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    Ethics Moral Reasoning Handout

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    Johnny Go 吳彰義
    This document discusses different approaches to dealing with moral dilemmas and complications in morality. It presents two main routes: learning the rules and authorities' positions, or learning the reasoning and assessing positions critically. When facing moral issues, it is important to consider: the complexity of gray areas between right and wrong; applying general principles to complex situations requires practical wisdom; extremes of only considering rules or only contexts are flawed; not all wrong acts are sinful depending on knowledge and freedom; and pleasure and pain can cloud moral motives so they require suspicion. The document emphasizes following an informed conscience that carefully weighs all relevant factors in a moral decision.

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    Ethics Moral Reasoning Handout

    Uploaded by

    Johnny Go 吳彰義
    659 views15 pages
    This document discusses different approaches to dealing with moral dilemmas and complications in morality. It presents two main routes: learning the rules and authorities' positions, or learning the reasoning and assessing positions critically. When facing moral issues, it is important to consider: the complexity of gray areas between right and wrong; applying general principles to complex situations requires practical wisdom; extremes of only considering rules or only contexts are flawed; not all wrong acts are sinful depending on knowledge and freedom; and pleasure and pain can cloud moral motives so they require suspicion. The document emphasizes following an informed conscience that carefully weighs all relevant factors in a moral decision.

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    This document discusses different approaches to dealing with moral dilemmas and complications in morality. It presents two main routes: learning the rules and authorities' positions, or learning the reasoning and assessing positions critically. When facing moral issues, it is important to consider: the complexity of gray areas between right and wrong; applying general principles to complex situations requires practical wisdom; extremes of only considering rules or only contexts are flawed; not all wrong acts are sinful depending on knowledge and freedom; and pleasure and pain can cloud moral motives so they require suspicion. The document emphasizes following an informed conscience that carefully weighs all relevant factors in a moral decision.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    659 views15 pages

    Ethics Moral Reasoning Handout

    Uploaded by

    Johnny Go 吳彰義
    This document discusses different approaches to dealing with moral dilemmas and complications in morality. It presents two main routes: learning the rules and authorities' positions, or learning the reasoning and assessing positions critically. When facing moral issues, it is important to consider: the complexity of gray areas between right and wrong; applying general principles to complex situations requires practical wisdom; extremes of only considering rules or only contexts are flawed; not all wrong acts are sinful depending on knowledge and freedom; and pleasure and pain can cloud moral motives so they require suspicion. The document emphasizes following an informed conscience that carefully weighs all relevant factors in a moral decision.

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    You are on page 1of 15

    How to deal with moral controversies/dilemmas?

    Route #1:

    Learn the WHAT


    The Rules: The Do s & Don ts What the Authorities Say Adequate for simpler issues and simpler people.

    Route #2:

    Learn the WHY & HOW


    Moral Reasoning Why the Authorities Say What They Say How You Assess Their Claim (Conscience)

    Suitable for complex issues and more educated people.

    FOUR POSSIBLE RESPONSES


    Which are acceptable responses? ASSENT DISSENT

    BLIND

    Blind Assent Reasoned Assent

    Blind Dissent Reasoned Dissent

    REASONED

    MORALITY: Choice between GOOD and BAD

    GOOD

    BAD

    Its not as SIMPLE as that! FOUR COMPLICATIONS...

    Complication #1: SHADES OF GRAY Acts can be RIGHT, NEUTRAL, or WRONG.

    RIGHT

    NEUTRAL

    WRONG

    Duty

    Forbidden

    A WRONG ACT is an action--or inaction--that violates an accepted norm and generally causes some harm to one s self, to others, or to society in general. Basis for Decision: Authority (parents, religion, state, school), Opinion, or Reason

    Complication #1: SHADES OF GRAY


    Acts can be RIGHT, NEUTRAL, or WRONG.
    Not all acts can be readily classied as wrong. Some are contested. Examples of acts that are not clearly wrong?

    RIGHT

    NEUTRAL

    WRONG

    Complication #1: SHADES OF GRAY


    Reason cannot always determine conclusively whether some acts are right or wrong. When we are unsure of the wrongness of an act, what would be the safer assumption?

    The ethic of CAUTION


    When unsure of whether or not an act is wrong, err on the side of caution.

    Complication #2: Application of Moral Principles

    GENERAL PRINCIPLES or LAWS

    PARTICULAR SITUATIONS or CONTEXTS

    Phronesis
    Practical Wisdom: One can learn the
    principles of action, but applying them in the real world, in particular situations one could not have foreseen, requires experience of the world.

    Phronesis
    Moral issues and ques.ons are ambiguous and complex. Solu.ons and answers are o8en not self- evident or obvious.

    GENERAL PRINCIPLES or LAWS

    PARTICULAR SITUATIONS or CONTEXTS

    The two extremes of moral reasoning:


    FUNDAMENTALIST
    Consider only GENERAL PRINCIPLES, but not PARTICULAR SITUATION

    RELATIVIST

    No consideration RATIONALIST for GENERAL Consider BOTH PRINCIPLES. GENERAL SITUATION Only and PARTICULAR PARTICULAR SITUATION SITUATION

    Complication #3: RIGHT/WRONG and GOOD/BAD

    Not all wrong actions are bad/sinful.

    SINFUL if and only if:


    Grave Matter: Serious harm &/OR Adequate Knowledge &/OR Adequate Freedom

    GRAVE SIN
    if & only if: ALL OF THE ABOVE

    Serious harm has been caused. The actor knew that the act was wrong and harmful.

    RIGHT

    NEUTRAL

    WRONG

    The actor could freely choose to do or not to do the action, and was not inuenced by coercion or fear.

    SINFUL

    MORAL DECISION vs. SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT If & only if: If and only if: 1) RIGHT vs. RIGHT 1) RIGHT vs. WRONG 2) NEUTRAL vs. RIGHT 2) WRONG vs. WRONG (The Greater Good) ( The Lesser of 2 Evils )

    RIGHT

    NEUTRAL

    WRONG

    GREATER GOOD

    SINFUL

    Complication #4: Two Principles GOOD BAD

    PLEASURE

    PAIN

    The POTHOLES of Morality

    The ethic of SUSPICION


    Whenever your decision involves pleasure or avoids pain, cast some suspicion on your motive.

    Two simple guidelines... The ethic of CAUTION


    When unsure of whether or not an act is wrong, err on the side of caution.

    The ethic of SUSPICION


    Whenever your decision involves pleasure or avoids pain, cast some suspicion on your motive.

    Primacy of Conscience
    The conscience is what we use in making moral decisions. Follow an informed conscience when making a moral decision.
    The conscience carefully considers: 1) the concrete circumstances of the moral situation, 2) the important values that need to be protected, 3) the relevant moral teachings and norms involved, 4) the good and bad eects of every moral option.

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