Defective Norms of Defective Norms of MoralityMoralityHedonismUtilitarianismMoral RationalismMoral PositivismMoral EvolutionismMoral SensismCommunism

HedonismHedonismIt is an ethical theory which holds that

the supreme end of man consists in the acquisition of pleasure.

Sensible pleasures are the highest good of life.

Morality is grounded on the pleasure or satisfaction that an act brings or entails.

The good action is the pleasant action. The bad action is that which produces pain or

unhappiness.

UtilitarianismUtilitarianism Is a theory very much akin to Hedonism.This norm of morality holds that actions are

right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce unhappiness.

It makes “utility” the norm of morality.

The goodness or badness of an action would depend on the effects or consequences of the action.

An act is good if and when it gives good results, if it works, it makes you successful, if it makes you attain your purpose, bad if it does not.

Types of UtilitarianismTypes of UtilitarianismIndividual/egoistic utilitarianism –

holds that the norm of morality resides in the usefulness of an action for the production of the temporal happiness of the individual.

An act is good when it redounds to the temporal welfare and happiness of the individual, and bad if it hinders or hampers this happiness.

Social/altruistic utilitarianism – holds that an act is good when it is conducive to the social good or well-being

Commentary Commentary (Hedonism & (Hedonism & Utilitarianism)Utilitarianism)

Merits◦It explains very well the emotional

basis and aspects of human action.◦It explains well the reason behind

the doing of action by most people There is always some satisfaction

accompanying the doing of every good act. There is no doubt that most people are

motivated in their action by their desire for satisfaction or happiness or well-being.

Commentary Commentary (Hedonism & (Hedonism & Utilitarianism)Utilitarianism)Defects

◦ Both propose an earthly goal for man, that is, the temporal welfare here on earth. The ultimate and supreme purpose of man cannot

be found in this life.

◦ Both make or tend to make morality relative What is pleasant or useful to one may be painful

and harmful to another. Relative morality leads to moral chaos and destruction.

Commentary Commentary (Hedonism & (Hedonism & Utilitarianism)Utilitarianism)Defects

◦ Both theories make morality extrinsic because they make it depend on the effect or on a concomitant factor of an act. Morality is intrinsic, that is, based on the very essence

of things and on the nature of the act itself.

Satisfaction/pleasure may indicate and accompany the doing of a good act; but the act is good not because it brings satisfaction, but rather, it brings satisfaction because it is good.◦ The pleasure follows from the goodness and not the

goodness from the satisfaction◦ The satisfaction/pleasure is merely an effect, and an

indication but not the cause or the reason of the goodness of an action.

Moral Rationalism – Moral Rationalism – Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant Is the theory which maintains that all knowledge

and all truths are derived from human reason. Human reason, therefore, is the source of all truths,

all laws, and all principles. Human reason is the source of all moral laws and all

moral obligations. Reason commands, and the commands of reason are

absolute and unconditional, absolutely binding on all men of all times (Categorical Imperative). Therefore, good must be done simply because we want.

Virtue must be practiced for virtue’s sake; goodness, for goodness sake.

Why we must do good?◦ We must do good because we must, it is our duty to

obey unconditionally without questioning (Principle of Deontology).

Moral RationalismMoral RationalismThe command of reason is categorical and all

are obliged to obey, it is our moral duty to obey unconditionally.◦ Duty – is the very root, test and the mainspring

of all morally good acts. All that is moral is motivated by pure sense of duty, by

pure reverence for the law. Thus, morality is grounded on duty or moral obligation.

True morality, must be autonomous in character (Autonomy of Reason).

◦ According to which theory: it is reason that commands and at the same time it is reason that obeys. Thus, reason will be the law-maker, the law-giver and

law-obeyer at the same time.

Commentary Commentary (Moral (Moral Rationalism)Rationalism)Merits

◦ It emphasized the absolute and immutable nature of morality

◦ It saves morality from the destructiveness and insanity of moral relativity and skepticism.

Defects◦ On Autonomy of Reason

Reason is the absolute law-maker, law-giver, law-abider. (Autonomy of Reason) Morality comes not from reason itself but from a

higher and other source than human reason. (Heteronomy of Reason)

Commentary Commentary (Moral (Moral Rationalism)Rationalism)Defects

◦ Based on Heteronomy of Reason◦ Human reason only sees things, but it does not make

things.◦ Human reason tells us the law, but it does not make

the law.◦ Moral law is not from human reason, it is not our own

making, but it is impose on us from a higher source.

If the law were made by human reason, then everything that we would like to do could be approved by reason, but the fact is that we have many things we like to do by which we know are against the dictates of our conscience.

Nothing can be superior and inferior at the same time.

Commentary Commentary (Moral (Moral Rationalism)Rationalism)Defects

◦Duty as a norm of morality Duty cannot be sole motive in the

performance of an act. There are other motives that are more worthy

and more noble, such as love, pity, mercy, etc.

◦On Universalization of Reason There are many acts which cannot be

universalized. Ex. Dying a hero’s death by martyrdom

Moral EvolutionismMoral EvolutionismThis is the theory of all those who

holds that morality is never fixed or absolute, but is continually changing and evolving gradually into a perfect morality.

Friedrich Nietzsche - believed that morality – the distinction between right and wrong – did not exist in the beginning or originally unknown.

Good is that which anybody desired.

Moral EvolutionismMoral EvolutionismFriedrich Nietzsche He was convinced that traditional values represented a

“slave morality,” a morality created by weak and resentful individuals who encouraged such behavior as gentleness and kindness because the behavior served their interests. ◦ These are the laws/values derived and based on the teachings of

Christianity which stands for meekness, humility, suffering pity, mercy, poverty, forgiveness and love.

◦ These values glorify and favor the weak and produces weaklings

But, according to Nietzsche, we must produce the strong◦ The law of nature is the survival of the fittest.

◦ The strong is destined by nature to live and rule.

◦ The weak has no right from nature to live. The weak who form the majority must be eliminated in order to give way to the aristocracy of the strong.

Moral EvolutionismMoral EvolutionismThus, Nietzsche, developed an idea of

the “Superman/Overman”.

◦ The “Superman/Overman” – was an individual who overcame the slave morality of traditional values, and lived according to his own values/morality.

◦ This superman is secure, independent, and highly individualistic. The overman feels deeply, but his passions are rationally controlled. Concentrating on the real world, rather than on the rewards of the next world promised by religion, the overman affirms life, including the suffering and pain that accompany human existence.

Moral EvolutionismMoral EvolutionismHe advanced this idea by saying that “God

is dead,” or the traditional morality was no longer relevant in peoples lives.

For him, the end of all morality and society – to produce the strong, the superman.

Thus, might, strength and power form the basis of true morality.

◦ Good, is that one which makes one strong, powerful, and most of all super human, and bad is that which is productive of the weak.

Commentary Commentary (Moral (Moral Evolutionism)Evolutionism)The result – the chaotic, horrific,

barbaric and devastating World War II (German Invasion).

◦ Who thinks that they are the Aryan race (White supremacy) superior to any other and destined to rule and conquer the world.

◦ They devoured weaker nations and justified all the massacres, tortures, and bloodshed of concentration camps in their occupied countires on the theory that thay are the strong and, therefore, can do no wrong.

Moral PositivismMoral Positivism This theory holds that the basis/source of all moral laws

is the laws of the State. Good is that which is in accordance with the laws of

the State; bad is that which is forbidden by the State.

The proponent of this theory is Thomas Hobbes◦ Nature was in a state of universal war. Mankind was in

a state of war before the formation of the State.◦ Man is a wolf unto his fellowmen (Homo homini lupus)◦ Thus, there was no law, no morality, no distinction

between right and wrong.◦ To end this state of war and anarchy, men came

together to form the State. Thus, laws, rights and duties were then established. Morality then has it source, its origin from the laws of the State.

Commentary (Moral Commentary (Moral Positivism)Positivism)Defects

◦It makes morality relative. There are State Laws which are legal but not

moral (Abortion, Death Penalty, Same Sex Marriage).

◦It reverses the natural order of things. Before there was any State there was already

human nature with all its natural and inviolable rights and the law (natural law) governing it. Example:

Murder is always bad, even before there was any State law prohibiting it. Murder is forbidden by law and is wrong because it is clearly a violation against human nature.

Moral SensismMoral SensismIs an ethical theory which holds that

man is endowed with a special moral sense (other than reason) by virtue of which man distinguishes between right and wrong.◦The basis/source of morality is man’s

senses; what a person’s feel about the human act.

◦Good if I feel it is good; bad if I feel it is bad.

◦This view expressed when we say he has “no sense of morality,” “no moral taste”.

Commentary (Moral Commentary (Moral Sensism)Sensism)Defects

◦It makes morality relative. Morality is not based on feelings/senses. Morality is not based on the mood of the

person. A human act is good or bad based on the norms

of morality which is conscience and natural law.

CommunismCommunismIts moral philosophy is the logical

consequence of metaphysics or view of reality known as dialectic materialism.

According to this theory, matter is the only reality.

This sole entity or matter, is in constant flux or motion and this accounts for all the events, motion and change in the universe; so that all phenomena of nature, all history, are nothing else but the manifestation of this dialectic process inherent in the nature of all things (matter).

CommunismCommunismIt is founded on the theory of

change, evolution and revolution. Everything is progressing towards the

goal of perfection; man, society and history naturally and necessarily tend towards the attainment of the ultimate objective: the perfect state here on earth, the Classless Society.

All these are involved in the inexorable laws of dialectic materialism.

The goal of man is his earthly happiness in a classless society.

CommunismCommunismMorality is changing since all

things changes. Good is that which brings about and

hasten to bring about the realization of a classless society; bad that which hinders or delays its coming.

The end of man, which is the classless society, is the norm of morality.

The end determines the morality of an act, the means does not matter. Thus, “the end justifies the means”. Revolution, conflict, bloodshed, wars, espionage,

etc., are good if they bring about the desired end: Classless Society

CommunismCommunism

Primacy of EconomicsEconomics is the sole basis of all

civilization, all progress, all history, all society.

It conditions and determines one’s religion and even one’s mode of thinking and living.

Morality is likewise determined by economics, in such a way that different economic conditions give rise to different moralities.

Economics is the beginning and the ends of all ethics/morality.

Commentary - Commentary - CommunismCommunismMerit

◦Communism explains well the importance and necessity of economics in life. Man is an economic being.

He has an stomach to feed, he has to earn a living to support himself and his family, etc.

Defects◦It is vitiated with the fallacy of exclusiveness and misproportion.

Commentary - Commentary - CommunismCommunism

While it is true that man can not live with bread, it is likewise true that he does nor live by bread alone.

While he is an economic being, he is not an economic being exclusively, nor principally.

While we cannot disregard economics in life, we cannot make it the sole and the most important thing in life.

It may be the basis or a sine qua non condition of earthly life, but it is not the end of all human beings, though it is a necessary means to it.

Commentary - Commentary - CommunismCommunismComparison between Morality of communism and

Christian Morality:1. Communism is based on the primacy of matter.

Christian morality is based on the primacy of the spirit.

2. Communism proposes an earthly goal for man (temporal life).

Christian morality is primarily for the other world (eternal life).

3. Communism denies the basic postulates of Christian morality (the existence of God, freedom of the will, immortality of the soul. It substitute matter for God; life in a classless society for immortality, and the laws of the dialectic for freedom.

Commentary - CommunismCommentary - Communism

Comparison between Morality of communism and Christian Morality:

4. Communism adheres to the position that “the end justifies the means.”

Christian morality believe that “the end does not justify the means.”

5. Communism subscribes to the evolutionistic view of morality.

Christian morality maintains that morality is absolute, immutable and eternal.

6. Communism uses force, conflict, revolution for the attainment of its goal: the classless society here on earth.

Christian morality teaches love, patience, right living and prayer for the attainment of its ultimate end: eternal happiness in heaven, with God.

Thank you! God Thank you! God bless!bless!