OVERVIEW LEARNING MATERIAL
B2 - HUM4: Introduction to ethics
Week 1: What is ethics? page 2
Week 2: Deontology page 15
Week 3: Utilitarianism page 24
Week 4: Social justice & Social Contract Theory page 34
Week 5: Virtue ethics page 52
Week 6: Feminist and care ethics page 67
Week 7: Postmodern ethic page 80
Week 8: Doing ethics page 94
1
, Week 1: What is ethics?
LECTURE:
1. What is ethics?_______________________________________________________ 3
2. Ethics in daily life______________________________________________________3
3. Three branches of ethics________________________________________________3
4. Ethics as a philosophical discipline________________________________________ 4
5. Challenges to ethics___________________________________________________ 4
6. Moral reasoning______________________________________________________ 5
7. Conclusions__________________________________________________________5
LITERATURE:
The challenge to moral universalism ~ Driver__________________________________ 7
1. Introduction__________________________________________________________ 7
2. Moral appraisal and relativism___________________________________________ 7
3. Moral universalism____________________________________________________ 7
Moral reasoning ~ Shafer-Landau____________________________________________ 9
1. Arguments___________________________________________________________9
2. Basic elements of logic_________________________________________________ 9
What is morality? ~ Shafer-Landau__________________________________________ 13
1. Definition___________________________________________________________ 13
2. Morality and religion__________________________________________________ 14
2
,LECTURE
1. What is ethics?
1.1 Definition
Ethics, or moral philosophy, involves systematizing, defending, and recommending
concepts of right and wrong behavior. It goes beyond etiquette, addressing behaviors such
as stealing or killing, which are judged on moral grounds rather than societal conventions
like using the wrong fork at a dinner table.
1.2 Features of ethical behavior
Ethics reflects deep normative principles, not just arbitrary societal conventions. It evokes
psychological responses like guilt and self-reproach when failing to act morally. Ethical
judgments imply that actions impact the world or others' well-being, demanding critical
engagement rather than indifference.
2. Ethics in daily life
Ethical choices permeate both actions and omissions. Ethics influences how we act, think,
and feel about moral situations. We study ethics because:
● Although we develop moral belief systems over time, these systems can lack
reflection and critical evaluation.
● Philosophy of ethics aims to critically examine what makes actions right or wrong,
encouraging well-considered moral judgments.
● It prepares students for professional roles in counseling, education, policymaking,
consultancy, or science, where ethical engagement is inevitable.
● Ethics aligns with broader societal goals, such as promoting justice, fairness, and
human dignity, reflecting the mission of institutions like UvH.
3. Three branches of ethics
3.1 Metaethics
Metaethics investigates the status of moral claims and their truth or justification. Questions
include: What makes actions morally right? Can ethical judgments be true or false?
3.2 Normative ethics
Normative ethics examines the principles of right action and moral duty. It asks questions
like: What are our moral obligations? Which traits are virtues or vices, and why?
3
, 3.3 Practical ethics (or applied ethics)
Practical ethics or applied ethics applies ethical theories to real-world issues. Examples
include: Is abortion morally permissible? What responsibilities do we have toward global
poverty?
3.4 Relationship among the branches
Metaethics (theory of morality) → Normative ethics (moral standards) → Practical ethics
(application of standards).
Metaethics explores the nature and foundation of morality, asking questions like whether
moral truths are objective or subjective. Normative ethics builds on this by establishing
principles or theories (eg deontology, utilitarianism) to determine what actions are morally
right or wrong. Practical ethics applies these principles to real-world dilemmas, like abortion
or climate change, to resolve specific moral issues. Together, they form a progression:
theory (metaethics) → standards (normative ethics) → application (practical ethics).
4. Ethics as a philosophical discipline
4.1 Two forms of morality
Conventional morality: Defined as the system of rules and principles widely accepted
within a society. Rooted in social agreement and cultural context.
Critical morality: Independent of social agreement, free from prejudice or irrational beliefs.
Serves as an ideal standard to critique and improve conventional morality. Philosophers
strive to approximate this ideal, even if full attainment is unrealistic.
4.2 Objectives of philosophical ethics
Philosophical ethics:
● Move beyond individual perspectives ("I" and "you") to universal principles.
● Balance the need for universalizable judgments with caution against imposing
parochial perspectives.
● Reflect on moral ideas critically, informed by abstract reasoning and self-awareness.
5. Challenges to ethics
5.1 Skepticism about morality
Morality:
● Questions the existence of universal moral truths, positing that morality may depend
on conventions or individual preferences (Driver, p. 12).
● Raises concerns about whether ethical theories can truly address diverse cultural
perspectives.
4
B2 - HUM4: Introduction to ethics
Week 1: What is ethics? page 2
Week 2: Deontology page 15
Week 3: Utilitarianism page 24
Week 4: Social justice & Social Contract Theory page 34
Week 5: Virtue ethics page 52
Week 6: Feminist and care ethics page 67
Week 7: Postmodern ethic page 80
Week 8: Doing ethics page 94
1
, Week 1: What is ethics?
LECTURE:
1. What is ethics?_______________________________________________________ 3
2. Ethics in daily life______________________________________________________3
3. Three branches of ethics________________________________________________3
4. Ethics as a philosophical discipline________________________________________ 4
5. Challenges to ethics___________________________________________________ 4
6. Moral reasoning______________________________________________________ 5
7. Conclusions__________________________________________________________5
LITERATURE:
The challenge to moral universalism ~ Driver__________________________________ 7
1. Introduction__________________________________________________________ 7
2. Moral appraisal and relativism___________________________________________ 7
3. Moral universalism____________________________________________________ 7
Moral reasoning ~ Shafer-Landau____________________________________________ 9
1. Arguments___________________________________________________________9
2. Basic elements of logic_________________________________________________ 9
What is morality? ~ Shafer-Landau__________________________________________ 13
1. Definition___________________________________________________________ 13
2. Morality and religion__________________________________________________ 14
2
,LECTURE
1. What is ethics?
1.1 Definition
Ethics, or moral philosophy, involves systematizing, defending, and recommending
concepts of right and wrong behavior. It goes beyond etiquette, addressing behaviors such
as stealing or killing, which are judged on moral grounds rather than societal conventions
like using the wrong fork at a dinner table.
1.2 Features of ethical behavior
Ethics reflects deep normative principles, not just arbitrary societal conventions. It evokes
psychological responses like guilt and self-reproach when failing to act morally. Ethical
judgments imply that actions impact the world or others' well-being, demanding critical
engagement rather than indifference.
2. Ethics in daily life
Ethical choices permeate both actions and omissions. Ethics influences how we act, think,
and feel about moral situations. We study ethics because:
● Although we develop moral belief systems over time, these systems can lack
reflection and critical evaluation.
● Philosophy of ethics aims to critically examine what makes actions right or wrong,
encouraging well-considered moral judgments.
● It prepares students for professional roles in counseling, education, policymaking,
consultancy, or science, where ethical engagement is inevitable.
● Ethics aligns with broader societal goals, such as promoting justice, fairness, and
human dignity, reflecting the mission of institutions like UvH.
3. Three branches of ethics
3.1 Metaethics
Metaethics investigates the status of moral claims and their truth or justification. Questions
include: What makes actions morally right? Can ethical judgments be true or false?
3.2 Normative ethics
Normative ethics examines the principles of right action and moral duty. It asks questions
like: What are our moral obligations? Which traits are virtues or vices, and why?
3
, 3.3 Practical ethics (or applied ethics)
Practical ethics or applied ethics applies ethical theories to real-world issues. Examples
include: Is abortion morally permissible? What responsibilities do we have toward global
poverty?
3.4 Relationship among the branches
Metaethics (theory of morality) → Normative ethics (moral standards) → Practical ethics
(application of standards).
Metaethics explores the nature and foundation of morality, asking questions like whether
moral truths are objective or subjective. Normative ethics builds on this by establishing
principles or theories (eg deontology, utilitarianism) to determine what actions are morally
right or wrong. Practical ethics applies these principles to real-world dilemmas, like abortion
or climate change, to resolve specific moral issues. Together, they form a progression:
theory (metaethics) → standards (normative ethics) → application (practical ethics).
4. Ethics as a philosophical discipline
4.1 Two forms of morality
Conventional morality: Defined as the system of rules and principles widely accepted
within a society. Rooted in social agreement and cultural context.
Critical morality: Independent of social agreement, free from prejudice or irrational beliefs.
Serves as an ideal standard to critique and improve conventional morality. Philosophers
strive to approximate this ideal, even if full attainment is unrealistic.
4.2 Objectives of philosophical ethics
Philosophical ethics:
● Move beyond individual perspectives ("I" and "you") to universal principles.
● Balance the need for universalizable judgments with caution against imposing
parochial perspectives.
● Reflect on moral ideas critically, informed by abstract reasoning and self-awareness.
5. Challenges to ethics
5.1 Skepticism about morality
Morality:
● Questions the existence of universal moral truths, positing that morality may depend
on conventions or individual preferences (Driver, p. 12).
● Raises concerns about whether ethical theories can truly address diverse cultural
perspectives.
4
