Moral Philosophy / Ethics

 

Philosophy Bites - Janet Radcliffe Richards on What is Philosophy?

Janet Radcliffe Richards on What is Philosophy?

In term 1 on 18/3/26, Helen led a discussion on moral philosophy / ethics.  Please find below some notes on the subject prepared by Helen:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k3GGpaMT8YkLnUIQFnsK4w1yMKIopkQT/view?usp=sharing

We will listen to the above podcast and have further discussion on this interesting topic. 

Debate | Legalising the Sale of Human Organs

The following Youtube playlist lists videos of a debate on Sale of Human Organs at the Oxford Union Society on Thursday 29th October 2015. The motion was: This House Would Legalise the Sale of Human Organs.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOAFgXcJkZ2zAkdONvfZuUzx6aiflkTId&si=4mcAOAbYcS3sSHq3

Speakers in order of appearance:

Callum Tipple | Proposition

Naomi Barker | Opposition

Janet Radcliffe Richards | Proposition

Vivienne Parry | Opposition

John Harris | Proposition

Raanan Gillon | Opposition 

This coming Wednesday, 20/5/26, I plan to watch some of the videos in this playlist and discuss the arguments made by both the proposing and the opposing sides.

Arguments of the debate

Please find below my summary of the arguments of the human organ debate:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tn-t6PbyVzlJhvX_QgvC-Cg10LrgZ2gI/view?usp=sharing 

Kidney trade in Iran

Iran currently is the only country in the world that allows the sale of one's kidney for compensation (typically a payment); consequently, the country does not have either a waiting list or a shortage of available organs.  For more information, please see below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_trade_in_Iran

Organ trade - Wikipedia page

Please see below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_trade

Moral Value Pluralism

 

What is Pluralism? - PHILO-notes

 

The following are articles from Wikipedia and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

• Value pluralism - Wikipedia
• Value Pluralism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)*

* We will base our discussion on the article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy above. 

Related topics

Axiology, the study of value and valuation, is related to this topic.  The following articles in Wikipedia discuss axiology:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Values_(Western_philosophy)
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_theory
  
• https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/value-theory/

Some questions on Value Pluralism 

1. Why do people have different values?
2. Are there some core values that all people or all living things share?
3. Are there right and wrong or better and worse values or value systems?
4. If so, how does one decide which are the right or better values?
5. When there are conflicting values, how should we make good decisions?

Consequentialism

 

PHILOSOPHY - Ethics: Consequentialism 

by Wireless Philosophy

The above video provides an introduction to Consequentialism.  The most well known type of consequentialism is utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism: Crash Course Philosophy #36

by CrashCourse

A longer video of Utilitarianism by Professor Jeffrey Kaplan can be found here. 

Some questions for discussion

1. What are the different types of consequentialism?
2. What are some of the advantages of consequentialism as an ethical theory?
3. What are some of the criticisms of consequentialism and their responses? 
4. What is the principle of utility according to Jeremy Bentham?

Some questions from Bing Copilot

Consequentialism is a fascinating ethical theory that evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes. Here are some thought-provoking questions you might consider:

1. What is the core principle of consequentialism?
2. How does consequentialism differ from deontological ethics and virtue ethics?
3. What are some real-world examples where consequentialist reasoning is applied?
4. What are the main criticisms of consequentialism?
5. How does utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, determine the morality of an action?
6. Can consequentialism justify actions that are generally considered immoral if they lead to a greater good?
7. How do consequentialists handle situations where the outcomes are uncertain or unpredictable?
8. What role does the concept of “the greatest good for the greatest number” play in consequentialist ethics?
9. How do different forms of consequentialism (e.g., act vs. rule consequentialism) approach ethical decision-making?
10. What are the potential limitations of using a consequentialist framework in complex moral dilemmas?

These questions can help you delve deeper into the nuances and complexities of consequentialist ethics¹²³. 

References:

1. ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu
2. ethics.org.au
3. oxfordbibliographies.com

Possible answers

Please find possible answers here.

Introduction to ethics

Please find a PDF printout of the above diagram here.

The following article from Wikipedia provides an Introduction to Ethics.

Some discussion questions on ethics

1. Do you have an ethical system that you use in making ethical or moral decisions?
2. Do you find the Wikipedia article on Ethics adequately describes the field of ethics?
3. What are some ethical questions or dilemmas you have encountered?
4. Do you think the study of ethics will help you make better ethical decisions?

Some possible answers to the above questions can be found here.

Here are some thought-provoking discussion questions on ethics from Bing co-pilot:

1. Is it ever okay to lie? If so, when and why?
2. Do you believe that everyone should have equal rights? Why or why not?
3. If you discovered that a popular product you use daily was produced unethically (e.g., using child labour or harming the environment), would you continue to use it? Why or why not?
4. Is it ethical to use animals for testing products or scientific research?
5. Should companies be allowed to patent life-saving medications, potentially limiting access to those who cannot afford them? Why or why not?
6. Should we always help someone in need, even if it puts us at risk?
7. Is it ethical to prioritise the education of gifted students over those with learning difficulties or disabilities?

These questions can help spark deep and meaningful conversations about various ethical dilemmas and perspectives¹². Do any of these questions resonate with you or seem particularly interesting?

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 27/08/2024

(1) 40 Ethical Conversation Questions for Engaging Discussion. https://eslconversationtopics.com/questions/ethical-discussions/.

(2) 28 Top Moral Dilemma Questions [+ Scenarios & Examples] - IcebreakerIdeas. https://icebreakerideas.com/moral-dilemma-questions/.

(3) Discussion Questions and Exercises | Online Resources. https://edge.sagepub.com/northouse8e/student-resources-0/chapter-13/discussion-questions-and-exercises.

(4) 200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay - GradesFixer. https://gradesfixer.com/blog/200-ethical-topics-questions-to-debate-in-essay/.

(5) ESL Conversation Questions - Ethics. https://www.eslconversationquestions.com/ethics/.

Peter Singer's Ethics

Please find the following pages from Tom Butler-Bowdon's book - 50 Philosophy Classics for discussion: 

50 Philosophy Classics - Ch.46 Peter Singer

You can find Tom Butler-Bowdon's Wikipedia page here.

Aristotle's Ethics

 

Please find the following pages from Professor A. C. Grayling's book - A History of Philosophy for discussion: 

• A History of Philosophy p.90-91
• A History of Philosophy p.92-93
• A History of Philosophy p.94-95

You can find Professor A. C. Grayling's Wikipedia page here.

The Origins of Human Morality

 

YouTube video: 95% of your behavior is primate behavior | Frans de Waal - from The Well

Article

The following article is an article authored by Professor Michael Tomasello in Scientific America.  Michael Tomasello is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and emeritus director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

The Origins of Human Morality

See Also

Book

A Natural History of Human Morality - by Michael Tomasello

 

YouTube Playlist 

YouTube playlist - Philosophy - Origin of Morality - Sam Au

Websites 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/morality

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality

Ethics by Peter Singer / Epicurus / Epictetus

 

Wikipedia - by Mal Vickers - Own work

Please find pdf file of Ethics by Peter Singer.

Some YouTube videos of Peter Singer on ethics

3 ethical catastrophes you can help stop, right now | Peter Singer | Big Think – Big Think

Peter Singer's Ethics – Eidos84

Peter Singer - The Genius of Darwin: The Uncut Interviews - Richard Dawkins – Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science

Is it okay to eat meat? Peter Singer tackles the best objections against vegetarianism – Practical Ethics Channel

Some YouTube videos on Epicurus

PHILOSOPHY - Epicurus – The School of Life

The Philosopher of Pleasure | EPICURUS – Einzelgänger

Epicurus and the Good Life – Academy of Ideas

PHILOSOPHY - History: Epicurus’ Cure for Unhappiness [HD] – Wireless Philosophy

Some YouTube videos on Epictetus 

The Discourses of Epictetus (Animated Book Summary)  – Eudaimonia

 Epictetus - How To Be A Stoic (Stoicism)  – Philosophies for Life

The Voice referendum

 

What is the Voice Referendum and what are we voting for? | The Voice Explained | ABC News

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice

In late 2023, Australians will have their say in a referendum about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The Voice would be an independent and permanent advisory body. It would give advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For more information about the Voice, see: https://voice.gov.au/

Discussion

The following are some questions relating to the Voice referendum:

• What is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?
• See video above.
• What is the Voice Referendum?
• See: https://voice.gov.au/referendum-2023/referendum-question-and-constitutional-amendment
• How are the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders doing now?
• https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/indigenous-affairs/commonwealth-closing-gap-annual-report-2022
• What are some of the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander government agencies?
• https://yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au/overview/
  
• https://www.niaa.gov.au/who-we-are/the-agency
• https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-social-justice
  
• Since we already have many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander government agencies, why do we need the Voice?
• https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/factlab-meta/aboriginal-agencies-are-not-equivalent-to-the-voice#:~:text=The%20verdict,and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20people.
  
• What are some of the basic philosophical questions?
• The First Fleet arrived in Australia on 26th January 1788.  People from all over the world have since settled in Australia.  The government of the settlers took the land from the indigenous people.  Do you consider the occupation and settlement of Australia just? 
• What is justice?
• https://youtu.be/H0CTHVCkm90
  
• Most Australians would agree that all Australians should be treated equally.  The early settlers created a society based on the British system.  Later settlers chose to live in this society.  However, the indigenous people had no choice.  Were the indigenous people treated equally?
• If not, what should be done to redress that injustice and/or inequality?
• Efforts to close the gap (the vast health and life-expectation inequality between First Nations people and non-Indigenous people in Australia) have largely been unsuccessful.  What should be done to close the gap?
• What are the arguments for the "Yes" case?
• See Referendum Pamphlet
• What are some of the arguments for the "No" case?
• See Referendum Pamphlet
• See: https://www.ruleoflaw.org.au/voice-the-case-for-voting-no/#:~:text=The%20problem%20with%20the%20current,and%20not%20just%20the%20parliament
• See: https://www.recogniseabetterway.org.au/
  

Conscience - what is this thing?

 Conscience

Please find attached to the link below the extract from Hugh MacKay's book 'Right and Wong':

• What is this thing called 'conscience'?

Being Still

 

我無為，而民自化 ; 我好靜，而民自正 .

I will do nothing (of purpose),
and the people will be transformed of themselves;
I will be fond of keeping still,
and the people will of themselves become correct.

Laozi, Daodejing, ch.57

===============================================

Serenity Prayer

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Should he kill the fat man?

At the last class in term 1 on 6/4/22, we had fun discussing the scenario called "Should he kill the fat man?" in the following website.

https://www.philosophyexperiments.com/

The following were the voting results in class that day compare to other people , shown as % in ( ), using the website.

                                                                                                    YES                        NO

1. Is torture is always wrong?                                                 8 votes (65%)          0 vote  (35%)

2. Should we maximize happiness?                                        5 votes (48%)          3 votes (52%)

3. Is it always wrong to cause another person's death?          8 votes (59%)          0 vote (41%)

4. Should we save lives of innocent people?                          8 votes (77%)          0 vote (23%)    

5. Should he turn the train (kill 1 to save 5 people)                 7 votes                     0 vote

6. Should he push the fat man to save 5 people?                   0 votes                     8 votes

7. Should he push the fat saboteur onto the track?                 5 votes                     3 votes  

8 Should he torture the fat man to save many lives?               8 votes                     0 votes