Quincy Estrada

IT ETHIC

Egoism and Moral Scepticism

James Rachels

Review Questions

1. Explain the legend of Gyges. What questions about morality are raised by the story?

 

Gyges the story teller, a farmer found a ring between a fissure. It has the power to become invisible at will. He rushed to the palace, seduced the queen and killed the king. Through the story of the ring, it discusses whether a typical person would be moral if he did not have to fear the consequences of his actions. What reason is there from him to continue being “moral” when it is clearly not to his own advantage to do so.

2. Distinguish between psychological and ethical egoism

 

Psychological  egoism tells that everyone does act in a self-interested way but it’s impossible for us to act unselfishly. While ethical egoism is the view that everyone ought to act in his or her rational self-interest. And it is not logically inconsistent and it cannot be decisively refuted.

3. Rachel discusses two arguments for psychological egoism. What are these arguments, and how does he reply to them?

On the first argument, he said that it is bad because it cannot deserve to be taken seriously except for the fact that there so many intelligent people taken by it.

Second argument, he said that unselfish actions always produce a sense of self-satisfaction in the agent, and since this sense of satisfaction is a pleasant state of consciousness, it follows the point of action that is really to achieve the state of consciousness , rather that bringing any good to others.

4. What three commonplace confusions does Rachels detect in the thesis of psychological egoism?

 

First confusion is selfishness with self interest, Second confusion is the assumption that every action is done either from self interest or from other regarding motives. All are false by the actions of selfish and self interest. And third confusion was  the common but false assumption that a concern for one’s own welfare is incompatible with any genuine concern for the welfare of others.

5. State the argument for saying that ethical egoism is inconsistent. Why doesn’t Rachels accept this argument?

Because he cannot refuted by the claim that he contradicts himself.

 

6. According to Rachel’s, why shouldn’t we hurt others, and why should we help others? How can the egoist reply? The egoist will not be happy. He will protest that we may accept this as a reason, but he does not.

Discussion Questions

1. Has rachels answered the question raised by Glaucon, namely, “Why be moral?” if so, what exactly is his answer?

2. Are genuine egoists rare, as rachels claims? S it fact that most people care about others, even people they don’t know?

3. Suppose we define ethical altruism as the view that one should always act for the benefit of others and never in ones own self interest. Is such a view immoral or not?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religion, Morality and Conscience

 

John Arthur 

 

Review Questions

 

1. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion different?

Without religious motivation people could not be expected to do the right thing. Religion is necessary to provide guidance to people in their search for the correct course of action and religion is essential for there even to be a right or wrong.

2. Why isn’t religion necessary for moral motivation?

Because despite of lack of any logical or other necessary connection. And religious motives are far from the only ones people have. 

3. Why isn’t religion necessary as a source of moral knowledge?

4. What is the divine command theory? Why does Arthur reject this theory?

Divine command theory means that God has the same sort of relation to moral law as the legislature has to statutes it enacts: without Gods commands there would be no moral rules, just as without a legislature where would be no statutes. Arthur rejects this theory because it faces many problems and what it implies. 

5. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion connected?

Yes, as is religion by morality, but morality’s social character extends deeper even than that. Morality provides the standards we rely on in gauging our interactions with family, lovers and even strangers.

6. Dewey says that morality is social. What does this mean, according to Arthur?

It depends on socially learned language. It is learned from interactions with others, and governs our interactions with others to society. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussion Questions

 

1. Has Arthur refuted the divine command theory? If not, how can it be defended?

2. If morality is social, as Dewey says, then how can we have any obligations to non human animals?

3. What does Dewey mean by moral education? Does a college ethics class count as moral education?

Morality cannot exist without the broader, social perspective introduced by others, and this social nature ties it, in that way, with education and with public discussion, both actual and imagined. It is not only possible, but essential.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Natural Law

Saint Thomas Aquinas

 

Review Questions

 

1. Distinguish between the eternal law and the natural law. How are they related?

Natural law has a natural inclination to its proper act and end; and this participation of the eternal law is rational creature and function is good and evil. While eternal law is the divine light. It is rational creature participation of eternal law.

2. What are the precepts of the natural law? Specifically what should we do, and what should we avoid?

 

Discussion Questions

 

1. Do you agree that everything in the world has a purpose? If so, can you discern it using reason alone?

Yes, because God made us for a reason. Life that gave us is always for something. Everything has something in it.

2. Are all natural inclinations good? Why or why not?

Good, because all has purposes. God made us to have our own responsibility and purposes.

3. Does the natural law tell you what to do in a particular situation? Explain your answer.

No, because natural law gives us natural things that are already planned in our faith by God. From the term natural, all have made the right sense.