Philosophy 2: Society and Values

Los Angeles Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, & Sociology

Fall, 2016

Lecture Notes

First Essay Prompt (due in early Oct): http://www.christopherlay.com/societyvaluesfirstessayprompt.html

Lecture Notes for the Midgley Reading

Is ≠ Ought

Absolute ≠ Relative

Moral Isolationism

Midgley: "Now when we hear of [unfamiliar customs], we may well reflect that we simply do not understand [them]; and therefore are not qualified to criticize [them] at all, because we are not members of that culture. But we are not members of any other culture either, except our own. So we extend the principle to cover all extraneous cultures, and we seem therefore to be moral isolationists."

Against Moral Isolationism

Midgley: "But this is, as we shall see, an impossible position."

The Slippery Slope

Midgley: "Moral isolationism forbids us to form any opinions on these matters. Its ground for doing so is that we don't understand them. But there is much that we don't understand in our own culture too. This brings us to our last question: If we can't judge other cultures, can we really judge our own?" "In short, moral isolationism would lay down a general ban on moral reasoning."

Slippery Slopes and Camels' Noses

1) The Initial Step

2) Principle that necessarily leads to consequence

3) Unavoidable consequence

4) Warning against initial step

Slippery Slope EG

Talking about race, politics, religion, etc. during Thanksgiving Dinner with that one relative

The Initial Step: bring some issue with regards to an impending election

Principle that Leads to Unwanted Consequence: that political, pugilistic relative that loves to talk about the subject in a combative way

Unwanted Consequence: everyone hating the experience and thus not wanting to talk with each other for 364 days

Warning Against Initial Consequence: don't bring up politics during Thanksgiving?

Midgley's Slippery Slope

Midgley: "Moral isolationism forbids us to form any opinions on these matters. Its ground for doing so is that we don't understand them. But there is much that we don't understand in our own culture too. This brings us to our last question: If we can't judge other cultures, can we really judge our own?" "In short, moral isolationism would lay down a general ban on moral reasoning."

Group Work

In "College at Risk" Andrew Delbanco claims that one of the ideals of college education is in part achieved when you directly interact with your colleagues.

Delbanco

As he puts it: "A well-managed discussion among peers of diverse interests and talents can help students learn the difference between informed insights and mere opinionating."

"It can provide the pleasurable chastisement of discovering that others see the world differently, and that their experience is not replicable by, or even reconcilable with, one's own."

"It is a rehearsal for deliberative democracy."

Experiment

Let's do an experiment in attaining 1) the mythical ideal of college education (where you are confronted by different perspectives had by your peers and thus foreshadow your experiences in a deliberative democracy), and 2) a marketable skill.

The Group Work

0) Individually, spend five to ten minutes writing out one situation that would make someone think that Moral Relativism could be attractive.

1) Get into your groups.

2) Go around and take a minute to hear about your group members' responses to 0) above.

3) For your group, select a representative situation that would make someone think that Moral Relativism could be attractive.

4) Explain that situation and why it seems to be in favor of Moral Relativism.

5) Explain why someone could disagree with why someone could think that Moral Relativism could be attractive.

Quiz:

On a sheet of paper, after having put your name and today's date on it, write the answer to this question: What is moral relativism?