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Summary

Normative Ethics says that the pursuit of betterment/ happiness is the point

Covers Utilitarian and Deontological Ethics, mentions Virtue ethics

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Reading

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Keywords -

• Argument: A claim or statement; a conclusion accompanied by reasons • Premises: the reasons for the conclusion • Moral Argument: Statement where the conclusion is moral claim

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Questions:

Act Utilitarianism vs. Rule Utilitarianism?

• What is the difference between rule utilitarianism and Rule-based Ethics (Deontological Ethics)

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Notes

Normative Ethics

The business of providing justifications for moral claims via moral arguments.

Types of Normative Ethical Theories

The two types disagree on what types of claims are relevant premises of moral argument

Utilitarian The premises of moral arguments must make reference to the emperical consequences of our actions

Deontological

The premises of our moral arguments must make reference to the Pre-emperical rational basis for our actions

Cautions

Both consequentialist and deontological ethics reduce moral argument to algorithmic reasoning

Algorithm of consequentialist ethics:

Calculates based on utility

utility = Expected happiness : Expected harm

Algorithm of deontological ethics:

Calculates based on instances of categorical imperative

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Utilitarian Ethics

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Utilitarianism takes the maximisation of utility to be proper consequence of moral actions. A variety of Consequentialism

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Keywords -

• Consequentialism: The consequences of actions determines the moral standing
• Utility - The net ratio of expected happiness over expected suffering for all agents affected by the actions in question

Expected happiness : expected suffering

• Naturalist moral theory: </aside>

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Benefits

• Expands the moral umbrella
• made us kinder
• naturalist moral theory
• has a clear answer to what can be/ are valid premises of moral arguments

Problems

• Might give answers to moral problems that are wrong and/or absurd
  • eg. killing one person to save five people is moral
• Does not consider that there are things that are Absolutely Wrong, irrespective of the consequences </aside>

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Deontological Ethics

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Rational basis of our actions determines our moral standing. Rejects Consequentialism

Some actions are morally wrong/ right irrespectively of the consequences.

Immanuel Kant: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law

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Keywords -

• Categorical imperative:
• Deon- : “duty”
• -ology: “the study of” </aside>

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