Method and Moral Theory - Jamieson

Consolidation Exercises 5, 8 and 9

«  5. Prepare a paragraph explaining the ways in which we engage in moral theorising in everyday life and a paragraph outlining the implications of the habit. For example, does it lead s to make moral judgements about situations we know little about?

Everyday people engage in moral theorising all the time, it is not solely professors and academics that can claim the title of moral thinker, ethical being or philosopher. For example, many people from a very young age are taught to attempt to put themselves into another’s shoes and to treat others as we wish to be treated. This in itself involves moral theorising, even if the theory is a simplified or fragmented version, therefore it can be said that even children are introduced into the realms of moral theorising. On a larger scale, people are subjected to multiple modern moral issues all the time – for example men and women are addressed with the moral quandaries of birth control, abortion and euthanasia, their moral outlook need not be fixed on a single moral theory to address a moral dilemma with moral theorising. For example, an individual may align their morals with a Christian Ethic but agree with fragments of situation ethics without consciously knowing of Joseph Fletchers entire ethical theory.

                A strong implication of individuals making moral decisions based on a vague, if not non-existent, knowledge of moral theories is the slow malformation and mutation of popular ethical theories to mould with the existing preferences of modern society. This could potentially be a good implication as it would allow the predominantly academic and scholar-made moral theories to become more suited to the everyday life of ordinary individuals in the modern world. Rather than to suit the ideas of those who contemplate and evaluate ethics and morality, as this is not suited to the many individuals who cannot or do not understand the realms of philosophical thought, remembering that ordinary people make up more of society than philosophers. However, if moral theories mutate to the ordinary individual this may create a less moral or immoral society simply because if elites in the field of philosophy have nothing to input into moral theories they may fall to the standards of immoral individuals.

«  8. Prepare a paragraph outlining how important and effective e you feel the…