ETHICS(1:00-2:30)TTH

Name: Baldosano,Vilma A. BS FISHERIES 1ST YEAR

1.)What are moral standards, and how do they differ from other rules of lives?
Morals, ethics, good and evil, all of these are murky concepts, up for definition and worse => up
for political exploitation. Basically all rules guide your conduct and your conduct will influence
your status, your access to resources, your chances of survival and reproduction. The
competition doesn’t sleep.
So laws and morality are a set of rules for conduct defined by society. Laws give the limits of
acceptable conduct (plus an instruction manual for some parts of formal interactions), while
morality gives advise for a socially preferable conduct. There is quite a bit of overlap between
laws and morality, laws are derived from morality and the law drives morality. But both are
useless without society.
As morality has an individual component, powerful groups attempt to set and define moral
standards. This is to gain and strengthen the grip on power. Many people will align their morality
with moral standards of a power group. This way they can more easily participate in and profit
from those groups. They also have less decisions to make.

2.)What is moral dilemma?

A moral dilemma is a situation where an agent’s obligations conflict. Debate in this area focuses
on the question of whether genuine moral dilemmas exist. This question involves considering
not only the nature and significance of dilemmas, but also the connections between dilemmas,
the logic of obligation and moral emotions.
Certain cases involving difficult choices suggest that moral dilemmas exist. These cases also
suggest that dilemmas are significant because they show that moral theory cannot help with
these choices. If this is right, morality may be unimportant because it may be a system of
inconsistent rules that cannot be used as a guide that tells us what to do. But this understanding
of the cases is disputable. Perhaps the cases show that agents can be ignorant about what they
ought to do. Or perhaps dilemmas are not significant because moral theory tells agents to do
the most important of their obligations.
On the other hand, principles from the logic of obligation or deontic logic can be used to argue
against the existence of moral dilemmas. Principles of deontic logic such as the ‘ought’ implies
‘can’ principle and the agglomeration principle, which says that if you ought to do a and ought to
do b , then you ought to do a and b , taken together with the assumption that moral dilemmas
exist, turn out to entail a contradiction. This means that one of these principles must be given
up, or else it must be the case that moral dilemmas do not exist.
Careful consideration of the moral emotions has suggested that dilemmas do exist. It is
appropriate for agents to feel guilt only if they ought to have done otherwise. In cases involving
difficult choices, it is appropriate to feel guilt no matter what course of action is taken. This
suggests that such cases involve genuine dilemmas.
3.)Why is freedom crucial in our ability to make moral decisions?
Freedom is important to our ability to make moral decisions because it allows us to exercise our
autonomy and take responsibility for our actions. When we have the freedom to choose, we are
able to consider different options and evaluate their moral implications. Without freedom, our
choices would be predetermined or imposed upon us, limiting our ability to act according to our
own moral values and principles.
Freedom also enables us to develop our moral character. Making moral decisions requires us to
reflect on our values, consider the consequences of our actions, and choose what we believe is
right. This process of moral reasoning and decision-making helps shape our moral character
and allows us to grow as individuals.
Furthermore, freedom allows for moral diversity and pluralism. Different individuals and cultures
may have different moral beliefs and values. By respecting and allowing for this diversity,
freedom promotes a society where individuals can live according to their own moral convictions,
as long as they do not harm others. This fosters tolerance, understanding, and the possibility of
moral progress through dialogue and exchange of ideas.
In summary, freedom is important to our ability to make moral decisions because it empowers
us to exercise our autonomy, develop our moral character, and respect moral diversity. It is
through the exercise of freedom that we can act in accordance with our own moral values and
contribute to a more just and ethical society.

4.) What is the advantage of owning moral standards( morality and ethics) over merely
abiding by moral standards?
Objection. Abiding, allows us gentle-guidance into the spirit of a moral-standard. Owning a
moral-standard, is a one size fits all blueprint. If we never claim to own a moral-standard, but
instead abide with it, we alleviate a majority of conflict within the world.