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MrunalEthics(E1/P1):JudgementTypes,Prerequisites,Metaethics

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[Ethics]E1/P1:HumanInterface:TypesofJudgments,Prerequisite
forEthicalscrutiny,MetaEthics,Appliedethics,Normative
Descriptiveethics
PostedByMrunalOn20/09/2015@6:00pmInEthics|86Comments
1. Prologue
2. 3TypesofJudgments
3. 3AreasinStudyofEthics
1. S1:MetaEthics/CriticalEthics
2. S2:AppliedEthics
3. S3:Normativevs.DescriptiveEthics
4. Ethicsvs.Morality?
5. Legalityvs.Morality
4. 3PreconditionsforEthicalScrutiny
1. Pc1:FreeWill
2. Pc2:Knowledge
3. Pc3:VoluntaryAction
5. Casestudy:Memento
6. CaseStudy:Crank

Prologue
ThisarticleseriesbasedonEthicsLecturesbyMr.KavanLimbasiya(AIR198,IRSIT)atSPIPA,
Ahmedabad
TheSyllabusofUPSCGeneralStudiesPaper4Ethicsisavailablehereclickme.Accordingly,we
candividetheEthicstopicinto8parts

FirstpartwouldbeEthicsandHumaninterfacefurthersubdividedintothreearticles
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MrunalEthics(E1/P1):JudgementTypes,Prerequisites,Metaethics

E1/P1:TypesofJudgments,PrerequisiteforEthicalscrutiny,MetaEthics,Appliedethics,
NormativeDescriptiveethics.
E1/P2:TheoriesofEthics:virtualethics,deontologicalvs.teleologicalethics,utilitarianism,
hedonism,epicureanism,egoism,conductethicsetc.
E1/P3:Values,Roleoffamilysocietyeducationalinstitutionsininculcatingvalues,ethicsand
privateandpublicrelationships.

3TypesofJudgments

1.Factualor
Epistemological

EarthrotatesaroundSun.Whetheryoutestoranalienspeciestests,thefact
willremainthesame.Thereareonlytwooutcomes:True/False
Theyrenotmorallyrightorwrong.Theyremorallyempty,theyreamoral.

2.Aesthetic
Judgment

Conceptofbeauty,taste,color,sensualities.
Onepersonmaylikeredcolortheotherpersonmaylikebluecolor.

3.Moral
Judgment

Oursenseofgood/bad/right/wrong.
INGSpaper4,weareconcernedwiththis.

Question:Arethesethreejudgmentsinterrelated?
Traditionalthinkersconsideredthemoneandsamei.e.whatistrue(factual)isbeautiful
(aesthetic)andthereforeitisGood(moral).SomethinglikeSatyamShivamSundaram.
Theybelieved,justasfactsarenotdependentonus,themoralsarenotdependentonus.The
moralsarecreatedbytheGod.
Nowwedontseethingsinthesamemanner.Considerfollowingquestion:WasAmitabh
involvedinBoforscase?(Factualjudgment)
IfyoureabigBfan,youdsaynohecantbeinvolvedbecauseheisagoodguy(Moral
judgment).Andyoudsaythiswithoutverifyingthefacts.So,youveinternalinconsistencyyou
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MrunalEthics(E1/P1):JudgementTypes,Prerequisites,Metaethics

likethisguy,soyoucantbelievehecanbebad.
SimilarcaseaboutSanjayDuttsinvolvementin1992bombblasts.

3AreasinStudyofEthics
ThestudyofEthicsissubdividedintothreeareas:(1)MetaEthics(2)Applied(3)NormativeEthics

S1:MetaEthics/CriticalEthics
Ifwesteal,isitgoodthing?Thatisanexampleofethicalquestion.
Whatisgood?Thatismetaethicalquestion.Inotherwords,Metaethicsisonestepabove
ethics.
Ifyoubeginevaluatingtheethicsitself,thenitsmetaethics.
Nature=>philosophyofnature=>physics.
Similarlyheremorality=>ethics=>metaethics.

S2:AppliedEthics
Insubsequentlecture,welldiscussvarioustheoriesofethics.OnesuchtheoryisUtilitarianism,
whichsaysifadecisionleadstomaximumhappinessformaximumpeoplethenitsanethical
decision.
Nowifweapplythisutilitarianismtheorytoaspecificfield,thenitdbecomeAppliedEthics
examples,
Bioethics
stepcelltherapyisgoodorbad?
Environmentalethics cuttingtreesanddisplacingthetribalforhighwayprojectsisgoodorbad?

S3:Normativevs.DescriptiveEthics
Descriptive

Normative/prescriptive

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EinsteinsequationisE=MC2
Newtonsthirdlaw:actionandreactionareopposite.
Itdescribesthisiswhatshappening.

Shouldweusethatequationorknowledge
tobuildnuclearweapon?
ShouldweuseNewtonsthirdlawtobuild
arocketoragun?
Itprescribeswhatshouldbedoneorwhat
oughttobedone.

e.g.inimperialistage,whitemenenslaved
Africans.
However,AbrahamLincolnabolishedslaveryso
Mr.ABChistorianlaudshimanethicalpresident.
However,Lincolnsmotivetoabolishslaverywas
towinthewaragainstconfederates,ratherthan
freeingblackpeoplesoMr.xyzHistorianinhis
xyzbookdoesntconcurwiththeviewsof
Mr.ABC.
Asyoucansee,onlydescribing,ratherthan
prescribing.

IntheImperialistage,whitemen
enslavedAfricansandsoldthemto
Americanplantationowners,wherein
theyreexploitedinthemostinhuman
manner.
ItwaswrongonpartoftheWhite
mentoexploitotherhumansfor
personalgains.Nooneshould
enslaveanotherhumanbeing.
Asyoucanseeprescribingabout
whatshouldhavebeendone.
ExamplesofNormativetheories:
Virtueethicstheory,theviewsof
PlatoandAristotle
Utilitarianism
NishkamKarmayoga(Gita)

Ethicsvs.Morality?
SubjectmatterofPhysics=Naturalphenomenon.Itstudiesnatureandderivesformulas.
Sosubjectmatternature=>itsstudyiscalledphysics.
Samewaysubjectmattermorality=>itsstudyiscalledethics.

Legalityvs.Morality
Legality
Gaymarriageis
illegal
Everyillegalthing
maynotbe
immoral
Oneandsame
throughoutthe
region/nation

Morality
Perhapsinsomeethicalschoolofthought,gaymarriagecouldbeconsidered
ethicalbecauseeveryonehasrighttohavealifepartnertoprovidehim/her
emotionalsupport.
Everymoralthingsmaynotbelegal.Ifwemakelyingillegal,theneveryone
willbejailed.
Variesfromculture,religionandregion.

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MrunalEthics(E1/P1):JudgementTypes,Prerequisites,Metaethics

Murderisillegal

Murderisimmoralsoitsintheintersectingregionoflegalityandmorality.

3PreconditionsforEthicalScrutiny
ForcasestudiesBeforewecandecidewhereanactionisworthethicaldebateornot,youshouldfirst
testwhethergivencasepasses3preconditionsornot?

Pc1:FreeWill
InDelhizoo,amentallyinstablepersonfallsinTigerenclosure.Thewhitetigerkillshim,while
thecrowdisbusycapturingtheMMSvideooftheevent.
Ifapersonhasmultiplechoices,andfreedomtopickonewithinthosechoices,onlythenwecan
debateitonethicalground.
Whenthatwhitetigerkilledthementallyinstableman,Tigerdidnthavefreewillor
knowledge.Naturehasdesignedtigertoactthatway.Hencetigersactioncantbejudgedas
ethicalorimmoral.Hecant/shouldntbepunishedforthat.
Whilecrowdsactioncanbetermedasunethicalbecausetheyhadfreewill:OptionAhelpthe
personoroptionBrecordMMSonmobile.TheychoseoptionA,henceunethical.

Pc2:Knowledge
AChildtakesiphone6splusfromtableanddipsitinafishbowl.Phoneispermanently
damaged.WasChildsactionunethical?
Well,Childhadfreewill(A)Takeselfianduploadonfacebook(B)dipitinafishbowl
ShechoseoptionB.ButshedidnthavetheknowledgethatiPhonearenotwaterproof.
Wecannotexercisefreewillinanethical/unethicalmanner,unlessanduntilwehave
knowledgeofitsconsequence.Hencebabysactioncantbetermedasethicalorunethical.

Pc3:VoluntaryAction
Ifsomeoneputsagunonyourheadorstrapsabombonyourwaistandthenordersyoutocommit
acrime,thenitsaninvoluntaryactionbyyou,hencewecantjudgeitonethicalgrounds.
Apartfromabovethree,followingconditionsalsomakeitdifficulttoevaluateanactiononethical
grounds:

Fear/

Ifsomeonetriestokill/lootyouandyoukill/injurehiminselfdefense,youre
actingunderfearforyourlife.So,itssubjecttolegalscrutinybutnotethical

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violence

scrutiny.Becauseitwaseitheryouorhim.

Ignorance

ForeignercomestoGujaratanddrinksinadesiliquorden.Thisisillegalbutnot
unethicalIFtheforeignerwasunawareoftheprohibitionlawinGujarat.

Passion

Ahusbandfindshiswifeinacompromisingpositionwithanotherman,hegets
enragedandmurdersbothofthem.Illegalbutdifficulttoscrutinizeonethical
grounds,sincehispassionwasnotarousedbyhimself.
Amantakesnarcoticdrugsandunderitsinfluenceherapes/murders/maims
someone,itisbothillegalandunethicalbecausehehimselfarousedhispassion.
Hence,Inmurdercases,courtlooksataggravatingandmitigatingfactors.

Pathological
status

Husbandsufferingfromschizophreniamistreatshiswife/children.
Thisisnotsubjecttoethicalscrutinybecausehessufferingfromamental
disordersohelackstheknowledgeandfreewill.
Samewaythemistakeofmentallyinstablepersonfallingintigerenclosurein
Delhiis,isbeyondethicalscrutiny.

Habit,
temperament

Sincechildhood,Japanesearetrainedtoapologizeprofuselyevenforslightest
mistakeordiscomfortcausedtoanotherhuman.
IfanAmericanexecutiveworkinginJapan,doesntbehaveinsimilarfashion,it
cantbetermedasunethical.BecauseitsnotinAmericanhabits.

Value
system

AfallenSamuraiwouldprefertocommitritualsuicide(seppuku)ratherthan
sufferingtorture/humiliationbyhisenemies.BecauseitispartofhisBushido
honorcode.
IfafallenAmericansoldierdoesntcommitsuicide,itcantbeevaluatedon
ethicalgrounds.

NowyoucanseethebroadpictureconsiderfollowingCase:Mr.XmurdersMr.Ytoacquirehis
property.
Action
Mr.X
HekilledMr.Y
Mr.Xsactionismorallywrong.
Itiswrongtomurderanotherhuman
Nopersonshallbedeprivedofhis
lifeorpersonallibertyexcept

Component
MoralAgent
HumanAction.(Recall3typesofassumptions:ifhehad
donewithoutfreewill,knowledgeandvoluntaryaction,wed
havecalleditnonhumanactionandtopicwouldendhere.
MoralJudgment.(Recall3typesofJudgmentsfactual,
aestheticandmoral)
MoralStandard=>Ethics=>MetaEthics.

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accordingtoprocedureestablishedby Article21,ConstitutionofIndia
law.
Whoevercommitsmurdershallbe
punishedwithdeath,or
imprisonmentforlife,andshallalso
beliabletofine.

Section302,IndianPenalCode(IPC)

Casestudy:Memento
InthemovieMemento,theprotagonistMr.LeonardShelbysuffersfromshorttermmemoryloss.
Followingpeopletakeadvantageofhismentalconditions:
Awaitress:bymakingtheprotagonistkillherabusiveboyfriendaftercourtandpolicefailstogive
herprotectionorjustice.
ACop:bymakingtheprotagonistkillvariouscriminalsforcleansingthesocietyaswellas
lootingthemoneyfromdeadcorpses.Heusesthismoneytotipoffinformantsandfightagainst
crime.
Amotelreceptionist:bychargingtheprotagonistmultipleroomsnotusedbyhim,because
receptionistsbosshadorderedhimtoincreaserevenuebydoingso,elsethreatenedtofirehim
fromjob.Thisreceptionisthasadaughterformarriageandasoninexpensivecoachingat
Delhi/Kotasohecantaffordtolosejob.
Inabovecase,whoseaction(s)is/aresubjecttoethicalscrutiny?Ifyes,thenaretheyethicalor
unethical?
A.
B.
C.
D.

LeonardShelby
Waitress
Cop
Motelreceptionist

CaseStudy:Crank
InthemovieCrank,ChineseMobstersinjectourprotagonistJasonStathamwithasyntheticdrug
whichinhibitstheflowofadrenaline,slowingtheheartandeventuallykillingthevictim.Jasonentersa
hospitaltryingtoexplainhisconditiontostaffbutnursesrefusetobelievehimanddoctorsayshed
needtorun24hoursmedicaltestsbeforegivinghimanydrug,despiterepeatedrequestsbyJasonthat
herequiresimmediateshotofAdrenaline.ImpatientJasonbreaksintothestoreroomandtriestosteal
vialscontainingsyntheticadrenaline,sohecaninjectthemtosurvive.Butthestaffandpolicementryto
apprehendhim.Jasonfightsback,injuresafewofthembeforeescapingthehospital.Inabovecase,
whoseaction(s)is/aresubjecttoethicalscrutiny?Ifyes,thenaretheyethicalorunethical?
A.
B.
C.
D.

JasonStatham
Nurses
Doctor
Policemen

Inthenextpart(E1/P2)welllookatvarioustheoriesofEthics.VisitMrunal.org/Ethicsformorestudy
materialonEthics.
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