Same as yesterday with a new Practice Performance Task.
First, of course, we "took up" yesterday's work and you all made suggestions as to important elements from Philosophy to include in your work. We'll do the same on Monday.
Also, I distributed review information and an old exam so if you want to start studying (your exam is exactly 17 days away) this weekend you can!
Practice Performance Task 2
Exam Review Materials
Friday, June 8, 2012
DAY 78 Practice Performance Task 1
Today you did the first of three Practice Performance Tasks. Your real one will be done next week, probably Tuesday and Wednesday, and it will be the same format with different articles to interpret
Practice Performance Task 1
Practice Performance Task 1
DAY 76 A Life Worth Living
Today we continued our study of Ethics and the ideas of the Life Worth Living and A Good Life.
Here is a copy of Lives Lived: the Story of the Life of Nick Sacuto.
Here is a copy of your personal Lives Lived assignment.
Here is a copy of Lives Lived: the Story of the Life of Nick Sacuto.
Here is a copy of your personal Lives Lived assignment.
Monday, June 4, 2012
DAY 75 - Immanuel Kant and Questions that Matter
At the same time as Mill/Bentham's Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of People school of thought arose, so did an equally important idea emerge: ethics should consider the INTENTION of the action, not the outcome.
Immanuel Kant - similar to Descartes, he suggested that the only intrinsically good thing in existence is a Good Will.
Kant said, "Good Will accords with Duty." And duty is, "That which is rational." Matches up with Aristotle and Descartes.
The idea that the only good is a good will is called, Categorical Imperative ("Absolute Command").
"Act only according to that rule whereby you can at the same time WILL that it should become a universal law of nature."
He meant that when faced with making a moral choice, people with a good will MUST choose the course of action that they would want EVERYONE to choose all of the time. e.g. if, in a certain circumstance a good person would tell the truth, then you must ask whether telling the truth should become a universal law. Or lying - in a different situation when telling a lie is a better choice, that it's ok for everyone to lie all the time.
"Act in such a way that you treat humanity always as an END and never as a MEANS." (Opposite of Mill/Bentham). He means here that people must respect one another and not use others. When people respect one another, lying is morally wrong because it denies other people's autonomy - their ability to freely make rational decisions on the basis of a good will. Someone who has been lied to does not have accurate information on which to base moral choices. Lying also uses other people as a means of achieving the liar's end or purpose, and it ignores the purpose of the person who is being lied to.
Kant believed that we can make NO exceptions to the categorical imperative. e.g. we must tell the truth under all circumstances, even if it leads to bad consequences. This is a duty to tell the truth. He also called this the "Deontological Theory" from the Greek "deon" = duty & "logos" = reason.
Strengths in this theory are impartiality and good intent. If one acts with good intention then they should be judged morally right even if there are bad consequences.
Weakness in this theory is that it relies on reason and follows strict rules without consideration for compromise and making connections with others.
e.g. You are dying of a disease that can be cured but you have no money for the cure - should you steal it? Kant would say no. Mill/Bentham and many others would say yes.
Repeat of Kant in 3 Minutes - watch from the 30 second mark, not before.
Some BIG Questions on Ethics include areas such as:
- Lying
- Cheating
- Stealing
- Censorship
- Freedom of Expression
- War
- Euthanasia
- Genetic Engineering
- The Environment
- Conservation
- Preservation
- Treatment of non-human Animals
- Intellectual Property
- Business Practices
- Advertising
- Gender and Sexuality
Complete the Handout on Ethical Issues.
Immanuel Kant - similar to Descartes, he suggested that the only intrinsically good thing in existence is a Good Will.
Kant said, "Good Will accords with Duty." And duty is, "That which is rational." Matches up with Aristotle and Descartes.
The idea that the only good is a good will is called, Categorical Imperative ("Absolute Command").
"Act only according to that rule whereby you can at the same time WILL that it should become a universal law of nature."
He meant that when faced with making a moral choice, people with a good will MUST choose the course of action that they would want EVERYONE to choose all of the time. e.g. if, in a certain circumstance a good person would tell the truth, then you must ask whether telling the truth should become a universal law. Or lying - in a different situation when telling a lie is a better choice, that it's ok for everyone to lie all the time.
"Act in such a way that you treat humanity always as an END and never as a MEANS." (Opposite of Mill/Bentham). He means here that people must respect one another and not use others. When people respect one another, lying is morally wrong because it denies other people's autonomy - their ability to freely make rational decisions on the basis of a good will. Someone who has been lied to does not have accurate information on which to base moral choices. Lying also uses other people as a means of achieving the liar's end or purpose, and it ignores the purpose of the person who is being lied to.
Kant believed that we can make NO exceptions to the categorical imperative. e.g. we must tell the truth under all circumstances, even if it leads to bad consequences. This is a duty to tell the truth. He also called this the "Deontological Theory" from the Greek "deon" = duty & "logos" = reason.
Strengths in this theory are impartiality and good intent. If one acts with good intention then they should be judged morally right even if there are bad consequences.
Weakness in this theory is that it relies on reason and follows strict rules without consideration for compromise and making connections with others.
e.g. You are dying of a disease that can be cured but you have no money for the cure - should you steal it? Kant would say no. Mill/Bentham and many others would say yes.
Repeat of Kant in 3 Minutes - watch from the 30 second mark, not before.
Some BIG Questions on Ethics include areas such as:
- Lying
- Cheating
- Stealing
- Censorship
- Freedom of Expression
- War
- Euthanasia
- Genetic Engineering
- The Environment
- Conservation
- Preservation
- Treatment of non-human Animals
- Intellectual Property
- Business Practices
- Advertising
- Gender and Sexuality
Complete the Handout on Ethical Issues.
Friday, June 1, 2012
DAY 74 Existentialism and Utilitarianism
In continuing to address different Ethics Schools of Thought, let's look at Existentialism.
This is a modern idea wherein a person must make individual moral choices and take full responsibility for those choices. The belief is that absolute moral values do NOT exist (Virtue Ethicists say they do exist).
For Existentialists, AUTHENTICITY (being true to oneself when making moral choices) is the only true virtue worth striving for.
Soren Kierkegaard (19thC Danish Philosopher). Said that people must make and judge their own moral choices. People must move beyond judging their actions according to reason or the standards of society and must be accountable only to God. To achieve this one must be authentic.
Authentic choices are CONSISTENT in:
1. Perception
2. Thought
3. Action
One who is inauthentic will not create him/herself and does not live independently. For example, if you are attending school, this year or next, because it's the right thing to do in your parents' eyes, is INAUTHENTIC. But if it's your choice to be in school, then that is an authentic idea.
Existentialism comes from Kierk's focus on individual existence - thus the term, "Existentialism."
Quick Video on Kierkegaard.
Friedrich Nietzsche urged people to make their own moral choices rather than to accept, unthinkingly, the values of the majority or other influential people in their lives (e.g. parents, peers). He said that people should NOT think that they are accountable to God ("God is Dead" - mentioned several times in different writings by Nietzsche - he did not mean the literal death of an existing god, rather he meant the death of the shared cultural belief in the existence of God in Europe). Rather, he said that because universal belief in God was fading, and with it, the universal values provided by that faith, people must determine their own values.
Jean-Paul Sartre is the most well-known Existentialist - he lived through WWII in Europe and because of that experience he believed that there was, in fact, no higher purpose for our life. He said that there is no grand master plan and that human existence is a random occurrence. Because of this, Sartre declared that existence precedes essence. By this he meant that:
People exist first (bodily form) and then we make are own essence by defining ourselves, determining what we will be and choosing our own values.
For existentialists, everything is a matter of choice - feelings, beliefs, actions, attitudes. But there are no moral guidelines that are universally accepted to guide you along the way. This provides great freedom but also great responsibility. In other words you have no one to blame but yourself!
This raised the German term, "angst", meaning "anxiety". Under existentialism, where you are responsible for your own choices, you may feel much anxiety and pressure as you weigh the consequences of your moral choices. Raises the pradox, "We are condemned to be free."
Existentialists believe that a good person recognizes their own personal freedom AND responsibility and thus makes authentic choices.
Robert Holmes (modern thinker) wrote:
"Adolescence brings an unsettling awareness that the comforting framework of values taken for granted as children is not fixed and unchanging. This moment is crucial. If people refuse to accept their freedom as they grow out of their childhood faith, they choose a life of self-deception."
Divine Command Ethics
Throughout history we have linked moral choices to religious beliefs, everywhere. The idea that the supreme being defines right and wrong is - Divine Command Theory.
The belief is that there is a god or gods and that their commands are written in sacred texts.
Throughout history ethicists have grappled with the question, "Is something right because it is favoured by the gods, or do the gods favour it because it is right?"
A great Bible story is Abraham's following God's command to kill his son, Isaac. Abraham was stopped at the last second by god and was rewarded for his faith in God's command, violating community ethics for God's command, the higher power. Was Abraham's faith in God justified?
Aquinas argued that we must follow God's law through reason.
Unfortunately throughout history some religious extremists have viewed their own holy texts as the only correct ones and have interpreted them to justify political or other community actions.
Utilitarianism: Quick video on utilitarianism
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stewart Mill (1806 - ) - consequences of moral acts are the focus here. Utility or usefulness is the base for the word, Utilitarianism.
Greatest Good for the Greatest # of People is the ultimate goal for Utilitarians. Good things are pleasure, good, happiness and the prevention of mischief, pain, evil and unhappiness.
Bentham's Hedonistic Calculus:
1. Intensity - How strong will the pain or pleasure be?
2. Duration - How long will the pleasure or pain last?
3. Certainty - How likely is it that the expected pain or pleasure will occur?
4. Propinquity (nearness) - How soon will the pleasure or pain be experienced?
5. Fecundity (productivity) - How likely is the pleasure or pain to generate similar pleasure or pain?
6. Purity - How much pain is mixed with the pleasure and vice versa?
7. Extent - How many people will be affected?
This raises some interesting questions - is it OK for children to work in sweatshops so that we can buy cheap clothes? - more of us than those children.
One big benefit of Utilitarianism is that it forces people to seek alternatives.
For example, a Divine Command Ethicist would say, "Give to that charity because it's the right thing to do".
A Utilitarian would have to consider how best to enrich the lives of those the charity supports.
Act Utilitarianism - measure the greatest good principle of a single act.
Rule Utilitarianism - measure the greatest good principle among everyone, particularly measure the act as something you would be ok with if done to you (Golden Rulish).
For You to Do . . . .
OK, choose a personal ethical dilemma - how choose three ethical schools of thought/philosophers and explain how they would approach you dilemma.
Jean-Paul S
This is a modern idea wherein a person must make individual moral choices and take full responsibility for those choices. The belief is that absolute moral values do NOT exist (Virtue Ethicists say they do exist).
For Existentialists, AUTHENTICITY (being true to oneself when making moral choices) is the only true virtue worth striving for.
Soren Kierkegaard (19thC Danish Philosopher). Said that people must make and judge their own moral choices. People must move beyond judging their actions according to reason or the standards of society and must be accountable only to God. To achieve this one must be authentic.
Authentic choices are CONSISTENT in:
1. Perception
2. Thought
3. Action
One who is inauthentic will not create him/herself and does not live independently. For example, if you are attending school, this year or next, because it's the right thing to do in your parents' eyes, is INAUTHENTIC. But if it's your choice to be in school, then that is an authentic idea.
Existentialism comes from Kierk's focus on individual existence - thus the term, "Existentialism."
Quick Video on Kierkegaard.
Friedrich Nietzsche urged people to make their own moral choices rather than to accept, unthinkingly, the values of the majority or other influential people in their lives (e.g. parents, peers). He said that people should NOT think that they are accountable to God ("God is Dead" - mentioned several times in different writings by Nietzsche - he did not mean the literal death of an existing god, rather he meant the death of the shared cultural belief in the existence of God in Europe). Rather, he said that because universal belief in God was fading, and with it, the universal values provided by that faith, people must determine their own values.
Jean-Paul Sartre is the most well-known Existentialist - he lived through WWII in Europe and because of that experience he believed that there was, in fact, no higher purpose for our life. He said that there is no grand master plan and that human existence is a random occurrence. Because of this, Sartre declared that existence precedes essence. By this he meant that:
People exist first (bodily form) and then we make are own essence by defining ourselves, determining what we will be and choosing our own values.
For existentialists, everything is a matter of choice - feelings, beliefs, actions, attitudes. But there are no moral guidelines that are universally accepted to guide you along the way. This provides great freedom but also great responsibility. In other words you have no one to blame but yourself!
This raised the German term, "angst", meaning "anxiety". Under existentialism, where you are responsible for your own choices, you may feel much anxiety and pressure as you weigh the consequences of your moral choices. Raises the pradox, "We are condemned to be free."
Existentialists believe that a good person recognizes their own personal freedom AND responsibility and thus makes authentic choices.
Robert Holmes (modern thinker) wrote:
"Adolescence brings an unsettling awareness that the comforting framework of values taken for granted as children is not fixed and unchanging. This moment is crucial. If people refuse to accept their freedom as they grow out of their childhood faith, they choose a life of self-deception."
Divine Command Ethics
Throughout history we have linked moral choices to religious beliefs, everywhere. The idea that the supreme being defines right and wrong is - Divine Command Theory.
The belief is that there is a god or gods and that their commands are written in sacred texts.
Throughout history ethicists have grappled with the question, "Is something right because it is favoured by the gods, or do the gods favour it because it is right?"
A great Bible story is Abraham's following God's command to kill his son, Isaac. Abraham was stopped at the last second by god and was rewarded for his faith in God's command, violating community ethics for God's command, the higher power. Was Abraham's faith in God justified?
Aquinas argued that we must follow God's law through reason.
Unfortunately throughout history some religious extremists have viewed their own holy texts as the only correct ones and have interpreted them to justify political or other community actions.
Utilitarianism: Quick video on utilitarianism
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stewart Mill (1806 - ) - consequences of moral acts are the focus here. Utility or usefulness is the base for the word, Utilitarianism.
Greatest Good for the Greatest # of People is the ultimate goal for Utilitarians. Good things are pleasure, good, happiness and the prevention of mischief, pain, evil and unhappiness.
Bentham's Hedonistic Calculus:
1. Intensity - How strong will the pain or pleasure be?
2. Duration - How long will the pleasure or pain last?
3. Certainty - How likely is it that the expected pain or pleasure will occur?
4. Propinquity (nearness) - How soon will the pleasure or pain be experienced?
5. Fecundity (productivity) - How likely is the pleasure or pain to generate similar pleasure or pain?
6. Purity - How much pain is mixed with the pleasure and vice versa?
7. Extent - How many people will be affected?
This raises some interesting questions - is it OK for children to work in sweatshops so that we can buy cheap clothes? - more of us than those children.
One big benefit of Utilitarianism is that it forces people to seek alternatives.
For example, a Divine Command Ethicist would say, "Give to that charity because it's the right thing to do".
A Utilitarian would have to consider how best to enrich the lives of those the charity supports.
Act Utilitarianism - measure the greatest good principle of a single act.
Rule Utilitarianism - measure the greatest good principle among everyone, particularly measure the act as something you would be ok with if done to you (Golden Rulish).
For You to Do . . . .
OK, choose a personal ethical dilemma - how choose three ethical schools of thought/philosophers and explain how they would approach you dilemma.
Jean-Paul S
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