Comprehensive Ethics (PHI1010S) Study Guide
This document includes:
Existentialism:
The Problem with Moral Theories
How Existentialist Ethics Differ
Claims of Sartrian Existentialism
Ethical Implications
Bad Faith
Reciprocal Freedom (David Cooper)
Critiques
Ubuntu:
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1. Existentialists' Responsibility Critique: Existential Ethics rejects moral theories that
dictate actions, as they can remove individual responsibility for moral decisions.
2. Acting for the Wrong Reason Critique: Existentialists argue that acting according to
moral theories can lead to a lack of individual responsibility and undermines the role
of the individual in decision-making.
3. Abstractness of Moral Theories Critique: Moral theories are criticized for being too
abstract and unable to handle complex, real-life moral dilemmas. Existentialists
emphasize the importance of individual choice in solving moral problems.
How Existentialist Ethics Differ:
- Existentialism Ontological Perspective: Existentialism explores what it means to be human,
emphasizing individual existence and freedom.
Claims of Sartrian Existentialism:
1. Existence Precedes Essence: Human nature lacks a predefined essence; it's a self-
constructed process based on individual choices. Human existence is not
predetermined.
2. En Soi, Pour Soi (Existence is Care): To exist as a human is to care about what one
wants to be and become and to care about what it is that you want to be.
3. Radical Freedom: Radical freedom defines human existence; one's identity depends
on choices and not pre-given purposes.
Ethical Implications:
- Existentialist ethics promote authenticity, embracing existential freedom, taking full
responsibility, and recognizing the freedom of others.
Bad Faith:
- Bad Faith involves denying existential freedom and responsibility, acting as if one's life is
determined by external standards, and failing to take full responsibility for one's choices and
actions.
Reciprocal Freedom (David Cooper):
- Existentialist ethics encourages mutual recognition of the freedom of others in the same
way as we recognize our own freedom.
Critiques:
1. Unsubstantive (Casuistry Critique): Existentialist ethics promotes following existential
freedom but lacks specific moral content and does not provide guidance for moral
decisions.
2. Self-Defeating: Making it a moral imperative to embrace existential freedom can
undermine that very freedom, creating internal inconsistencies.
3. Too Egoistic: Existentialist ethics is criticized for being overly focused on individual
choices and self-centeredness, potentially undermining moral virtues like altruism and
social cooperation.
4. Fundamentally Arbitrary: Critics argue that existentialist ethics allows personal whims
to determine the rightness of actions, potentially leading to moral arbitrariness and
relativism.
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