principles - Herrick Chang

Ethical Frameworks

Engineering 185EW

Winter 2011

Herrick Chang

Slides extracted from Prof.
Weltman’s

Slides

2

Ethical Philosophies

•
Historical Ethical Theories

–
Rights Ethics

–
Duty Ethics

–
Virtue Ethics

–
Utilitarianism

–
Pragmatism

•
Alternative Ethical Theories







Attempts to systematize, rationalize and prescribe societal and
personal ethical choices.

3

Rights Ethics

•
Fundamental Concepts

–
Human rights are basic

–
Rights are a fundamental human authority

–
Respect for rights is obligatory

•
Types of Rights

–
Liberty Rights:

•
Related primarily to individuals

•
Concern non
-
interference and property protection

–
Welfare Rights

•
Related primarily to collections of people

•
Concern for others within a moral community

•
Rights include benefits under contracts and promises

•
Examples

–
Declaration of Independence

–
Constitution and Bill of Rights

–
Modern Rights: Privacy, education, safety, health care, etc.






4

Duty Ethics

•
Fundamental Concepts

–
Duties are basic

–
Mirror image of rights
--

for every right, a duty

–
Emphasis on what we owe to others

•
Related Issues

–
Unification principles

•
Autonomy
–

Governing one’s own life morally

•
Universality
–

Principles apply equally to all people

•
Respect
--

Other peoples’ desires, needs, efforts

–
Lists of basic duties (Kant and others)

•
Examples

–
The Decalogue

–
Code of Chivalry

–
Cadet Honor Code

–
Professional Codes (Engineering, Medicine & Others)


5

Virtue Ethics

•
Fundamental Concepts

–
Essential virtues are desirable as

•
Attitudes, emotions &
motives

•
Guides to conduct

–
Being a virtuous person

•
Related Issues

–
Evolution of virtues

–
Association with societal classes





6

Utilitarianism

•
Fundamental Concepts

–
Most good for the most people

–
Balance of good vs. bad consequences

–
Maximization of net good

•
Related Principles

–
Rule
-
Utilitarianism

•
Rules determine acts

•
Act on those rules that produce most good, etc.

–
Act
-
Utilitarianism

•
Actions supercede rules

•
Chose action that produce most good, etc.

•
Use rules as guidelines and not as absolutes

•
Examples

–
Cars: Speed & Convenience vs. Safety & Economy

–
Air and Water Pollution: Public Health vs. Industrial Costs

–
Genetic Engineering: Medical Benefits vs. Risks & Morality



7

Pragmatism

•
Fundamental Concepts

–
Context
–

In which facts and values must be balanced


–
Flexibility
–

In integrating and harmonizing competing values

–
Analysis
--

Ethical reasoning vs. fixed rules or ideals

•
Related Principles

–
Guidance in methods of analytical thought

–
Warnings of negative consequences

•
Case Solutions

–
Cases are concrete dilemmas
–

with differing moral/ethical opinions

–
Emphasizing
principles

often leads to accentuation of differences

–
Emphasizing
particulars

over
principles

often leads to pragmatic reconciliation of
differences

–
Didn’t we earlier say the opposite with regard to the Golden Rule?






“A
foolish

consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson