Ethical Theories Flashcards
What are ethics
Ethics examine right and wrong from the perspective of a human being instead of nature for example
What are business ethics
The study of business situations, activities, and decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed
Ethical egoism ; when is an action morally right
An action is morally right if the decision maker freely decides in order to pursue either their short term desires or their long term interests
Problems with ethical egoism
¬ inconsistent (condones immoral wrongs since anything goes as long as egoists needs are served)
¬ moral view based on short term satisfaction is contradictory to moral principles
¬ can lead to problems due to conflicting interests
¬ taking care of own interests is morally important, but theory needs to be complemented by another
Ethical egoism authors
Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand
Self driving car: if ethical egoist is buying
Would protect people inside the car
Self driving car: if ethical egoist was manufacturing car
Would aim to serve egoist customers to sell more cars
Utilitarianism: An act is morally right if:
If the act results in the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people affected by the action
(Cost benefit analysis)
Utilitarianism authors
Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill
Act utilitarianism
Whether a single act is right or wrong depends on the amount of common good it produces
Rule utilitarianism
Focuses on creating rules that produce the most common good
Problems with utilitarianism
Utilitarian good is subjective, context dependent, and difficult to compare between people
Runs into difficulties in questions related to just distribution of wealth
Can be contradictory with idea of respecting basic rights
Maximizing is not the best approach to addressing all values
Does not include idea of reciprocity
Self driving car: what would an act utilitarian do
Should conduct cost / benefit analysis of what causes most benefit and least harm in each situation
Aim to harm as few as possible
Self driving car: what would rule utilitarian do
Self driving cars should minimize casualties. Should be introduced only if they are likely to make driving in general safer
Ethics of duties
Duties involve humans ability to develop moral laws and moral rules
Developed categorical imperatives
Central concepts: duty, consistency, dignity, universality
Ethics of duties author
Immanuel Kant
Categorical imperatives of ethics of duties
Universal applicability
Respect for persons
Universal applicability ethics of duties:
Check that the principle is acceptable to every human being
Respect for persons ethics of duties
A human being is a valuable autonomical being, not a means to an end or tool
Problems with ethics of duties
Ethics of duties is difficult and abstract theory
Morality can be seen as heavy burden to bear
Morality founded too much on use of reason
Undervalues outcomes of actions
Application to self driving car: what would someone following ethics of duties do?
Should determine general rules that apply to all
Ex. If the owner of the car is seen as responsible, then the persons inside the car should be sacrificed
Rule example: the one who generates mobility risks cannot sacrifice non involved individuals
Rights and justice
Ethical theory based on the rights and justice of every human being
Key ideas: veil of ignorance; social contract
Natural human rights
Basic, important, inalienable entitlements that should be respected and protected in every single situation
Based on human dignity and lead to DUTY to protect, respect and support them
Main natural rights
Right to life, freedom, property, speech, privacy, conscience, and fair trial among others
Authors rights and justice
John Locke, John Rawls
Justice
The simultaneous fair treatment of individuals in a given situation with the result that everybody gets what they deserve
Problems with rights and justice
Arbitrary: too western and neocolonial
Presuppose insitutions that allow for recourse in case of breach
No practical guidance in extreme situations
Self driving car: what would someone following rights and justice perspective do
Cannot discriminate by age, gender, physical appearance, status
Cannot take someone’s life for crossing a red light
Justice perspective: entire traffic systems need to be fair considering ex those who cannot afford a car and that individuals ex should not change settings to protect themselves
Consideration of egoism
Ones own interests
Questions of egoism
Is this really my [or my organizations] best long term interests?
Would it be acceptable and expected of me to think only of the consequences to myself in this situation?
Considerations utilitarianism
Social consequences
Questions utilitarianism
If i consider all of the possible consequences of my actions, for everyone that is affected, will we be better or worse off overall?
How likely are these consequences and how significant are they?
Consideration ethics of duty
Duties to others
Questions ethics of duty
Who do i have obligations to in this situation?
What would happen if everyone acted in the same way as me?
Am I treating people only to get what i want for myself [or organization] or am i thinking also of what they might want to?
Ethics of rights consideration
Entitlements of others
Ethics of rights questions
Whose right so i need to consider here?
Am i respecting fundamental rights and peoples need for dignity?
Considerations ethics of justice
Fairness
Considerations ethics of justice
Fairness
Questions ethics of justice
Am i treating everyone fairly here?
Have processes been set up to allow everyone an equal chance?
Are there major disparities between the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ that could be avoided?
Pluralism
Aims to find a contextually appropriate balance and consensus that takes into consideration different perspective
Alternative theories to normative ones
Virtue ethics
Feminist ethics
Discourse ethics
Post modern ethics
Ethical absolutism, relativism and pluralism
Ethical absolutism: universal right and wrong regardless of context
Ethical relativism: right and wrong depends on situation and culture
Ethical pluralism: mix of both where universal principles and different ethical perspectives are both acknowledged
