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Ethics : an overview by William Scarff, UWBS

Explore the fundamental principles of ethics including teleology, deontology, utilitarianism, egoism, and more. Understand diverse ethical perspectives and the challenges they pose in guiding moral behavior.

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Ethics : an overview by William Scarff, UWBS

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  1. Ethics : an overview by William Scarff, UWBS Key concepts in ethics

  2. Teleology Stipulates that acts are morally right or acceptable if they produce some desired result such as realization of self interest or utility Key concepts in ethics

  3. Egoism • Defines right or acceptable actions as those that maximize a particular person’s self interest as defined by the individual Key concepts in ethics

  4. Utilitarianism • Defines right or acceptable actions as those that maximize total utility, or the greatest good for the greatest number of people Key concepts in ethics

  5. Deontology • Focuses on the preservation of individual rights and on the intentions associated with a particular behaviour rather than on its consequences Key concepts in ethics

  6. Kant’s 3 categorical imperatives • Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. • Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another always as an end and never as a means only. • Act only so that the will through its maxims could regard itself at the same time as universally lawgiving Key concepts in ethics

  7. Question • Maxim 1 – consistency • Maxim 2 – human dignity • Maxim 2 - universality • But in an allegedly post modern world can universality, or indeed ethics in general, provide transferable frameworks?? Key concepts in ethics

  8. Relativist • Evaluates ethics subjectively on the basis of individual and group experiences Key concepts in ethics

  9. Virtue ethics • Assumes that what is moral in a given situation is only what conventional morality requires, but also what the mature person with a ‘good‘ moral character would deem appropriate Key concepts in ethics

  10. OR MORE SIMPLY • Deontology: we follow rules, no matter what the personal costs might be • Teleology: we suit ourselves, disregarding any laws/rules/regulations which might restrain our behaviour Key concepts in ethics

  11. The vexed question of social responsibility • ‘The purposes for which companies should act and the limits of their freedom to act’ • or ‘social responsibility arises from social power’ Key concepts in ethics

  12. Against ethics. • Nietzsche’s challenge. Weakness is supported by ethics. • Strong people do not need ethics and morality. • Emphatically he felt that religion should not provide bases for morality. Key concepts in ethics

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