Reference no: EM133508255

Key ethically-relevant metaphysical (aka, metaethical) concept at which we looked in Unit 8 is intention, an understanding of which is necessary to ethics insofar as our conception of and beliefs about intentions will play a crucial role in what we believe is morally right and when we believe that someone is morally responsible

Discussion Prompt:

A chivalrous man opens the door for an enlightened woman: is he responsible for any moral wrong he does to her by doing that?

Let's say that we want to know whether (a) it was morally right or wrong for the man to open the door for the woman, and, if it was wrong, whether (b) he was responsible for any harm. In attempting to address both issues, we'll find that assumptions about the man's intentions will affect whether or not we believe that the man is morally responsible for any moral offense. Taking what we've learned so far, your group should try to answer the following questions. You can answer them with one or both of the following situations in mind: (i) they are on a date, or (ii) they are strangers.

1. Assuming that he is trying to be a good person, what might his intentions be?

a. What would be evidence that his intentions are in fact good?

2. Assuming that she is offended by his action, why might that be?

a. In particular, what intentions does she attribute to him?

3. If he then says in his defense that he didn't know any better and was trying to be good, why might he believe that his ignorance gets him off the hook?

a. In other words, how would he justify his claim that he was morally in the clear?

4. Why might she believe that he is responsible for his ignorance and 'on the hook' for his offense?

a. And how could it be reasonable to hold him accountable for something he didn't know?

5. What are the lemmas at work in the reasoning of the man? And in the reasoning of the woman?