Topic One Flashcards
Intro to Ethics
Define values
Believes about what is good or desirable
Types of values
Knowledge based
Aesthetics based
Moral based
Definition of virtues
Being informed by personal, professional and social values
Definition of Ethical Skills
Techniques or abilities required for ethical social work practices
Definition of Metaethics
Concern with broad philosophical concepts ( is there such thing as love? What are virtues
Defintion of Normative Ethics
Concerned with application of moral concepts to daily problems ( is it right to breach confident in this situation ? Is it acceptable tonlie to protect someone else.)
Definition of Applied Ethics
Refers to particluar areas of interest ( euthanasia, animal rights, reproductive autonomy )
Deontology is concerned with
Rightness and wrongness of actions depends on duty
Based on premise that are rationale with capacity for reason
Intensions instead of consequences
The ends do not justify the means
Categorical imperatives- unconditional universal commands (thou shalt not kill)
Utilitarianism is concerned with
The greatest good for the greatest number
A weighing up of pleasure over pain
Act utilitarianism - weight consequences of actions
Rule utilitarianism - nominate rules
Consequentialists/ Teleologists is
Interested in the consequences, ends can justify the means
Virtue ethics are concerned with
What kind of person should l be
Interested in cultivating virtues ( strengths and excellences of character ) & eliminating vices
Contractarian Ethics
Protect the human, civil,political and legal status of an individual through a social contract
Use of rights and social justice
Communitarian Ethicists
Beyond individualism to consider social context
Collective ethics
Feminist Ethic of care
where the quality of the relationship and gender impacts.
Do women act in different ways as moral agents
Asks ‘what does a caring response require?’
Ethics of Justice
Key value: separation of persons
Appeal to: principles
Focus on: social contract, duty, individual freedoms, ranked order of values.
Ethics of Care
Key value: Interconnectedness
Appeal to: relationships
Focus on: cooperation, communication, caring, relationships between people.
Point of controversy
Ethical Relativism
Denies the existence of absolute moral standards; rejection of fixed moral rules; ethical decisions justified on the basis of context and consequences
Ethical absolutism
Moral standards are universal and objective; ethical rules can be formulated and can hold under all circumstances.
Moral pluralism
The belief that there are multiple perspectives on an issue, each of which contains part of the truth, but none of which contained the whole truth
Compatible with post-modern perspectives.
Ethical principles
Underpin ethical theories and guide ethical engagement
Principles function like a compass- they provide direction rather than serve as a roadmap
Western principles include
Fidelity (keeping of a promise) Utility (maximise value) Autonomy (self-determination) Justice (fairness in the distribution of benefits and risks) Beneficence (do good) Respect for persons
Eastern Philosophical traditions
Harmony- co-operation, goodwill, unity
Respect- politeness, kind regard, modesty
Hospitality- consideration, welcoming
Balance-equilibrium, protection of the environment
Indigenous philosophical traditions
Importance of cultural values Spirituality Connectedness (to land, kinship) Communal values Importance of history
Eastern foundations
Key objective: to understand how our experiences, ideas, and thoughts arise in conscious experience
Major influences
Hindu philosophy
Buddhist philosophy
Chinese philosophy
Complex and diverse set of ideas, schools, and traditions based in India? Nepal
Ethics in Hindu Philosophy
Four aims of human life (purusartha)
- Material well-being.
- Pleasure and enjoyment
- Morality and social responsibility
- liberation from repeated re-birth
Gandhian Ethics
Non-violence (ahimsa) justice and harmony
Pursuit of truth
extending compassion, & well-being, for the benefit of the collective human race
Individual well-being also achieved.
Ethics in Buddhist Philosophy
Similar to Hindu
Based on non-religious
Applied system of strategies to develop physiological insights
Required for these insights to be used for compassionate ethical actions
Ethical requirements
5 key precepts that lay people abide by in order to develop insight and lead an ethical life.
- Avoid killing
- Avoid stealing ( generosity)
- Avoid sexual misconduct ( promotes love)
- Avoid negative speech ( use words for kindness)
- Avoid drugs and alcohol (positive good)
Ethics 8 fold path
The four elements of the 8 fold path are specially related to ethical behaviour
Skillful: thought , speech, action and livelyhood.
Buddhist Ethics are
meditation devlops a systematic methid of mind training, the ultmiate goal being reaching enlightment.
Ethical behaviour assist to reduce suffering
Ethical beahiour based on compaasionate knowledge that all humans suffer - communal growth, knowldge that inter beings of all life .
Ethics in Chinese Philosophy
Harmony between the natural world and all organissm including people. (aoism- the way)
The interplay between opposites (yin & yang, male and female , negative and positive)
3 jews of the Tao are : Compassion
: Moderation
: Humility
Importance of courtsey, ritual, ideal, standards, reverencey, gernorisity and benevolence.
Ethics in Chinese Philosophy: Ethical Requirements
Alignments, adjustm,emnts to aline human behaviour with natural rhyths.
Relionships obligations guide behaviour between (husband/wife, parents/children)
Leading to justice and harmonious sociaty.
Confucian Ethics 3 key principle
- LI- the ideal of conduct (reverence, courtesy, ritual and propriety)
- Jen - the virtue of goodness and benevolence/ concern of others regardless of class and rank
- Chun-Tzu - idea of the truth ( gentlemen displays five virtues self respect, generosity, sincerity, persistence, benevolence)
Consequentialism theory is interested in
Ethical outcomes of an action
Deontology is concerned with
The rightness or wrongness of an action
Eastern philosophy focuses on
Compassion
Good of the whole
Western philosophy focuses on
Good will
Duty
Individual excellence
