What do you do if

You witness a friend

stealing another
friends iPod?

You get an invitation to go

to Lake Tahoe for the
same weekend you
promised to babysit for
your neighbors?

You are waiting for your math

teacher to return to his room
and you notice that he has left
his final exam lying out in plain
sight?
4x +(3)y/43=5z

Your find yourself alone with

your best friends
girlfriend/boyfriend, on
whom you have a secret
crush, and she/he makes a
move on you?

You find a pair of

expensive
sunglasses on the
table at In-N- Out
Burger, left there by
a previous
customer?

Your parents go out of town

for the weekend and tell you
not to have friends over, but
your friends find out that your
parents are gone and they
show up?

With beer.

You dent the BMW in the next

parking space as you pull out of
the spot? Does your thinking
change if the other car is a beat
up old Chevy Nova?

MORALS AND ETHICS

Morality

Sin

Good

Evil

Ethics
Moral Compass
Decisions

Conscience
Values

Right
Wrong

Culture

Moral/ethical thinking affects our relationships

STEPDAD by Mike Ostresh

Moral/ethical issues arise in the workplace

We find examples of morals and ethics in public life

Penrose on Politics by Brett Penrose

In the daily news:

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TEENS ARRESTED AFTER FOOD

FIGHT

Los Altos, yesterday

Dozens of students were arrested at Los Altos High School early Wednesday after engaging in a
high-spirited hurling of mashed potatoes in the school cafeteria.

Morality and Ethics--is there a difference?

Morality generally defines personal character
and is based on deep values
Ethics is generally defined as the social system in
which morals are applied. In other words, codes of
behavior expected by the group or institution.

The two can collide:

* Court of Law
* Medicine
* Work situation
* Other examples?

Everyday moral/ethical questions:

How can I tell what the right thing is?
Is it always right to tell the truth?
Do I have an obligation to help people in need?
What does it really matter if I do right?
What do I gain from behaving morally or ethically?
What do I sacrifice from behaving morally or ethically?
How do other peoples moral/ethical decisions affect mine?

Theories and Systems

of Morality & Ethics

Lawrence Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development

Stage One: Respect for power and punishment-- I will do
what I want as long as I dont get in trouble
Stage Two: Looking out for #1-- I will do what benefits
me; Ill give if I get
Stage Three: Good Boy Nice Girl-- I please others
to gain their approval
Stage Four: Law and Order-- I conform; I do my duty to
maintain social order; people who break rules should be
punished
Stage Five: Justice through Democracy-- I actively work
to change laws that are unfair; I work within the system
Stage Six: Guiding Moral Principles-- I do what I know is
right even if the law says otherwise; I am always true to
my values

Information for next five slides from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

Ethical Relativism:

No principles are universally valid. All moral

principles are valid relative to culture. The
rules of the society serve as a standard.
Strength--Tolerance/Understanding of other cultures
Weakness--Confuses what ought to be done with
what is currently done

Divine Command Theory:

Moral standards depend on God who is allknowing. Any act that conforms to the law of God
is right; an act that breaks Gods law is wrong.
Strengths--Standards are from a higher authority than
humans. Gives a reason for moral behavior.
Weakness--Depends on
interpretation of Gods will.

Utilitarianism:

Actions are judged right or wrong solely by their

consequences. Right actions are those that
produce the greatest balance of happiness over
unhappiness. Each persons happiness is equally
important.
Strength--promotes human well-being and attempts to
lessen human suffering.
Weakness--One persons good can be anothers evil.
Hard to predict accurately all consequences.

Deontology:

Emphasis is on moral rules and duty. Rules go for

everyone in the society. Emphasis on autonomy,
justice and kind acts. People are treated as ends,
never means.
Strength--Moral rules are universal

Weaknesses--Says nothing
about the rights of other living
things. Rules can be abstract-who decides what is moral?

Virtue Ethics:

Morals are internal. It seeks to produce good

people who act well out of spontaneous
goodness. Emphasizes living well and achieving
excellence.
Strength--Internalizes moral behavior

Weakness--Offers no guidance for resolving ethical dilemmas

So begins our
exploration of
morality and
ethics!