Applying ethics - stealing Flashcards
how would utilitarian’s feel about stealing?
an act utilitarian would say that stealing would be morally good if the happiness outweighed the pain.
- the end (happiness) would outweigh the means
what is the example of stealing for utilitarians?
a close associate of Mr Amveryvich (billionaire) steals £10 mil from him (he never finds out) and uses the money to fund an orphanage
- the act utilitarian would say that this is a good act as it adds happiness but if the thief was found the act would be bad as the money would be reclaimed.
what is the position of the hard rule utilitarian on stealing?
it is always wrong to break a rule as the moral value of an act comes from its observance of the rule
- because many laws are moral rules, the law is rule utilitarianism
when would a rule utilitarian say is the only time it is right to steal?
when the law protecting the property was unjust.
- stealing from the state is ok if a law only benefits the wealthy
what would a weak rule utilitarian’s stance on stealing be?
that stealing is both illegal and wrong apart from those few occasions when happiness will clearly be gained by the theft
e.g. robin hood
what would kantian ethics say about stealing?
Kant would say that stealing is morally and legally wrong because of the:
- categorical imperative - universality
- categorical imperative - humanity
why does the universality make stealing legally and morally wrong?
you cannot rationally conceive that people should steal property
- steal when in need = property and ownership would break down and not exist
so it is inconceivable to act on a maxim if the concept would be meaningless
why would humanity formulation make stealing morally and legally wrong?
by ‘borrowing’ a friend’s hospital pass without asking, you have bypassed their autonomy and treating them as a means to an end
why does kant’s strict position leave his theory in difficulty?
when it comes to unjust laws kantian ethics says that they musn’t break the laws that say not to steal but if this fair?
- kant replies that lawmakers have a duty to not pass such laws but you still cannot disobey such laws is to will us to return to a state of nature which you rationally cannot do
what does aristotle’s theory think about stealing?
his doctrine of the mean suggests that nearly every action can be performed deficiently, excessively or appropriately but that some actions such as stealing do not have an appropriate course of action.
what would a strict virtue ethicists say about stealing a drug for your dying wife?
a strict aristotelian view would say that it is never appropriate to steal and so you should not steal the drug even though there is an acknowledgement that their relationship means something.
what would a modern virtue ethicists say about stealing a drug for your dying wife?
they believe that we should judge the appropriate thing on a case-by-case basis.
- you may be acting out of benevolance but
what does moral realism say?
naturalism - stealing is wrong is true if stealing has teh natural property of wrongness
non-naturalism - stealing is wrong is true if stealing has the non-nautrla property of wrongness
what does moral anti-realism say?
error theory - stealing is wrong is false because the property of wrongness doesn’t exist
emotivism - stealing is wrong just means BOO stealing and so is not capable of being true or false
prescriptivism - stealing is wrong means don’t steal and so is not capable of being true or false
