2 Moral Agency 🔳 Flashcards
2 quotes underlining a philosophers approach to moral agency
“… morality is part of human consciousness, that who we are as persons is a reflection of our morality”
“Being able to decide what is the morally right thing to do certainly does have real-life practical value”
Anthony Falikowski
Define ‘moral agency’
An individual’s ability to make moral judgements based on some notion of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and to be held accountable for their actions
This definition speaks to an individual’s capacity, responsibility and accountability for moral decision-making
Ethics has an important personal component, which is an independent moral agent with the following attributes:
Free-will
Moral autonomy
Capacity to ‘judge’
If one or more of these is not present, moral agency is compromised.
Quote by Dante about taking things personally
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality”.
Moral dilemmas and moral agency are ….
Directly linked
Moral dilemma refers to:
How do you resolve a moral dilemma as an independent moral agent
Moral dilemmas do not permit the luxury of allowing one to sit on the fence.
One has to: 1____
We do this through: 2____
1 make a stand / moral response
2 moral agency
Judgement
Possess three ability to think critically and rationally
Be able to identify moral issues and moral dilemmas
Knowing when to confront people/situations
Knowing when principles must be defended
Understanding that sometimes difficult or unpleasant actions must be undertaken as a means of moral resolution
Autonomy
Power of self-determination
Self-governance which means living one’s life according to one’s personal values, beliefs and desires
An independent moral agent is the source of their own actions. Suggests degree of personal responsibility
Freewill
Possess the ability to choose between different courses of action without interference
Free to apply moral thinking within/to a moral dilemma
Personal choice is not determined by physical or divine forces. It is usually an outcome of values held.
Moral agents require
Free will
Autonomy
Judgement
The consequence of judgement is
Decision making
Moral philosophy suggests that judgement should ideally involve elements of
Reflection
Contemplation
Wisdom (Phronesis)
Define phronesis
A type of wisdom or intelligence concerned with practical action.
Moral resolution PRECEDES moral action. I.e. …
Look before you leap
