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Morality is the differentiation of intentions,decisions and actions between those that are distinguised as proper and those that are improper.In other words,it is the disjunction between right and wrong.
Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosphy ,religion or culture ,or it can derive from a standard of that a person belives should be universal. Morality can also be called to be synonymous with “rightness” or “goodness”.
Morality is the differentiation of intentions,decisions and actions between those that are distinguised as proper and those that are improper.In other words,it is the disjunction between right and wrong.
Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosphy ,religion or culture ,or it can derive from a standard of that a person belives should be universal. Morality can also be called to be synonymous with “rightness” or “goodness”.
Is Ethics Relevant in Politics?
Mapping Positions on Ethics in Politics
Traditions and Ethics in Politics
Indian traditions
Muslim traditions
A common mistake;
Is Ethics Relevant in Politics?
Mapping Positions on Ethics in Politics
Traditions and Ethics in Politics
Indian traditions
Muslim traditions
A common mistake;
Chapter 9. Can We Reason about MoralityChapter 8Can We Re.docxtiffanyd4
Chapter 9. Can We Reason about Morality?
Chapter 8
Can We Reason about Morality?
Copyright by Paul Herrick, 2020. For class use only. Not for distribution. This chapter: 34 pages of reading.
1. Come, Let Us Reason Together
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once observed that if a man-made law conflicts with morality, it is unjust and should be repealed because morality, not man-made law, is our highest standard of behavior. Similarly, if a businessman could increase his profits by putting false labels on his products, he should not do so, even if he can get away with it, because it would be immoral. Morality takes precedence over deceptive business practices—no matter how profitable they might be. Morality also takes precedence over unexamined self-interest. A criminal may want to snatch a purse from an old lady walking with a cane, and perhaps he needs the money and could get away with it; however, he should not do so because it would be morally wrong.[endnoteRef:1] Surely these are eminently reasonable observations. [1: Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham City Jail,” reprinted in James M. Washington, ed. A Testament of Hope. Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. (New York: Harper One, 1986), 289-302.]
These thoughts remind us that morality is the ultimate criterion of good and bad, right and wrong, that we ought to live by, all things considered. Morality is ultimate in the sense that the obligations it imposes on us take precedence over all nonmoral considerations, including laws passed by legislatures, the profit and loss calculations of businesses, social customs, instincts, and the irrational impulses of ego, desire, prejudice, unexamined self-interest, and cognitive bias.
One reason to agree with Dr. King, that morality is our highest standard, is that any human law, social custom, institution, business practice, desire, action—even traits acquired through the evolutionary process--can be evaluated and judged on a moral basis, using our faculty of critical thinking.
The principles or “laws” of morality have a number of important properties. First, they are prescriptive rather than descriptive. That is to say, they prescribe how we ought to act, they do not describe how we do in fact act. Put another way, moral principles are not empirical generalizations about the way people actually behave, and they are not statements about the way people have behaved in the past or will behave in the future. Rather, they are norms or standards that we ought to follow, whether or not we do in fact follow them and whether or not we want to follow them. If someday it should come about that most people hate each other, that descriptive fact would not make it moral to hate. Hatred would still be morally wrong. If someday it should happen that every government in the world practices genocide, that descriptive fact would not make genocide morally right—genocide would still be morally wrong. For (again) morality is.
Overview of EthicsTwo different ways of thinking about ethics .docxalfred4lewis58146
Overview of Ethics
Two different ways of thinking about ethics and business ethics
Absolutism
Relativism
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Two Perspectives or Philosophical Paradigms
Relativism
There are universal moral and ethical standards
Absolutism
No moral standards exist universally
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Examples
Absolutism: Stealing is wrong.
Relativism: Stealing to avoid starvation is acceptable, moral and ethical.
Rationale: There are levels of morality. In short, a family starving says that perhaps society is flawed and that a little stealing is fair and justified in this dire situation.
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Cold Blooded Murder is wrong.
Cheating on scientific studies to prove a drug is safe is very wrong.
Telling a “white” lie may be lying but if the intent is to spare someone’s feelings from harm, well relative ethics might say it’s a little more right than wrong.
EXAMPLE
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Free will versus Determinism (better known as fate):
If everything works out based on a universal plan of unchanging physical laws (determinism/fate/ it was meant to be), how can we say that humans have free will?
Without free will, how can humans be responsible for actions?
The rub!
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Our choices matter
An individual’s free will interacts with others and there are outcomes with consequences
Our free will may bring the right or it may turn out to be in the wrong or just screwed up.
Possessing free will means that we have responsibility for our choices and some portion of the outcomes
Free Will
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Utilitarianism – John Stuart Mill
Viewpoint: Do the Greatest good for the greatest Number
Orientation: Economics
Ethical Basics: Were the actions beneficial? Consequences are the measure of right or wrong (wise and unwise)
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Consider the trend in gift giving: The utility of a gift card is remarkable. The gift giver is spared the time of selecting an appropriate gift. The “gift” transfers purchasing power to the gift card receiver to now have what they want to purchase. Economically speaking this is a good transaction.
The ethical question is does this view of gift giving meet the expectations of friendship?
Utility is an Economically oriented construct
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Generate the most benefits as compared to disadvantages
Benefit the largest number of people; sometimes interpreted as MY people
Example – To cut costs, lay off 49% of your workforce. 51% are happy they have a job and the company stays in business.
Utilitarianism looks at short and long term consequences
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Unforeseen consequences develop
Humans tend to downplay long term risks in favor of immediate rewards (Make this financial year quarter look good)
Humans tend to favor ourselves and then friends over others. MY PEOPLE versus the more philosophical US.
Utilitarianism suffers from serious human frailties
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Viewpoint: There is Right and Wrong and we know the difference
Orientation: Moral Absolutism
Ethical Basics:
Do What’s Right No Matter What the Consequences
What is .
2. What is Morality? Morality is the idea of right and wrong, using a system concerning values and principles. These views can vary between people as it is based on their beliefs, religion, culture and philosophy.
3. Importance of morality "The most important human endeavour is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. “ Charles Dickens
4. Case study - punishment He could be given a prison sentence OR He could be given a death sentence
5. Which is right? Some may say that the death sentence is morally justifiable, as with the saying ‘what goes around, comes around’. However, others may believe in ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’ [Gandhi], which expresses how even when wrong is done, doing another wrong does not make it right.
6. Case study - ghandihism Ghandi worked against violence in Britain, and in 1939 he sent a letter to Hitler to show his views of non-violence, which were rejected. Consequently, World War II started later that year. Therefore, violence is morally justifiable in some circumstances, as long as it is for the greater good, as the benefit will be better than the loss suffered
7. Ethics and morality are both closely related, and as a result are commonly used in the same context as one another. However, when we dig deeper we can see that while ethics refers to code of behaviour and rules, morals are more personalised in their definition. Case study - ghandihism
8. Case study - ghandihism Morality, however, is more of a personalized code of conduct. It pertains to one's individual conscience or beliefs of what is right and what is wrong. “Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.”
9. Cheating is the act of breaking the rules when situated in a competitive situation. Cheating is the wrong act to do because it is purposeful harm, where the person knows that they are doing wrong. We will now show you a short role-play. cheating
11. Stealing is the act of taking another persons possession either secretly or violently. The act of stealing has increased dramatically in the last few years, is there a specific reason for this? We will now show you a short role-play. stealing
13. rights Rights are legal, social, or ethical principals of freedom. Many people do not receive some of the rights they are entitled to, for example, freedom of speech. Martin Luther King tried to decrease the amount of racism towards black people between 1954-1968. We will now show you a short role-play.
15. conclusion Morality distinguishes the difference between good and bad However, it can force people to do something they do not want to do. More people think about they actions, and as a result less people are harmed. You can set an example for others through your views and beliefs.