Con: Science and Morality

science has no role to play with questions about

morality
Sabrina Farley, Maximo Vara, Trent Lowder

Our position
Science has no effect on morality
Morality: based on emotions and feelings
Science: purely factual, has to be something
that can be explained

Definition
Morality:
o Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good
and bad behavior.
o A particular system of values and principles of conduct, especially one
held by a specified person or society.
o The extent to which an action is right or wrong.

Babies and Morality

Study on babies
o shown a puppet show with three teddy bears
o One of the bears tried opening a box, but couldnt.
A bear in a yellow shirt helped
A bear in a blue shirt closed the box on him
o Babies look at pleasurable things longer than unpleasurable things
o baby looked at the bear in blue for five seconds
turned to the bear in yellow for 33 seconds

Science unrelated to morality

Morality works on reasons-not theories with proven
conclusions
Morality works with feelings and intuition
Science cant prove or show actions to be moral; they're
not reliable

Folkways and Mores

Folkways- Customs or beliefs to members of a society or
group.
Mores-Set of moral norms or customs derived from
generally accepted practices. Determine if an action is
right or wrong.
Folkways and mores are generated from social values.

Humes arguments
Ought: when you assume the way it ought to be
Is: what actually happens or will happen.
Hume argues that you cant get an ought from an is because you cant
expect something to happen when it does.
Induction: Principle that states just because something happened in the
past, doesnt mean it will happen again in the future.
Smoking cigarettes is bad because it shortens your lifespan. Is: shortens your
lifespan. Ought: A long life is important (its technically a personal preference).
Stealing is good because you get something. Is: you get something. Ought: Its
okay to get something at someone elses expense.

Emotive Ethics
Something right or wrong cant be verified empirically.
Ethical statements are expression of personal
preferences.
Ethical statements cant be analyzed.