W3 ETHICS - Kant's Moral Philosophy: Universalizability, Duty, and the Problem of Lying Notes

Actions That Cannot Be Universalized

• Actions like betrayal or breaking promises are not universalizable.

• If everyone betrayed their word, trust would be impossible, leading to an "unappealing world".

• In a functional society, people generally assume that promises and contracts are made in truth.

Murder and the Purge

• Murder is an action that cannot be universalized.

• A world where people kill whenever they want would be chaotic and "not very viable".

• The movie "The Purge" illustrates this concept, though it is not recommended.

Private Property

• Violating private property is akin to betrayal or lying, disrespecting the owner's rights.

• Society operates on a "social contract" of respecting private property.

• Actions like defacing someone's property are unacceptable.

Slavery

• Slavery is not universalizable because it treats human beings as property.

• It denies individuals their inherent worth and respect, "betraying the value of all human life".

• Kant argues that one cannot volunteer into slavery, as it turns a person into a "thing".

• Kant, disagrees with figures like Confucian Lee who supported slavery early in his career.

The Moral Law

• The moral law is distinct from legal and professional rules.

• It is a principle that actions should be universalizable.

• Laws in society are meant to apply to everyone equally.

• Breaking a traffic law to be on time for class is an example of not universalizing an action.

• Making exceptions for oneself undermines the essence of law.

Making Exceptions: The Essence of Evil

• Making exceptions to general rules is considered "evil" by Kant.

• This applies to both small lies and large-scale atrocities like war crimes.

• Evil arises when individuals believe they are justified in making an exception for themselves.

The Murderer at the Door: The Problem of Lying

• The scenario: A murderer asks if your friend is home, and your friend is indeed there.

• Kant's stance: Lying is never permissible, even to save a life.

• If you lie and your friend leaves, encountering the murderer due to your lie, you become responsible for their death.

• Even in extreme situations where someone has a gun to your head, lying is not permissible.

• Instead of lying, one could avoid answering directly or state discomfort in answering.

• Lying by omission (avoiding sharing information to mislead) is also a form of lying.

• Telling the truth while acting to protect your friend can be a morally acceptable approach.

PT2:

Lying and Self-Deception

Self-Deception

• Involves rationalizing or justifying actions to oneself.

• Example: Convincing yourself that a job you didn't get wasn't a good fit anyway due to commute, hours, or pay.

• Self-deception is a common form of lying.

Defining Lies

• A lie is a false statement about one's thoughts, intended to be taken as true.

• Lying includes voluntarily misleading or sharing inaccurate information. These are really good stories to have in mind.

Lying in Professional Contexts

• Industries promoting "natural" products (e.g., vitamins, melatonin) often use lies of omission and cherry-picked evidence.

• Influencers who mislead people into buying products or gaining followers are examples of professional lying.

Exaggeration and White Lies

• Exaggerating experience on a resume (e.g., claiming four years of experience when the professional experience is less).

• "Mood lies" or "acting" in the workplace.

• If it's clear that one is acting, it may not be considered a lie.

Negotiation

• Negotiation tactics can involve lying (e.g., claiming a price is your maximum when it isn't).

• This occurs in both personal and professional settings.

Philosophical Perspectives on Lying

• Gilbert and St. Pines emphasize that lies are common.

• Kant's view: lying is never acceptable.

• Thomas Aquinas' view:

  • Splits lies into three categories.

    • Malicious lies: unacceptable.

    • Jocos lies (joking lies): lies told in jest, for pranks or humor; less unacceptable.

    • Lies told to help others: more forgivable than malicious lies.

    • Example: A nurse lying to a patient to comfort them.

• Aquinas, though Christian, distinguished between types of lies based on intention.

Call Center Example: Strategic Deception

• Temporary workers asked not to disclose their off-site location.

• Reasons: To maintain credibility and familiarity with the surroundings.

• Example: A call center worker pretending to be a receptionist.

• Workers were encouraged to be creative in avoiding disclosure.

  • Examples: Saying that they were visually impaired, or finding workarounds to avoid disclosing that they were not on-site. The workers were encouraged ton develop strategy to explore ways of not disclosing that they were not there, but they were given their range and flexibility to deal with the situation.

• Happiness at work in that call center was higher than average due to the creative aspect of the job.

• The ability to engage in strategic deception and find creative ways to avoid deception.

• Workers had flexibility in handling situations.

• New recruits being able to say, "This is my first day."

• Strategic practice: Organizationally promoted lying.

• Innocent white lies are generalized as a strategic practice in the workplace.

Justifying Deception

• The good outcome for the workers (job satisfaction) outweighed any potential inconvenience to customers.

• Caveat: Depends on the type of business. For example, if selling mobility devices, inaccurate information could be detrimental.

PT3

Ethical Dilemmas and Moral Considerations

Trolley Problem and Ethical Considerations

• The trolley problem is a thought experiment exploring the ethics of sacrificing one person to save a larger group.

• Kant's philosophy would not endorse sacrificing individuals, regardless of the potential benefits to others.

• The calculation involves determining what is worth more than individual human lives.

• Saving other human lives is presented as a potential justification for sacrificing one life.

• The power or influence of an individual can also factor into the calculation of whether their death would benefit society.

Considerations When Deciding About Human Life

• Deciding whether someone should die because others would be better off without them requires careful consideration.

• Killing someone can lead to them becoming a martyr, potentially worsening the situation.

• The question should be whether taking a life is the last resort, not the only option.

• Subjectivity plays a role in deciding who should die, as different people will have different opinions.

• Reflections on potential consequences are crucial before deciding to take a life.

Weighing Consequences and Moral Dilemmas

• Ethical considerations arise when weighing the consequences of actions, such as sacrificing one person for world peace or environmental benefits.

• Individuals have autonomy and freedom to decide what's best for themselves, but this doesn't justify killing anyone who feels they've had enough of life.

• There should be specific criteria like suffering to allow ending a life.

• Euthanasia is a morally and politically divisive issue, even among medical professionals.

• Underfunded palliative care makes the decision of ending one's life a loaded question.

The Case of Ben Jornay and the United Health CEO

• Killing the CEO of United Health brought attention to a religious group.

• Ben Jornay was praised like Robin Hood for killing the CEO but there was also criticism on if murder is justified.

• There's an objection to murder when past cases haven't reached the objective that people had for it.

• Glorifying murder is problematic, especially with social media's influence.

• Killing the CEO did not end the wrongful examination of claims that United Health had completed.

• There is a council of board members who enforce policies so this act would change nothing.

• United Health denies 20% of claims on random, unsubstantiated grounds.

• The company uses AI models with high failure rates (around 90%) to deny claims, targeting vulnerable populations like the elderly.

• The goal is to deny claims from people who won't push back too hard.

• Killing the CEO is a shortcut that won't solve the underlying problems with the company.

Analysis of Ben Jornay's Actions

• Ben Jornay's actions may have been impulsive, preventing him from using his resources to fix the system.

• His privileged background (conventionally attractive, young, white man) influenced the glorification of his actions.

• He had other courses of action available but shot himself in the foot by resorting to violence.

• The case highlights how influencers can glorify crime and promote certain causes.

Practice Exercise

• The exercise involves analyzing a paragraph and providing four statements:

  • Identifying the author's claim.

  • Giving your opinion on the claim.

  • Presenting an objection to your view.

  • Addressing the objection.

• Each component should be addressed in one sentence.