10 Normative Ethics

What is the RIGHT thing to do?
Different basis for determining it:
- Action Based
- Virtue Based
- Justice Based
- Rights Based.

Action based

Moral of an action determined by:

Means	ends
determined by act, no wrong way of doin right thing	determined by cs
Rightness determined by process, not outcome	rightness -> outcome: robinhood
eg. nishkama karma	Teleology, consequential ethics
deontology, duty based ethics
criticisized for being rigid	Criticized cuz difficult to predict outcome of action

bomb planted - terrorist not revealing - don’t bring his daughter in scene
wrong act can be morally justified if the consequences surpass a certain threshold of seriousness
more practical deontology
Deontology: Kant
Teleology
- Self:
  - Physchological egoism: Hobbes
    - descriptive
  - Ethical egoism: Ayn Rand
- Others
  - Utilitarianism: Bentham
  - Revisited utilitarianism: mill
  - Common good: Amartya Sen

prescriptive
avoids possible conflict, moral decision making guided should be guided by self interest
makes moral behaviour rational
inc self awareness
if individual knows himself, easier to remain productive in society
makes us work towards goals & indulge in self care
-VE: can create self centered society, loss of empathy
Ayn Rand: sacrificing oneself for others not required ; individual should exist for her own sake; egoism is a virtue of selfishness
HOWEVER, her perspective might dilute cohesiveness in society

supported theory, but said individual actions must not bring harm to others
distinguished higher/lower order pleasures
intellect based pleauser more imprtant
“better to be socrates dissatisfied than fool satisfied”
idea of liberty, process of serving majority -> minorty should not be compromised
- cuz liberty of every individual non negotiable
“Peter who denied his master”

focus on process, rather than outcome
moral worth of action determined by act
categorical imperative
- principle of universality
- principle of equality
- principle of humanism
- duty based principle

WHO more imp than WHAT
character based approach
if virtuous person performs the action, it is justified
Aristotle: Virtuous person when confronted with ethical dilemma will always make right choice
estd. significiance of socialization in desirable manner
crit
- no definitiev model to arrive at moral decision
- too much subjectivity
Socrates: Knowledge is virtue
|True Knowledge =>Ethical Life==> Happiness
Scientific temper, critical thinking
an unexamined life is not worth living
if conflicting promises, follow a promise w/ higher moral worth eg. during pandemic, govt focused on helping masses
happiness not from external conditions, but by an examined life
bhagwad gita, gyan marg
budhhismnirvana
jainism: Kaivalya

Plate: 4 cardinal values

wisdom = knowledge + morality
- prudence
- humility
- empathy
- relillience
- self awareness
courage
- decisive
- walk the talk
- flexilble
- selfless
temperance
- self regulation
- eg. gaming disorder, credit card culture, road rage
justice
- individual level
  - soul of individual in harmony
  - components of soul
    - reason (mind) - think & learn
    - spirit (heart) - remain motivated
    - apetite (stomach) - know what one needs
  - wise person: uses emotion to motivate onself to do what intellect finds valueable
  - unwise overindulges appetite
  - sometimes we know we are doing wrong, still we do it as our emotions are siding with our appetite
- state level
  - ruling class quality - wisdom
  - military class quality - courage
  - economic class quality - temperance
  - if above class has quality, then justice is served

Aristotle

golden mean is a virtue