES!
Can Utilitarian Translation Work?
Legal: Fairness, no. Everyone deserves a fair trail and innocence is assumed.Rights: Liberty, free speech serves social utilityIndividual rights versus social rights?
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” John Stuart Mill
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When Values Clash Theoretical Approaches
When Theories Stalemate
Problems with Prioritizing
Non-utilitarian do not deny the diversity of values-they do not seek toreduce all values to one type-but only to aim to place certain values first, before others, when conflicts arise and choices have to be made. Priority is hard to establish. Values may not be so efficient or convenientbut are still important, indeed essential. It does not establish priority.
Conclusion: Ethical theories are limited tools
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Exercises and Notes:When Values ClashPage 114
