Phil 139 Ethics, Politics, and Justice

General Information
Lecturers & Tutors
Lectures Monday 11:00am-12:00pm A1 Friday 11:00am-12:00pm C3 Handouts & Learn Tutorials

Readings
Being a philosophy student Class rep

1. What is Ethics?

Meet Oscar

Describing the events in Oscars Life

1. What happened?

2. What ought to have happened?

Normative judgements True or false?

You ought to like dogs
Individual judgement

You ought not to scoop peas with your fork

Etiquette judgement

You ought to listen to Wagner not Eminem

Aesthetic judgement

You ought not to cause people unnecessary pain

Moral judgement

Questioning oughts and shoulds

1. What do the terms mean?

2. What kinds of action fit the terms?

3. Is acting in this way okay?

Learning About Meta-Ethics What do moral terms mean?

The goals in this course?
To understand:
1. 2. 3. 4. The question Replies to this question Why these replies were given Why they threaten commonsense understandings of ethics 5. Whether they are correct

Meta-ethics example: Cultural Relativism

Anthropologist Ruth Benedicts conclusion?

'The concept of the normal is properly a variant of the concept of the good. It is that which society has approved.'
In N. Rosenstand, The Moral of the Story.

Learning About Ethical Theories What makes an action right?

Think of an action that you believe is a good example of someone acting as they should? What is it about what they are doing that makes their action right?

What happens when we have different opinions about morality?

Try to decide on the facts of the case. Try to understand what it is that makes one person want to say that the act is right, and the other that it is wrong. Try to be consistent with other beliefs, and perhaps theories, about situations that the person has experienced in the past.

Key questions
What moral principle or attitude might be underlying this episode?

Why might the person have this moral principle or attitude?

Normative ethics example Ethical Egoism

Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness

Acting altruistically would lead to (quote):

1. Lack of self-esteemsince his first concern in the realm of values is not how to live his life, but how to sacrifice it.
2. Lack of respect for otherssince he regards mankind as a herd of doomed beggars crying for someones help. 3. A nightmare view of existencesince he believes that men are trapped in a malevolent universe where disasters are the constant and primary concern of their lives. 4. A lethargic indifference to ethicssince his questions involve situations he is not likely ever to encounter, which bear no relation to the actual problems of his own life and thus leave him to live without any moral principles whatever.

Researching ethics Philosophical methods

1. Basic reasoning skills
2. Conceptual analysis 3. Appeal to intuitions

4. Learning by doing

1. Basic reasoning skills

Most 100 level Philosophy courses
Basic knowledge James Rachels, The Right Thing to Do, Chapter 2

2. Conceptual analysis
If we do not have a clear understanding of the meanings of words, we will not have a clear understanding of our questions. And if we do not understand our questions, we will not understand what count as answers to them. We cannot, for example, decide whether lying is always wrong if we dont sort out what we mean by lying. (Tom Regan, Matters of Life and Death, p.5) Necessary and sufficient conditions

3. Appeal to intuitions
Types of example (Onora O'Neill): 1. literary - examples from literature and film 2. ostensive - real life examples 3. hypothetical - imaginary situations that could be part of real life 4. imaginary - bizarre thought experiments

4. Learning by doing
Attend tutorials
Discuss issues with your friends Write

Ethics Quiz (http://www.randomhouse.com/quizzes/index.cgi?ethicist)

My neighbour, a 20-something and quite good looking, never draws his blinds. The view from my apartment is extraordinary. Every night at 8:15 he returns from jogging to shower and prepare for bed, which I enjoy watching. What should I do? - Anonymous, New York A. feast your eyes. B. avert your glance. C. buy binoculars, invite friends over, sell tickets.

How much is a cat worth? My affectionate and obedient Manx needs a procedure that will cost a few hundred dollars. My instinct is to pay for what she needs, but I can't help thinking it's wrong. Wouldn't the cash be better spent on sick humans? -- J. M., Boston

A. It's your cat, and so its health is your responsibility at any cost. There is such a thing as a second job.
B. It is grotesque to spend this kind of money on an animal when many people go without adequate health care. C. Caring for your cat can coexist with your charitable impulses toward your fellow humans.

I had a dinner at the home of one of my neighbours, and he said grace in a way that seemed appallingly sexist. What should I have done? -- anonymous, Los Angeles

A. Let it pass. Their house, their customs. And silence is not an endorsement of their views. B. It is wrong to be passive in the face of such offensive comments. You should have walked out right then. C. Speak up, but not during the actual prayer, and not angrily. Theres time for a quiet conversation during dinner.