Arjay Orcasitas
- What is Ethics and how can it be distinguished from morality?
Ethics is the major branch of philosophy that encompasses proper conduct and good living. It is significantly broader than the common conception of ethics as the analyzing of right and wrong, while morality means a code of conduct which is held to be authoritative in matters of right and wrong. Morals are created by and define society, philosophy, religion, or individual conscience. An example of the descriptive usage could be "common conceptions of morality have changed significantly over time."
- What is meant by moral system? What are some of the key differences between the “rules of conduct”, and the “principles of evaluation” that compromise a moral system?
Moral system aims at promoting human flourishing. Although there is some disagreement regarding the extent to which the promotion of human flourishing is required of a moral system. Rules of conduct these are action- guiding rules, in the form of either directives or social policies, while the Principles of evaluation it evaluates the standards used to justify rules of conduct.
- What does Bernard Gert mean when he describes morality in terms of a “public system”? Why is the notion of personal morality an oxymoron?
He claims that everyone must know what the rules are that define it. Gert uses the analogy of a game, which has a goal and a corresponding set of rules. The rules are understood by all of the players and the players’ use of the rules to guide their behavior in legitimately achieving the goal of the game.
- Why does Gert believe that morality is an “informal” system? How is moral system both similar to, and different, from a game?
According to him Morality is informal system, because a moral system has no formal authoritative judges presiding over it.
- Describe how the ideals of “rationality” and “impartiality” function in Gert’s moral system.
A moral system is rational in that it is based on principles of logical reason accessible to ordinary persons, if falls to rationality , while impartiality the moral rules are ideally designed to apply equitably to all participants in the system.
6. What are the values, and what are some of the key differences between moral values and non-moral values?
According to this reading material, values are objects of our desires or interests.
7. How do religion, law, and philosophy each provide different grounds for justifying a moral principle?
It considers how a particular moral principle can be justified from the vantage point of each scheme. With the use of the rule of conduct “Do not steal,” as it underpins many cybernetics controversies involving software piracy and intellectual property.
8. What is the method of philosophical ethics, and what is a “philosophical study”? how is a philosophical study used in an analysis of moral issues?
The philosophers use to analyze moral issues is normative, in contrast to the descriptive method that is used by social scientists.
9. How does a philosophical study differ from a descriptive study? Why are sociological and anthropological studies of morality usually descriptive rather than normative in nature?
Philosophical study – based on philosophy, descriptive study, based on descriptions and based on the 5 senses.
10. Summarize the four different stoppers problematic for the advancement of dialogue and debate about moral issues?
a. People disagree on solutions to moral issues
- Because different people often have diff. beliefs as to the correct answer to many moral questions, some infer that there is no hope of reaching any kind of agreement on answers to any moral question.
b. Who am I to judge others?
- People often uncomfortable with the prospect of having to evaluate the moral beliefs and practices of others.
C. Morality is Simple a Private Matter
-Many people assume that morality is essentially personal in nature and must, therefore, be simply a private matter.
d. Morality is Simple a Matter of Individual Cultures to Decide
-Some might assume that morality can best be understood not so much as a private or a personal matter but as something for groups or cultures to determine.
11. Why are these discussion stoppers problematic for the advancement of dialogue and debate about ethical issues?
a. People disagree on solutions to moral issues
- Because different people often have diff. beliefs as to the correct answer to many moral questions, some infer that there is no hope of reaching any kind of agreement on answers to any moral question.
b. Who am I to judge others?
- People often uncomfortable with the prospect of having to evaluate the moral beliefs and practices of others.
C. Morality is Simple a Private Matter
-Many people assume that morality is essentially personal in nature and must, therefore, be simply a private matter.
d. Morality is Simple a Matter of Individual Cultures to Decide
-Some might assume that morality can best be understood not so much as a private or a personal matter but as something for groups or cultures to determine.
12. What is moral relativism? How it is different from cultural relativism?
Moral relativism- is a normative thesis because it asserts that one should not make moral judgments about the behavior of people who live in cultures other than one’s own
Cultural relativism- is a descriptive thesis.
13. What is ethical theory, and what important functions do ethical theories play in the analysis of moral issues?
Ethical Theory – provides us with a framework for analyzing moral issues via scheme that is internally coherent and consistent as well as comprehensive and systematic.
14. What are the distinguishing features of consequence-based ethical theories?
• What results from an act
• The ends justify the means
• Principle of social utility measured by the resulting amount of happiness
• Intrinsic vs. instrumental values.
15. Describe some of the key differences between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism.
Act utilitarianism:
All things being equal, actions that produce the greatest good(happiness) for the greatest number of people seem desirable.
Rule Utilitarianism:
Some utilitarians argue that the consequences that result from the following rules or principles, not the consequences of individual acts, ultimately matter in determining whether or not certain practice is morally permissible.
16. Which features distinguish duty-based ethical theories from alternative types of theories?
- Theories in which the notion of duty, or obligation, serves as the foundation for morality
17. Describe some of the main differences between act deontology and rule deontology.
act deontology
-deny that what ultimately matters is an action's consequences. They claim that what matters with regard to whether an action is right or wrong is why the action was done. What matters is doing our duty.
rule deontology
- with firm ethical rules to be followed when making ethical decisions.
18. What is meant by the expression “Contract-based” ethical theories?
• State of nature where all free to do as like
• People establish formal legal code
• In each person’s self-interest to develop system with rules
• Objections – Depends only on formal legal rules
• Difference between ‘doing no harm’ and ‘doing good’.
19. What features distinguish “character-based” (or “virtue-based”) ethical theories from alternative schemes of morality?
• Development of good character traits and habits
• Be a moral person rather than just follow rules
• Agent-oriented rather than action or rule-oriented
• Develop character traits such as kindness, truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, helpfulness, generosity, and justice
• More likely to work in homogeneous societies rather than our pluralistic one
• Consequences often should be taken into account
20. How does James Moor’s “Just Consequentialist” theory incorporate aspects of utilitarian and deontological theories into one comprehensive framework?
- Moor believes that only an ethical approach that combines consideration of consequences of action with more traditional deontological consideration of duties, rights, and justice can provide us with a defensible ethical theory.
Discussion questions:
- For me, we are easy to fall victim to one or more of those stoppers when discussing moral issues because we are just human beings. We’re not perfect. It’s just that we can avoid them if we are willing.
- For me, I’ll choose the number 2 because 6 months is still six months and my workers will work for me without any pay? I’d rather lay off 5% than all of them will suffer. It’s like killing one pig with a disease rather than killing all because of the viral infection.
3. I’ll tell the agent I don’t know anything about this person. This principle cannot be applied in all of the cases. What if your friend killed someone and you promised to not tell this to anyone, will you do it? I don’t think so. Your conscience will kill you. Yes Ross’s theory can help me in this situation because his theory deals with the determination of the rightness or wrongness of acts or decisions based on the consequences of those acts or decisions
4. For me, the traditional ethical theories where enough to handle the moral issues in cyber technology because they are somewhat related to each other. Even though these theories were old, they can still say those things that are happening today are part of the theories arouse before.
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