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Moral Philosophy and Ethics Codes - Coggle Diagram
Moral Philosophy and Ethics Codes
Morals vs ethics
Morals: principles of right and wrong > can involve a systematic code that informs moral behaviour
Ethics: systems of standardised morals or values (like the APS Code of Ethics)
Studying moral judgement (meta-ethics)
Conformity to the customs of a specific group
Etiquette: manners, accepted ceremonies
Law
Morals: principles of conduct within that group
Morals
Moral perspectives emphasising moral agency > denotology
The categorial imperative:
Central to Kant’s philosophy
Emphasises following duty > acting out of moral obligation
Morals should be driven by principle and reason, rather than a desired outcome or emotion
A certain action or inaction is absolutely necessary
It is right in and of itself, regardless of the consequence
It is true in all circumstances, forever.
Take action as though your act would become a universal law > what would happen if everyone in the world acted in the same way you did?
Act in a way that you never treat humanity as a means rather than an end
Never treat another person as a means to an end, as doing so denies the rationality (and rational free will) of the other person
Equality is important.
Virtue ethics
Rules, codes, and laws will be ineffective if individuals lack virtue
Emphasises the development of virtue and reduction of vice by engaging in virtuous behaviours and avoiding vicious ones.
Cardinal virtues guide behaviour: you apply these virtues by thinking of what vices are at either extreme of the behaviour and choosing the virtuous option between these vices > doctrine of the mean
Highlights the importance of role models > What would a virtuous person do?
Aristotle’s 4 cardinal values:
Justice > determine to ensure everyone is treated fairly and receives their rightful due
Prudence > being able to correctly judge right from wrong
Courage > allows us to overcome fear and remain steady in the face of obstacles. Prudence and justice guide judgment, and courage allows us to execute.
Temperance > allows us to overcome our passions and desires. Keeps us from excess and determines how much we can act on our desires based on need.
Principle of proportionality: the benefits of an action must outweigh any intentionally bad actions > actions should not be more extreme than necessary.
Moral perspectives emphasising consequences > consequentialism
Utilitarianism
Places almost exclusive emphasis on the consequences or outcomes of behaviour.
Morality lies not in the dispositions, intentions, or will of the agent, but in the outcomes of what he or she does.
Avoid absolutes, except for > the greatest good or happiness for the greatest number.
Criticism
:
Sensitive to context
Depends on how you define stakeholders > often disregards minorities
Sacrifices the unfortunate few for the powerful many
Ethics
Normative ethics vs meta-ethics
Normative ethics:
How should we act when we experience a moral dilemma?
Provides a framework for right vs wrong
3 main frameworks: categorical imperative, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics
Meta-ethics:
What is morality? Is there truth? How can I justify my beliefs?
Does not provide a framework for how you should act
Example: ethical emotivism
Ethical emotivism (meta-ethical)
‘
moral/ethics are based on emotions and not on rational grounds
Ethics is subjective and involves an interpretation of events/behaviour rather than rightness or wrongness
Ethical views across time and cultures are so divergent that there can be no moral absolutes at all
In general, what most people think is right/wrong at a given time is right/wrong
Explains emotions and sensations attached to moral judgements, like righteousness and disgust.
ethical codes
Ethics violations
Monkey drug trials (Deneau et al, 1969)
Experiment was done to study the effects of using different drugs and the addiction to drugs.
Once the monkeys were taught how to self-inject, they left the monkeys alone with a large supply of drugs (morphine, alcohol, codeine, amphetamines)
The monkeys became very dependent on the drugs and some were physically hurt (trying to escape by breaking off their arms, ripping off their fingers)
Three identical strangers (Neubauer, 1960s +)
Triplets separated at birth and possibly randomly assigned to families differing in socioeconomic status
No consent was provided by children or families
Individuals denied access to known family members
Data unavailable, even to participants
APA vs APS codes of ethics
Australian Psychological Society
Est 1949, reviews 5 times, many amendments
Principles:
A: A: respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples > psychologists demonstrate their respect for people by acknowledging their legal rights and moral rights, their dignity and right to participate in decisions affecting their lives
B: B: propriety > psychologist practice within the limits of their competence and know and understand the legal, professional, ethical, and, where applicable, organisational rules that regulate the psychological services they provide
C: C: integrity > psychologists recongise that their position of trust requires them to be honest and objective in their professional dealings
Criticisms:
APA:
The USA does not have universal healthcare > mental healthcare is unaffordable for those without private health insurance.
There have been some government reforms to change this, but compliance among insurance companies is low.
APS:
Medicare covers 10+ sessions
Free healthcare is only possible if the psychologist bulk bills, or if you have private health insurance.
American Psychological Association
Est 1953, updated 12 times
Originally derived from ethical dilemmas, developed rules based on the consequences of bad moral behaviour
Contains principles and standards
A: A: beneficence and nonmaleficence > Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no harm
B: B: fidelity and responsibility > psychologists establish relationships of trust with those they work with
C: C: integrity > psychologists seek to promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology
D: D: Justice > recognise that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology and to equal quality in the processes, procedures and services conducted by psychologists
E: E: respect for the rights and dignity of people and peoples > psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination
Research ethics
Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel (HREAP)
Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)
Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC)
Often made up of well-meaning members of the public
Applications involve filling out forms in a lot of detail to explain your research processes
Ethics of applied psychology
Psychologists have a social responsibility to apply their knowledge of psychology to the real world, but this can cause deliberate misconduct and exploitation.