Category: Writing

Make a list of things that you value (they could be material or non-material). Arrange them
according to their degree of importance in your life.
Consider the topmost three of these things that you value. Do you also consider them as a
moral value? Please explain why they are so or why they are not your moral values?
And then consider the bottom part of your list of values and explain why they should be-
long there using your valuation process.

A. Read Mothershead’s Ethics: Modern Conception of the Principles of Right, Chapter 2
(pp. 21-36), “The Problem of the Scope of Morality” and answer the study questions be-
low.
Here is an overview of the reading:
THE PROBLEM OF THE SCOPE OF MORALITY – MOTHERSHEAD A. Ethics and Morals Ethics is the study of morality – Ethics is a branch of philosophy – Moral Philosophy – Moral philosophy = explains how we can make moral judgements and why we ought to do SO B. The Concept of Value There are different kinds of values, and the common supposition that all goods are moral ones is wrong “Value experience” – side-taking part of human experience (we are for some things, against others), and the goods or bads are the values/disvalues Not everything good is moral (ex: he is a good cracksman not because of his purpose, but because he just has technique aka skill = values of utility) Examples of values: Truth, Validity, Reasoning, Meaning, Religious value, Social values, etc C. Moral Values – So what makes a value moral? Unlimited priorities All values are priorities with respect to some aspect of human experience. (We get to decide with has less value, no value, or disvalue!) Moral values differ from other values by being unlimited priorities. When I make a moral judgment (saying X is morally good), it means X has to be promoted as purpose human action can do it without conflict with other higher moral values Moral values take precedence over all other values (some say that the highest moral values are religious, but that’s up to your priority) Moral values may be created by human preferences, they may be embedded in the nature of things, or they may exist as a realm of transcendental entities Conduct = Deliberate human action D. Necessary Conditions of Morality – Minimal requirements of morality = Freedom and Obligation If we were unable to consider the future or if we could see a perfect future all laid out before us, there would be no obligation for us The condition of freedom limits morality to men because only men can make moral judgments E. Only Men are Moral – Living creates other than men are not capable of moral judgment – We can also suppose there are men who are incapable of moral judgment (some may say they’re insane because they don’t know the difference between right and wrong, or you can also say children because they may not be mature yet) Plants/inanimate objects can’t make moral judgment because moral values are values of action! Plant’s can’t move (u should know this) F. Morality is not the whole of human life Most human decisions and actions are motivated by automatically operating reflexes in combination with various habits formed on the basis of experience We call things right or wrong as a fairly direct result of our conditioning Moral judgments express conditioning – Moral judgments involve reflective application of a moral principle The weight given to moral concern and judgment in human life varies greatly from person to person Amoral man = lives his life without consideration of the right or wrong of his actions or those of others
1. When does a value become a moral value? Is money a value? Can money become a
moral value? Why/Why not? Can you think of other examples?
2. Why do we have this tendency to render moral judgements on others so easily? Ex-
plain your answer.
3. Is your practical choice always in consonance with your intellectual choice? Why/
Why not?

Explain why Kant believes that it is always morally wrong to lie. Do you agree or disagree with his position and why? You should use examples from class, the readings, the world, or your own life to support your explanation.

Was Fantasia Goodwin morally justified in her decision to continue playing basketball while she was secretly pregnant? Why or why not. Utilize moral principles/theories to justify your answer.