PHILOS 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Logical Reasoning, Bioethics, Moral Agency
8 Jan 2019
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Why we believe the things we do. Socrates maxim that a unexamined life is not worth living. Moral philosophy is not moral conscience of society. Morality is always of relevance but no one is a moral expert: but you can be an expert in ethics!! Ethical theory in contrast to moral philosophy is systematic and a critical study of the basic underlying principles values and concepts of moral life: average person does this but doesn"t think about it. Feelings aren"t analytical: a mere fact that one feels a certain way about an action or practice, not an adequate justification for making moral decisions. Justification is offered by reference to values, rules, and principles norms: a conventional norm, standard: legal rule, religious pronouncement, code of ethics. Conventional norms are uncritically accepted and acted upon: we don"t stop to think why we are following or if these are good standards, a type of externally directed behaviour, blind following of standards.
