RI Ethics Overview 2024

Knowledge and Ethics What is morality? Is it real?

Describe a situation in which you did something morally right or wrong.

Why was your action morally right/wrong?

How did you present your case on why your action was morally right/wrong?

What ideas or principles can we glean from this exercise?

Ethical Arguments How are ethical arguments made? • Presentation of facts • Values • Logic of argument Are these sufficient?

Ethical Arguments • Justification • Moral language – Does it say anything about the external world? – Is it an expression of one’s subjective feelings? – Is it a recommendation of a course of action? • Non-cognitive: describes a statement that gives no factual information.

If I like something, I call it “good”. If I dislike something, I call it “bad”. Non-cognitive end to the matter. Because there is nothing to discuss – we aren’t seeking an objective way of saying whether something is right or wrong, but simply about personal wishes. But is this how moral discourse proceeds? We often say, “the fact is…”

Moral Discourse • Let’s analyse this statement. • What questions can we ask about this claim? • What assumptions lie beneath this claim? • What questions does this claim generate? Moral claim: Abortion is morally wrong.

Some questions… • What is the meaning of the word “wrong”? • Where does “wrongness” come from? Is it real? • What is the nature of this moral judgement? • What is the significance of disagreement about moral values and practices, and how do these affect us psychologically? Moral Semantics Moral Ontology Moral Epistemology Moral Psychology For KI: Not concerned with Moral Psychology. We are interested in the significance of moral discourse insofar as it reveals the nature & construction of moral knowledge / what we know about morality. For KI: No need to learn / memorise all the theories associated with each of these topics. Be careful when reading material online – many overlaps!