St Mary's School - Shaftesbury...

Well -after rather a long drive, this Tuesday saw me arrive at St Mary's School, in Shaftesbury - where I talked (quite a lot, if I recall) about Utilitarianism.

Those interested in the Omelas short story that I mentioned, and its relation to Utilitarianism can look at some discussions we had on this site by clicking HERE... I also talked about moral dilemmas - such as those at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4954856.stm - which might remind you of some of the ones I used in the session!

And - as I said after a simliar session (albeit in the West Midlands, rather than Dorest): For those who thought I was a little tough on Utilitarianism (I have been accused of this) - you can redress the balance at http://www.utilitarian.net/

I hope the sessions were of some use for your AS Religious Studies paper - and thanks for inviting me..

Dave

Finham Park School Visit

Well - fresh back from another enjoyable school visit. Today I was just south of Coventry to talk about the Problem of Evil and Ethics (esp Utilitarianism). The group there had lots to say - and it was good to see so many people engaging with Philosophy and Religious ideas.

Many of the links at http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2008/02/malmesbury-school-visit.html will be useful - as I provide some links there re the Omelas short story - and to a list of ethical dilemmas.

I am also interested in the notion that ethics has some, but rather hard to define (and in some cases spot) impact on those that study it. This topics is one we have discussed at http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2007/02/ethical-decisions-and-study-of.html - though new comments are welcome.

Oh - and if you can't get enough on the Problem of Evil -see the links at http://www.rsweb.org.uk/phil/evil.html

Hope the class there enjoyed the material as much as I enjoyed the visit.
Cheers,
Dave

Malmesbury School Visit

Another week - another visit. This time I was in Malmesbury, to visit some year 12 and 13 students to talk about applying moral theory to dilemmas.

I talked about the Omelas short story, and the Runaway Trolley Car, and other moral problems. There is a list of some more of these types of moral dilemmas at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4954856.stm - and what we noted was the none od us had actually ever faced these decisions at all (yet). We then went on to try and think of dilemmas and difficult choices that we had faced, and whether moral theories such as Utilitarianism were of any help...

The session was lively - and I enjoyed myself - and I think I learned some things - I hope the class did to. So thanks to Mr Shaw for inviting me - and those who were there (or indeed those who weren't) are welcome to comment here on the usefulness (or not) of moral theory for really facing up to genuine moral problems in life.

The runaway trolley and brain damage

For a video-podcast of me outlining the basics of the trolley problem see: http://philosvids.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/the-trolley-car-dilemma/ 

Some of you will have discussed in class the classic moral problem sometimes known as the runaway trolley case - where a trolley car is running out of control down a hill - and is about to kill 5 people, but you happen to be stood by a switch - with a lever: pull the lever and it switches trackes and the 5 people are safe.... but (there's always a 'but' in these examples) there is one person on the other track - do you pull the lever 'killing' 1 and 'saving' 5?

Now - you will recognise in this issues of Utilitarianism, and there are numerous variants that demonstrate some of the problems associated with assessing situations on the basis of utility... what if you knew some of the people - or if the 1 was a doctor, and the 5 were criminals on work-release - etc... Other variants include an example where there is no switch but you can push a man (in some version a fat man) in front [you are unable to put yourself in its path] and hereby save the 5 - is this different?

In surveys people are often reluctant to act when it involves an act which seems so directly like 'killing' - but I came across this interesting article in the New York Times which quotes a survey that seems to link answers to this variant version to areas of the brain - via a survey involving people with damage to certain parts of their brain. It is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/health/21cnd-brain.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

If we accept this - what does the link between brain areas and moral choice say about the nature of moral choice itself?
Dave

Ethics in The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

Note: If you are a student looking at this to help with a paper/essay on the Omelas short story - that is great, we hope something here helps - but be sure to give a reference - and send me an e-mail to let me know if you find the material useful..

Dave W: dwebster@glos.ac.uk

Last Semester (in RPE101, Philosophical and Ethical Arguing) we used the Ursula Le Guin short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas to discuss a number of ethical concerns that we were going over in class. Details of this post are at:
http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2006/12/ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas.html

In EZ205 (Ethics and Language), we have covered a number of ethical theories, and I wanted to raise some of the related issues with the class. I would like you to look at the story and consider your response in a number of ways….

• What is the nature of the ethical problem here? How is it linked to the theories we have been looking at in class?
  
• What would you do – and why?
  
• In what way do we share the dilemma of the people of Omelas in our current economic and political world?
  
• Would it be worth the life of one innocent child to free the world from, say, AIDS?
  
• Is the contrivance of the story useful - do such exmaples help our moral thinking?
  
• In Le Guin’s description of the city of Omelas (which is striking), what do we learn of her view of what the Good life consists of?
  
  

Please use the ‘comments’ feature of the blog to respond to these questions (and make any other comments others that occur while reading or reflecting…)
Other RPE students (and indeed anyone else) are welcome to join in here!

See you in class…
Dave

EZ205 Langauge and Ethics podcast / Utilitarianism powerpoint

For those on EZ205 Language & Ethics, there is a short podcast with some definitions of Moral Realism at:
http://pebblepad.glos.ac.uk/blog.aspx?blogoid=5503 - hope it is useful. [It may be of interest to those studying A-level, ( As / A2) Religious Studies, Philosopy & Ethics - or for thier revision]

Those studying RPE103 Contemporary Ethical Issues may also want to have a listen. I have also added, at the same location, a copy of the Utilitarianism powerpoint that EZ205 and RPE103 students may find of use...

Cheers, Dave

[Oh - posts about the skills needed to study philosophy and/or ethics are still very welcome on the post below...]

Peter Singer / Animal Testing & Utilitarianism

Philosopher Peter Singer has been in the news again. While most well-known for his advocacy of animal rights, he has surprised many by claming that some animal testing may be justified. While some animals rights campaigners may be shocked - students may recongise the view that, as he is a utilitarian (of some kind), he would not have an in principle, objection - if the benefit can be said to outweigh the harm. Read here: http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2035119.ece about Singer's recent statements - and his seeming ability to upset just about everyone...

What is your view of animal testing? Is it justified in a consequentialist manner? On some other grounds? Or not at all?

Dave

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

See update at: http://r-p-e.blogspot.com/2007/03/ethics-in-ones-who-walk-away-from.html as well... - esp for discussion of the story in more detail..

Note: If you are a student looking at this to help with a paper/essay on the Omelas short story - that is great, we hope something here helps - but be sure to give a reference - and send me and e-mail to let me know if you find the material useful..

Dave W: dwebster@glos.ac.uk

In the RPE101 (Philosophical and Ethical Arguing) class today, we talked about the Ursula Le Guin short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - as a focus for concerns about Utilitarianism and responsibility...

There is a wikipedia piece at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_Who_Walk_Away_From_Omelas - which explains the story - but also see the essay at http://www.sfu.ca/~etiffany/teaching/phil120/omelas1_120.html - whose conclusions I am not convinced by: but ask yourself the questions

1 - Would you stay in the city - knowing your happiness was at the expense of a suffering child?

2 - Do we not anyway enjoy an easy life at the direct expense of others in the developing world already? Are we not just at guilty as the Omelas-people who choose to stay?

responses welcome...
Dave