Assignment 1

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Carleton University *

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1550A

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Philosophy

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Feb 20, 2024

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Assignment 1 PHIL 1550 B Dr. Nalini E. Ramlakhan Winter 2023 Directions: Answer 5 out of 7 short answer questions below. If you answer more than 5 questions, the first 5 will be graded. Each question is worth 20 points each, for a total of 100 points (and 25% of your final grade). Your answer to each question should be roughly 10-12 sentences (1-2 paragraphs). The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your comprehension and application of the course material. Your responses to the questions should be expository. Assignments must be submitted on Bright Space before the due date. See the course syllabus for information regarding late penalties and requests for extensions. Use the course textbook and weekly content (recorded lectures and videos) to help you answer these questions. You should not/do not need to use external resources to answer these questions. Be sure to properly cite when necessary. 1. Explain the difference between subjectivism and relativism and give an example of each. 2. What is absolutism? Give an example. - There are right and bad things in our world, yet each culture and person have their own morals and ethical standards. Which is correct? Absolutism provides a balance in beliefs; these are moral convictions that every person or society must internalise in their ethical principles. The idea that there are unchanging, universal moral and ethical standards that apply to everyone, regardless of culture or civilization, is known as absolutism ( Zeyl J. & Radke N., 2018). These ideas are true and constant. The statement "murder is always bad" is an illustration of absolutism. According to this assertion, everyone is subject to the moral prohibition of taking another person's life, regardless of their cultural or social background. Another illustration is lying or disseminating false information, which is morally unacceptable regardless of one's faith or culture because it has repercussions and can have a variety of different effects on someone's life with just one falsehood. 3. Explain how the study of ethics is interdisciplinary. Provide an example. 4. What is the difference between ethics and morals? Give an example of each. - Ethics and morals are not the same thing, even though they are related concepts. A collection of moral rules or standards that direct people's behaviour might be referred to as ethics. It addresses issues of justice and fairness as well as concerns of right and

wrong, good, and bad. Ethics is commonly used in professional settings, such as in the fields of law, medicine, and business, to guide behaviour and decision-making. Ethics also follows more of factual statements than emotions, that is exactly why lawyers act based on facts than morals. An example of ethics is found in a company's code of ethics, which describes the principles and values that the business expects its workers to uphold in their job. Morals are guiding principles or standards of conduct that a person or a group of people hold to be right and wrong. They can differ greatly amongst different people and countries and are frequently based on cultural, religious, or personal ideas. These concepts frequently shape a person's behaviour and direct their decisions and actions. One example of someone with morals is someone who was reared in a religious home and was taught that certain behaviours, like lying or stealing, are always unethical and would never participate in them. 5. Explain the difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism. - Before discussing their distinctions, let me first define them and the principles they uphold. According to my understanding, psychological egoism is the belief that self- interest is ultimately what drives people's behaviour. This idea holds that even activities that appear to be selfless are ultimately driven by a need for personal pleasure or satisfaction, proving that people are not capable of being selfless. In other words, depending on the circumstance, one may behave in their own self-interest; Psychological egoism views this as ethical because behaving in your own self- interest is common. However, there is a theory that contradicts this assertion. The ethical doctrine known as ethical egoism holds that morality is based on one's own self-interest. This viewpoint contends that if it does not hurt others, acting in one's own self-interest is morally acceptable. In other words, ethical egoists hold that it is morally right for people to always behave in their own best interests. This idea helps us comprehend that you must always look out for your own interests before anybody else's as being selfless can be regarded immoral. What ethical egoism stands for may occasionally be labelled selfishness, but in my opinion, looking out for oneself first is deemed ethical. According to the psychological egoism idea, people are constantly driven by self-interest, and even selfless acts are ultimately driven by a desire for personal gain. On the other hand, ethical egoism is the viewpoint that pursuing one's own interests is morally acceptable. In other words, while ethical egoism is a normative theory about what individuals should do, psychological egoism is a descriptive theory about human behaviour. Ethical egoism contends that humans ought to be self-centered, contrary to psychological egoism's assertion that people are by nature selfish (Upen, 2019). 6. Briefly explain divine command theory and provide an example of what following divine command theory would look like.

- According to the Divine Command Theory, a deed is morally right or evil depending on whether God has commanded it or forbade it. This viewpoint holds that moral truths are given by God through religious writings or divine revelation, not by reason or observation. This theory's proponents contend that morality ultimately depends on God's will and that there wouldn't be any moral standards absent God. An example of this will be the ten commandments found in the Christian bible. This Decalogue is a set of religious laws and rules found in the bible, and therefore they believe that it is morally right to not steal, murder, or bear false witness because God has commanded it. these are the ethics that Christians use in their day-to-day life and if any of these rules aren’t obeyed it is considered unethical and they will have to seek forgiveness from God by praying. The five Islamic pillars are another illustration. The five religious obligations that each Muslim must uphold are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. These consist of: - Shahada: The confession of faith, which states that one God (Allah) and Prophet Muhammad are the latter's messenger. - Salah: The five daily prayers as they are said. - Zakat: Almsgiving or charitable giving to the needy and underprivileged. - Fasting throughout the month of Ramadan is known as sawm. - Hajj: The annual trip to Mecca if one is physically and financially able to do so. - Muslims, however, also adhere to the Ten Commandments since they align with their moral code; one such commandment is "There is no other but GOD" (NICSA, 2020). 7. Briefly explain the Buddhist Eightfold Path. Which step/part of the path do you believe to be most important? Why? - The Eightfold Path, the fourth of Buddhism's Four Noble Truths, describes the steps required to reach enlightenment and put an end to suffering. One of the Eightfold Path's eight steps, proper perspective, in Buddhist teachings, expands on the notion that one is not one's own self. When compared to Abrahamic religions, this understanding of the natural world and personhood causes one to adopt a different set of values, which practising Buddhists learn to incorporate on their path from ignorance to enlightenment. Instead of adhering to the dictates of a transcendent deity, one attains enlightenment and develops into an ethical being by accepting the Buddha's teachings ( Zeyl J. & Radke N., 2018). These are the eight steps: - Right views - Right resolve - Right speech - Right action - Right livelihood - Right effort - Right mindfulness - Right meditation

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- The ethical and moral benefits of the Buddha's teachings are, in my opinion, great, but I think the right speech is one of, if not the most, crucial steps. Right Speech implies refraining from idle chatter as well as false, polarizing, and aggressive speech. For instance, we might choose not to participate in a discourse if people are disparaging another person and instead state that we do not wish to do so (Namchak, n.d) Buddha teaches that using wise words and acting wisely improves relationships with others and refraining from dishonest behaviours like gossiping leaves you with a clear conscience and a sense of fulfillment. Buddha also believes in staying true to yourself because, while refraining from engaging in unwise conversation is one thing, believing that conversation is unwise is quite another. Therefore, staying true to yourself entails both refraining from unwise conversation and understanding why it is crucial not to. With the proper understanding comes the Buddha's step and right speech. REFERENCES - The Met (n.d) “the five pillars of islam” retrieved January 28, 2023 from https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/curriculum-resources/art-of-the- islamic-world/unit-one/the-five-pillars-of-islam - NICSA (July 17, 2020) “DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?” retrieved January 28, 2023 from https://nicsatx.org/do- muslims-believe-in-the-ten-commandments/ - Zeyl, J., & Radke, N. (2018). Ethical Perspectives. Oxford University Press Academic Canada. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780199019229 - Upen (Jan 21, 2019) “What is the Difference Between Psychological Egoism and Ethical Egoism” retrieved January 31, 2023 from https://pediaa.com/what-is-the- difference-between-psychological-egoism-and-ethical-egoism/

- Namchak (n.d) “The Noble Eightfold Path” retrieved February 1, 2023 from https://www.namchak.org/community/blog/the-noble-eightfold-path/#:~:text=Accord ing%20to%20the%20Buddha%2C%20the,Right%20Mindfulness%2C%20and %20Right%20Concentration .

Assignment 1

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