1 Philosophy 222 Ethics University of New Haven .docx

1
Philosophy 222: Ethics
University of New Haven
Instructor Brian Bellamy
Lecture Notes for Weeks 1-5
Philosophy 222: Ethics-Introduction
- questions about the nature and concepts of
ethics.
intuitions?
Considerations for Ethical Evaluations
to be clear on exactly what is at issue, exactly what the
conclusion is.

- When an arguer uses an
irrelevant point to support their conclusion
- an attack on the person, as the source
of the argument.
argument, we must evaluate the
argument on its own merits, not the merits of the
person giving the argument.
- someone whose life appears to be morally
exemplary, and therefore seemingly fit to give advice on
moral and ethical conduct.
reputation as a racist…
l authority. She demonstrated courage
and exercised integrity when she unilaterally protested an
evil and unjust system, although supported by local and

federal laws.
wman Fallacy
- The principle of being charitable or
generous toward the positions and arguments we oppose.
2
- when someone distorts or
misrepresents a position in order to make it easier to
attack
-Pro-life argument
life of infant babies.
way to control overpopulation.
- position that ideas concerning morality
and “how to live the good life” come from within our

nature.
- position that ideas concerning
morality and “how to live the good life” come from without
from a higher being, i.e. The Creator, God Almighty, Allah
ethical principles dependent on what God wills. “If God
says, then that settles it!”
(Cont.)
- view that “… moral principles are
set by God, God doesn’t change and doesn’t make exceptions,
so God’s commandments are fixed and eternal and absolute.
What is right is whatever God Commands, or whatever God
chooses. God does not condemn murder because murder is
wrong; rather, murder is wrong because God condemns
murder.”
(Cont.)

affirms them, or does God affirm these ethical principles
because in God’s wisdom, God recognizes the truth of these
ethical laws?
Honesty? Adultery?
(Cont.)
moral law.
the “perceived moral law, then there is potential for
disaster
3
(Cont.)
of punishment, and not for the love being just and doing
good.

(Cont.)
seen in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Theo-ethical positions
and commitments.
Ethics from Eastern Traditions
Buddhism & Hinduism
subcontinent that encompasses a variety of traditions,
beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings
attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as
the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and
Pāli).
subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries

BCE.
He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened
teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end
suffering (dukkha) through eliminating ignorance (avidyā)
and craving (taṇhā), by way of understanding and seeing
dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) and non-self
(anātman), and thus attain the highest happiness, nirvāņa
(nirvana).
("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great
Vehicle").
Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and
includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren
Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai (Tendai) and
Shinnyo-en.

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—practiced mainly in
Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—
is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it
as a part of Mahayana. There are other categorisations of
these three Vehicles or Yanas.
branches are now found throughout the world. Estimates of
Buddhists worldwide vary significantly depending on the way
Buddhist adherence is defined. Lower estimates are between
350–500 million.
liberation, the importance and canonicity of various
teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective
practices.

origination and no-self. The foundations of Buddhist
tradition and practice are the Three Jewels: the Buddha,
the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community).
Buddhism
declaration and commitment to being on the Buddhist path
and in general distinguishes a Buddhist from a non-
Buddhist.
ical precepts;
support of the monastic community; renouncing conventional
living and becoming a monastic; the development of
mindfulness and practice of meditation; cultivation of
higher wisdom and discernment; study of scriptures;
devotional practices; ceremonies; and in the Mahayana
tradition, invocation of buddhas and bodhisattvas.
and moral principles are governed by examining whether a

certain action, whether connected to body or speech is
likely to be harmful to one's self or to others and thereby
avoiding any actions which are likely to be harmful.
that is skilful avoids actions that are likely to cause
suffering or remorse.
applies to the laity or to the Sangha
5
-First Training-
the destruction of life, I
am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to
protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals.
I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and
not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my
thinking, and in my way of life.

-Second Training-
injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to
cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the
well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am
committed to practice generosity by sharing my time,
energy, and material resources with those who are in real
need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess
anything that should belong to others. I will respect the
property of others, but I will prevent others from
profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other
species on Earth.
-Third Training-
d by sexual misconduct, I am
committed to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to
protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples,
families, and society. I am determined not to engage in

sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment.
To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am
determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of
others. I will do everything in my power to protect
children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and
families from being broken by sexual misconduct.
-Fourth Training-
inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivate
loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and
happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering.
Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am
committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that
inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not
to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to
criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will
refrain from uttering words that can cause division or

discord, or that can cause the family or the community to
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break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all
conflicts, however small.
-Fifth Training-
am committed to cultivate good health, both physical and
mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practising
mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I am committed to
ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy
in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body
and consciousness of my family and society. (continued…)
or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such
as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and
conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my

consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors,
my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work
to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself
and in society by practising a diet for myself and for
society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for
self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
subcontinent, and one of its indigenous religions. Hinduism
includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Śrauta among numerous
other traditions. It also includes historical groups, for
example the Kapalikas
wide spectrum of laws and prescriptions of "daily morality"
based on karma, dharma, and societal norms. Hinduism is a
conglomeration of distinct intellectual or philosophical
points of view, rather than a rigid common set of beliefs.

- Karma (Sanskrit: IPA: [ˈkərmə] ( listen); Pali:
kamma) in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or
"deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of
cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra)
originating in ancient India and treated in the Hindu,
Jain, Buddhist and Sikh religions
- Dharma listen (help·info) (Sanskrit: dhárma, Pali:
dhamma; lit. that which upholds, supports or maintains the
regulatory order of the universe means Law or Natural Law
and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy
7
and religion. As well as referring to Law in the universal
or abstract sense dharma designates those behaviours
considered necessary for the maintenance of the natural
order of things.

Iron Age India and, as such, Hinduism is often called the
"oldest living religion" or the "oldest living major
religion" in the world.
s absolute and complete freedom of belief
and worship.
that deifies the one truth, and therefore it accepts all
forms of beliefs and dismisses labels of distinct religions
which would imply a division of identity.
heresy and blasphemy.
- 5 Principle's & 10 Disciplines
ahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva)

script), Gayatri (sacred mantra)
-violence)
-adultery)
(Non-corrupt)
ar prayers)

8
African Traditional Religions
Ethics & Morality
-
Indianism
R
It is a widespread idea amongst political scientists that
the divisions and conflicts that exist on the continent are
a result of the European colonization in the 19th-20th
Centuries, when state boundaries were drawn by the
colonizers. Now, some sixty years after most African

countries gained independence, the continent is
experiencing a period of turmoil.
describe a process of breaking up a territory into small,
hostile states. It is derived from the events in the
Balkans, which saw the splitting up of Yugoslavia into
seven states, hostile to each other and resulting in a
series of armed conflicts. This term is applied to what is
happening in Africa today.
-85) was held by the European
nations to scramble Africa among themselves with the aid of
diplomacy or by weapons. The conference had positive as
well as negative effects.
continent came under the control of Europeans. Only Liberia
and Ethiopia remained free. Africans lost their
independence. They were treated as inferiors and were
forced to work as slaves for long hours.

he mineral
resources of Africa. The Europeans understood that Africa
was rich in natural resources and they exploited the
resources.
diamonds. The Africans were in famine when the Europeans
9
began to plant cash crops like peanuts, palm, cocoa and
rubber. Large number of Africans died of European diseases.
traditional African values and customs. They had also
tarnished the existing social relationships, when they
provided Africans with the education.
European culture. The spread of Christianity by the
European missionaries also affected their society. In

short, the European domination divided the Africans among
themselves.
democratic government pursued by the Europeans and ended in
failure. Europeans did not understand their habits and
culture properly and tried to civilize them. The European
intervention created rivalry and division among the
Africans. Various issues confused the Africans and they
longer stayed united.
considering the tribal, ethnic and cultural boundaries led
to series of tribal conflicts and it is still continuing.
The British were the most successful imperialistic power in
Africa. The imperialist policies of British created wars
with the Africans. For example, Boers hated the British
repressive policies and clashed with them. Zulus also
clashed with British. In both wars, Britain won and the

Africans were defeated.
-See List
on religion in Africa called African Traditional Religion
to which all the peoples of Africa draw their religious
inspiration. In other words, it is unthinkable to say every
tribe in Africa has the same body of ideas, belief system,
liturgy and sundry religious practices as it relates to
God.
gion
a continent, regularly occurring, constant, decimal
features have been discovered in the religious world views
of African peoples.
10

se include:
s the basic structure or
features of African Traditional Religion. Africans embody
all these features in words, thoughts and deeds in their
daily lives with pervasive sacredness and solemnity. This
is, with some degrees of variations because of differences
in their ecologies, cultures and traditions
in the history of the tribe. They were first worship as
ancestors and gradually move to the higher grade of gods.
- Morality
but also human conduct. Belief in God and in the other
spiritual beings implies a certain type of conduct, conduct
that respects the order established by God and watched over

by the divinities and the ancestors.
life. Africans have a sacred reverence for life, for it is
believed to be the greatest of God’s gifts to humans.
- Morality
protect and nurture their lives, all human beings are
inserted within a given community and it is within this
community that one works out one’s destiny and every aspect
of individual life.
principle of African traditional morality and this
promotion is guaranteed only in the community.
- Morality
obligation ordained by God for the promotion of life.
es the basic infra-structure on which this
life-centred, community-oriented morality is based.
- Morality
we are, therefore I am,” captures this ethical principle
well. The implication is that one has an obligation to

maintain harmonious relationships with all the members of
the community and to do what is necessary to repair every
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breach of harmony and to strengthen the community bonds,
especially through justice and sharing.
- Morality
obligation since God, the divinities and the ancestors, the
guarantors of this order of things, are quick to punish
defaulters. Any person who infringes a moral norm in
traditional African societies has not only the members of
the community to fear for reprisals but also God and the
spiritual beings.
- Morality
the ‘oracle of the heart’… the ‘inner oracle’… This ‘oracle
of the heart’ is a person’s conscience, the law of God

written in him. A person is at peace when he obeys his
conscience.” On the contrary, when he disobeys this ‘inner
oracle,’ he lives in constant fear, especially in fear of
all natural manifestations of divine power.
- Morality
asị ka egbe igwe na-atụ egwu” (It is only one who has
committed perjury that is afraid of the thunder).
- Morality
community, Africans have a very strong sense of justice.
Without justice, life in the community would be impossible;
there would be no harmony.
- Morality
often makes a direct appeal to God.
Africans believe that God, who is just and who sees and
knows everything, hates injustice as is illustrated by the
following Akan proverb: “Nyame mpe kwaseabuo nti ena wama
obiara edin” (It is because God hates injustice that he has
given each one a name).

The Abrahamic Religions
Ethics & Morality in
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
sometime after 2000 BCE, in the city of Ur, in Mesopotamia.
12
and
migrate to another place.
oples—most
prominently
the Semitic (after the origin of their languages) peoples,
among whom were the Hebrews, , the Ethiopians, and Arabs.

the
monotheistic tradition.
be called the Holy Land, a region on the eastern
Mediterranean coast between Mesopotamia and Egypt, and the
desert toward its south—the land where the prophets
described in the Biblical and Qur’anic scriptures lived,
traveled, and preached.
countries, including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, and parts of Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.
covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in
One God, and to worship Him, to keep that faith and teach
the practice of worship to his children down the
generations, and God would preserve, protect and multiply
the children of Abraham.

of Abraham to continue.
r) and Isaac (son
of Sarah), whom he settled in different parts of the
Arabian Peninsula, the latter near Jerusalem, and the
former near Makkah.
offspring would become the fathers of great nations.
Christians, and Muslims.
one God, the Creator of all that is in the universe and on
earth.
Creator, has “spoken” to humankind over time. The word for
this divine communication is “revelation.” It comes from
the word “reveal” (to make visible or apparent).
13

revealed Himself to certain individuals called prophets
over the course of human history.
s:
righteous life and the news of judgment after death, and
reward or punishment in the afterlife,
God’s messengers to human beings. The angel of revelation
is named Gabriel. The human beings chosen by God as bearers
of revelation to other human beings are called prophets.
Some of them were chosen and inspired to teach people,
while the major prophets received revelations that have

been memorized, recited and written in holy books or
scriptures over the centuries.
scriptures and traditions of the prophets and the story of
their unfolding in human history. They have continued to
write, recite, and study the words of revelation that were
first communicated orally, then recorded in books.
part of the Tanakh. The Torah contains the revelation that
was given to Moses. The Tanakh includes the Torah and the
books of the Prophets, the Psalms, Proverbs and other
writings, 24 books in all. It contains history, law, poetry
and song. It is written on a scroll and recited in Hebrew
as apart of Jewish worship.
Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible of Judaism, including the

first five books, called by Christians the Pentateuch), and
the New Testament.
and teachings of Jesus and the history of the early Church.
compiled from the writings of many authors over time.
Christians believe that it was inspired in these authors by
14
God. There are 66 books in most versions of the Christian
Bible.
chapters called surahs, and over 6000 verses called ayat.
Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23
years.
moral messages of the Torah and the Bible.
message to humankind from earlier revelations.

together in one society is that they share a set of morals
and values.
Biblical tradition is the Ten Commandments, which was part
of the revelation taught by Moses, and are revered by Jews
and Christians as they appear in the Torah and the Old
Testament.
Muslims are taught to respect Jews and Christians as fellow
“People of the Book.”
– many of
them stated in a similar way, with the exception of the
Sabbath (day of rest).
-26

istianity
Lutheran
of God
nominational
15
-43

you in conduct" (49 : 13).
of them reach old age with thee, say not to them, fie; nor
chide them; and speak to them a generous word. And make
thyself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and
say, My Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up when
I was little" (17 : 23, 24).
give them sustenance and yourselves too" (17 : 31).
what sin was she killed?" (81 : 8, 9).
. . . and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near
of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and
the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives" (2 :
17).
have) over them in a just manner" (2 : 228).

229, 231).
your brethren" (49 : 10).
him
are firm of heart against the disbelievers, merciful among
themselves" (48 : 29).
looks and guard their private parts."
hey cast down their looks
and guard their private parts, and not display their beauty
except what appears thereof; and let them draw their head-
coverings over their bosoms" (24 : 30, 31).
16
American Ethics

Justice & Equality
urces of American Moral Thought
-Christian ethics-the Dominant Religion
the arrival of Puritan Congregationalist to Virginia
and New England
n
-Christian Influence
-Christian ideas pervade American
society
ian Observances
amendments to the United States Constitution. These

limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty
and property.
government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and
reserve some powers to the states and the public.
ts applied only to the federal
government, most of their provisions have since been held
to apply to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment.
1st
United States Congress as a series of legislative articles.
August
21, 1789, formally proposed by joint resolution of Congress
on September 25, 1789, and came into effect as
Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the
process of ratification by three-fourths of the States.

17
only white men, excluding American Indians, people
considered to be "black” (now described as African
Americans), and women.
text, but were well understood and applied.
government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and
culture of the nation, and is a significant source of moral
thought.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging
the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government
for
a redress of grievances.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security
of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,
shall not be infringed.
-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Rights Movement of the mid-20
th
century, where African-
Americans, led by clergy and community leaders, began to
call American on Moral hypocrisy.
-Ethical Formation

of PA (Subsumed by Colgate-Rochester Divinity School
of NY), and Boston University- Ph.D. in Systematic
Theology
-Baptist
Tradition
segregated American South of the 1930s-
40s
18
Birmingham jail because of his desegregation
demonstrations, eight prominent Alabama clergymen
published the following statement in the local
newspapers urging blacks to withdraw their support
from Martin Luther King and his demonstrations.
g that

segregation should They accused King of being an
outsider, of using "extreme measures" that incite
"hatred and violence", that King's demonstrations are
"unwise and untimely", and that the racial issues
should instead be "properly pursued in the courts."
Four days later, King wrote his Letter from the
Birmingham Jail in reply.
tement.html
were either unaware or did not care
about the effect that systemic racism had on the
“Negro”. In the beginning of the letter, the clergymen
claimed this letter to be a second, “appeal for law
and order and common sense’ in dealing with racial
problems in Alabama.” The clergymen apparently are
unaware that there had never been anything lawful,
orderly, or rational about racial problems in Alabama.

This fact was the very reason that the protestors were
protesting.
ence
negroes’ protest was inciting violence, it appears
that the clergymen were apathetic or unmoved by the
plight of Birmingham’s Black citizens. For the Black
citizen, to live under Birmingham’s unequal and unjust
system was to suffer violence on a daily basis, in
that, their human dignity, and God-designed,
personhood was constantly under attack. Violence did
not begin with the protests.
gham Correspondence
they seem to be completely unaware of the protestors’
religious motivations. As far as the letter, signed by
these eight religious leaders from the Judeo-Christian

tradition, has any “religious” appeal, it could have been
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/mlk_day/statement
.html
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/mlk_day/statement
.html
19
submitted by a group of moderate secular humanists. As
such, the clergymen plead with the protestor to allow the
unfair treatment of Birmingham’s Black citizens to be
handled by government (courts) and negotiation.
e
gham.html
his struggle with racism to the struggles of ethically
renowned, historical figures like: Jesus "Love your

enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hurt you, and pray for them which despiteful use
you, and persecute you.", Abraham Lincoln "This nation
cannot survive half slave and half free.", as well as,
Thomas Jefferson, who said, "We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men our created equal....”
.
with "Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust
in its application". He then follows his claim with
specific evidence to support it. "For instance, I have
been arrested on a charge of parading without a
permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an
ordinance which requires a permit for a parade". Then
he offers his logical conclusion with "But such an
ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain
segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment

privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.”
the passage of two acts of legislation.
-352, 78 Stat.
241, enacted July 2, 1964) was a landmark piece of
legislation in the United States[1] that outlawed
major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic,
national and religious minorities and women.[2] It
ended unequal application of voter registration
requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the
workplace and by facilities that served the general
public ("public accommodations").
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.h
tml
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.h
tml
20
–

1973aa-6)[1] is a landmark piece of national
legislation in the United States that outlawed
discriminatory voting practices that had been
responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of
African Americans in the U.S
influenced:
-War Movement
-Poverty Movement
Teacher note: In lieu of this weeks class you will complete an
essay exam based on last weeks lectures and class discussions.
Answer all three of the questions below. (Do NOT retype the
question on your paper.) Simply type your answer
corresponding to questions 1, 2, 3. Each essay must be one full
typed page each, double-spaced in Times New Roman, size 12
font. Be sure to label your paper with your name, the date and
course section number ALL on the first top line. You will be
PENALIZED for using more than one line for this data.) Please
number your pages.
Due date: 5/27/2015 9:00 a.m
*** A PDF of the lecture notes has been attached.

1) Identify three ways in which post-modern Americans harm
themselves in non-physical ways according to the Buddhist
tradition.
2) Compare and contrast the 10 moral tenants of Hinduism with
the Ten Commandments from the Judeo-Christian Tradition.
3) Compare and contrast the “Life in Community” concept of
African Traditional Religions with “Individualism” as a top
American value.

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