PHI2600 01 Ethics Midterm Take-Home Portion Only 6

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Feb 20, 2024

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Ethics Midterm Take-Home Portion Only (See the “Midterm Prep” document for complete midterm details.) This Take-Home portion is worth 80% of your overall midterm grade. Instructions: Complete this BEFORE class on the day of the midterm. Submit your completed responses in D2L before class. Name: Nicole Jimenez Question 1 10 points 1. What is an example of a moral issue or a moral dilemma ? Explain what makes it a moral issue or moral dilemma (rather than a non-moral issue or non-moral dilemma, or false moral dilemma). (Hint: What is at stake in your example?) A moral issue or moral dilemma refers to a certain situation where two or more moral principles are at stake and there is no “correct solution” to resolve the problem. For example, a person who is in serious financial difficulties, because one of his family members is admitted to a hospital and is in need of immediate surgery, is walking down the street and notices that a person dropped a significant sum of money that could help him with the medical and monetary difficulties he has, yet the act of taking the money and not returning it to the owner would basically be theft. As a result of this complicated situation, two moral principles are at stake: the life of the sick family member who needs surgery but does not have the money to get it; also, there is the issue of justice in the fact that the person whose money fell is entitled to know that his belonging has been lost due to the fact that he has worked for it and it is his property. Question 2 10 points 1.Briefly describe the main levels of moral development identified by Kohlberg and the main characteristics of each (you can draw a model to enhance your explanation). Pre-Conventional: The first stage of moral development, in which the person maintains an egocentric attitude and behavior where individualism prevails. (Egoist & Punishment and obedience) Conventional: The second stage of moral development, where people maintain moral behavior according to society and limit themselves to the norms imposed by the authorities. (Society maintaining & Good Boy/ Nice Girl) Post Conventional: The third and final stage of moral development, where people keep their minds open to knowledge, understand all universal norms and practice them with themselves and with others. (Social Contract or legalistic & Conscience and Universal Principles) 2. Explain at least one type of resistance people use to avoid making moral progress. I consider that both ignorance and indisposition to knowledge are two factors that do not allow moral development, since they limit the mind to a single opinion and not to the change of perspective or rather the change in the position of the stage of moral development. For example, ethical subjectivism is a theory in which progress in the stages of moral development is limited due to its propositions. Question 3 : 15 points 1) Describe either ethical subjectivism or cultural relativism (or both, if you’d like). Make reference to at least two facts about the theory in your description. The premise of ethical subjectivism involves managing moral judgments in a way that is consistent with individual perceptions since decisions are based on individual knowledge. There is no such concept of “universal standards.” As a result of this theory, other people's or society's opinions are not taken into consideration, as well there is a principle of ©Kimber 2022 Transformation

selfishness causing problems in resolving moral differences due to differences in opinion. 2) If somebody uses ethical subjectivism or cultural relativism to justify a moral choice, are they using a weak justification or a strong justification? Explain . Make reference to the stages of moral development in your reply. Maintaining a closed disposition to the acquisition of knowledge does not allow the development of adequate moral behaviors. Therefore, using ethical subjectivism or cultural relativism as a justification for a moral choice is a weak action, since both theories limit perception and "lock the person" to certain knowledge, it would be as if people were left in the same place or stage of moral development. If people use ethical subjectivism they will stay in the pre-conventional stage and will not advance because they are limited to individuality, and if they use cultural relativism they will stay in the conventional stage since they are limited to what society and the environment propose. Question 4 : 15 points 1) Describe utilitarianism . Use at least two facts about the theory in your description. Use a brief example to elaborate. Utilitarianism is the philosophical theory that carries out the search and has as its main intention the greatest happiness or good for people. Likewise, in this theory, there is the "obligation" of the prevalence or concern for all human beings. For example, if a person owns a lot of clothes and considers that the ones, he no longer uses can benefit people with few resources more than himself, that means practicing utilitarianism for the good of the majority and not the minority. 2) Generate your own new, but still appropriate, name for utilitarianism . Explain why that name is appropriate for the theory. Another name for utilitarianism that I would use would be "convenience" not in the sense of facilitation but in the sense of benefiting people without causing problems. Furthermore, convenience in some cases is not bad, and it is where it should be used in those situations in which it provides general good or happiness for people. Question 5 : 15 points 1) Describe what makes Immanuel Kant’s moral theory ( deontology /duty ethics) different from utilitarianism. Although they are two theories in which there is a more advanced development of morality, deontology and utilitarianism, nevertheless have a great difference between them since utilitarianism seeks the general good regardless of whether it is a moral norm, and deontology is governed solely by its validity of facing moral norms rather than by consequences. Kant also emphasizes in his thoughts that one should not act for the results but rather make our actions universal laws 2) Write out the two main ways the categorical imperative is stated and explain what each means in your own words. HINT: a. “Act only…” "Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" Act through good moral principles so that our actions spread in society, become good general principles, and are adopted for use. b. and “Act so as…” “So act as to treat humanity, whether in thine own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end in itself, never as a means only” Our means should not influence the way we act, personal benefit is not important but rather always acting in company with universal laws. c. Generate your own new, but still appropriate, name for deontology . Explain why that name is appropriate for the theory. For me, another name that I would use for deontology is commitment, since from a perspective we can make the universe act in a better way through our actions. Universal laws are not individual, they are for society by society, in this way our responsibility or commitment is to seek that moral benefit. ©Kimber 2022

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