Cultural relativism
what is a proposition? Give your own example
the meaning or content of a declarative sentence; can be true or false
The sky is blue
cats are cuter than dogs
describe The Surgeon problem
choice between killing 1 to save 5 (harvesting the hermit's organs) or letting 5 die
Describe the Smith and Jones cases presented by James Rachels
Smith: goes to kill his nephew to gain his inheritance, drowns his nephew in the tub
Jones: exactly the same, but finds his nephew already drowning, merely stands by and lets him die
What does it mean for something to be instrumentally vs intrinsically good?
instrumentally good: their goodness is derived from another good thing (e.g., money buys you things you want)
intrinsically good: good in itself or in it's own right (e.g., pleasure)
What is cultural relativism? Is it the same thing as moral relavitism?
Cultural relativism: moral propositions are true or false only relative to a given culture
Not the same thing as moral relativism. Moral relativism claims that moral propositions, but does not explain to whom they are relative (e.g., relative to an individual or a culture or something else)
What are The Driver and The Switch cases respectively? How are they different?
The Driver: steer a different direction; kill 1 vs kill 5
The Switch: flip the switch; kill 1 or let 5 die
If killing is inherently morally worse than letting die, then Jones' action is morally better than Smith's
Jones' action is not morally better than Smith's; it is equally as bad
Therefore, killing is not inherently morally worse than letting die and the KLD supporter is wrong
What does "net consequences" mean?
total good consequences minus total bad consequences
What is one reason someone might be convinced that moral propositions are relative to a culture?
We observe cultural differences regarding moral propositions and we realize that each cultural respectively believes they are right
therefore, they are probably all right
What is the KLD distinction? what are their principles?
Killing/Letting Die distinction: Killing is inherently morally worse than letting die
Killing 1 is worse than letting 5 die
Killing 5 is worse than killing 1
Describe the medical terms "active euthanasia" and "passive euthanasia" and what they mean
Put them in terms killing and letting die
Active euthanasia: administering a life-ending medical intervention. Killing
Passive euthanasia: withdrawing life-sustaining medical care. Letting die
What is utilitarianism? What are the elements of the theory?
An action is morally right if it causes the most net pleasure compared to anything else you could do in those circumstances
Consequentalism + hedonistic theory of value (pleasure and pain)
How can a moral objectivist explain what appears to be major disagreements regarding moral propositions between cultures?
Disagreements may boil down to shared fundamental moral values
e.g.) infanticide is sometimes permissible and infanticide is wrong both boil down to the shared proposition that human life is valuable
What would the utilitarian do in The Driver, The Surgeon, The Switch, and the Footbridge cases respectively?
The Driver: kill 1
The Surgeon: Kill 1 to save 5
The Switch: kill 1 to save 5
The Footbridge: kill 1 to save 5
Why is it that American medical professionals permit passive euthanasia but not active euthanasia?
What would Rachels think about the legality of active vs passive euthanasia?
Most medical professionals subscribe to the killing/letting die distinction
Rachels disagrees with the killing/letting die distinction, therefore, he sees no moral difference between active and passive euthanasia.
What is moral objectivism? How is it different from moral relativism? Explain the three core differences that may result in problematic conclusions for moral relativists.
*hint: these are the things that the objectivist seems to get correct*
Moral objectivism: Some moral propositions are objectively true or false
moral objectivism allows for...
1) cultural humility (we may not be correct)
2) internal cultural critique
3) social progress
What would the KLD supporter do in The Driver, The Surgeon, The Switch, and the Footbridge cases respectively?
The Driver: kill 1
The Surgeon: let 5 die
The Switch: let 5 die
The Footbridge: let 5 die