Moral Theory Day 2
Moral Theory Day 2
Universal Morality
God Given -
If Truth is not created by the person who wields it, then it must exist in some concrete location which we can refer to. One of the most frequent answers to the question ‘where does this truth lie’ is to say that it is in the sacred texts of a religion.
Divine Command Theory – Moral because God approves of it
Ad hominem on page 19
Morality already present in world by nature -
“A list of virtues or duties drawn up by a Bhuddist would not differ very greatly from one drawn up by a Christian, a Confucianist, a Mohammadan or a Jew. Formally all of the ethico-religious systems are universalist in scope.” – Morris Ginsberg
Religion provides a moral theory as one of its main purposes, and there are components of this moral theory which carry through to all religions. In particular something like the golden rule
Natural Law Theory – God commands something because it is moral, not the other way around
Morality is grounded in rational human behaviour, not God’s personal desires or feelings. Morality exists already embedded in the world but it takes informed reasoning to uncover it.
Thomas Aquinas-
Problems
If Morality is determined by a religion, which religion is it? There are literally thousands
Pg. 17 divinely inspired folk – “If someone claims that God spoke to her and commanded her to oppose cloning, we have no independent criteria for judging whether she, in fact, heard God or not.”(18)
How do we know when we have correctly reasoned to the natural moral right?
Aristotle
What is moral for Aristotle?
“Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e. the mean relative to us, this being determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it.”(46)
All Actions aim at happiness –
“Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for his reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.”(43)
The Mean –
Applying intellectual and moral virtue one can determine the appropriate amount one should engage in any activity.
Habit –
“For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy…”(44)
“[w]e become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”(44b)
Confucius
What is moral for Confucius –
Duty to our fellow humans. A just and well ordered society(obey parents, good rulers)
Sayings -
“A gentlemen that studies in unlikely to be inflexible.”(69)
“There is no point in seeking the views of a Gentleman who, though he sets his heart on the Way, is ashamed of poor food and poor clothes.”(70a)
“Do not oppose on others what you yourself do not desire.”(70b)
To Rulers: “Just desire the good yourself and the common people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is like wind; the virtue of the small man is like grass. Let the wind blow over the grass and ti is sure to bend.”(71a)
John Locke
What is moral for Locke?
Natural rights ethics
The state of nature and the existence of reason –
“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone; and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions”(59)
Natural Law –
“God,who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience.”(59b)
Discussion Questions:
Can you be religious and subscribe to a particular moral theory and engage in a reasoned moral debate about the morality of something. Shouldn’t you just repeat what the moral theory says?
What role does the ‘authority’ have in enforcing a moral theory? Pg. 44b What about if the leaders are un-virtuous themselves. What would Locke say?
Is the mean a personal thing? If so is Aristotle a relativist?
Universal Morality
God Given -
If Truth is not created by the person who wields it, then it must exist in some concrete location which we can refer to. One of the most frequent answers to the question ‘where does this truth lie’ is to say that it is in the sacred texts of a religion.
Divine Command Theory – Moral because God approves of it
Ad hominem on page 19
Morality already present in world by nature -
“A list of virtues or duties drawn up by a Bhuddist would not differ very greatly from one drawn up by a Christian, a Confucianist, a Mohammadan or a Jew. Formally all of the ethico-religious systems are universalist in scope.” – Morris Ginsberg
Religion provides a moral theory as one of its main purposes, and there are components of this moral theory which carry through to all religions. In particular something like the golden rule
Natural Law Theory – God commands something because it is moral, not the other way around
Morality is grounded in rational human behaviour, not God’s personal desires or feelings. Morality exists already embedded in the world but it takes informed reasoning to uncover it.
Thomas Aquinas-
Problems
If Morality is determined by a religion, which religion is it? There are literally thousands
Pg. 17 divinely inspired folk – “If someone claims that God spoke to her and commanded her to oppose cloning, we have no independent criteria for judging whether she, in fact, heard God or not.”(18)
How do we know when we have correctly reasoned to the natural moral right?
Aristotle
What is moral for Aristotle?
“Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e. the mean relative to us, this being determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it.”(46)
All Actions aim at happiness –
“Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for his reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.”(43)
The Mean –
Applying intellectual and moral virtue one can determine the appropriate amount one should engage in any activity.
Habit –
“For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy…”(44)
“[w]e become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”(44b)
Confucius
What is moral for Confucius –
Duty to our fellow humans. A just and well ordered society(obey parents, good rulers)
Sayings -
“A gentlemen that studies in unlikely to be inflexible.”(69)
“There is no point in seeking the views of a Gentleman who, though he sets his heart on the Way, is ashamed of poor food and poor clothes.”(70a)
“Do not oppose on others what you yourself do not desire.”(70b)
To Rulers: “Just desire the good yourself and the common people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is like wind; the virtue of the small man is like grass. Let the wind blow over the grass and ti is sure to bend.”(71a)
John Locke
What is moral for Locke?
Natural rights ethics
The state of nature and the existence of reason –
“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone; and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions”(59)
Natural Law –
“God,who hath given the world to men in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience.”(59b)
Discussion Questions:
Can you be religious and subscribe to a particular moral theory and engage in a reasoned moral debate about the morality of something. Shouldn’t you just repeat what the moral theory says?
What role does the ‘authority’ have in enforcing a moral theory? Pg. 44b What about if the leaders are un-virtuous themselves. What would Locke say?
Is the mean a personal thing? If so is Aristotle a relativist?
posted by Charles Carlson at
7:04 AM
