Topic2

Topic Summary

Ethics: What Should We Do?

• Exploration of the historic and scientific events that shaped our current understanding of ethics.

• Questions addressed:

  • Origins of professional and personal ethics.

  • Development of the current code of ethics.

  • Factors influencing perceptions of children and adolescents.

• Philosophers' perspectives on the nature of ethics include:

  • God and religion

  • Human conscience and intuition

  • Rational moral cost-benefit analysis of actions and effects

  • Examples of good human beings

  • A desire for the best for individuals in unique situations

  • Political power

Understanding Ethics Through Ethical Theories

• Major topics of study:

  • Normative ethics

  • Ethical theories:

    • Consequentialism (teleology)

    • Deontology

    • Relativism

  • Teacher’s code of professional ethics.

Normative Ethics

Definition

• Examines standards for 'rightness' and 'wrongness.'

• Analyzes how ethical action is considered in teaching contexts:

  • Proper teacher behavior

  • Ethics of detention and poverty

  • Environmental concerns and wastefulness

  • Moral implications of lying

Historical Context of Normative Ethics

• Development of ethical theories impacted by historical events:

  • Codification of human rights post-Holocaust

  • Evolution of teleology to address poverty.

• Influential philosophers and theories:

  • Ten Commandments (Judaism)

  • Ancient Greece: Socrates, Aristotle, Epicureans, Stoics

  • Christian ethics

  • Natural law theory by Thomas Aquinas (Middle Ages)

  • Utilitarianism by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill (19th Century)

  • Deontological ethics by Immanuel Kant (18th Century)

  • Relativism (20th Century)

Ethical Theories

General Overview

• Two main divisions:

  • Consequentialism (teleology)

  • Deontology

  • Relativism has become prevalent for ethical/moral decision-making.

Deontological Theories

Divine Command Theory

• Ethical issues determined via reference to sacred texts or commands from deities.

• Morality is influenced by scriptural interpretations regarding human nature, equality, and societal norms.

Definition of Deontological Ethics

• Actions are determined right or wrong independent of consequences, based on duties.

• Critical perspectives include:

  • Historical moral context: Can moral facts change over time?

  • Relationship between deities and moral law:

    • Are divine commands arbitrary or based on intrinsic moral laws?

Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative

• Kantian ethics emphasizes duty and logic in moral decision-making.

• Definition:

  • Actions must align with a universal moral law (categorical imperative).

• Characteristics:

  • Always morally valid and a priori (inherent).

  • Duty is to recognize this moral obligation beyond personal feelings or external pressures.

Human Rights and Obligations

Definition of Human Rights

• Basic rights and freedoms entitled to all individuals:

  • Civil and political rights

  • Social, cultural, and economic rights

  • Environmental quality rights

Natural Rights Theories

• Theories by Aquinas and Locke:

  • Align with deontological views.

  • Assertions of absolute natural rights:

    • Right to education

    • Freedom of speech

    • Equality before the law.