Virtue Ethics, Care Ethics, Cases - class 7 - ENEE200 (Fall...

ENEE200 (Fall 2014)
Engineering Ethics
Virtue Ethics, Care Ethics, Cases, Examples

Review of Last Class

Kantian Ethics
•
CI1 - Universality
• Ask yourself if it would be a good rule so that everyone else acts in the same way as in the
action that you considering
•
Can you conceive of a world in which everyone acts that way?
•
Did your (Kantian)mother ever say to you, “What if everyone did that? You wouldn’t like that
would you? Well then you shouldn’t do it either.”
•
CI2 - Reciprocal
•
You should never manipulate others, treat them as an instrument of your own will or not
allow them to freely make up their own minds about what to do
•
Equality: Treat all persons as equals with equal concern and respect

A Few More Kantian Exercises
•
Admission Preference and Tuition based on Need
•
Death Penalty for Murder

Admission Preference and Tuition based on Need
CI1
Can it
become a
universal
law?
Ethical
Issue
CI2
Does it
treat
people as
an end
and not a
means?
Ethical
based on
Kantian
Ethics
Not ethical based on Kantian Ethics
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Equality
of Persons
Yes
UX is considering a policy giving admission preference and reduced tuition for economically disadvantaged
children who wish to attend college but can’t afford it
Assume that these students meet admission requirements and that UX has limited capacity
CI1:
Could this be a good rule? Can you conceive of a world in which all universities do this?
CI2:
Is anyone being manipulated, being treated as an instrument of UX’s own will or not being allowed to
freely make up their own minds about what to do?
Equality: Are all children/families being treated with equal concern and respect?

Death Penalty for 1
st
degree Murder
CI1
Can it
become a
universal
law?
Ethical
Issue
CI2
Does it
treat
people as
an end
and not a
means?
Ethical
based on
Kantian
Ethics
Not ethical based on Kantian Ethics
No No
Yes
Yes
No
Equality
of Persons
Yes
CI1: Can the death penalty for 1
st
degree murder become a universal law?
•
Yes, one can conceive of a world in which murderers are executed
CI2: Does it treat the murderer as an end?
•
Yes,
we are treating him in accordance with the principle of action that he/she chose to live by
Equality: Does it treat the murderer as an equal?
•
Yes, He/she murdered another person; therefore, his/her death is equal to the person murdered
Kantian Conclusion: Capital Punishment is the just punishment for murder

What you should learn from Today’s
Class
•
Elements of Virtue and Care Ethics
•
Process used by the The Ford Motor Company regarding Pinto safety
•
Putting a value on a human life – cost/benefit analysis

Short list of Aristotle’s Virtues
•
Courage
•
Intelligence
•
Resolution
•
Determination
•
Sincerity
•
Ambition
•
Self Restraint
•
Generosity
•
Truthfulness
•
Modesty
•
Good temper
•
Wittiness
•
Civility