Introduction to Moral Theory

Rels 300 / Nurs 3304 September 2014

MORAL THEORIES provide a viewing framework highlight some elements, obscure others objects/dilemmas look different from different

perspectives some perspectives are more complete than others

2 main categories of moral theories relativism

universalism or objectivism

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RELATIVISM: 2 FORMS

ETHICAL RELATIVISM:Whatever is culturally

acceptable in your society is right.

If it is culturally unacceptable, then it is immoral or wrong.

ETHICAL SUBJECTIVISM:If you feel good and right

about something,then it is a moral act.

If you feel badabout something,then it is immoral

or wrong

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Ethical (or Cultural) Relativism

Individual identity and experience are rooted in specific cultural contexts

Cultural practices and beliefs are geographically, linguistically and socially unique

Every culture has patterns of socially approved behaviours, habits and ideals

Actions which conform with cultural norms are regarded as morally good

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Cultural Relativism

•There is NO ideal culture against which any

other culture can be measured or judged

•Cultural morality is as diverse and particular as

any other aspect of culture

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In societies where time is perceived to be restricted and limited, punctuality becomes a virtue. It is insulting to waste someone's time, and the ability to do that and get away with it is an indication of superior status.

In cultures where time is regarded as plentiful, circular, and constantly regenerated, no disrespect is intended when people wait all day, and then are told to come back the next day. (see http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/cultural.htm)

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SUBJECTIVISM says:

There is no way to resolve a moral dilemma when different people disagree.

People make their own decisions according to what they feel or believe to be right or wrong.

Everybody creates their own morality.If you believe something is wrong, don’t do it.If you feel OK about doing something, then it must be

right for you.We all have to make our own decisions and live with

them.

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.

SUBJECTIVISM asks:

What will be best for me?What do I prefer to do?What action best represents my lifestyle and

principles?What choice feels right for me?Which decision corresponds with my beliefs?Why would I try to convince someone else to make

the same choice I have made when their beliefs and preferences are different?

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Cultural relativism and circumcision

• In some cultures, infant male circumcision is practiced.

• In other cultures, infant male circumcision is regarded as abusive.

•Some cultures practice female circumcision.•Other cultures regard female circumcision as

abusive and discriminatory.

Is circumcision a moral practice?Is circumcision an immoral and abusive act of

mutilation?

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Male CircumcisionAmong Bantu speaking peoples of sub-equatorial Africa, circumcision is an adolescent rite of passage which represents the initiation of males into a warrior status In the US, the primary determinant of male circumcision is religion – almost all Muslim and Jewish males are circumcised. Muslim boys may be circumcised at any age between birth and puberty. A Jewish male infant is circumcised on his eighth day.

Medical studies show that circumcision status is not

directly correlated with either sexual function or dysfunction

In Canada, the infant circumcision rate in Canada has fallen from roughly half in the 1970s to its present

value of 13%; only Manitoba publicly funds circumcision

procedures. Male circumcision may be

performed as a medical procedure by a health care

professional, or by a religious leader in a ritual ceremony

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Female Circumcision• Female circumcision may

ensure the virginity of a bride on her wedding day.

• Studies show that female circumcision reduces sexual pleasure and contributes to sexual dysfunction.

• In areas of Africa & the Middle East, circumcision is seen as “women’s business”; circumcised women are seen as clean, civilized, wise and mature.

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• Female circumcision is performed for cultural and social reasons.

• Parts of the clitoris and the labia may be removed, and the vaginal opening may be sewn smaller; typically, no anesthetic is used.

• Female circumcision is a cultural practice that is found among all religious groups in certain geographical settings.

When medical ethics confronts cultural values

NEJM Volume 22, Number 18, Pages 1312-1315,“The Question Of Routine Neonatal Circumcision” by Ronald L. Poland, http://www.cirp.org/library/general/poland/

CMAJ Volume 148, Number 2: Pages 288-289, ”Female circumcision: When medical ethics confronts cultural values” by Eike-Henner Kluge

“Late Complications of Childhood Female Genital Mutilation” by Aseel Hamoudi & Michael Shier, http://www.sogc.org/jogc/abstracts/full/201006_CaseReport_1.pdf

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What do you think?Should Canadian pediatricians perform circumcision on infant boys or girls?

Definitely YES because …

Definitely NO because …

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Is circumcision a moral cultural practice, or an immoral and abusive act of mutilation?

Cultural relativism asks if circumcision is an approved and habitually practised social norm.

Subjectivism asks if circumcision conforms with my personal beliefs and seems acceptable or preferable to me.

According to our text (p.4), “Ethical [and/or cultural] relativism and subjectivism are inadequate

approaches to morality.”What 3 reasons do they give for this statement?

How would this apply to our consideration of circumcision?

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Can relativism answer the question of•whether or not a moral belief is true?•whether or not a moral belief is accepted by a

culture?Can subjectivism determine whether or not a certain behaviour or action is•morally acceptable to a person? •morally wrong in any context?

Are there aspects of individual subjectivism or cultural relativism that seem helpful or useful?

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What are the alternatives toEthical relativism and subjectivism

ORCultural relativism and subjectivism?

For centuries, philosophers, theologians and politicians have put forward more objective

ethical theories and formulated universal moral rules.

Our first UNIT of studywill focus on some of these.

What moral theoriesdo I need to understand?

Utilitarianism / Consequentialism Kantianism: Duty / Deontology Virtue ethics

Natural law: Teleology & Rationality Feminist ethics / Ethics of care / nursing ethics

Each of these will be discussed in class.For next class, read p. 5 to 19

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GROUPS FOR 5 SEP300/330 appleby

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Janessa A #1Isabelle BMelissa HKathy Ann MJessica S

Shalyn A #2Natasha CAnders JAmanda MRita S

Alex A #3Garrett CMatt KNicole MAdrienne S

Kristen B #4Brandy DJessica KHailey MJorden T

Jessica B #5Kaitlyn EKathryn LJane MSteph T

Emilia B #6Jenna EMoira MHannah MNicole W

Ashley B #7Cassidy FJessica MCollette MAmanda W

Kerry B #8Rebecca GLisa MCharles OEmily W

Emma B #9Emma GJennie-Mae MJenna RClara W

Brittany B #10Heather GEmily MStephen S

Jenny B #11Lindsay GChris MNicole S

Kayla B #12Brooke HBeth MEmily S

Student Questionnaire

Please complete the student questionnaire.This is only to help me get to know you

better.If there is anything you feel uncomfortable

answering, please just leave it blank.If you wish to provide me with any

additional information or concerns, please write on the back of the sheet.

Thank you!

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Sharing in Groups

1. What was the most important thing you did this past summer?

2. Share something about yourself that few classmates would know about you.

3. What do you want to be doing five years from now?

4. What is one goal you have for yourself for this year?

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In 1947, research was conducted on about 1,000 hungry and malnourished aboriginal children in 6 residential schools –

in Port Alberni, B.C., Kenora, Ont., Schubenacadie, N.S., and Lethbridge, Alta.

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/07/16/mb-aboriginal-nutritional-experiments-canada.html

One school deliberately held milk rations for two years to less than half the recommended amount to get a 'baseline' reading for when the allowance was increased. At another, children were divided into one group that received vitamin, iron and iodine supplements and one that didn't.One school depressed levels of vitamin B1 to create another baseline before levels were boosted. A special enriched flour that couldn't legally be sold elsewhere in Canada under food adulteration laws was used on children at another school.And, so that all the results could be properly measured, one school was allowed none of those supplements.

Develop 2 questions about this news item for discussion in your group.

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/07/16/mb-aboriginal-nutritional-experiments-canada.html

Apply these moral perspectives to these studies:

ETHICAL RELATIVISM:Whatever is culturally

acceptable in your society is right.

If it is culturally unacceptable, then it is immoral or wrong.

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ETHICAL SUBJECTIVISM:

If you feel good and right about something,

then it is a moral act.If you feel bad

about something,then it is immoral

or wrong

What kinds of issues do these perspectives fail to address that is relevant in evaluating the morality of doing research on aboriginal students in a residential school?

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For Discussion:

If these nutritional experiments had been conducted on your own grandparents, uncles or aunts:•How would you feel about that?•How might they feel about these revelations?

Is there any action you will take now that you know about these experiments?

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Ethics News – Gillian BennettThere comes a time, in the progress of dementia, when one is no longer competent to guide one's own affairs. I want out before the day when I can no longer assess my situation, or take action to bring my life to an end…Understand that I am giving up nothing that I want by committing suicide. All I lose is an indefinite number of years of being a vegetable in a hospital setting, eating up the country's money but having not the faintest idea of who I am…

I will take my life today around noon. It is time. Dementia is taking its toll and I have nearly lost myself. I have nearly lost me.

From Gillian’s Blog:http://www.deadatnoon.com/index.html

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