proportionalism Flashcards
What is proportionalism?
Holds that there are certain moral rules that it is never right to go against unless there is a proportionate reason to justify going against it.
What do Vardy and Grosch say about proportionalism?
The situation must be of sufficient magnitude and sufficiently unusual to justify breaking an otherwise firm moral rule.
What does Bernard Hoose say about proportionalism, and what does AQ say that this applies to?
Bernard Hoose says that proportionalism has pointed out the ‘inconsistency and invalidity’ of AQ’s way of thinking. This refers to AQ’s belief that stealing food to save your life is right, but lying to save someone’s life is wrong. AQ said that lying is always wrong, and in a situation like this, you should instead hold the truth back prudently rather than lie. Modern proportionalists would say that if it is acceptable to steal to save your life, then surely lying to save a life would be okay too.
strengths of proportionalism.
. A well-known part of ‘just war’ theory states that violence used in war must be proportionate to the casualties suffered.
. Based on common sense.
. Wide principle, so it can also be used outside of NML.
weaknesses of proportionalism
. Condemned by the catholic church as it denies that any action can be intrinsically evil, as many believe that acts like rape and torture are intrinsically wrong. The catholic church sees proportionalism as a slippery slope.
. We cannot make accurate predictions as to the outcomes of an act, so how will we be able to tell if the value and disvalue of an act are proportionate to another? We would need to be able to predict the future.
