🎻Intro to Humanities Unit 2 – Philosophy and Ethics

Key Philosophical Concepts

• Epistemology explores the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge
  • Includes rationalism (knowledge through reason) and empiricism (knowledge through sensory experience)
• Metaphysics examines the fundamental nature of reality and existence
  • Ontology is a branch that studies the categories of being (abstract objects, mental states, material objects)
• Ethics investigates moral principles, values, and how individuals should conduct themselves
  • Normative ethics focuses on moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct (deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics)
  • Applied ethics looks at controversial topics like abortion, animal rights, and euthanasia
• Logic studies the principles of valid inference, argumentation, and reasoning
  • Informal logic emphasizes the study of arguments in natural language (fallacies, argument structure)
  • Formal logic uses symbolic notation to analyze inference patterns (propositional logic, predicate logic)
• Aesthetics analyzes the nature of beauty, art, and taste
  • Explores the qualities that make something a work of art (expression, representation, form)
• Political philosophy concerns the study of government, justice, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code
  • Key issues include the justification of authority, individual autonomy, and the limits of state power

Historical Context

• Ancient Greek philosophy (6th century BCE - 3rd century CE) laid the foundations for Western thought
  • Pre-Socratic philosophers focused on explaining the natural world (Thales, Anaximander, Pythagoras)
  • Classical period marked by the works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
• Medieval philosophy (5th century CE - 15th century CE) was heavily influenced by Christianity and Islamic thought
  • Scholasticism attempted to reconcile Christian theology with classical philosophy (Thomas Aquinas)
• Renaissance humanism (14th century CE - 17th century CE) revived interest in classical learning and individual human potential
  • Emphasized the study of humanities (literature, history, moral philosophy) to cultivate virtue
• Age of Enlightenment (17th century CE - 18th century CE) promoted reason, individualism, and skepticism of tradition
  • Key figures include Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Kant
• 19th and 20th century philosophy saw the development of new schools of thought
  • Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre) emphasized individual existence, choice, and freedom
  • Pragmatism (Peirce, James, Dewey) focused on the practical consequences of ideas and beliefs

Major Ethical Theories

• Deontology judges the morality of an action based on adherence to rules or duties
  • Kant's categorical imperative states that one should act according to principles that could become universal laws
• Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being
  • Act utilitarianism evaluates the consequences of each individual action
  • Rule utilitarianism judges actions based on the consequences of following a general rule
• Virtue ethics emphasizes moral character rather than rules or consequences
  • Aristotle identified virtues as the mean between extremes (courage is the mean between cowardice and recklessness)
• Care ethics focuses on the importance of relationships, compassion, and attending to the needs of others
  • Developed by feminist philosophers (Gilligan, Noddings) as an alternative to abstract, impartial theories
• Egoism holds that moral agents ought to do what is in their own self-interest
  • Ethical egoism claims that it is always moral to promote one's own good
  • Rational egoism holds that it is rational to act in one's self-interest (compatible with other moral theories)

Influential Philosophers

• Socrates (470-399 BCE) developed the Socratic method of questioning to stimulate critical thinking
  • Emphasized the importance of self-knowledge and claimed that "the unexamined life is not worth living"
• Plato (428-348 BCE) proposed the theory of forms and the ideal of the philosopher-king
  • Argued that the highest form of knowledge is the knowledge of the good
• Aristotle (384-322 BCE) developed a systematic approach to logic, metaphysics, and ethics
  • Identified happiness (eudaimonia) as the highest good and the aim of human life
• Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) argued for the supreme importance of reason, duty, and good will
  • Formulated the categorical imperative as a test for the morality of actions
• John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a prominent advocate of utilitarianism and individual liberty
  • Argued that actions are right in proportion to their promotion of overall happiness
• Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) critiqued traditional morality and espoused perspectivism
  • Proclaimed the "death of God" and the need for individuals to create their own values
• Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) emphasized the radical freedom and responsibility of the individual
  • Argued that humans are "condemned to be free" and must create meaning for themselves

Ethical Dilemmas and Case Studies

• The trolley problem presents a choice between actively causing one death or passively allowing multiple deaths
  • Raises questions about the moral distinction between action and inaction
  • Variations test the limits of utilitarian thinking (fat man, organ transplant)
• The violinist thought experiment challenges the permissibility of abortion
  • Asks whether a person has the right to refuse to support another's life with their own body
• The experience machine challenges hedonistic theories of well-being
  • Would you enter a machine that could simulate any experience, even if it meant living outside of reality?
• The ship of Theseus questions the nature of identity over time
  • If a ship has all of its parts gradually replaced, is it still the same ship?
• The prisoner's dilemma models a situation where individual and collective interests conflict
  • Two prisoners must choose whether to betray each other or remain silent
  • Illustrates the tension between self-interest and cooperation
• The heinz dilemma probes the conflict between moral rules and compassion
  • Is it permissible to steal a drug to save a dying person if you cannot afford it?

Contemporary Applications

• Bioethics examines ethical issues in medicine and biotechnology
  • Includes debates over genetic engineering, human enhancement, and end-of-life care
• Environmental ethics considers the moral status of nature and humanity's obligations to the environment
  • Addresses issues like climate change, conservation, and animal welfare
• Business ethics applies moral principles to the conduct of commercial enterprises
  • Covers topics such as corporate social responsibility, insider trading, and whistleblowing
• Media ethics explores the ethical dimensions of mass communication
  • Includes issues of privacy, censorship, and the responsibilities of journalists
• AI ethics examines the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and robotics
  • Addresses concerns about algorithmic bias, autonomous weapons, and the risks of superintelligent AI
• Just war theory provides a framework for evaluating the morality of war and military action
  • Specifies criteria for the just initiation (jus ad bellum) and conduct (jus in bello) of war

Critical Thinking Exercises

• Analyze arguments for logical fallacies and hidden assumptions
  • Example: "If we allow same-sex marriage, people will want to marry their pets next!" (slippery slope fallacy)
• Construct thought experiments to test moral intuitions and principles
  • Example: Would it be ethical to sacrifice an innocent person to save a greater number of lives?
• Apply ethical theories to real-world situations and evaluate their implications
  • Example: How would a utilitarian approach the issue of income inequality?
• Examine your own beliefs and values for consistency and coherence
  • Example: If you believe that lying is always wrong, would you lie to protect someone from harm?
• Practice empathy and perspective-taking by considering issues from multiple viewpoints
  • Example: How might someone from a different culture or background approach this ethical question?
• Engage in Socratic dialogue with others to explore ideas and challenge assumptions
  • Example: Ask probing questions like "What do you mean by that?" or "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

Further Reading and Resources

• "The Elements of Moral Philosophy" by James Rachels provides a clear introduction to major ethical theories
• "The Nicomachean Ethics" by Aristotle is a classic text on virtue ethics and the nature of human flourishing
• "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals" by Immanuel Kant presents his influential deontological theory
• "Utilitarianism" by John Stuart Mill offers a comprehensive defense of the utilitarian approach to ethics
• "The Metaphysics of Morals" by Immanuel Kant explores the foundations of moral and political philosophy
• "Being and Nothingness" by Jean-Paul Sartre is a seminal work of existentialist philosophy
• The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (plato.stanford.edu) provides detailed articles on a wide range of philosophical topics
• "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" by Michael Sandel examines contemporary moral dilemmas through the lens of political philosophy