Ethics and Me

Personal I feel that philosophy is trying to grasp an understanding of universal law that religion has already accomplished and that building philosophic ideas from scratch is folly. You should build on the studies of what works and is already available to you. 

Feminine Ethics

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.''  Sojourner Truth (1851)

Feminist ethic is the attempt to rethink aspects of traditional western ethics that devalue women's moral experience. These ethics are failing women in five basic ways.
1) Does not show equal concerns toward female issues that they show towards men issues

2) Traditional Ethics view the issues of the "private world" such as homemaking, and caring for the young, sick and elderly as unimportant

3) Women are not as morally developed as men.

4) Traditional methods underrates feminine traits  like interdependence, community, connection, sharing emotion, body, trust, absence of hierarchy, nature, immanence, process joy, peace, and life

5) Favors "male" ways of moral reasoning such as rules, right, universality, and impartiality over "female" ways of moral reasoning that emphasizes relationship, responsibilities, particularity, and partiality   

A large component of feminist ethics is about caring. For universal equality both sexes must be able to care for each other in a reciprocal way. One sex can not live to serve another. Sheila Mullet states

"A woman is not in a position to truly care for someone if she is economically, socially, and/or psychologically forced to do so. Specifically, authentic caring cannot occur under conditions characterized by male domination and female subordination. Only if women are fully equal to men, can women care for men without fearing that men will take advantage of their loving acts, feeling no need to reciprocate them. So long as women do more than their fair share of caregiving work, both sexes will remain morally deprived."

 Learning to care for yourself is important to contributing to society and helping others grow. A society can not be moral if half of it's citizens are disadvantaged.

What Money Can't Buy

Micheal Sandel is an american political philosopher and professor at Harvard University known for his book What Money Cant Buy. What Money Can't Buy  is a book on the moral limits of markets. For example can prisoners pay for better cells? Should we pay children to get good grades? 

The Ethics of Ambiguity - I'm talking bout freedom

The woman above is Simone de Beauvoir. Beauvoir is a French feminist and existentialist.

Existentialism is the analysis of the individual, and the plight of assuming

 responsibility for act of free will without knowing for certain what is right and what is wrong.

 She has impacted philosophy greatly with her book The Ethics of Ambiguity. Book states that

 there is no absolute moral good but instead the freedom of choice. Freedom is the end-for-itself 

and life is about recognizing and exercising that freedom without inflicting ill on the freedom 

of others.  Being a end for-self differs from being a end in-self because being in-self consist 

of having a predetermined essence, or lack of free will like a inanimate object ; 

where as the former implies an ability for recreating our being through actions and choices daily.

Her book explains the responsibility freedom entails as a constant exercise of our free will.

"Thus, human spontaneity always projects itself toward something… But in order for

this meaning to justify the transcendence which discloses it,  it must itself be 

founded, which it will never be if I do not choose to found it myself… To convert the 

absence into presence, to convert my flight into will, I must assume my project positively…

But one can choose not to will himself free. In laziness… It must first be 

observed that this will i developed in the course of time. It is in time that 

the goal is pursued and that freedom confirms itself."

- Simone de Beauvoir  , The Ethics of Ambiguity

Utilitarianism‎ vs Deontology

There are two major theories in Ethics, Utilitarianism and Deontology 

Utilitarianism comes in part from the developed from the writing of John Stuart Mills.  

Mills

Mills is the most influential philosopher of the 19th century. He believed that the

most useful way for society to succeed is for the welfare of the masses to be put before individual 

pleasures. Mills says pleasures can be measured by utility as well. The video below summarizes Mills 

theory in detail.

          

The problem with utilitarianism as stated in the video is that it caused be used to

 justify things that are clearly immortal. Kant has come up with a more morally responsible theory 

called Deontology.

Kant 

Kant is a a germany philosopher who theorized deontology. 

Deontology has three basic rule  believes 1) Consequence is not what makes things 

right and wrong. Consequence determines weather or not what we are doing is dutiful. 

Duty is reason 2) Humans are not the means to a end but have intrinsic value. Humans are a end-in-

itself. 3) A rule is only moral if it can be used by everyone if they are in the same moral dilemma.

The video below explains Deontology in greater detail.

Deontology applies with more accuracy to wider range of circumstances then Utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism puts a bigger influence on the greater good. Where as Deontology takes into 

consideration the worth the individual.

In my opinion Deontology is not prefect but if I had to choose between the two 

I would side with Kant because individuality is a important factor in self fulfillment.

According to Aristotle happiness has to do with the ability to flourish. 

I believe one can't flourish without intrinsic value or the time the option to consider themselves.

Kant makes this point in his book Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals.

"There is nothing it is possible to think of anywhere in the world, or indeed anything at all 

outside it, that can be held to be good without limitation, excepting only a good will…

Moderation in affects and passions, self-control and sober reflection not only are good for aims,

but seem even to constitute a part of the inner worth of a person; yet … The good will is good

not through its willing, i.e. good in itself, and considered for itself, without comparison, 

it is to be estimated far higher then anything that could be brought about by it in 

favor of any inclination, or indeed, if you prefer, of the sum of all inclinations"