Part II: EthicsPart II: Ethics

Ch. 2: How should one live?Ch. 2: How should one live?

Ch. 3: How can I know what is Ch. 3: How can I know what is right?right?

Ch. 4: What makes society just?Ch. 4: What makes society just?

Ch. 5: Is justice for all possible?Ch. 5: Is justice for all possible?

Chapter 2: How Should One Chapter 2: How Should One Live?Live?

What constitutes a “good life”?What constitutes a “good life”? Need to answer moral questions in a Need to answer moral questions in a

way that is not ambiguous or vagueway that is not ambiguous or vague What is the difference between What is the difference between

actual desires and one’s idea of what actual desires and one’s idea of what they ought to do?they ought to do?

Answering Moral QuestionsAnswering Moral Questions

Moral questions must be answered in Moral questions must be answered in a way that is not:a way that is not:– Ambiguous Ambiguous – has many meanings and – has many meanings and

is not clear precisely to what it refersis not clear precisely to what it refers– Vague Vague – without clear distinctions– without clear distinctions

Answering Moral QuestionsAnswering Moral Questions

Moral questions Moral questions should should be answered be answered in way that is:in way that is:– Descriptive Descriptive – describes the kinds of – describes the kinds of

values people have and the sorts of values people have and the sorts of principles they useprinciples they use

– Normative Normative – the norms that ought to – the norms that ought to guide one’s actions guide one’s actions

Reading the PhilosophersReading the Philosophers

Ask yourself how the author would Ask yourself how the author would answer these questions:answer these questions:– What What is the good life?is the good life?– How How is the good life attained?is the good life attained?– Why Why is the life described as a good one?is the life described as a good one?

Justification for AnswersJustification for Answers

When asking When asking why why questions, the questions, the author should provide two types of author should provide two types of justification:justification:– Justification of the goalJustification of the goal– Justification of the meansJustification of the means

The Buddha and the Middle The Buddha and the Middle WayWay

BuddhaBuddha = “the Enlightened One”= “the Enlightened One” Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha Gautama (563 BCE.) (563 BCE.)

was deemed Buddha after being was deemed Buddha after being enlightened concerning how to attain enlightened concerning how to attain wisdom and overcome sufferingwisdom and overcome suffering

Nirvana Nirvana – release from suffering– release from suffering

BuddhismBuddhism

Buddhism developed from Buddhism developed from Siddhartha Gautama’s teaching Siddhartha Gautama’s teaching

Three main groupsThree main groups– Theravada Theravada – Way of the Elders– Way of the Elders– Mahayana Mahayana – Greater Vehicle– Greater Vehicle– Vajrayana Vajrayana – Diamond Vehicle– Diamond Vehicle

BuddhismBuddhism

Four Noble Truths Four Noble Truths – heart of – heart of Buddah’s message. Buddah’s message.

Middle Way Middle Way or or Eightfold Path Eightfold Path – – the Fourth Noble Truththe Fourth Noble Truth

The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble TruthsThe BuddhaThe Buddha

The Noble Truth of SufferingThe Noble Truth of Suffering The Noble Truth of the Origin of The Noble Truth of the Origin of

SufferingSuffering The Noble Truth of the Cessation of The Noble Truth of the Cessation of

SufferingSuffering The Noble Truth of the Way of The Noble Truth of the Way of

Practice Leading to the Cessation of Practice Leading to the Cessation of SufferingSuffering

The Noble Truth of SufferingThe Noble Truth of Suffering

Suffering is understood through the Suffering is understood through the five aggregates (components of the five aggregates (components of the individual human being) of graspingindividual human being) of grasping

The aggregates of graspingThe aggregates of grasping– FormForm– FeelingFeeling– PerceptionPerception– Mental formationsMental formations– ConsciousnessConsciousness

The Noble Truth of the Origin The Noble Truth of the Origin of Sufferingof Suffering

A craving or desire arises and A craving or desire arises and establishes itself through the establishes itself through the pleasures of sights, sounds, smells, pleasures of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mind-objectstastes, tangibles, and mind-objects

The Noble Truth of the The Noble Truth of the Cessation of SufferingCessation of Suffering

Complete fading away and extinction Complete fading away and extinction of craving or desire of craving or desire

Liberation from desiresLiberation from desires

Noble Truth of the Way of Noble Truth of the Way of Practice Leading to the Practice Leading to the Cessation of SufferingCessation of Suffering

Noble Eightfold PathNoble Eightfold Path– Right ViewRight View– Right ThoughtRight Thought– Right SpeechRight Speech– Right ActionRight Action– Right LivelihoodRight Livelihood– Right EffortRight Effort– Right MindfulnessRight Mindfulness– Right ConcentrationRight Concentration

The Fourth Noble TruthThe Fourth Noble TruthWalpola RahulaWalpola Rahula

Fourth Noble Truth Composed of Fourth Noble Truth Composed of Eightfold PathEightfold Path

Called the “Middle Path” because it Called the “Middle Path” because it avoids two extremes:avoids two extremes:– Search for happiness through pleasure Search for happiness through pleasure

of sensesof senses– Search for happiness through self-Search for happiness through self-

mortificationmortification

The Fourth Noble TruthThe Fourth Noble TruthWalpola RahulaWalpola Rahula

Eightfold Path promote three Eightfold Path promote three essentials of Buddhist training and essentials of Buddhist training and disciplinediscipline– Ethical Conduct Ethical Conduct – Right speech, action, – Right speech, action,

and livelihoodand livelihood– Mental Discipline Mental Discipline – Right effort, – Right effort,

mindfulness, and concentrationmindfulness, and concentration– Wisdom Wisdom – Right thought and – Right thought and

understandingunderstanding

Confucius and the Life of Confucius and the Life of VirtueVirtue

Confucius: Confucius: – born in China (551 – 479 BCE)born in China (551 – 479 BCE)– ““humanistic social philosophy” humanistic social philosophy” – –

concern for achieving good social order concern for achieving good social order and cultivating humane qualities in the and cultivating humane qualities in the human spirithuman spirit

Confucius and the Life of Confucius and the Life of VirtueVirtue

Key attributes of Confucian philosophyKey attributes of Confucian philosophy– Ren Ren (jen) – “goodness,” “benevolence,” and (jen) – “goodness,” “benevolence,” and

“humanheartedness.” What we become by “humanheartedness.” What we become by cultivating aesthetic, moral, cognitive, and cultivating aesthetic, moral, cognitive, and spiritual sensibilities.spiritual sensibilities.

– Li Li – rules of proper behavior. Grounded in – rules of proper behavior. Grounded in tradition.tradition.

– Xiao Xiao (hsiao) – practice of kindness, honor, (hsiao) – practice of kindness, honor, respect, and loyalty among family membersrespect, and loyalty among family members

– Yi Yi – refers to what is appropriate or fitting to – refers to what is appropriate or fitting to do in a given situationdo in a given situation

Confucius and Moral CharacterConfucius and Moral CharacterD. C. LauD. C. Lau

Distinctions of ideal moral characterDistinctions of ideal moral character– Sage Sage (sheng jen) (sheng jen) – highest level of – highest level of

moral charactermoral character– Good man Good man and and complete mancomplete man– Gentleman Gentleman (chün tzu) (chün tzu) – characterized – characterized

by benevolence. by benevolence. – Small man Small man (Hsiao Jen) (Hsiao Jen) – opposite of – opposite of

gentlemangentleman

Confucius and Moral CharacterConfucius and Moral CharacterD. C. LauD. C. Lau

Becoming a Gentleman: The Becoming a Gentleman: The meaning of benevolence.meaning of benevolence.– ““Do not impose on others what you Do not impose on others what you

yourself do not desire” (XII.2)yourself do not desire” (XII.2)– Shu Shu – method of discovering what other – method of discovering what other

people do or do not wish done to thempeople do or do not wish done to them– Chung Chung – doing one’s best, practicing – doing one’s best, practicing

what one has learned from shuwhat one has learned from shu– Benevolence consists in overcoming self Benevolence consists in overcoming self

and observance of ritesand observance of rites

Socrates on Living the Socrates on Living the Examined LifeExamined Life

Socrates was born in Athens 9 years Socrates was born in Athens 9 years after Confucius diedafter Confucius died

Socratic method Socratic method – consists of asking – consists of asking questions to formulate, critique, and questions to formulate, critique, and reform definitions of conceptsreform definitions of concepts

Divine command theory Divine command theory – God’s – God’s command or will makes something command or will makes something morally rightmorally right

The ApologyThe ApologyPlatoPlato

Plato’s account of the trial and Plato’s account of the trial and defense of Socrates in 399 BCE.defense of Socrates in 399 BCE.

What is the good life?What is the good life?– The examined life, because “the life The examined life, because “the life

which is unexamined is not worth living” which is unexamined is not worth living” (pg 57).(pg 57).

How is the good life attained?How is the good life attained?– Examine life through asking questionsExamine life through asking questions– He who understands his own limitations He who understands his own limitations

is wiser than he who thinks he is wiseis wiser than he who thinks he is wise

The ApologyThe ApologyPlatoPlato

What makes this the good life?What makes this the good life?– In the examined life, one seeks virtue In the examined life, one seeks virtue

and wisdom and looks to the welfare of and wisdom and looks to the welfare of othersothers

– This is profitable both to one’s self and This is profitable both to one’s self and othersothers

Aristotle on Happiness and the Aristotle on Happiness and the Life of ModerationLife of Moderation

Aristotle was a student of Plato (384 – Aristotle was a student of Plato (384 – 322 BCE)322 BCE)

Tutor of Alexandor the GreatTutor of Alexandor the Great Aristotle was a Aristotle was a teleologist teleologist – he – he

believed that all existing things have believed that all existing things have a purposea purpose– Teleology = “end,” “goal,” or “purpose”Teleology = “end,” “goal,” or “purpose”– He was concerned with the good of all He was concerned with the good of all

humans, or humans, or eudaimoniaeudaimonia

Nicomachean EthicsNicomachean EthicsAristotleAristotle

Every action and pursuit aims at Every action and pursuit aims at some goodsome good

The things we do for the sake of a The things we do for the sake of a desired end are the chief gooddesired end are the chief good

Human good is the activity of the Human good is the activity of the soul in accordance with virtuesoul in accordance with virtue

Nicomachean EthicsNicomachean EthicsAristotleAristotle

Happiness is the activity of the soul in Happiness is the activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtueaccordance with perfect virtue

The nature of virtueThe nature of virtue– Intellectual – virtue born through teachingIntellectual – virtue born through teaching– Moral – result of habitMoral – result of habit

Virtue is a state of character Virtue is a state of character concerned with choiceconcerned with choice

Moral virtue is a mean between excess Moral virtue is a mean between excess and deficiencyand deficiency

The Song of GodThe Song of God

How does one strive for moral perfection in How does one strive for moral perfection in morally imperfect world?morally imperfect world?

HinduismHinduism– Dharma Dharma – order of the cosmos embodied in – order of the cosmos embodied in

social and ethical law codessocial and ethical law codes– Karma Karma – “consequences of action.” As you – “consequences of action.” As you

sow, you will reapsow, you will reap– Samsara Samsara – cycle of rebirth, death, and suffering – cycle of rebirth, death, and suffering

of human lifeof human life– Reincarnation Reincarnation – rebirth into new physical body– rebirth into new physical body

Bhagavad-GitaBhagavad-Gita

The First Teaching: Arjuna’s The First Teaching: Arjuna’s DejectionDejection

The Second Teaching: Philosophy The Second Teaching: Philosophy and Spiritual Disciplineand Spiritual Discipline

The Virtue of SelfishnessThe Virtue of Selfishness

Ethical egoism Ethical egoism – view that people – view that people ought to do what is in their own self-ought to do what is in their own self-interestinterest

Altruism Altruism – people ought to do what – people ought to do what is in the interest of othersis in the interest of others

The Ethics of EmergenciesThe Ethics of EmergenciesAyn RandAyn Rand

““Altruism has destroyed the concept Altruism has destroyed the concept of any authentic benevolence or of any authentic benevolence or good will among men”good will among men”

The moral purpose of life is the The moral purpose of life is the achievement of one’s own happinessachievement of one’s own happiness

Values are the first concern and Values are the first concern and motive power of lifemotive power of life