Discussion Questions: Does the Culture Determines What Is Moral and Immoral

Culture determines what is moral and immoral. 4

I agree that culture determines what is moral and immoral because culture is one of the ultimate sources of morals. Therefore, in everyday life, I tend to decide what is moral by reflecting on my culture. For example, I choose to go church on Sundays because it in my culture it is a moral practice.

There are no right or wrong answers. Everyone has the right to his or her own opinion. 5

I strongly agree with this statement because everyone has his or her own perception of what is morally wright. Therefore, in such situations, my culture expects me not to judge others. For instance, when one finds an unclaimed book, I would not judge the person who asked him to keep it.

I tend to stick to my position on an issue even when others try to change my mind. 3

I tend to agree and disagree with this statement because my position depends on the subject being discussed. My culture may perceive certain things as moral and others immoral. For example, if one asks me to go to a club, I would refuse to go based on my morals even when others try to change my mind.

It is important that we obey the law, even though we may disagree with it. 4

I agree with this statement because regardless of what we might perceive as wright or wrong, the law remains. Hence, in this case, the law should determine which is which. For example, if the law states that one should pay a land ownership tax, then one should obey it even though he or she may disagree.

People ought to do what best serves their interests. 3

I tend to agree and disagree with this statement because what one does best and his interests may not be morally acceptable in my culture. For example, when one seeks the services of a prostitute to serve his interests, I cannot agree with him or her because it is not moral in my culture.

There are universal moral principles that hold for all people, regardless of their culture. 5

I strongly agree with this statement because there are certain morals, even in my culture that are mandatory in every other culture. For example, theft is a practice that is not accepted universally.

Religion is the source of morality.3

I tend to agree and disagree with this statement because in some cultures, religion is not the source of morality. For example, unlike Muslims, Christians do not necessarily derive all their morals from Christianity.

I would refuse to comply if an authority figure ordered me to do something that might cause me to hurt someone else. 5

I strongly agree with this statement because the authority should not impose things that are not wright on others. For example, if an authority figure ordered me not to pay workers their full wages, I would not accept because it would be immoral.

I tend to sacrifice my needs for those of others. 3

I tend to agree and disagree with this statement because there are certain needs which others may have I may not be willing to sacrifice for. For example, if a friend asked me to sacrifice some money so that he could procure alcohol, I would not be willing to sacrifice my money.

1. Complete the self-evaluation Questionnaire. Relate your answer to your ideas regarding the ultimate source of morality. Discuss how this influences what criteria you use in making moral decision in your life. Use specific examples to illustrate your answer.

2. One way to define what we mean by moral is to look at the lives of those whom we regard to be good people, as Aristotle looked up to Plato. Do you have a hero? If so, who is your hero and why?

3. Do all actions have a moral dimension? If not, why do some actions involve moral judgements while others are morally neutral? Explain using specific examples.

All actions have a moral dimension as long as one is grounded by moral principles.

4. Discuss ways in which participation in an academic community has encouraged you, as it did Aristotle, to analyze your ideas and assumptions about morality and moral issues.

An academic community has enabled me understand further what some people might regard as moral or immoral. The opportunity to learn this difference has also proven to be useful to me in the outside world as I meet new people. Hence, as I engage in conversations with new people, I am able to recognise their perceptions about certain matters and respect their decisions.

5. Do you agree with Aristotle that practicing moral virtues and behavior is more important for ethics education than the study of moral theory? How might his approach be integrated into a college ethics course?

I agree with Aristotle on this because practicing moral virtues forms the basis of ones understanding about what is moral and immoral. This approach can be integrated into an ethics course by issuing students with questionnaires after given periods to help them evaluate their moral behavior.

Five steps for constructing moral arguments:

Develop a list of premises.

Eliminate irrelevant or weak premises

Come to a conclusion

Try out your argument on others

Revise your argument if necessary

Exercises:

6. Break down the following arguments into their premises and conclusions. In each of the arguments, ask yourself whether there are other premises that might strengthen the argument. Also, think of premises that might be unstated but simply assumed in each of the arguments.

a. Racism and sexism are wrong because all people deserve equal respect.

Premise- all people deserve equal respect

Conclusion- racism and sexism are wrong

B. it is immoral to use rabbits in cosmetic experiments because causing pain is immoral and animals such as rabbits are capable of feeling pain.

Premise 1- causing pain is immoral

Premise 2- animals such as rabbits are capable of feeling pain

Conclusion- it is immoral to use rabbits in cosmetic experiments

c. People need to pass a driving test to get a license to drive a car. People should also have to take a test and get a license before they can become a parent. After all, parenting is a greater responsibility and requires more skill than driving.

Premise 1- People need to pass a driving test to get a license to drive a car

Premise 2- people should also have to take a test and get a license before they can become a parent.

Conclusion- after all, parenting is a greater responsibility and requires mores kill than driving.

d. Embryos are not persons with moral rights. Furthermore, the embryos used in stem cell research are going to be discarded anyway. Because we have a moral obligation to help people suffering from disease and the use of stem cell research has the potential to help many of these people, stem cell research should be legal.

Premise 1- we have a moral obligation to help people suffering from disease

Premise 2- the use of stem cell research has the potential to help many of these people

Conclusion- stem cell research should be legal

E. we have an obligation to become the best person we can. One of the primary purposes of education is to make us better people. Therefore, colleges should seriously consider having a community service requirement for graduation, since community service has been shown to increase students self-esteem and facilitate their moral development.

Premise 1- one of the primary purposes of education is to make us better people

Conclusion 1- we have an obligation to become the best person we can

Premise 2- community service has been shown to increase students self-esteem and facilitate their moral development

Conclusion 2- colleges should seriously consider having a community service requirement for graduation

7. Choose one or more of the following controversial moral issues:

a. Reinstating military conscription for men and women between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.

b. Capital punishment

c. Legalization of same-sex marriage.

d. Abortion for sex selection

e. Legalization of marijuana

f. Using unmanned drones for assassination

g. Lowering the drinking age to 18.

h. Requiring all Americans to have healthcare insurance

Construct an argument using the five steps

The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because this is the law in many countries and the number of students with fake identification cards continues to increase.

8. Look back at the argument you constructed in the previous exercise. To what extent were you tempted to engage in rhetoric instead of logical analysis by using only those statements that supported your particular opinion on the topic? Did working in a group make it easier for you to avoid rhetoric? Explain.

I was not tempted to use statements that support my opinion on the topic I chose. Also, working in a group made it easier for me to concentrate on logical analysis because I was able to question the opinions of others as they did mine.

Types of fallacies: Equivocation, appeal to force, abusive, circumstantial, appeal to inappropriate authority, popular appeal, hasty generalization, accident, ignorance, begging the question, irrelevant conclusion, Naturalistic, appeal to tradition

Identify the fallacy that is committed in each of the following arguments.

I support the oil sanctions Obama and the European Union placed on Iran. After all, Iran has not proven that they are not in the process of enriching uranium for nuclear weapons.

Fallacy- Popular appeal

Capital punishment is morally acceptable because murderers should be put to death.

Fallacy- naturalistic

Euthanasia is wrong because it interferes with the natural dying process.

Fallacy- appeal to tradition

I am not surprised you are arguing that hate speech should not be banned on college campuses. After all, you are one of the most hateful, racist, and insensitive people I have ever met. Why, you could not care less about the effect of hate speech on its intended victims.

Fallacy- abusive

I support racial profiling and the questioning of all Arabs by security officials in airports. Remember, it was Arabs who blew up the Twin Trade Towers. They just cannot be trusted.

Fallacy- hasty generalization

Why all this concern about the way women are treated in Afghanistan? After all, women in this country still suffer from discrimination in the workplace.

Fallacy- begging the question

My parents used to get in arguments all the time, and they ended up getting divorced. Logic teaches people how to make arguments. Therefore, if you want a happy marriage, you should stay away from logic.

Fallacy- ignorance

The bullying and humiliation of detainees at Abu Ghraib is as George W. Bush, said, a strain on our countrys honor and our countrys reputation. But let us also recognize what this scandal is not. There is a large difference between forcing prisoners to strip and submit to hazing at Abu Ghraib prison and the sort of things routinely done there under Saddam Hussein. This is a country where mass tortures, mass murders, and mass graves were, until the arrival of the US Army, a way of life.

Fallacy- appeal to force

It is morally wrong to cause pain to another person. Therefore, dentists are immoral people.

Fallacy- hasty generalization

My philosophy professor does not think that the loss of animal and plant species due to destruction of the rainforests is going to permanently upset the balance of nature. Therefore, it is morally acceptable to continue clearing rainforests for cattle grazing.

Fallacy- appeal to inappropriate authority

So youre going to argue in class that alcohol should be banned on campus. Well, this is the last time we are going to ask you to go out with us on the weekend.

Fallacy- circumstantial

How can you be in favor of human cloning? After all, you are a Catholic and the church supports a ban on all-human cloning.

Fallacy- begging the question

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