TALKING POINTS FOR THINKING ABOUT MORAL ISSUES

 

Why ethics?

  • Mindful living giving balance to reason, emotion and action.
  • Deep hearing… what is it?

·   Hearing another

·   Hearing ourselves

·         What is dogmatism?

·   Emotional investment without rational investment.

·         What is rationalizing?

·   The counterfeit of reasoning = special pleading, excuse making, double
          standards, informal fallacies, etc.

  • Diversity

·   Difference is the beginning of dialogue

·   Difference is opportunity

 

The Ethics of Caring

Difference is the beginning of dialogue

  • How the heart closes

·   Fear, ego, “the other”

  • How the heart opens

·   Exchanging self for other

  • The expanding circle

 

Appeals to Authority

  • Case studies: The Euthyphro problem, the Abraham/Isaac problem
  • On being a layman in a world of experts

·                  Who are they?

·                  What if they disagree?

·                  Consensus

·                  Bias

·                  Contrarianism vs. Thinking outside the box

 

Naïve relativism vs. good reasons

 

Certainty vs. reasonable belief

 

Means vs. Ends

  • Deontology
  • Consequentialism

 

The Is-Ought Problem

 

 

SOME TALKING POINTS FOR THE OTHER READINGS

 

SOCRATES

·                     Ethics - the art of living a good life.

·                     Friendship: We are all better off to the extent we can live as friends. To be a good friend, I must be a good person.

·                     Eros (love based on desire) + Agape (love based on caring) if in balance = Philia (friendship)

·                     Socratic paradox: All people pursue the good to the best of their understanding.

·                     Arete: The excellent action is the action that expedites the good.  What good do we aim for? What means do we use?

·                     Arete (genus): courage, self-control, justice, holiness, wisdom (species)

·                     The problem of "mis-measure."

·                     Rational reflection, moral rectitude, just agreements.

·                     Socratic ignorance, Socratic dialogue.

 

HUME (18th century)

·                     Skepticism is not a privileged position.

·                     Probabalism.

·                     Human happiness is the goal.

 

KANT (18th century)

·                     Categorical Imperative & Kingdom of Ends.

·                     What if everybody did it?

·                     A priori, universal, intrinsic, categorical: life, autonomy, self-actualization.

·                     Reason, not sentiment.

 

UTILITARIANISM (19th century)

·                     The goal is human happines, therefore the greatest goal is the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

·                     Rule vs. Act

 

FEMINIST ETHICS (20th century)

·                     Ethics of caring

·                     Importance of bonding

·                     Sentiment restored - the expanding circle.

·                     Primacy of practice over rules.

 

NON-WESTERN INFLUENCES

Buddhism:

·                     Non-duality, interdependence.

·                     Start where you are.

·                     Compassion.

Taoism:

·                     Reverence for nature

Native American:

·                     Web of life – Acceptance - Respect

Africa:

·                     "It takes a village"

·                     Bonds of blood, land, community