Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Problem 2: we don’t even know what human nature is, how can we
talk about what is natural and what is universal? Is there no such
thing as culture? Are we merely products of nature?
Applied Ethics
Abortion:
Rights of baby vs. rights of mother
Does a baby have a right? What makes a human?
Anthropomorphism
Deontology vs. utilitarianism: duty not to kill, but
allowing baby to live may make it and the mother
suffer more
Euthanasia:
Same issue with abortion
Quality of life vs. quantity of life (question of what
we mean by ‘welfare’)
‘Sanctity of life’: meta-ethical question (e.g. if God
does not exist then it is meaningless to talk about
sanctity of life)
Some principles of applied
ethics
Personal benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces
beneficial consequences for the individual in question (utilitarianism)
Social benefit: acknowledge the extent to which an action produces
beneficial consequences for society (utilitarianism)
Principle of benevolence: help those in need (virtue theory,
deontology)
Principle of paternalism: assist others in pursuing their best interests
when they cannot do so themselves (deontology)
Principle of harm: do not harm others (deontology)
Principle of honesty: do not deceive others (deontology)
Principle of lawfulness: do not violate the law (deontology)
Principle of autonomy: acknowledge a person’s freedom over his/her
actions or physical body (deontology)
Principle of justice: acknowledge a person’s right to due process, fair
compensation for harm done, and fair distribution of benefits (rights
theory)
Rights: acknowledge a person’s rights to life, information, privacy, free
expression, and safety (rights theory)
What is existential
philosophy?
Human existence is different from that of animals because
we know that we exist as free individuals distinct from the
world
What then makes me so? Why and how am I so? What shall I
do with it?