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LESSON THREE - A BRIEF HISTORY OF ETHICAL THOUGHT - ETHICAL THEORIES.pptx

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JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ SANCHEZ
JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ SANCHEZ

This document provides a brief history of ethical thought and theories. It discusses how modern ethical theories originated from ancient Greek and religious thinkers like Socrates, Aristotle, Judaism and early Christians. It then describes several major ethical theories including utilitarianism, which focuses on maximizing benefits for society; duty and rights ethics, which focus on individual rights and duties; and virtue ethics, which focuses on good character. The document notes that multiple theories should be considered when analyzing an ethical problem. It concludes by discussing non-Western ethical philosophies like Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam and their emphasis on community, virtue and moral duties.

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A Brief History of Ethical Thought Ethical Theories Adapted by Professor JC González M.Ed. 1
Introduction • Brief history of ethical thought • Ethical theories 2
3
A brief History of Ethical Thought • The moral and ethical theories that engineers apply are derived from a Western cultural tradition. 4
A brief History of Ethical Thought • They come from the ancient Greeks and ancient religious thinking and writing. • Judaism and its foundations start the religious thinking and writing. • The written sources of the Jewish moral tradition ate the Torah and the Old Testament of the Bible. • Moral Laws and Ten Commandments are there. • The Greek philosophers with the greatest influence are Socrates and Aristotle. 5
A brief History of Ethical Thought • Greek ethical philosophic ideas were melted together with early Christians and Jewish thought and were spread throughout Europe and the Middle East during the height of the Roman Empire. 6
A brief History of Ethical Thought • The known history of pure ethics or ethics (moral) theories begin with ancient Greek philosophers (Sophists, Socrates, Socratic schools, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Stoics) • And, after recovered by early English positivists has been the main topic of discussions in the Medieval times in Europe. • As the scholastic doctrines are by-passed (therefore Christian Ethics is not a scientific term anymore), we come to the illuminated times after the Medieval, and continue with Hobbes, the Father of Modern Ethics. 7
Ethical Theories Offer a framework for decision making. Solving a problem is not cut and dried as problem solving. There are relatively large number of theories to be considered called Moral Theories. Some of them are: Utilitarianism; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Duty Ethics and Rights Ethics; Virtue Ethics; and Non Western ethical Thinking. 8
MORAL THEORY • Moral Theory: Defines terms in uniform ways and links ideas and problems together in consistent ways. • Moral concept are organized like scientific theories: organize ideas, define terms, and facilitate problem solving. • Moral concept is an important aspect in the following theories... 9
MORAL THEORIES • Utilitarianism: Seeks to produce the most utility. • Cost-Benefit Analysis. • Duty Ethics: There are some duties that should be performed. • Rights Ethics: We all have moral rights that should be protected. • Virtue Ethics: Actions as right that manifest good character traits and regards actions as bad that display bad character traits. 10
UTILITARIANISM • I. What is it? Good actions are those actions that serve to maximize human well-being. • II. Benefits: Maximizes positive affects for many people. • III. Downfalls: Ignores the individual. Difficult to predict consequences of actions. 11
UTILITARIANISM The emphasis in utilitarianism is not o maximizing the well- being of the individual, but rather on maximizing the well- being of society as a whole, and as such it is somewhat of a collectivity approach. 12
UTILITARIANISM 13
UTILITARIANISM • Problem Solving Approach: • Determine Benefits to Society. • Determine Costs to Parties involved. • Compare Benefits to Costs. • If Benefits to Society outweigh Costs, then it is ethical to pursue project. 14
Utilitarianism - Example Problems Building Dams - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 15
Building Dams: Benefits: a) Stable flow of drinking water. b) Flood control. c) Recreational opportunities Cost: a) Relocation of flood- zone residents (Like El Peñol, Antioquia, Colombia). Result: Since the benefits of building the dam outweigh the costs, it is profitable/ethical to build the dam. 16
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP): Benefits: • Safe storage of dangerous waste. • Nuclear Power = electricity. • Radioisotopes = medicine. Cost: Potential danger to residents near transportation routes. Result: Since the benefits of building WIPP facilities outweighs the cost to society, then it is ethical to go ahead with project. 17
Utilitarianism – Two tenets Act Utilitarianism – Focus on action, not rules. • John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873) • Believe that rules of morality were derived from trial and error throughout the course of time. • Believe that rules should be broken in order to maximize benefits to society. Rule Utilitarianism – Focus on moral laws, not on action. • Believe that moral laws take precedence over action. • Adhere that although following rules might not always maximize benefits to society, it will ultimately lead to the best overall. 18
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS • What is it? An Application of Utilitarianism Goal is to maximize Benefit-to-Cost Ratio. • Benefits: Quantifiable method for analyzing ethical dilemmas. • Downfall: Similar to utilitarianism in that benefits are often difficult to predict. 19
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS • In cost-benefit analysis, the cost of a project are assessed, as are the benefits. • Only those projects with the highest ratio of benefits to costs will be implemented. • This principle is similar to the utilitarian goal of maximizing the overall good. 20
DUTY AND RIGHT ETHICS • What are they? Good actions are those that respect the rights of the individual. • Benefits: Maximize positive effects for the individual. • Downfalls: Basic rights of one person may conflict with basic rights of another person. Doesn’t account for overall betterment of society. 21
DUTY AND RIGHT ETHICS • Duty Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804) Ethical actions are those that can be written as a list of duties (e.g. “Be Honest, Be Fair, etc.) Rights Ethics • Right Ethics John Locke (1632-1704) People have fundamental rights that people have a duty to respect. “Both are already just two different sides of the same coin” (Fleddermann, Ch. 2014, 42) 22
Virtue Ethics • What is a virtue? A moral distinction and goodness. In virtue ethics, actions are considered right if they support good character traits (virtues) and wrong if they support bad character traits (vices). • Virtue Ethics determine what kind of people we should be. • A virtuous person exhibits good and beneficial qualities. • Personal morality cannot be separated from business morality. If a person is virtuous in his personal life, then he is also in his business life as well. 23
Virtue Ethics • In using Virtue Ethics, it is important to ensure that the traits you identify as virtues are indeed virtuous and will not lead to negative consequences. • Example: • Honor: (dignity, integrity, pride). • This may seem good because of integrity but it might give you negative consequences because of pride (wars to preserve honor of nation). 24
Personal vs. Corporate Morality • Is there a distinction between the ethics practiced by an individual and those practiced by a corporation? • How can a company display human traits like honesty and loyalty? • While dealing with individuals, corporations should be considered pseudo-moral agents and should be held accountable in the same way that individuals are. • A corporation must respect the rights of individuals and should exhibit the same virtues that we expect of individuals. 25
Which One Theory to Use • How do we decide which theory to use? • In order to obtain a complete understanding of a problem, it is best to analyze the situation using multiple ethical theories. • Example: A chemical plant discharges a hazardous waste into the groundwater the city will be compromised with health problems. 26
Which Theory to Use • Rights Ethics indicate that this is unethical. • Utilitarian Analysis indicates the same. Economic benefits would be outweighed by negative effect of pollution and costs to ensure a safe municipal water supply. • Virtue Ethics indicate this is irresponsible and harmful. • They all show the same conclusion. 27
Which Theory to Use • What if they produce different conclusions? • The answers should be weighed. • Generally, rights and duty ethics should take precedence over utilitarian consideration because the rights of individuals should receive stronger weight than the needs of society as a whole. 28
Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Ethics are not geographical or cultural • Ethics standards are similar worldwide • “When in Rome, do as the Romans” Not applicable to personal morality • In Arab countries: Foundations of ethical principles grounded in traditions of Islam and Islam is very similar to Christianity • Ethical principles of Buddhists, Hindus, and all major religions of world are similar. 29
Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Chinese ethical philosophy originates with the writing of Kongzi, more commonly known as Confucius (551-479 BCE) • Emphasizes the importance of balancing individual rights with the needs of the larger community: Mutual respect. • The individual depends on the groups and so must take group concerns into account • But also the group must recognize its dependence on individuals and must respect individual rights. 30
Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Indian philosophical tradition are the oldest surviving written philosophical systems in human civilization. • Indian philosophical and ethical thinking have their origins in the ancient texts known as the Vedas, further developed through the Upanishads, Jainism, Buddhism, and also expressed in the Bhagavad- Gita. • Continued by Tagore, Gandhi, Nehru into the modern world. 31
Non-Western Ethical Thinking “Indian ethics, instead of analyzing the nature of good, lays down practical means of attaining a life of perfection…” (Sharma and Daugert, 1965). 32
Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Muslin Ethics is derived from principles set forth in the Qur’an. • Specific virtues mentioned are humility, honesty, giving to the poor, kindness, and trustworthiness. • Qur’an also mentions vices such as boasting, blasphemy, and slander. • While blasphemy is only applicable in a religious context, the other two vices do speak to engineering professional practice. • For example, Codes of Ethics prohibit engineers from making false claims about other engineers 33
Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Buddhist has its origins between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. • Is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama also known as Buddha. • Buddhist speaks of five major vices: destruction of life; taking what is not given; licentiousness, lying, and taking intoxicants. • Also speaks of virtues such as friendship, spiritual development, learning, mastery of skills, filial piety, generosity, diligence, patience, and sense of proportion or limits. 34
References • Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 2003. www.search.eb.com • Fledderman, Ch. (2014). Engineering Ethics. International Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall. • Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science. (2004). http://onlineethics.org • McGuire, S. (2018). 20 timeline template examples and desing tips. https://venngage.com/blog/timeline-template/ • WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL. (2014). The power of vision. Company: Timeline. http://www.williams- int.com/timeline 35
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LESSON THREE - A BRIEF HISTORY OF ETHICAL THOUGHT - ETHICAL THEORIES.pptx

  • 1. A Brief History of Ethical Thought Ethical Theories Adapted by Professor JC González M.Ed. 1
  • 2. Introduction • Brief history of ethical thought • Ethical theories 2
  • 3. 3
  • 4. A brief History of Ethical Thought • The moral and ethical theories that engineers apply are derived from a Western cultural tradition. 4
  • 5. A brief History of Ethical Thought • They come from the ancient Greeks and ancient religious thinking and writing. • Judaism and its foundations start the religious thinking and writing. • The written sources of the Jewish moral tradition ate the Torah and the Old Testament of the Bible. • Moral Laws and Ten Commandments are there. • The Greek philosophers with the greatest influence are Socrates and Aristotle. 5
  • 6. A brief History of Ethical Thought • Greek ethical philosophic ideas were melted together with early Christians and Jewish thought and were spread throughout Europe and the Middle East during the height of the Roman Empire. 6
  • 7. A brief History of Ethical Thought • The known history of pure ethics or ethics (moral) theories begin with ancient Greek philosophers (Sophists, Socrates, Socratic schools, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Stoics) • And, after recovered by early English positivists has been the main topic of discussions in the Medieval times in Europe. • As the scholastic doctrines are by-passed (therefore Christian Ethics is not a scientific term anymore), we come to the illuminated times after the Medieval, and continue with Hobbes, the Father of Modern Ethics. 7
  • 8. Ethical Theories Offer a framework for decision making. Solving a problem is not cut and dried as problem solving. There are relatively large number of theories to be considered called Moral Theories. Some of them are: Utilitarianism; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Duty Ethics and Rights Ethics; Virtue Ethics; and Non Western ethical Thinking. 8
  • 9. MORAL THEORY • Moral Theory: Defines terms in uniform ways and links ideas and problems together in consistent ways. • Moral concept are organized like scientific theories: organize ideas, define terms, and facilitate problem solving. • Moral concept is an important aspect in the following theories... 9
  • 10. MORAL THEORIES • Utilitarianism: Seeks to produce the most utility. • Cost-Benefit Analysis. • Duty Ethics: There are some duties that should be performed. • Rights Ethics: We all have moral rights that should be protected. • Virtue Ethics: Actions as right that manifest good character traits and regards actions as bad that display bad character traits. 10
  • 11. UTILITARIANISM • I. What is it? Good actions are those actions that serve to maximize human well-being. • II. Benefits: Maximizes positive affects for many people. • III. Downfalls: Ignores the individual. Difficult to predict consequences of actions. 11
  • 12. UTILITARIANISM The emphasis in utilitarianism is not o maximizing the well- being of the individual, but rather on maximizing the well- being of society as a whole, and as such it is somewhat of a collectivity approach. 12
  • 14. UTILITARIANISM • Problem Solving Approach: • Determine Benefits to Society. • Determine Costs to Parties involved. • Compare Benefits to Costs. • If Benefits to Society outweigh Costs, then it is ethical to pursue project. 14
  • 15. Utilitarianism - Example Problems Building Dams - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 15
  • 16. Building Dams: Benefits: a) Stable flow of drinking water. b) Flood control. c) Recreational opportunities Cost: a) Relocation of flood- zone residents (Like El Peñol, Antioquia, Colombia). Result: Since the benefits of building the dam outweigh the costs, it is profitable/ethical to build the dam. 16
  • 17. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP): Benefits: • Safe storage of dangerous waste. • Nuclear Power = electricity. • Radioisotopes = medicine. Cost: Potential danger to residents near transportation routes. Result: Since the benefits of building WIPP facilities outweighs the cost to society, then it is ethical to go ahead with project. 17
  • 18. Utilitarianism – Two tenets Act Utilitarianism – Focus on action, not rules. • John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873) • Believe that rules of morality were derived from trial and error throughout the course of time. • Believe that rules should be broken in order to maximize benefits to society. Rule Utilitarianism – Focus on moral laws, not on action. • Believe that moral laws take precedence over action. • Adhere that although following rules might not always maximize benefits to society, it will ultimately lead to the best overall. 18
  • 19. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS • What is it? An Application of Utilitarianism Goal is to maximize Benefit-to-Cost Ratio. • Benefits: Quantifiable method for analyzing ethical dilemmas. • Downfall: Similar to utilitarianism in that benefits are often difficult to predict. 19
  • 20. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS • In cost-benefit analysis, the cost of a project are assessed, as are the benefits. • Only those projects with the highest ratio of benefits to costs will be implemented. • This principle is similar to the utilitarian goal of maximizing the overall good. 20
  • 21. DUTY AND RIGHT ETHICS • What are they? Good actions are those that respect the rights of the individual. • Benefits: Maximize positive effects for the individual. • Downfalls: Basic rights of one person may conflict with basic rights of another person. Doesn’t account for overall betterment of society. 21
  • 22. DUTY AND RIGHT ETHICS • Duty Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804) Ethical actions are those that can be written as a list of duties (e.g. “Be Honest, Be Fair, etc.) Rights Ethics • Right Ethics John Locke (1632-1704) People have fundamental rights that people have a duty to respect. “Both are already just two different sides of the same coin” (Fleddermann, Ch. 2014, 42) 22
  • 23. Virtue Ethics • What is a virtue? A moral distinction and goodness. In virtue ethics, actions are considered right if they support good character traits (virtues) and wrong if they support bad character traits (vices). • Virtue Ethics determine what kind of people we should be. • A virtuous person exhibits good and beneficial qualities. • Personal morality cannot be separated from business morality. If a person is virtuous in his personal life, then he is also in his business life as well. 23
  • 24. Virtue Ethics • In using Virtue Ethics, it is important to ensure that the traits you identify as virtues are indeed virtuous and will not lead to negative consequences. • Example: • Honor: (dignity, integrity, pride). • This may seem good because of integrity but it might give you negative consequences because of pride (wars to preserve honor of nation). 24
  • 25. Personal vs. Corporate Morality • Is there a distinction between the ethics practiced by an individual and those practiced by a corporation? • How can a company display human traits like honesty and loyalty? • While dealing with individuals, corporations should be considered pseudo-moral agents and should be held accountable in the same way that individuals are. • A corporation must respect the rights of individuals and should exhibit the same virtues that we expect of individuals. 25
  • 26. Which One Theory to Use • How do we decide which theory to use? • In order to obtain a complete understanding of a problem, it is best to analyze the situation using multiple ethical theories. • Example: A chemical plant discharges a hazardous waste into the groundwater the city will be compromised with health problems. 26
  • 27. Which Theory to Use • Rights Ethics indicate that this is unethical. • Utilitarian Analysis indicates the same. Economic benefits would be outweighed by negative effect of pollution and costs to ensure a safe municipal water supply. • Virtue Ethics indicate this is irresponsible and harmful. • They all show the same conclusion. 27
  • 28. Which Theory to Use • What if they produce different conclusions? • The answers should be weighed. • Generally, rights and duty ethics should take precedence over utilitarian consideration because the rights of individuals should receive stronger weight than the needs of society as a whole. 28
  • 29. Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Ethics are not geographical or cultural • Ethics standards are similar worldwide • “When in Rome, do as the Romans” Not applicable to personal morality • In Arab countries: Foundations of ethical principles grounded in traditions of Islam and Islam is very similar to Christianity • Ethical principles of Buddhists, Hindus, and all major religions of world are similar. 29
  • 30. Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Chinese ethical philosophy originates with the writing of Kongzi, more commonly known as Confucius (551-479 BCE) • Emphasizes the importance of balancing individual rights with the needs of the larger community: Mutual respect. • The individual depends on the groups and so must take group concerns into account • But also the group must recognize its dependence on individuals and must respect individual rights. 30
  • 31. Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Indian philosophical tradition are the oldest surviving written philosophical systems in human civilization. • Indian philosophical and ethical thinking have their origins in the ancient texts known as the Vedas, further developed through the Upanishads, Jainism, Buddhism, and also expressed in the Bhagavad- Gita. • Continued by Tagore, Gandhi, Nehru into the modern world. 31
  • 32. Non-Western Ethical Thinking “Indian ethics, instead of analyzing the nature of good, lays down practical means of attaining a life of perfection…” (Sharma and Daugert, 1965). 32
  • 33. Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Muslin Ethics is derived from principles set forth in the Qur’an. • Specific virtues mentioned are humility, honesty, giving to the poor, kindness, and trustworthiness. • Qur’an also mentions vices such as boasting, blasphemy, and slander. • While blasphemy is only applicable in a religious context, the other two vices do speak to engineering professional practice. • For example, Codes of Ethics prohibit engineers from making false claims about other engineers 33
  • 34. Non-Western Ethical Thinking • Buddhist has its origins between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. • Is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama also known as Buddha. • Buddhist speaks of five major vices: destruction of life; taking what is not given; licentiousness, lying, and taking intoxicants. • Also speaks of virtues such as friendship, spiritual development, learning, mastery of skills, filial piety, generosity, diligence, patience, and sense of proportion or limits. 34
  • 35. References • Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 2003. www.search.eb.com • Fledderman, Ch. (2014). Engineering Ethics. International Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall. • Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science. (2004). http://onlineethics.org • McGuire, S. (2018). 20 timeline template examples and desing tips. https://venngage.com/blog/timeline-template/ • WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL. (2014). The power of vision. Company: Timeline. http://www.williams- int.com/timeline 35
  • 36. 36