Study sheet for ch 1 of H T Engelhardt Foundations of Bioethics
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Study sheet for selections from H. Tristram Engelhardt’s Foundations of Bioethics.
Preface and Ch 1:
Provide Engelhardt’s answer to each of the following questions:
1. What is the “post-modern predicament”? What challenge does this predicament pose for any ethic in a pluralistic society? “Post-modern predicament” is the condition of contemporary society characterized by a fragmentation of beliefs, values, and truths. It poses a challenge because it questions the possibility of establishing a universally valid ethical framework. In a society where diverse cultural, religious, and philosophical perspectives coexist, there is no single moral that everyone respects which challenges traditional ethical theories that seek to provide universal moral principles or norms
2. What is the difference between “moral strangers” and “moral friends”? How is this distinction related to Engelhardt’s
stipulated difference between “community” and “society”? moral strangers: individuals with who we have no personal or emotional connection, & w/ whom we don’t share a common moral framework or understanding, these are people
outside of our immediate social circles. Moral friends: individuals with whom we share a close personal connection, trust, and a common understanding of moral values, these are typically members of our inner circle. Engelhardt’s distinction between the two highlights the difference between intimate, close-knit social groups where individuals are
most likely to be moral friends, and larger, more impersonal social structures where individuals intersect interact w/ moral strangers. This distinction underscores the challenges of navigating ethical responsibilities and relationships in diverse social contexts 3. What role can philosophical argument play with respect to moral justification, and what kind of morality will one get as a result? Philosophical arguments provide justifications for moral principles and rules. Utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and other moral theories offer different frameworks for evaluating actions and determining what is morally right or wrong. These theories rely on philosophical reasoning to defend their respective principles, whether it's maximizing happiness (utilitarianism), following universalizable rules (deontology), or cultivating virtuous character traits (virtue ethics). Philosophical arguments help address ethical dilemmas and resolve moral conflicts by analyzing the underlying principles at play. For instance, philosophical debates about the trolley problem (a thought experiment in ethics) or the doctrine of double effect (a principle used to assess the permissibility of an action causing
harm as a side effect) involve rigorous philosophical reasoning to explore different moral intuitions and considerations. Philosophical arguments encourage critical examination of moral beliefs and practices. By subjecting moral claims to scrutiny and logical analysis, philosophers challenge assumptions, expose inconsistencies, and identify
potential biases in moral reasoning. This process fosters intellectual humility and promotes a deeper understanding of
the complexities involved in moral decision-making. philosophical arguments contribute to ongoing discussions and debates within moral philosophy, shaping the evolution of ethical thought over time. Ultimately, philosophical engagement with moral justification enriches our understanding of morality and helps guide individual and collective moral reasoning and action.
4. How does Engelhardt understand toleration? Does toleration require that people not judge the legally permitted behavior of others as immoral? His understanding of toleration revolves around the idea of allowing individuals to pursue their own beliefs and practices without interference or coercion from others. It doesn’t require refraining from
judging the behavior of others as immoral, as long as such judgments do not lead to coercion or infringement upon individual rights
(You are NOT required to read ch 2 or answer the following questions. These are included to give those interested a sense of the kinds of ethical theories that are criticized and the ways Engelhardt thinks such theories cannot be fully justified on purely philosophical grounds, thus the ways they depend on variable, contingent social and historical assumptions or intuitions that reflect a specific tradition or culture or personal beliefs.)
Ch 2: 5. What are some of the meanings of “ethics”? (from p. 33f on “varieties of ethics”).
6. What is the relation between an Enlightenment ethic and the perspective of God? Did the loss of belief in God automatically lead to nihilism? Or is there a more complex set of steps in between? And in what way does Engelhardt embrace a “polytheistic presumption”?
7. Why do attempts to justify a content-full secular ethics fail? Briefly consider Engelhardt’s arguments in relation to each of the traditions of moral reflection he considers:
7.1 appeal to intuition
7.2 casuistic analysis
7.3 consequential considerations (including utilitarianism)
7.4 hypothetical-choice theory
7.5 analysis of rationality, neutrality, impartiality
7.6 game theory
7.7 appeal to the structure of reality or natural law
7.8 middle level principles (like Belmont report!)
8. How does the failure of the Enlightenment project lead to nihilism, and what does that nihilism entail for the way moral disputes are resolved?
9. How does Engelhardt think you can save moral legitimacy for a secular bioethics? What sliver of the Enlightenment project does he think can still be preserved?
10. What is the difference between a morality for friends versus one for strangers? Why does a morality for strangers lead to bureaucratic mechanisms and explicit laws?
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