Should choices be made for the group’s benefit or for an individual’s benefit?
What constitutes ethical knowledge and what makes a person an expert in ethics?
Analytical Questions
Examine conflicting assumptions concerning the basis of ethics
Discussion Questions
What is ethics?
How do you make ethical decisions?
What happens when ethical systems are in conflict?
- 2 [usually treated as singular] the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles: neither metaphysics nor ethics is the home of religion
- Schools of ethics in Western philosophy can be divided, very roughly, into three sorts. The first, drawing on the work of Aristotle, holds that the virtues (such as justice, charity, and generosity) are dispositions to act in ways that benefit both the person possessing them and that person’s society. The second, defended particularly by Kant, makes the concept of duty central to morality: humans are bound, from a knowledge of their duty as rational beings, to obey the categorical imperative to respect other rational beings. Thirdly, utilitarianism asserts that the guiding principle of conduct should be the greatest happiness or benefit of the greatest number
Trolley problems and baby problems
Revealed or traditional ethics
Religious
Cultural
Traditional
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Confucianism
http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/eastern/bldef_confucianism.htm
Confucianism is a religious and philosophical system which has been developed from the writings attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius. Confucianism focuses mostly upon the relationships between individuals, between individuals and their families, and finally between individuals and general society. Proper behavior is based upon li (proper behavior) and jen (sympathetic attitude)
Joshua Greene video from edge.org
Utilitarianism from Prof. Hinman
Excellent lecture on utilitarianism (background)
