An Introduction to Ethics IB Philosophy

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Do the right thing…

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? ‘ One of the things that distinguishes humans from other animals is our ability to make moral decisions.’

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? WHAT IS ETHICS? What makes an action moral? Are moral standards universal/absolute or relative?

‘ If you’re going to study ethics seriously, you must be prepared to examine your views critically and be open to a range of ideas that may be quite different from your own’. R.Bowie Are you ready for the challenge of studying ethics??

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? WHAT makes an action come within the scope of morality? WHAT sorts of things is morality all about? WHAT makes an act enter the moral arena? WHAT criteria do we use in order to identify moral actions?

IS IT ALL RELATIVE? IS IT ALL RELATIVE?

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Are there situations when an action might be right and other situations when the same action might be wrong? Is one culture or religious view of morality as good as that of another culture or religion? Are there some actions which are ALWAYS right? Are there certain moral rules that exist for all times and for all places?

The nomadic Masai of East Africa practice polygamy and wife-lending between men of the same age group. Some Westerners practise open marriages, whereby spouses engage other spouses in shared and open sexual relations. Christians practice monogamy. Is any one way morally better or morally worse than another?

Indecent Proposal

IS IT ALL RELATIVE? Can you think of any criticisms of relativism?

IS IT ALL RELATIVE? Can you think of any criticisms of absolutism?