phil 186 class notes

8/2/2019 Phil 186 Class Notes

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January 4, 12 Lecture Notes

Standard Case Analysis in class exercise

The Limits of Friendship

1. Significant Facts:- Cecilia purchasing manager, Cecilia told that strong possibility company

might be closing facilities.

- the facts that contribute to moral problem for decision maker

- write facts in summary form (for case study)

2. Interested parties:

- Jim,- Cecilia- Boss

3. Decision maker:- Cecilia independent decision maker

- Jim dependent decision maker

- only worried about independent decision maker

4. Issues: moral diagnosis (Principles, Values, Duties, Obligations,

Responsibilities)- Principles:- Values:- Duties:

o Duty to keep proprietary info. Confidential VS (duties are in conflict)

o Duty to keep friends from coming to harmo Cecilia is facing a conflict of duty

- Obligations:- Responsibilities:- Whats making it a moral value for the decision maker

5. Options:

- Tell Jim- DontTell Jim

o Jim Talk to Bosso Cant discuss work stuff

- Hintso Hold off for a yearo Financial adviceo Consider ramification of having Mother-In-Law living under your

roof

- Deter Jim on other ground (deflect the question)- What options does decision maker have

6. Recommendations and Justification


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7. Chief Drawback

Class Notes:- Moral Standard & Society

- One ought to tell the truth- Morality does not = Law

- do you equate morality as obeying the Law?- Humans have free will-Ethical Relativism --> There are no universal moral standards

In ethics, the belief that nothing is objectively right or wrong andthat the definition of right or wrong depends on the prevailingview of a particular individual, culture, or historical period.

- different cultures have different practices

- different cultures differ w/ regrets wrong actions

- there are not universal moral standards

Homework due: Thursday, January 5th 2012

- Case study + analysis: You made your BED, now lie about

it.


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Thursday January 5th, 2012

- Ethical Relativism there are no universal moral standardso Cant criticize practices of other cultureso Cant criticize practices of your own cultureo Cant account for moral pro

- United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (good2read)- Responsibility often view as

o Accountability for past actions praise / blameo Accountability for welfare of others based on socially define role.

Example: raising children / family relationshipo Capability to make rational moral decisions.

Adults Children are learning this

- Is a corporation responsible for what it does?o CIDo Corporation as a person

- Read about in Book : Moral Theories- Conduct based what should I do?- Character based what kind of person should I be?

Greek interested in this / talking aboutVirtuesy Aristotle philosopher Polis(city state)

Christians interested in this / virtuesy Cuantis Aquinos philosopher

o Virtue Based Ethics After Virtue philosophy reading.

- Virtue- Acquired Character Trait

Homework due: Friday January 6th, 2012

- from handout Summary of the virtues asdiscussed by Aristotle

- for each virtue you change you have to change theothers too- think of specific spheres of action where virtuemay exist

o example : wittinessy desirable but necessary

o No Exam Tomorrow


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Friday January 6th, 2012

- environmental awareness :- San Francisco is a harbor city

o Immigrants can live there and not get kicked out- Consequences:

o Conduct: Consequential list

y Utilitarianism : one ought to act to maximize socialutility ..?

o Human happiness Pleasure hedonic calculus

y Jeremy Benthem(author ontheory)

o Model of pleasurey John Stuart Mill (author on

theory)

Non-consequential listo Character:

Better to be a dissatisfied person than a satisfied pig Better to be a dissatisfied Socrates than a satisfied fool

o Greatest good for the greatest numbero Rule: Utilitarianism

An act is right if it follows a moral rule A moral rule is one which produces greater social utility

than an other rule

- calculation- rights- Distributive justice


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Monday, January 9th, 2012

- Rights:o Lifeo Libertyo Pursuit of happinesso Bill of rights

- 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitutiono Free Speecho Bear armso Search and seizureo Due process

- John Lockeo

Natural Rightso Lifeo Libertyo Property

- Negatives rights: imposed duties of non-interference- Positive rights: imposed duties on others to make possible the exercise

of that right

o the right to education- Libertarians:

o Negative right mentality- Knot: (1724 1804)

o

Content of scientific knowledgeo Morality lies outside of scientific knowledge.o Actions one for the sake of their consequences are of no moral

worth.

o Wholly Rational- Supreme principle of morality: categorical imperative: act such that the

maxim of your act could be willed to be universal law.

o Makers of the Moral Law

- Perfect Duties:o To Self: no suicideo To others: dont lie

- Imperfect Dutieso To Self: cultivate ones talents,o To Others: help people in distress

A perfect duty must be carried out all the time noacceptations. An imperfect duty has constraints thatsometimes cannot be carried out.


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- Justice:o Corrective action for a wrong equality

Retributive justiceo Fairnesso Compensatory justice:o Distributive Justice: Fair distribution of benefits and burdens in a group.o Capitalist:

Distribute benefits based on burdens undertaken.o Socialist:

Distribute benefits based on needs, burdens based onability.

Homework:

Buddhist Economics Questions: due Wed.Read up to page 193


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Tuesday January 10th, 2012

- John Rawlso Theory of justice

- Capitalist- Socialist- Rational- Self-interested

2nd case analysis;

- Choose 3 of them, rank them 1,2,3 (top choice bottom choice)o He will assign it to use ... when?

- COLA cost of living adjustmentHomework is DUE tomorrow!!

Case

Wednesday January 11

th

, 2012Homework due Thursday: million-dollar decision

- utility ethics:o adam smith; father of economics ; 18th century

hand-on that markety supply & demand (chart)y point of equilibrium

- rights/duties ethics:o capitalist

locke believed in; natural rights / life, liberty, property- justice ethics:- care ethics:- chapter 1: Kohlberg stages of moral development

o 6 stages- Economic Systems (pg 127)


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-o Command economy ; (pg128)

Gov. more involved Gov. sets manufacturing points (quotas)

o Market economy Supply & demand

o Competitor Intelligence:o 7 conditions for a perfectly competitive free market:

there are numerous buyers and sellers, none of whom has asubstantial share of the market.

All buyers and sellers can freely and immediately enter orleave the market.

Every buyer and seller has full and perfect knowledge ofwhat every buyer and seller is doing. Including knowledge

of the prices, quantities, and quality of all goods being

bought and sold.

The goods being sold in the market are so similar to eachother that no one cares from whom each buys or sells. The costs and benefits of producing or using the goods

being exchanged are borne entirely by those buying or

selling the goods and not by any other external parties.

All buyers and sellers are utility maximizes; each tries toget as much as possible for as little as possible.

No external parties ( such as government) regulate theprice, quantity, or quality of any of the goods, being boughtor sold in the market.

Thursday January 12, 2012

- Received: Individual Writing Assignment Guidelines- Adam Smiths theory of free markets- Criticism of Capitalism- Karl Marx;

Homo sopions man the knower Homo faber man the maker

o Alienation 1) Product 2) act of production 3) true nature true selves 4) from other people

phil 186 class notes

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