COP Lecture

Ethics - What is good?

First things first manifesto (Garland 1964)

Manifesto was republished by Adbusters 2000, changing key pieces of text to something different and much more politicised.

Two different types of manifesto.

The new manifesto suggests that if you participate in production of commercial images you are supporting a society that revolves around slave labour conditions, that supports the first worlds exploitation of the third world. Participating in a system that is manipulating people.

1964, 22 visual communicators signed the original call for our skills to be put to their worthwhile use. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, their message has only grown more urgent. 

Ethical theories

Subjective relativism:
- There are no universal ideas of right and wrong.
- All persons decide right and wrong for themselves.

Cultural relativism: 
- The ethical theory that whats right to wrong depends on place and/or time.

Divine command theory:
- Good actions are aligned with the will of God.
- Bad actions are contrary to the will of God.
- The holy book helps make the decisions.

Kantianism (Deontoligical ethics)
Immanuel Kant (1724 -1804) a german philosopher.
Peoples wills should be based on moral rules.
Therefore its important that our actions are based on appropriate moral rules.
To determine when a moral rule is appropriate Kant proposed two categorical imperatives.

Two formulations of the categorical imperative

• Act only from moral rules that you can at the same time universalise. (if you act on a moral rule that would cause problems if everyone followed it then your actions are not normal)
• Act so that you always treat both yourself and other people as ends in themselves, and never only as a means to an end. (if you use people for your own benefit that is not moral)

Utilitarianism, or Consequentialist ethics (John Stuart Mill)

Principle of Utility 

- An action is right to the extent that it increases the total happiness of the affected parties.

- An action is wrong to the extent that it decreases the total happiness of the affected

  parties.

- Happiness may have many definitions such as: advantage, benefit, good, or pleasure.

Social Contract Theory

Thomas Hobbes (1603-1697) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

An agreement between individuals held together by common interest.