Ethics & Social
Responsibility
Samuel Ng
Adjunct Faculty
Samuel NG
LL.B (Summa Cum Laude), 2012
Singapore Management University
[email protected]
Teleological and Deontological Theories
TELEOLOGICAL DEONTOLOGICAL
Consequentialist Categorical
• Making decisions based on • Making decisions based on
consequences moral rules, or duties;
• “Teleological” comes from the consequences are irrelevant
Greek telos (τέλος), which • “Deontological” derives from
means end, goal, or purpose the Greek deon (δέον),
• E.g. Utilitarianism meaning “duty”
• E.g. Kantian ethics
Utilitarianism
1. Add up all of the benefits
2. Subtract all of the costs
3. Choose the option that
maximizes the balance of
happiness over suffering
What do you think Bentham’s argument for
the principle of maximising utility is?
You don’t have any grounds for rejecting it!
Every moral argument must implicitly draw
on the idea of maximising happiness. Those
who claim to believe in absolute duties or
rights have no basis for saying so unless they
believed that respecting them would
maximise utility, at least in the long run.
Encountering beggars on the street
reduces the happiness of passers-by
Solution is to remove beggars from
the streets and move them into a
workhouse
Sum of pains suffered by the public
with beggars on streets would be
greater than whatever unhappiness
would be felt by beggars hauled off to
workhouses
How would such a plan be financed?
How would one do the beggars’
rooming arrangements?
Objections?
Does utilitarianism adequately
respect individual rights or
minority rights?
Objections?
Is it possible to aggregate utility or
preferences or values in dollar
terms?
The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle,
as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the
individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the
means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or
the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the
sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or
collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of
their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for
which power can be rightfully exercised over any
member of a civilised community, against his will, is to
prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or
moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be
compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him
to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the
opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right... The
only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable
to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which
merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right,
absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the
individual is sovereign.
— John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
Should we distinguish between higher
pleasures and lower pleasures?
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied
than a pig satisfied, better to be Socrates
dissatisfied than a fool satisfied and if the fool
or the pig are of a different opinion it is
because they only know their side of the
question.”
-JS Mill
Act Utilitarianism vs Rule Utilitarianism
Act Utilitarianism Rule Utilitarianism
• An act is right if it produces the • Two parts:
greatest balance of pleasure over pain
• a specific action is morally justified
for the greatest number
if it conforms to a justified
• The principle of utility—do whatever moral rule; and
will produce the best overall results— • a moral rule is justified if its
should be applied on a case by case inclusion into our moral code
basis would create more utility than
other possible rules (or no rule
at all)
Act Utilitarianism vs Rule Utilitarianism
Act Utilitarianism
An action is morally right when it
produces the greatest good for the
greatest number of people.
• e.g. It is morally right for me to kill
person X in this situation because
he is a danger to society.
Act Utilitarianism vs Rule Utilitarianism
Rule Utilitarianism
The moral correctness of an action
depends on the correctness of the
rules that allows it to achieve the
greatest good.
• e.g. Vigilante justice is morally
wrong; people should not be
taking law enforcement into their
own hands.
Libertarianism
SELF-OWNERSHIP
The idea that individuals own
themselves –their bodies, talents and
abilities, labour, and by extension the
fruits or products of their exercise of
their talents, abilities and labour.
What is objectionable about government?
Paternalistic legislation
Morals legislation
Taxation / wealth redistribution legislation
Entitlement Theory
Principle of justice in acquisition
Principle of justice in transfer
Principle of rectification of injustice
Objections?
1. Taxation is not slavery?
2. The poor need the money
more?
3. Those who make it, owe
their success to others?
4. People can voice their
objections in a democracy?
5. Successful people are lucky?
Next week…
Topic:
• The Ethical Toolbox:
Philosophies and Perspectives
• Reading:
• ESRAWP, Chapter 2
• Material on eLearn
• Focus on distributive justice,
Kantian ethics, Aristotelian
virtues
