Assignment Part 1:
1. Moral Relativism is a philosophical view, that suggests that all ethical statement's are equal. There is no right or wrong, and no opinion is better than the other. Moral relativism, however, is subjective, because it is based on a persons opinion. That is what they believe is right or wrong, good or evil. So there can be no standard by which to compare two different moral statement's to determine which is more correct.
2. In the online resource I used, It showed many different sites definitions of Moral Relativity. They basically all said the same thing, Moral relativism is a philosophical view that what is right or wrong and good or bad is not absolute but variable and relative, depending on the person, circumstances, or social situation. They also placed great emphasis on the cultural aspect of it, saying what a culture or society believed to be right or wrong, good or bad was conditional.
http://www.answers.com/topic/moral-relativism
3. Arguable Issue: The arguable issue is whether or not Moral Relativism is a good view to hold.
Conclusion: Moral Relativism is not a good view to hold.
Premises:
(1) All human laws involve some principle being enforced by threat of consequences
(2) Can only be used to excuse or allow certain actions
(3) It can never be used to condemn an action
Assignment Part 2:
The Role of Majority View
1. Technically the majority view would be at least fifty one percent of a group of individuals, according to the Ruggiero book, and almost every mathematician in the world. That's not to say that the majority view is the best view though, as those individuals may have little to no knowledge of the subject. For example, if the majority of the people in a test group voted for a certain politician to be elected, he may not be the best or most qualified candidate for the job, that's not to say he wont do the best job, but just because the "majority" voted for him doest mean he will pan out to be the best elected official, so the majority could have been wrong in who they elected.
2. Arguable Issue: The arguable issue is whether or not the Majority View is a reliable basis for ethical decision-making.
Conclusion: The majority view is NOT a reliable basis for ethical decision making.
Premises:
(1) People may have limited knowledge of the subject
(2) People would have listened to and considered facts differently
(3) People will judge topics based on their own pre-concieved notions
The Role of Feelings
1. As Rousseau said " What I feel is right is right, what I feel is wrong is wrong." Feelings are conditional, they are what an individual wants. Feelings make you live your life in a way that expresses who you are as a person. If you feel something is wrong a healthy, you shouldnt do it, where as if you feel something is right you should. That, however, does not mean you are in fact right or wrong in what you do. Hitler and Stalin for example killed millions, but they were following their feelings. So just because your following your feelings, it doesnt mean your doing whats right or wrong, just what is right and wrong for you.
2. Arguable Issue: The arguable issue is whether or not our feelings are a reliable basis for ethical decision-making.
Conclusion: Feelings are not a reliable basis for ethical decision making.
Premises:
(1) Feeling's are desire's.
(2) Desire's are not always socially acceptable (I.E. Killing people)
(3) May conflict with other people's feeling's.
Assignment Part 3:
1. The ability to express yourself in your own words is essential in this class. Did you put everything in your own words this time?
With the exception of the quotes I used, yes I believe I put everything in my own words. However my own words were based of the text, so they do seem simialr to what I read.
2. What was easiest / hardest about this assignment?
The easiest part of the assignment was the reading. The hardest was making time to do it. I did however find this to be an interesting assignment, it seemed to really make me think, I actually enjoyed it.
3. How will you apply what you learned through this assignment to your everyday life?
I will try and use what I learned in the Role of feelings chapter and take into consideration other people's feelings more often.
4. How well do you think you did on this assignment? Explain.
I think I did pretty well on this assignment. I feel like it challenged me a bit, but I think I stepped up to the challenge. I cited sources when asked to and put everything into my own words. Plus, I actually read the chapters, so that should count for something haha.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Blog Assignment #2
1. Were the questions on the Moral Sense Test difficult to answer (psychologically, emotionally, conceptually, technically, etc.)? Why or why not? Do you think your responses to the Moral Sense Test questions were consistent? Does this matter?
I felt the questions on the test were easy to answer. I am very opinionated person, who has a very strong belief system, the questions asked were very basic and thus were easy to answer. I feel my answers were very consistent, and yes I thought all of the questions asked were basically the same in concept, so consistency was very important, or else your answers weould not really have made sense, plus it could mess up the experiment results.
2. Should people always follow the law? Why or why not? When might one be justified in NOT following the law? Give examples.
I think there are times when breaking the law is definetly acceptable, because sometimes people are put in extraordinary situations that require extra ordinary actions. Such as if I were in a friends house and another person shot and killed my friend and then put his gun away, I would without hesitation fire a shot at that person and kill him. According to florida law this would not be okay, as I was in no immediate threat. I would still do it though.
3. In your own words, explain what "social convention" means. Give examples.
I believe it is basically a general consensus regarding what is socially acceptable. It is like a standard of behaviour. Like if you were in a restaurant and stood up and flashed everyone, this is not socially acceptable, because first off you are disrupting everyones meal, and second off it is just plain gross. However if you were in that same restaurant and stood up to propose to your significant other, while you are still disrupting everyones meal, this would generally be considered acceptable.
4. Should people always follow the conventions of their society? Why or why not? Give examples.
As I said with following a governments laws, there is always a time to go against it, just as I think there is always a time to go against a social convention. Like if it was socially acceptable to jump off a bridge, and everyone you know seemed to be doing it, should you do it? No, that would be dumb, in times likes this, you should go against the grain and toot your own horn, so to speak.
5. Should people always follow their own principles? Why or why not? Give examples.
I believe that yes, there is a time to go against your own principles, because in some cases you may not have a legitimate reason to believe what you believe. You could just be following along with what everyone else is doing or you could believe it just to be different. If you were a hardcore rascist, and you saw a car accident involving the race you didnt like, and you have the chance to save them before the car goes up in flames do you save them? I believe yes, you should, because while you may not like those same people they are still human beings and deserve the chance to live just as you do. So you should go against your own principles and save them regardless.
6. Explain in your own words the difference between socially acceptable, legally acceptable, and morally acceptable.
Socially acceptable has more to do with what a group of people consider to be right and wrong, regardless of what the laws are. Legally acceptable is very similar to socially acceptable, because a group of people decide what is right or wrong, but they are deciding that based on what is best for the country, state or whatever they are making the law for. Morally acceptable is what you consider, in your mind, to be right and wrong. Regardless of the laws or what other people think.
7. Out of 25 points, how many points do you feel your work on this assignment deserves? Justify your answer.
I believe I deserve 20 - 25 points on this blog assignment. I felt like I responded to the questions accurately and gave good examples when asked too. I felt my answers were on topic with what the questions asked, and my examples made sense and had a direct correlation to the question.
I felt the questions on the test were easy to answer. I am very opinionated person, who has a very strong belief system, the questions asked were very basic and thus were easy to answer. I feel my answers were very consistent, and yes I thought all of the questions asked were basically the same in concept, so consistency was very important, or else your answers weould not really have made sense, plus it could mess up the experiment results.
2. Should people always follow the law? Why or why not? When might one be justified in NOT following the law? Give examples.
I think there are times when breaking the law is definetly acceptable, because sometimes people are put in extraordinary situations that require extra ordinary actions. Such as if I were in a friends house and another person shot and killed my friend and then put his gun away, I would without hesitation fire a shot at that person and kill him. According to florida law this would not be okay, as I was in no immediate threat. I would still do it though.
3. In your own words, explain what "social convention" means. Give examples.
I believe it is basically a general consensus regarding what is socially acceptable. It is like a standard of behaviour. Like if you were in a restaurant and stood up and flashed everyone, this is not socially acceptable, because first off you are disrupting everyones meal, and second off it is just plain gross. However if you were in that same restaurant and stood up to propose to your significant other, while you are still disrupting everyones meal, this would generally be considered acceptable.
4. Should people always follow the conventions of their society? Why or why not? Give examples.
As I said with following a governments laws, there is always a time to go against it, just as I think there is always a time to go against a social convention. Like if it was socially acceptable to jump off a bridge, and everyone you know seemed to be doing it, should you do it? No, that would be dumb, in times likes this, you should go against the grain and toot your own horn, so to speak.
5. Should people always follow their own principles? Why or why not? Give examples.
I believe that yes, there is a time to go against your own principles, because in some cases you may not have a legitimate reason to believe what you believe. You could just be following along with what everyone else is doing or you could believe it just to be different. If you were a hardcore rascist, and you saw a car accident involving the race you didnt like, and you have the chance to save them before the car goes up in flames do you save them? I believe yes, you should, because while you may not like those same people they are still human beings and deserve the chance to live just as you do. So you should go against your own principles and save them regardless.
6. Explain in your own words the difference between socially acceptable, legally acceptable, and morally acceptable.
Socially acceptable has more to do with what a group of people consider to be right and wrong, regardless of what the laws are. Legally acceptable is very similar to socially acceptable, because a group of people decide what is right or wrong, but they are deciding that based on what is best for the country, state or whatever they are making the law for. Morally acceptable is what you consider, in your mind, to be right and wrong. Regardless of the laws or what other people think.
7. Out of 25 points, how many points do you feel your work on this assignment deserves? Justify your answer.
I believe I deserve 20 - 25 points on this blog assignment. I felt like I responded to the questions accurately and gave good examples when asked too. I felt my answers were on topic with what the questions asked, and my examples made sense and had a direct correlation to the question.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Blog Assignment #1
1. How would you have explained the meaning of the term "ethics", before taking this class?
I have come to understand the term "ethics" as the decisions people make regarding right and wrong. Ethics seems to be a very interesting topic for me, im very excited to discuss whether things are ethical or unethical.
2. What are some of your deepest held values?
I put my family and friends first and foremost, even before my own well being. I defend them in every sense of the word. My friends are family in my eyes, so I treat them as my brothers and sisters. I love them unconditionally. Kia Kaha, is Maori for Forever strong, or always strong, its two words I live by. I keep a piece of paper in my wallet at all times, it reads NDCQ. It stands for Not Dead Cant Quit. When I get tired I ask myself, "are you dead yet?", and that is usually enough to make me go forward.
3. What are some main principles you try to live your life by?
I live my life to the fullest everyday, as we are not gauranteed tomorrow. I work hard and play harder. I try to be physically strong, but mentally stronger. Because the day my body cant go on, I want my mind to push the boundaries of what is humanly possible.
4. What moral qualities do you look for in others?
I look for people who are going to challenge me. I dont ever want to become complacent, and if you dont challenge me im probably not going to be around you very often. I look for, I know this is a loose term but, "good" people. In a spouse, I want a woman who is beautiful on the outside, but more beautiful on the inside, that inner beauty should outshine everything.
5. How were your values and principles developed?
My parents are definetly a big influence on who I am as a person, they shaped me more than anything. They also taught me to think for myself, so I look at people, I see how people react in certain situations, and decide how I would react in those same circumstances.
6. How have your values and principles changed throughout your life so far?
I would say im going through a rough patch right at the moment, but im trying to get back to the person I want to be. As I have matured so have my values, they are becoming more complete. I want my children, when I have them, to be able to look back at my life and be proud to call me their dad.
7. Out of 25 points, how many points do you feel your work on this assignment deserves? Justify your answer.
I would say I deserve somewhere between 20 -25 points. I believe I answered the questions well, but I think more importantly I was honest and put myself out there to answer the questions.
I have come to understand the term "ethics" as the decisions people make regarding right and wrong. Ethics seems to be a very interesting topic for me, im very excited to discuss whether things are ethical or unethical.
2. What are some of your deepest held values?
I put my family and friends first and foremost, even before my own well being. I defend them in every sense of the word. My friends are family in my eyes, so I treat them as my brothers and sisters. I love them unconditionally. Kia Kaha, is Maori for Forever strong, or always strong, its two words I live by. I keep a piece of paper in my wallet at all times, it reads NDCQ. It stands for Not Dead Cant Quit. When I get tired I ask myself, "are you dead yet?", and that is usually enough to make me go forward.
3. What are some main principles you try to live your life by?
I live my life to the fullest everyday, as we are not gauranteed tomorrow. I work hard and play harder. I try to be physically strong, but mentally stronger. Because the day my body cant go on, I want my mind to push the boundaries of what is humanly possible.
4. What moral qualities do you look for in others?
I look for people who are going to challenge me. I dont ever want to become complacent, and if you dont challenge me im probably not going to be around you very often. I look for, I know this is a loose term but, "good" people. In a spouse, I want a woman who is beautiful on the outside, but more beautiful on the inside, that inner beauty should outshine everything.
5. How were your values and principles developed?
My parents are definetly a big influence on who I am as a person, they shaped me more than anything. They also taught me to think for myself, so I look at people, I see how people react in certain situations, and decide how I would react in those same circumstances.
6. How have your values and principles changed throughout your life so far?
I would say im going through a rough patch right at the moment, but im trying to get back to the person I want to be. As I have matured so have my values, they are becoming more complete. I want my children, when I have them, to be able to look back at my life and be proud to call me their dad.
7. Out of 25 points, how many points do you feel your work on this assignment deserves? Justify your answer.
I would say I deserve somewhere between 20 -25 points. I believe I answered the questions well, but I think more importantly I was honest and put myself out there to answer the questions.
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