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Philosophy Moral Philosophy: Student Activities Higher and Intermediate 2 7899 Philosophy Moral Philosophy: Student Activities Higher and Intermediate 2 7899 . Summer 2000 HIGHER STILL Philosophy Moral Philosophy: Student Activities Higher and Intermediate 2 Support Materials CONTENTS • Introduction to Moral Philosophy • Utilitarianism; information and activities • Kantian Ethics; information and activities • War - introduction to topic • Utilitarianism and War • Kantian Ethics and War • Punishment - introduction to topic • Utilitarianism and Punishment • Kantian Ethics and Punishment • Euthanasia - introduction to topic • Utilitarianism and Euthanasia • Kantian Ethics and Euthanasia Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 1 Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 2 NOTE TO TUTORS These support materials have been designed to support the teaching of the Moral Philosophy Unit at Int 2 and Higher. The materials have already been used by one set of students and it is intended that the information sheets and tasks can be given directly to students. The materials deal with Kantian Ethics, Utilitarianism and their approach to three issues explored by the unit – War, Punishment and Euthanasia. The materials should be used to supplement other resources or as a basis from which to start. Various authors are frequently cited, giving their views on the specified issues. This gives students a breadth of views without having to read all the texts mentioned. It might be useful to look at some of the supplementary texts and some of these texts are listed below. General texts Honderich, T Oxford Companion to Philosophy O U P (Oxford 1995) Morton, A Philosophy in Practice Blackwell (Oxford 1996) Osborne, R Philosophy for Beginners Writers and Readers Pub. (New York 1992) Palmer, M Moral Problems. The Lutterworth Press (Cambridge 1991) Thompson, M Philosophy: An Introduction Hodder and Stoughton (London 1995) Warburton, N Philosophy: The Basics (edition 2) Routledge & Kegan Paul (London 1995) Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 3 Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 4 Introduction to Moral Philosophy STUDENT TASK Moral philosophy is about making moral choices – about how people decide what is moral / immoral. Morality is concerned with ideas of right and wrong. Making a moral choice is not like choosing something to wear; it involves choices about how we should behave and the intentions behind our behaviour. It involves what we and society see as the correct values to have. Think of some of the topics that might be covered under “Moral Philosophy” What is morally right is not the same as what is legally right (although what is legal is usually thought to be moral too). Think of something legal but, you could argue, is immoral Think of something illegal but, you could argue, is moral Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 5 Introduction to Moral Philosophy STUDENT TASK Moral philosophers look at the reasons behind decisions about what is right and wrong and debate whether these decisions are justified. This is important because if we don’t have good reasons against murder, torture etc we don’t have any real justification in condemning it. Some people say that deciding what is right is merely a matter of taste – like deciding between tomato and brown sauce on your burger. This is something that is down to individuals to decide and you can’t criticise their decision. Others say there is more to moral decision - making, that it makes sense to discuss and debate decisions of this nature in a way that it does not make sense to debate the taste of sauce (obviously tomato is best !!!). Think of an argument to support the idea that morality is a matter of taste. What are the possible consequences of dealing with morality like this? Think of an argument to support the idea that morality is more than personal taste. What are the possible consequences of dealing with morality like this? Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 6 Introduction to Moral Philosophy STUDENT TASK Presuming that we can and should debate what is right and wrong, there are many answers to the question of how we should decide moral/immoral acts. Write down as many ways of deciding what is right as you can. Which of the ideas do you think you agree with most? Why? Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 7 Why should we be moral? STUDENT TASK Before you came to this class, you have probably had to make at least one moral decision. Perhaps you could have taken a chocolate bar from the canteen without paying and not been caught, perhaps you promised to do something for a friend and they seem to have forgotten and you have to decide whether to remind them. Everyday you have to choose between what you want and the interests of others, between your desires and rules you feel you should obey. But why should other people matter, why shouldn’t we just suit ourselves? Answers like ‘ because it is unfair to others’ don’t always work. Some people don’t care about others. The answer ‘because the consequences will be bad for you’ might not apply if there is no way anyone will find out. So why should we be moral? Here is a story told by the famous philosopher Plato. It is known as the ‘Myth of the Ring of Gyges’ Plato’s friend, Glaucon tells the story of a magical ring, which allows the person wearing it to be invisible. Glaucon says that if we had such a ring and could get away with anything, we would do so. We would be selfish if we could get away with it. • If you had the ring of Gyges what would you like to do? • What ‘immoral’ acts might you commit if you knew you would not be caught? • Are there any things you still would not do even if you would get away with it? What are they? • Why would you not do these things? Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 8 Moral Theories STUDENT INFORMATION Why are they important? Moral theories try to give us some way of deciding why actions are right or wrong. Once we have underlying explanations about why things are right or wrong we can use these reasons to decide on particular cases. Generally, there are two different types of moral theories. Teleological theories: Where moral judgements are based on the effects of an act. You decide whether an act is good or bad by looking at its consequences. This appeals to common sense, usually before people act they think about what the outcome will be. There are different opinions about what counts as good/ bad consequences. Some people think the consequences are only good if they benefit the person acting. Others think the consequences have to benefit more people than they will harm. Deontological theories: Disagrees with the idea that consequences are important. In deontological theories whether an act is right does not depend on the consequences. There are certain acts that are right or wrong no matter what the consequences are.This appeals to the notion that there are certain acts which are wrong even if they have a good outcome. Some people think we can decide whether acts are right by looking at the motive behind them. Others think that acts have to conform to rules for them to be right. Teleological theories look forward and deontological theories look backward to decide what is right or wrong. Some people believe in only one type of theory but we quite often decide what is right and wrong using both types of theories. Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 9 Moral Theories STUDENT TASK Decide whether these statements are teleological or deontological or could be both. (Note that you do not have to agree with the statements). 1. Drinking and driving is wrong. You only have to look at the deaths it causes to see that. 2. I knew studying was the right thing to do – I’ve passed all my exams! 4. 3. 5. “ Always obey your superiors” 6. When I am older I must not take sweets from strangers Philosophy Support Materials: Moral Philosophy – Student Activities (H and Int 2) 10 Moral Theories STUDENT TASK Here are some moral dilemmas. For each one decide • What you would do • Why you would do this • Whether your reasons are teleological, deontological or both You come home one night to find your house on fire. Your dad and his friend, a famous doctor who is supposed to be close to curing AIDS, are inside. You only have time to save one person. Whom should you save? Your friend tells you she has stolen the papers for the Philosophy exam. You tell her that someone else has been blamed and is being expelled for it. Your friend refuses to own up. What should you do? A man from your town decides to open a video shop that will sell mild pornographic videos. As a moral philosopher, people are looking to you to say whether this is acceptable or not. Some feel that it will corrupt the young, others feel that people should free to choose what they watch. The shop will provide much-needed jobs for the town. What should you recommend? You are on a cruise liner that is hijacked. The hijackers discover that there is one passenger who has gone missing – your son. You know that he has gone to try and alert the authorities on his mobile phone. The hijackers find him and then tell you that unless you kill him, they will kill him and 10 other people as well.
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