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I. Hypothesis 1: Moral issues are those which involve a
difference of belief and not a matter of preference. |
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A. In other words, a moral dispute would involve a factual
disagreement (or a disagreement in belief) where one or the other or
neither belief is correct. It would not involve a disagreement in
attitude (or a disagreement in feeling). |
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If you need a clarification on this distinction together with
some exercises in making the distinction go to the varieties of Disagreements
in Attitude and Belief and the quiz
on that topic. |
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1. On this view, an example of a moral issue would be cheating on
exams or obeying the law. |
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2. A nonmoral issue would involve examples like eating grapefruit
or listening to music, c.p. |
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B. Objection: Many nonmoral issues are factual. This distinction
would not be sufficient distinguish between scientific and moral
beliefs. |
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II. Hypothesis 2: Moral issues are those which involve a
specific kind of experience, i.e., a special kind of feeling. |
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A. This feeling differs intuitively from other kinds of feelings
such as religious or aesthetic feelings. (Some people think they
arise from a conscience.) |
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B. On this hypothesis, such feelings are a kind of satisfaction,
shame, or guilt. |
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C. Objection: such feelings depend to
a large extent upon how one has been reared. |
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1. Sociopaths or pyschopaths have no such feelings. These words
are informal descriptors for . . . |
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"Antisocial personality: A personality disorder
characterized by a basic lack of socialization and by behavior
patterns that bring the individual repeatedly into conflict with
society. People with this disorder are incapable of significant
loyalty to individuals, groups, or social values and are grossly
selfish, callous, irresponsible, impulsive, and unable to feel guilt
or to learn from experience. Frustration tolerance is low. Such
individuals tend to blame others or to offer plausible
rationalizations for their behavior." (American Psychiatric
Association, A Psychiatric Glossary, 4th ed.) |
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2. Other feelings which some people experience are simply
inappropriate. For example, feeling guilty for taking your fair
share; inferiority complexes, and so forth. |
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III. Hypothesis 3: Moral issues are those which involve a
specific kind of situation, i.e., the acts which affect other
people. |
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A. On this view, whenever people interact, issues of moral
concern arise. |
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B. By inference, then, there would be no matters of moral concern
for Robinson Crusoe. |
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C. Objection: (1) There are self-regarding duties (your first
duty is to yourself--you ought to develop personal habits of
courage, and so forth.) (2) Not all interactions are of moral
concern; some or morally unimportant. |
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1. Interestingly enough, this objection is a reason why the
Golden Rule cannot be a universal principle of morality. |
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2. We have duties to ourselves. Not all persons which to be
treated in the same manner. |
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IV. Hypothesis 4: Moral issues are those actions which
have the potential to help or harm others or ourselves. |
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A. This is the definition we shall take as a working definition
for this course. |
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B. Notice that if we have an issue of moral concern, it might
involve something good. (Often, many people think that if an issue
is of moral concern then it is an issue involving some wrong
action.) |
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C. On this definition, very few human decisions are actions are
not of some moral concern--only those with no foreseeable
consequences which can help or harm others or ourselves. |
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1. The physical, biological, and social sciences would be used to
determine the potential to help or harm. |
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2. On this view, carelessness and unintentional actions are moral
issues. The full explication of the view is dependent upon a
consistent theory of human action. (Is an accident of moral
concern?) |
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