BSB111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Deontological Ethics, Categorical Imperative, Kantianism
BSB111 Lec/Tut 2 – Normative Questions
CONSQUENTIALISM
- Ethical Egoism
- Utilitarianism
Consequentialism
- Goodness of outcome (consequences of the action)
- the ed justifies the ea – if the goal is morally good, any method of achieving it is
acceptable
- Mills pape – quality of pleasures (e.g. chocolates)
o Hierarchy of pleasures
- Teleological approach
o eds
o Ethics/approaches
o Poliy doig good
Ethical Egoism (psychological egoism)
- Ethics of actions based on you
- Consequences for the individual agent are taken to matter more than any other result
- E.g. in business -> mislead customers
- Conflicts with morality (ignores others)
- Suggests morality is subjective – leads to lack of moral criticism and moral progress
- Programmed to max Own good – utility – economic approach
o Motivations? Glory even with sacrifice
Utilitarianism (Disclosure ethics)
- Morally obliged to do what increases overall good (max) for everyone
- Increase happiness (Bentham – 7 factors for net happiness)
o 1. Intensity: how strong it is? Is it a big step of happiness?
o 2. Duration: Short or long-time happiness?
o 3. Certainty: How certain is the outcome?
o 4. Remoteness: How close our happiness to the action
o 5. Fecundity
o 6. Purity
o 7. Extent
▪ Interests and fears
▪ Max pleasure and min pain
▪ Short and long term
▪ Business decision might not be morally right but increases the sum $$
1. Act
- Persons act is morally right if it produced at least as much happiness as any other act that
the person could do
- Consequence of the act alone
2. Rule
- Action is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good
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Document Summary
Goodness of outcome (consequences of the action) (cid:862)the e(cid:374)d justifies the (cid:373)ea(cid:374)(cid:863) if the goal is morally good, any method of achieving it is acceptable. Mill(cid:859)s pape(cid:396) quality of pleasures (e. g. chocolates: hierarchy of pleasures. Teleological approach (cid:858)e(cid:374)ds(cid:863: ethics/approaches, poli(cid:272)y (cid:862)doi(cid:374)g good(cid:863) Consequences for the individual agent are taken to matter more than any other result. Suggests morality is subjective leads to lack of moral criticism and moral progress. Morally obliged to do what increases overall good (max) for everyone. Increase happiness (bentham 7 factors for net happiness: 1. Is it a big step of happiness: 2. Certainty: how certain is the outcome: 4. Remoteness: how close our happiness to the action: 5. Interests and fears: max pleasure and min pain, short and long term, business decision might not be morally right but increases the sum $, act. Persons act is morally right if it produced at least as much happiness as any other act that the person could do.
