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TIMMONS, DISPUTED MORAL ISSUES
“Disputes over moral issues
are a fact of our social lives”
(1).
“in arguing for a particular
position on the topic of, say,
euthanasia, philosophers make
their case by applying a moral
theory to the practice of
euthanasia” (2).
THEORY
PRACTICE
“The theoretical aim of moral
theory is to discover those
underlying features of
actions, persons, and other
items of moral evaluation
that make them right or
wrong, good or bad and thus
explain why such items have
the moral properties they
have. Features of this sort
serve as moral criteria of the
right and the good” (3-4).
“The practical aim of a moral
theory is to offer practical
guidance for how we might
arrive at correct or justified
moral verdicts about matters
of moral concern – verdicts
which we can then use to
help guide choice” (4).
Michael Sandel on the Colbert Report:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/392600/july-20-2011/michaelsandel?xrs=share_copy
RAWLS SCHEMA
“The two main concepts of ethics
are those of the right and the
good; the concept of a morally
worthy person is, I believe,
derived from them”
(Rawls, A Theory of Justice, 24).
“value based moral theories” vs.
“duty based moral theories”
(Timmons, 5)
VALUE BASE MORAL THEORY
DUTY BASED MORAL THEORY
Teleology
Deontology
takes the good as
primary (and derives
the right from the
good).
takes the right as
primary (and derives
the good from the
right).
PRINCIPLES
“moral principles – very general moral
statements that specify the conditions
under which an action is right (or wrong)
and something is intrinsically good (or
bad)” (4).
Note: “if and only if (and because)”
UTILITARIANISM
“An act is right if and only if (and because) it would (if
performed) likely produce at least as high a utility (net
overall balance of welfare) as would any other
alternative action one might perform instead” (8).
NATURAL LAW THEORY
“An action is right if and only if (and because) in
performing the action one does not directly violate any
of the basic values” (12):
1. Human Life
2. Human Procreation (which includes raising children)
3. Human knowledge
4. Human Socialability
DOCTRINE OF DOUBLE EFFECT
“An action that would bring about at least one evil effect and at
least one good effect is morally permissible if (and only if) the
following conditions are satisfied:
Intrinsic permissibility: The action in question, apart from its effects, is
morally permissible;
Necessity: It is not possible to bring about the food effect except by
performing an action that will bring about the evil effect in question;
Nonintentionality: The evil effect is not intended – it is neither one’s end
now a chosen means for bringing about some intended end;
Proportionality: The evil that will be brought about by the action is not out of
proportion to the good being aimed at.” (13)
RIGHTS BASED MORAL THEORY
“An action is right if and only if (and because) in
performing it either (a) one does not violate the
fundamental moral rights of others, or (b) in cases
where it is not possible to respect all such rights
because they are in conflict, one’ action is among the
best ways to protect the most important rights in the
case at hand” (22).
VIRTUE ETHICS
VIRTUE ETHICS
“An action is right if and only if (and because) it
is what the virtuous person would not avoid
doing in the circumstances under
consideration” (23).
VIRTUE ETHICS
“How should I live?” instead of “What should I do?”
Eudaimonia
↓
Phronesis
↓
The Moral Virtues
VIRTUES AND VICES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Honesty/Dishonesty
Courage/Cowardice
Justice/Injustice
Temperance/Intemperance
Beneficence/Selfishness
Humility/Arrogance
Loyalty/Disloyalty
Gratitude/Ingratitude
From Timmons, 24
PRIMA FACIE DUTIES
Confusing Term
“A prima facie duty
isn’t really a duty, but a
rather permanent, very
strong reason to do
something”*
*Russ Shafer Landau’s gloss from:
The Fundamentals of Ethics, 223.
PFDs
•Fidelity
•Reparations
•Gratitude
•Justice
•Beneficence
•Self-Improvement
•Non-Maleficence