The good the bad and the ethical 2021 Student Handbook Lesson sampler

VICE

VIRTUE

VICE

Deficiency

Golden Mean

Excess

LESSON 2

Honesty

MINOR/SHORT-TERM PAIN

LESSON 2

INDIVIDUALISM Drinking =

hangover

Eating =

Sex = Drugs =

MAJOR/LONG-TERM PAIN Drinking = alcoholism Eating =

Sex =

FUN IS #1

É

ģ 1⃞ DISCUSS

want. Contrast this with areas where you do not have a choice.

2⃞ REFLECT

Drugs =

List some areas of life where you get to choose what you

Isaac thinks that any decisions he makes in life should be all about him having fun. What limits are there to such an

CHOICE

Limited or NO CHOICE

approach? If his own pleasure was the basis of every decision he made, how might he go wrong?

˴ LIFE If you were friends with Isaac, describe to the person near you a scenario where his focus on fun might negatively impact you?

ɠ YOU Whose happiness matters most, Isaac’s or yours?

We said straight up that ethics can be messy. For the next few weeks we’ll think about ‘systems’ or theories people use to help decide what is the best way (good or bad, right or wrong).

This week’s ethical theories can be grouped together into one that focuses on the individual.

For the areas where you do have choice, the question is: How do you figure out what is best, what is right and wrong?

6

Care and compassion

Doing your best

AND

You still have time to switch classes, it’s only week two!

The good of the individual takes priority

7 Lesson 2—Individualismover

the group in any decision-making.

You have a better teacher, Noah, so I’m going to change to History.

= INDIVIDUALISM

I’LL DECIDE!

When VICE deciding what’s best, aVIRTUE hedonist would ask: VICE Deficiency

One way of deciding what’s right and wrong says that morality

Golden Mean

What makes me happiest?

Excess

=

is better left up to each individual to decide. It points to the many disagreements and debates that people have about right

‘Pleasure = good, pain = bad’ sounds simple and appealing

and wrong, and says, ‘See! Of course we don’t agree! It’s up

but sometimes the very pursuit of pleasure can also

to each individual to decide for themselves what’s right and wrong and what’s good for you is the most important factor’.

Western societies place enormous value on the individual and so this thinking is popular in our culture.

produce pain.

We could summarise this as …

any limits?

What do I feel is right?

=

Honesty

What does my own logic say?

˴

=

4⃞ LIFE

How is this true of the activities below if they are done without Right and wrong should be left to each

individual to decide.

MINOR/SHORT-TERM PAIN Right and wrong should be left to each

AND

Drinking =

individual to decide.

hangover The good of the individual takes priority Eating = over the group in any decision-making.

AND The good of the individual takes priority over the group in any decision-making.

makes Sex What =

What do I feel

What does my

me happiest?

Drugs =

is right?

own logic say?

= INDIVIDUALISM =

=

SoWhat … individualism gives a strong=and decisive answer to the makes me happiest?

MAJOR/LONG-TERM PAIN

key question of ethics: ‘I decide’.

Drinking =

and wrong? Let's look at three big influences: my desire for

Eating =

pleasure, my feelings and my sense of logic.

=

=

Sex =

PLEASURE 3⃞ LIFE

Drugs = A rule-oriented as DEONTOLOGY.

individual to decide.

It believes that

YOLO came and went as an expression. What does it stand

CHOICE of the regardless

The good of the individual takes priority

This idea is not new: about 300 BC a philosopher named Epicurus over the group in any decision-making.

wrote: ‘Pleasure is the beginning and the end of a happy life’.

What does my

is right?

own logic say?

me happiest?

to know whether

tell you whether an act was good or bad.

Everyone what's an deciding act is good orright and wrong based on what just impact other it impacts our Issues to see if people, it is in if world. and only if,related with a valid consequences to the accord environment such as pollution the and climate change are

Isaac from the start of the lesson? What would he think of =

results. In order

˴ LIFE

themselves, Limited or NO CHOICE ie the consequences

makes them happiest (individualism and doesn't bad, we only have An hedonism) act is good,

How similar does this sound to your approach? What about = Epicurus?

as CONSEQUENTIALISM. It believes that the

DEONTOLOGY

What do I feel

approach is known

right is right, ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS results

AND for and what point is it making?

What makes ɠ YOU

A result-oriented

approach is known

Right and wrong should be left to each

CONSEQUENTIALISM

˴

What do these have in common?

It’s all about you! alcoholism You decide and you are the priority.

Fine.

Butdowhat things What I feel is influence right? my =choice of what’s right

What does my own logic say?

=

are good. constantly moral rule. in the news and are a source of anxiety for a great

=

number For of people.

(Thisit issue will beSo, picked in Chapter 9.) for up instance, instance,

Something else that is valued highly in western society is

is wrong to kill

if to kill someone

In what way do you think an ethic of individualism and

What doApplying these have in ethics common? pleasure or happiness. this to is simple. How

or steal or torture

you prevent that

regardless of the

person doing harm,

circumstances.

it might be OK.

In short:

In short:

hedonism has contributed to this environmental destruction?

It’s all about you! do I decide what’s right and wrong? I choose it by whatever You decide and you are the priority.

brings me pleasure and avoids pain.

Pleasure = good = Pain = bad

This viewA isrule-oriented an ethical theory known as

A result-oriented

right is right, regardless of the results. In order to know whether an act is good or

It believes that the results themselves, ie the consequences tell you whether an

act was good or bad.

CONSEQUENTIALISM

hedonism —the best life is the most approach is known approach is known pleasurable It’s appealing because as one.

DEONTOLOGY. as CONSEQUENTIALISM. It and believes thatpleasure. it’s simple promises

Approach

Weaknesses/problems

Strengths/Positives

THE GOOD, OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE VERSUS

It changes

THE BAD AND THE ETHICAL 8

It is the same

depending on

for all people.

poll-h CASE STUDY each person.

COSTLY BARGAINS

poll-h CASE STUDY

‘THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS’1

˴ LIFE

OLIVER Let’s put hedonism to another test. Role-play what can That Biology lesson was the worst! happen when ‘What makes me happy?’ is the guiding ethic for

decision-making in the following scenarios.

NOAH teacher Mr Donaldson A.Your Mia loves is shopping but doesn’t have a lot of cash. isn’t it?

She read that her favourite clothing label is not paying a living wage for its labourers overseas and they have been caught using child labour.

We were classifying animals and But the clothes are so cheap, and she feels great plants. Honestly, it was SO boring! when she wears them, so she keeps buying them.

B. Jake loves the excitement of poker at the city You still have time to switch casino. He gets a huge thrill out of it, so he classes, it’s only week two! feels it’s OK to spend most of his pay cheque gambling. The pity is that he’s not that great at You have a better teacher, Noah, so poker and loses regularly.

Jake’s wife and kids, going change to History. however, don’tI’m share histoenthusiasm for poker.

They would rather have food on the table and money for the school excursion.

ɠ

5⃞ YOU

Can you think of situations when you have made decisions of right or wrong based on your feelings? Identify one time when your feelings lead to a good outcome for someone and another where it ended up negatively impacting someone.

Reflections above show feelings may not always be the most useful guide in making ethical decisions.

An example from a popular TV show from the 90s, Desperate

Housewives (ask your teacher or parents to confess if they watched it), serves to illustrate this issue. Key characters Karl and Susan used to be married, but their relationship ended when Karl left Susan for his (young and attractive) secretary.

SUSAN: ... I need an apology, Karl.

(Karl looks up, making eye contact.)

Can we say Mia’s choice of clothing is wrong? Or is that

KARL: For what?

merely our opinion? What about Jake’s love of poker?

SUSAN: An apology. For the way you ended our marriage. You never took any responsibility for your behaviour.

Do you agree that there are limits, guidelines and specific pleasures that we need to choose?

KARL: I don’t know what to say, Susan. The heart wants what it wants.

The need to introduce guidelines or principles to make hedonism work in our relationships and our society suggests we need something more to tell us what’s good and bad than the simple fact that something produces pleasurable sensations.

SUSAN: What’s that mean?

KARL: I fell in love.

SUSAN: While you were married to someone else!

FEELINGSindividual to decide.

KARL: The heart wants what it wants.

AND is to let your feelings decide Another way to think about ethics

SUSAN: Yeah, well my heart wants to hurt you, but I can

Right and wrong should be left to each

control myself!

what is right and wrong. This is a view called romanticism.

The good of the individual takes priority

This has nothing to do within roses Valentine’s Day. It comes over the group any on decision-making. from the philosophical movement in history that emphasised one’s emotions, feelings and experiences. = INDIVIDUALISM

Author CL Stevenson argued in the 1940s that our ethical judgements are only based on our feelings. Good and bad are What makes me happiest?

=

only a feeling [rather than something we think about].

What do I feel is right?

ģ DISCUSS What problems are there with Karl’s view on making decisions? Are his logic and reasoning flawed or sound?

Hmmm … We might not identify with Karl, but we have acknowledged that there can be situations where making decisions based on our feelings was negative for someone else.

=

So, what other Knowing what is best or right is about your inner desires, your

ideas are out

passions, your dreams. These are what you think about when

there?

What does my own logic say?

=

making decisions in life. Romanticism comes from a view of human nature that says humans are essentially good so Right wrong lefthearts. to each therefore we canand know whatshould is rightbe in our individual to decide.

But can we trust our hearts to guide us?

AND

The good of the individual takes priority over the group in any decision-making.

1. Emily Dickinson > Woody Allen > Selena Gomez.

What do I feel is right?

=

9 Lesson 2—Individualism

What does my own logic say?

LOGIC Right and wrong should be left to each

=

ď 8⃞ VISUALISE

Some of us may be individual offended byto decide. suggestions that we are ruled

Right and wrong should be left to each

by our feelings. We might notAND identify with the idea of just

individual to decide.

pursuing pleasure (hedonism) or going with what our heart The good of the individual takes priority

AND

or gut instinct says is right (romanticism). We might prefer to over the group in any decision-making.

think of ourselves as clear, purely rational thinkers capable of

The good of the individual takes priority over the group in any decision-making.

decisions untainted by emotion. = INDIVIDUALISM

Well, individualism can manifest in a third way.

What if we could tell our emotions to be quiet and just use our What makes me happiest?

=

intellect? Is this the way to know what is best, what is good or bad, right or wrong?

What do I feel is right?

What makes

What do I feel

What does my

me happiest?

is right?

own logic say?

=

=

=

=

We could decide our ethical dilemmas with: What do these have in common?

What does my own logic say?

=

It’s all about you!

You decide and you are the priority.

A logical approach to ethical issues has appeal but weaknesses also. Reflect on this quote from ethicist Tim Dean: ’When we

=

Right and wrong should be left to each

see someone do something immoral, we first experience a individual to decide.

sense of outrage, and only after that does reason kick in to

tachometer-alt-fastest THE QUICK VERSION

ANDThe reasons we give are explain why we think it’s wrong.

A rule-oriented as DEONTOLOGY.

over the group in any decision-making.

Consider also these (paraphrased) words of Thomas Cranmer from the 1500s: ‘What the heart loves, the will chooses, and What do I feel

What does my

is right?

own logic say?

me happiest?

É

6⃞ REFLECT

CONSEQUENTIALISM. Our question is: ‘How do I figure outasthe best way, what is right It believes that

It believes and wrong?’

The answers we’ve looked at so farthat havethe been: right is right,

results themselves, of the ————— Iregardless get to choose (individualism), according to ie the consequences results.

In me order what brings pleasure (hedonism), or my feelings tell you whether an to know whether (romanticism), or my personal logic (rationalism). act was good or bad. an act is good or

= = attempts to What are these authors= suggesting about our

DEONTOLOGY

But … what about and you andAnyou bad, we onlyyou have actand you? is good,

make ethical decisions based on pure logic?

to see if it is in

if and only if,

accord with a valid

the consequences

moral rule.

are good.

The world is made up of over 7.5 billion individuals, 7.5 billion

What do these have in common?

other ‘yous’. Discuss what might happen if all 7.5 billion

It’s all about you!

individuals decided to base their ethics on whatever they

You decide and you are the priority.

if to kill someone

The problem is, each of these approaches—pleasure, feelings you prevent that or steal or torture

=

and logic—is helpfulof to the a point but we reallydoing need something person harm, regardless

Luke sees a fundraiser for an international charity A rule-oriented and contemplates whether the Aright thing to do is result-oriented approach is known donate to it. He doesn’t really feel like parting approach is known as DEONTOLOGY. with his money since givingas itCONSEQUENTIALISM. away decreases the It believes that amount of cash he has to spend on himself.

It believes that But the right is right, he weighs that against the suffering of children results themselves, regardless of the overseas. Surely missing a movie order to feed ie theinconsequences results. In order someone is a good, logical choice. tell you whether an to know whether act was good or bad. actanything is goodother or than pure reason influenced you an think

CONSEQUENTIALISM

Do

So, for instance,

it thought For wasinstance, best. is wrong to kill

ģ 7⃞ DISCUSS

approach is known

CONSEQUENTIALISM

often made after fact to justify our sense of outrage.’

The up good ofthe the individual takes priority

What justifies’. makes the mind

A result-oriented

approach is known

more to make sense of the world andit to might providebeusOK. with a circumstances. good way of doing ethics.

In short:

In short:

Next lesson we’ll consider whether rules would help us in the quest to determine what is right and wrong and thus live the best way.

EDIT

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW / Go to the centre of this handbook to fill out this lesson's section.

DEONTOLOGY

bad, weofonly have Luke’s change mind?

If so, what? An act is good, to see if it is in

if and only if,

A challenge trying make ethicalthe decisions based on our accordforwith a to valid consequences

Approach

pure logic is that we have trouble separating ourselves from moral rule. are good. our desires, especially regarding emotionally charged issues.

For instance, it

So, for instance,

is wrong to kill

if to kill someone

Let’s be clear: it’s good that we have an emotional response if we see terrible things being done, but it does make it hard to or steal or torture

be purely logical. of the regardless

you prevent that

person doing harm,

In short:

In short:

(Rules)

it might be OK.

DEONTOLOGY

circumstances.

STREETVJ / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Weaknesses/problems

Strengths/Positives